New setup compatibility

[wickette]

Hi All, I just finished a home made tank. Here's what I had in mind

Paradise Fish (1 male, and add 2 females if have space)
Yo Yo Loach (3-4)
Aapistogramma (3-5 various species)
Leapord Gourami (2)
Dwarf Gourami (1)
Pearl Gourami (1-2)
German Blue Ram (1)
Kribensis (1 -2)
Clown Pleco (1)

Question (any answers would be appreciated)
1) Do you see any compatibility issues keep these fish together?
-Im particularly weary of the chocolate gourami, its small-ish and not aggressive.

2) Besides Loaches, is there anything on my list that should be kept in pairs or more?

3) Besides Paradise fish, is there any species on my list that is better/easier to have just one of?

4)Any suggestion for my list, add or remove?

 

[dudley]

Welcome to the forum!!

Post the dimensions of your new home made tank so we can suggest if your stocking level will work.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Yes, welcome! Tell us more about your hardware.

 

[tanker]

Welcome, and you will need a big tank for your planned stocking-and even then it may not work. Cichlids do not really like other cichlids so your Apistos will fight. Also Gouramis also do not like each other
PS--The Paradise is also a Gouramis.

 

[wickette]

I posted this in the newb forum because I've been out of the hobby 15 years, I'm all set on how to stock, and max bio load. Ive had a species only 29g paradise fish tank. A 55g with red devils, convicts, jack Dempsey's. a 90g African cichlid tank. A bunch of friendly community fish tanks. Im aware of their general aggression of some of these fish.

This tank is going to be a semi-aggressive community tank, somethign Ive never done. Hence why most of this list are fish that wouldbe bully's in a friendly tank, but would get instantly killed in a traditional cichlid tank.

Im more looking for if I picked any obviously incompatible fish (ie Ill have some bullying, must keep things well planted. But is that list going to have problems anywhere as bad as 2 male bettas or paradise fish kept together?)

Another big concern is dwarf gourami and blue ram maxing out at 2.5", while a leopard gourami is 5", is that a big enough size difference to be a problem.



As for my tank,filter etc. Everything is home made (always wanted to do this finally did). I cut my tank to about 37.5" x 19" x 18". That's slightly larger than the surface area of a standard 65 gallon, but 7" shorter, so I can actual reach any part of the bottom without sticking my arm in up to my shoulder. Filter is a home made 4 gallon canister filter, 400gph. Which is first sucking water in through a home made under gravel filter covering about 20% of the tank. Theres also a second 0.5g 50gph canister/hob filter I made, that is 40% sponge, 40% carbon, 20% crushed lava rock (mainly for chemical filtration). Total water capacity is about 53 gallons, or 48 gallons not counting water in the filters/plumbing.

 

[fishorama]

Your tank is on the small size for all those fish & species of fish. I'm a loach lover so I'll start there

Smaller loaches would be much better than the semi-aggressive 6+ inch yoyos. I have kept 2.5 inch sidthimunkis (dwarf chain loaches) & 3+ inch striatas (zebras) or even the ~5 inch histrionicas (very similar but smaller & more mellow than yoyos) & they very cool in a group of 5 or 6 minimum.

I've kept clown plecos with several loach species & 1 would likely be fine. But they are nocturnal & unless you're an insomniac like me, you'll almost never see it. If you go with smaller loaches, a BN pleco might be a more visible choice...BUT...

You have a limited tank "footprint" (bottom space)…& dwarf cichlids are for all practical purposes are pretty much bottom fish or at least territorial lower level dwellers. A single 1 of apisto, ram OR krib might be ok with lots of rock or wood hiding places. Females are smaller but more feisty than males. I think it may come down to a pair of dwarf cichlids or 2 males of 2 species plus either a pleco OR loaches. Be careful mixing SA & African cichlids (kribs), their body language is almost opposite..

Now on to gouramis! Pearls are pretty mellow, 1 male & 2 females would be ok but yoyos might nip them. OR a male dwarf, females are almost never sold anymore (they're boring silver w/faint stripes). A "leopard" gourami...is that a leopard bush fish? A strain of blue gourami? I'm not sure. But I am sure paradisefish are both cool water & aggressive, skip them!

Really, I know this sounds harsh to your "dream" but it's not a long term tank. Think some more...

 

[wickette]

Thanks, that I was insightful. Im going to create and create a new post/new list. Im pretty sure yoyo's usually stay bellow 5". But the pleco is out, as are the kribs, only realized theyre high pH, African cichlids after.

P.S. Paradise fish thrive in very cold - very warm water (low 50's-high 80's)

 

[fishorama]

Kribs are African cichlids, but riverine not from hardwater lakes like most, so they do fine in softer water. Females are prettier to me with their pink tummies & stay smaller than males.

Yoyos really do grow bigger than you think! & some sites use "standard length" (without the tail) but most in US use "total length" (including tail). They grow to 4 inches or so after a year but they're not done growing with proper care.

Paradise may survive higher temps but it's not ideal for them. It can shorten the lives of cooler water fish kept too warm.

There are some less usual gouramis that might work too. Thick lipped I think is 1, I have no experience with them. Or the 2 inch honey gourami, but not with loaches bigger than sids or striatas.

What about a bunch schooling rasboras? If you want a calm, colorful, active tank they, smaller loaches & small gouramis might make a nice Asian tank.

 

[wickette]

Kribs are African cichlids, but riverine not from hardwater lakes like most, so they do fine in softer water. Females are prettier to me with their pink tummies & stay smaller than males.

Yoyos really do grow bigger than you think! & some sites use "standard length" (without the tail) but most in US use "total length" (including tail). They grow to 4 inches or so after a year but they're not done growing with proper care.

Paradise may survive higher temps but it's not ideal for them. It can shorten the lives of cooler water fish kept too warm.

There are some less usual gouramis that might work too. Thick lipped I think is 1, I have no experience with them. Or the 2 inch honey gourami, but not with loaches bigger than sids or striatas.

What about a bunch schooling rasboras? If you want a calm, colorful, active tank they, smaller loaches & small gouramis might make a nice Asian tank.

I posted a new list before this post. (Definitely should not have done that) I was orginally going with kuhli loaches but told to switch to yoyos because of the leapord bush gourami's tendency to gobble smaller loaches. ( I think the same would be true about rasboras?)

My water pH is 6.9, My water is kinda hard but I have filters for softening water so hardness isnt an issue but Im sticking to species that like the same appox hardness.