Help to choose new stock for my tank please?

[Wild West]

If regular maintenance is an issue, I'd go with a lightly stocked tank. Almost anyone can grow java ferns. They attach to wood or rocks, grow slowly & come in a few forms.

Please don't get "a" clown loach, they are shoaling fish that need friends & can grow quite large, 10+ inches!. A 55g would only be a temporary home until they get 5 inches or so in a year or 2. There are several smaller loaches that you could keep in a group of either 6 kubotai (aka angelicus), or 8-10 sidthimunki (dwarf chain) would be my first choice. Zebra loaches are a bit shy IME, cute but harder to find sometimes. Yoyos get a little big & can be semi-aggressive. Kuhlis are interesting to kids, like pretty "worms", but can be more shy than most botias, you could have 6-12. You could stay with Asian fish: pearl gouramis are pretty (1 male & 2-3 female) &. have "feelers" & a big school or rasboras either red tailed or harlequins, you could keep the danios too, if you like them.

I hear you on the breeding thing with cichlids (& live bearers). You can keep a ram or 1 kribensis (I think females are prettier) but then you don't see the fun behaviors either. I have a single angel since his friends died off, he seems ok & much less aggressive now.
I also wouldn't keep angels with gouramis. A group of corys, maybe pearl gouramis or honey (dwarf aren't often healthy, females not usually sold), the usual school of rasboras, cardinal tetras or instead maybe even roseline sharks. They are a tiny bit nervous IME, I had 1 jump from a 75g (but rescued him). A bristle nosed pleco is kind of fun for kids too, sucker mouth &, if male, bristles. You can play find the plec.

As you can see I love bottom feeders but don't get carried away. A BN & corys OR 1 species of loaches. Shrimp are interesting to kids too. The fish "should" keep the population from booming, they often eat baby shrimp if they can. Cichlids & botias (but not kuhlis) can & will hunt adults. Remember, less is easier to maintain, so pick a couple options, not all (remember less fish, less maintenance), lol. Bigger groups of 1 species can be much more interesting than several small. You can play count the schoolers...I still have trouble with that sometimes, lol.

Killies are pretty but some have special needs & for their size, can be aggressive. Do the research & ask us. You probably can aim the filter return or spraybar so the isn't too much current for them (or honey gouramis). There are other interesting options, I have a 55g planted "river tank" with hillstream loaches, gobies & whiteclouds I enjoy but it may not be what you're looking for. Another is a 20 long, all tiny fish & shrimp, can you & your child get up close & personal with your tank? I think those may not be for you but you've got fish experience, it may be time to try something very different!

Thanks! D you know what else eats snails besides clown loach and african cichlids?

 

[fishorama]

Most botia loaches eat pond & ramshorn snails, some can eat MTS. But there are other non-fish ways if all you want is snail control & not loachy cuteness. Some SA cichlids eat some snails too.

First, feed less, way less! A few snails are no big deal (to me) but populations will dramatically increase with extra food.

Bait & remove : put in a piece of zucchini, stabbed onto a fork for easy sinking & removal. Daily remove the squash & throw away in trash or compost along with snails (bonus: many botia loaches like to eat zucchini too, lol...call me the loach pusher)

Watch for & remove jelly-like snail egg masses (MTS, trumpet snails, are live bearers so no eggs). This is good for new plants, more difficult & less effective in tanks, but if control, not eradication, is the goal, it can help. (Not sure if you can easily do this).

Be careful with any water treatment to kill snails. Many contain copper, you may never be able to keep inverts (snails & shrimp) in the tank again, it can stay in silicone & some substrates. Plus, whatever tx, all those dead snails can really boost ammonia levels, unsafe or deadly to your fish...requiring large water changes you're less able to perform, right?

You know, I was so busy offering community tank options (w/loaches, of course, lol) in my previous post, I should have said if you love severums, you might try having 1 of any variety & maybe a BN pleco OR group of corys OR a group medium sized loaches.Light stocking, less food, a few java ferns, less need of water changes...but you still have to do them often enough to keep nitrate 20ppm or less. The cichlid may not be quite as pretty if "he" doesn't have anyone to be show off for but he may become more of a "people fish". A single big fish has the "bio-load" of many small fish, think body mass & food in, poo out.

 

[Wild West]

Bait & remove : put in a piece of zucchini, stabbed onto a fork for easy sinking & removal. Daily remove the squash & throw away in trash or compost along with snails

thanks! Yes, control is what I am looking for Besides, we love to cook with zucc here, sounds like an excellent solution.

 

[Wild West]

deleted

 

[Wild West]

I am still all over the board on how to stock the 55, so I am going to try my hand at this and see how it works out.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...rue&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_2&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Other fish are in a new home, but I kept the bristlenose. Not sure how an all in one AQ works, but I figure I can use some of the media from the 55 somewhere in the new nano for the bristlenose?

