# Suggest to me some cool new fishes!



## malajulinka (Mar 29, 2008)

Hi all,

I finally got my tetras transferred from their pitiful 10-gallon into the 30-gallon that has been gathering dust and accessories in my bedroom for months. There are 11 of them, mixed cardinals and neons due to a LFS error some months back. All of them have been with me for 5 months or so and seem to be doing well, except for one runty cardinal (there's always a runty one, isn't there? I lost the runty neon a couple of weeks before the move).

It's semi-planted, and hopes to become more planted as plants spread/I add more. No ammonia, no nitrites, PH is about 7.4 (seems a little high - any suggestions for this while we're at it?), and temp is about 80 right now without a heater because of my damned warm apartment. I'm running an Eheim 250. 

I added a couple of tiny BNPs over the weekend (look forward to a rehoming post when they both turn out to be boys! ).

But I would like some other fishes! Something not-too-little, and preferably something that will pair up and stake a little territory, maybe breed but not necessarily successfully.

I've got my school and I've got my bottom-feeders, so suggest to me my "showpiece" fishes. I was thinking maybe a pair of Rams, but am totally open to suggestions! Blow my mind, please! Which ones are your favourites? Where did you get them?


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## Nomo (Jan 21, 2012)

Rams are nice, I been looking at the Apistogramma (dwarf cichlids) very colorful fish, they are only about 3-4inches max. 

I currently have 
2 african butterfly cichlid
3 starlight pleco
2 sterbai cory
10 bloodfin tetra
Planted in a 29 gallon

I just added a Queen loach in yesterday.

Thinking about upgrading to a 65+ so I can do a full out dwarf cichlid planted tank.

A picture of your set up would be nice ^^


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## ppaskova (Apr 27, 2010)

I have same fish as you in my 30Gl tank. In addition I have guppies, cherry barbs and rummy nose tetras and they all go along and look nice as well.


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## malajulinka (Mar 29, 2008)

Thanks Nomo - Apistogramma are definitely something to look into - some of them are quite pretty! I will post pics once I (finally) get a charger for my camera.  I've got some really cool weathered bricks in there that I found by the lakeshore, and the driftwood was found as well. I think I'm going to need a better light if I'm going to grow more plants, though...

And ppaskova, your tank sounds like a lot of fun, but my heart belongs to neon tetras for schooling fish. (And the cardinals - they can stay even if they came in by accident!) 

Anyone else have suggestions for small-to-medium sized pairing fish that will make me happy?


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## default (May 28, 2011)

Apistos for show fish are a nice choice  just don't expect to see them so much in the beginning.. I got 3 individuals in a 45 and my cacatoide is around 3.5-4" long.. Real pretty and mean looking. Anyone looking for a small not-so-sure apisto which looks real pretty let me know... Almost impossible to photograph since the tank is a half moon and this guys extremely active.. But he's white/yellow, with a bright yellow outline on the fins and tail, and mixed spots of green, red, and blue/black. Weird but nice... Just he gets mean.


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## JayPetro (Feb 8, 2012)

Celebes or furcata rainbow? Just saying cause I have a pair of the first and trio of the second I'm hoping to sell. Extremely bright active fish that love to flash their colors. I even have two cardinals I'm hoping to sell as well, and some albino bnp.


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## malajulinka (Mar 29, 2008)

Thanks, default. I've read that Apistos can be jerks, but do they bother everyone? Would they harrass my tetras and my BNPs too, or just other fish of similar size and habits?


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## Nomo (Jan 21, 2012)

Apistos can be very mean during breeding to protect their youngs.


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## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

Personally I love rams, and find they go with everything tetra like. they feel very safe with tetras also. Here is my pair. 



 An GBR male with EBR female. I am selling their fry currently.


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## malajulinka (Mar 29, 2008)

Tropicana said:


> Personally I love rams, and find they go with everything tetra like. they feel very safe with tetras also. Here is my pair.
> 
> 
> 
> An GBR male with EBR female. I am selling their fry currently.


I saw your Group Buy and was SOOOOOO tempted...but my tank is still pretty new, so I'd like to make sure the system's stable before I add anything else. I cycled with my old filter and water, and so far everything's peachy...but I used a lot of found objects in the scaping - boiled them to bits, but you never know!

If I ever make it up to Orillia maybe I'll hit you up!


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## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

Haha okay sounds good. Good luck with your aquarium, new is always exciting.


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## default (May 28, 2011)

malajulinka said:


> Thanks, default. I've read that Apistos can be jerks, but do they bother everyone? Would they harrass my tetras and my BNPs too, or just other fish of similar size and habits?


Oh no, I find their mean to other similar sized cichlids. That's all. I've had a cacatoide around under an inch long and grow to over 3.5-4" and hes around shrimp, neons, Cory's, kuhlis, cardinals, etc etc. never touches em. He got alitte mean to my Bolivian though.


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## malajulinka (Mar 29, 2008)

Thanks Kelly!

I post-stalked you a bit and found where you once listed in your tank parameters that your PH is 7.2. Mine is 7.4, which I understand is a bit high for Rams, but I also understand it's better to just leave it than try to muck around lowering it. Given that yours do so well at 7.2, do you think they'd be okay?

Also, do you pretty much always have fry growing out? I'd love to get out to either Killarney or Algonquin sometime this year, and Orillia would be on my way back, but it probably won't be until the end of the summer.



Tropicana said:


> Haha okay sounds good. Good luck with your aquarium, new is always exciting.


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## malajulinka (Mar 29, 2008)

Hmmm, that's good to keep in mind! Still gonna put off adding anyone for at least a month or so, but some of the apistos are so pretty...



default said:


> Oh no, I find their mean to other similar sized cichlids. That's all. I've had a cacatoide around under an inch long and grow to over 3.5-4" and hes around shrimp, neons, Cory's, kuhlis, cardinals, etc etc. never touches em. He got alitte mean to my Bolivian though.


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## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

malajulinka said:


> Thanks Kelly!
> 
> I post-stalked you a bit and found where you once listed in your tank parameters that your PH is 7.2. Mine is 7.4, which I understand is a bit high for Rams, but I also understand it's better to just leave it than try to muck around lowering it. Given that yours do so well at 7.2, do you think they'd be okay?
> 
> Also, do you pretty much always have fry growing out? I'd love to get out to either Killarney or Algonquin sometime this year, and Orillia would be on my way back, but it probably won't be until the end of the summer.


Haha thats fine , I bred rams in 7.8 in my old house so your ph is still great! . They are used to High ph waters so they would do great in your tank as well. I should still have fry in a few months, I am getting a few more batches going at the moment!


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