If this works, I do believe it will make water changes and hydocleaning MUCH easier. Plus, I have the chance to look at small fish I bred shell dwellers for awhile, but not sure this has enough floorspace?

 

[fishorama]

You won't be able to keep much in that tank because of it's tall narrow shape, unlike a "standard 5g" that is longer & more shallow. There isn't much surface area for gas exchange, not that 5g is much water volume either way. I haven't tried an "all in 1". Look to see how easy filter access is for cleaning. But the topless design, while cool looking, may not be safe for any fish (most) that might jump or small kids that may toss toys or "help" feed (picture a handful of cheerios etc in there, lol).

I think that tank is too small for a BN & no top worries me. I only had a rimless 40g long, 1 time for several years. I ended up leaving the water level down a few inches & floating plants to reduce jumpers (fish & "mystery snails"). The snails would work their way to the top & over the edge...usually with a thunk I could hear & rescue them, but not the fish.

Even a betta &/or a few shrimp may escape & those would be my best guess at appropriate stock.

 

[Wild West]

You won't be able to keep much in that tank because of it's tall narrow shape, unlike a "standard 5g" that is longer & more shallow. There isn't much surface area for gas exchange, not that 5g is much water volume either way. I haven't tried an "all in 1". Look to see how easy filter access is for cleaning. But the topless design, while cool looking, may not be safe for any fish (most) that might jump or small kids that may toss toys or "help" feed (picture a handful of cheerios etc in there, lol).

I think that tank is too small for a BN & no top worries me. I only had a rimless 40g long, 1 time for several years. I ended up leaving the water level down a few inches & floating plants to reduce jumpers (fish & "mystery snails"). The snails would work their way to the top & over the edge...usually with a thunk I could hear & rescue them, but not the fish.

Even a betta &/or a few shrimp may escape & those would be my best guess at appropriate stock.

Thanks!! I really appreciate your replies and advice. I am guessing you get a lot of trolls here? I tried to join the shout box today and, well, I am not a troll. I am very real, have a little one (child) despite my older age, and yes, have good experience from years past.

Back on topic The 55 is still up and running. I really need the humidity, in a dry climate combined with my home being heated with a wood stove and pellet stove only, and electric space heaters for supplement, and I have had great success with advanced fish in the past. I have both a digital and analog hygrometer and never get above the the 16 and 20% minimums on either.

Between dipping from the tank to water a few house plants and evaporation, I need a better way to keep it full and for hydrocleaning/water changes. This is the faucet I bought for the new bathroom that is closer to the AQ, I even bought extra adapters to use the knock off "python", ( I use that name as I assume you all would recognize it?) none of the fittings will fit SMH.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Delta-Ze...c-Bathroom-Faucet-in-Chrome-25706LF/202981039

Any ideas? I also have a shower in there with a head an nozzle, do you or anyone else know if there is an adapter for a waterpick shower hose?

Thanks for any replies.

 

[Wild West]

Heres the new shower set up

 

[fishorama]

I remember trying to figure that out at my previous house but couldn't. The sink was too shallow to attach the adapter & python. I "think" the shower head to hose was an impossible mission. My solution was to use the python shut-off to get water in the hose by scooping water w/vac. Then, keeping the vac end underwater, putting the other end in the tub & opening the shut-off. This only worked to drain/vac. For refills I attached adapter & python to the kitchen sink. I had 9 tanks at that time so all the goofing around was worth it, the house was small enough a 50ft hose reached all the tanks spread over the house & I didn't have to have water running to vac "uphill".

Hopefully some else has ideas for you. I rarely bother with the python now except for refills sometimes, only 3 tanks now. Back to buckets, often with husband's help. We have a drought here & use the tank water on favorite outdoor plants & refill w/gallon jugs (exercise!).

As for Shoutbox, I have no idea, I think I looked at it once or twice. Nothing was going on, so I don't know what to expect.

 

[Wild West]

I remember trying to figure that out at my previous house but couldn't. The sink was too shallow to attach the adapter & python. I "think" the shower head to hose was an impossible mission. My solution was to use the python shut-off to get water in the hose by scooping water w/vac. Then, keeping the vac end underwater, putting the other end in the tub & opening the shut-off. This only worked to drain/vac. For refills I attached adapter & python to the kitchen sink. I had 9 tanks at that time so all the goofing around was worth it, the house was small enough a 50ft hose reached all the tanks spread over the house & I didn't have to have water running to vac "uphill".

Hopefully some else has ideas for you. I rarely bother with the python now except for refills sometimes, only 3 tanks now. Back to buckets, often with husband's help. We have a drought here & use the tank water on favorite outdoor plants & refill w/gallon jugs (exercise!).

As for Shoutbox, I have no idea, I think I looked at it once or twice. Nothing was going on, so I don't know what to expect.

I have not tried the tub out there, thanks, I will!! Cleaning/draining is no problem, I lead the hose outside and gravity does the work Thanks F fishorama !!