# Amazon Species to go with Pristella Tetra



## Morgan (Apr 15, 2008)

Hey! 

I'm soon going to be setting up a fairly large (55 gallon) aquarium for a school of pristella and possibly cardinal tetra. 

I'm looking for several other possible cohabitants from the South American region. I'm not strict on that (for example, I'd love to keep two rainbow shark!) but it'd be nice to find a species of shrimp, or some new species of fish that could add colour to the tank. 

Thanks!


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

Morgan said:


> Hey!
> 
> I'm soon going to be setting up a fairly large (55 gallon) aquarium for a school of pristella and possibly cardinal tetra.
> 
> ...


Big no to the sharks. Your tank is small for that fish. they need a lot more room as when well kept they grow like a rocket and swim even faster.

As far as tank mates its pretty wide open. Anything from angelfish to either species of ram to a few different apistos to dozens of other tetra species, interesting plecos, cory cats, lots of shrimp, about 8 gourami species... whatever really... those are unaggressive fish you're starting off with so you have many options.

Don't pick anything that will scare the tetras. The sharks would scare them a lot. Super fast moving or aggressive fish, of course, would be bad.


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## kweenshaker (Mar 11, 2006)

Pablo said:


> about 8 gourami species...


What gourami species are South American, pablo?


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Try a pair of blue rams, bolivian rams or apisto's (some apisto's should be kept in small groups of male, female, female, though). 

They will make your tetra's school a bit tighter too.

You can also add Oto's and BN pleco's, as I believe they are both SA species as well =)

Good luck!


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## Cory_Dad (Apr 18, 2008)

I didn't realize rams were good community fish. What temperature range do they tolerate?

Ya learn something new every day.

Thanks.


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

I missed that it was SA only sorry


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Cory_Dad said:


> I didn't realize rams were good community fish. What temperature range do they tolerate?
> 
> Ya learn something new every day.
> 
> Thanks.


The community tanks I have them in sit around 26-27. If I'm not mistaken, they are ok a bit lower and a bit higher, probably up to 30 and down to like 24 or so.

I'm too lazy to find out for sure, but just do a search on dwarf cichlids, lots of info out there.


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

I was advised on the Cichlid forum, not to keep M. ramirez in anything lower than 28C - 30C and soft, clean water, much like Discus.



> 28C to 30C permanently and need soft acid water (somewhere in the line of.....PH=5.5...6.5 / GH=4...6 / KH= 1...3) and very clean water


As a result of my ignorance/stupidity, I've killed too many and it breaks my heart.

If you cannot keep them in these conditions, I would highly recommend M. altispinosus, they are much hardier and just as much fun to watch. A little bit bigger in size than M. ramirez.

*Edit:* Both are wonderful community fish, they only spar with each other and pretty much ignore other tank mates. They defend their spawn by chasing away other fish but no harm results, just chasing.

Tabatha


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

its ramirezi not ramirez


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

I'm a goof, I stand corrected.


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

I'm a goof, I stand corrected and hang my head in shame.


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Locally bred blue rams are fine in TO water - mine have lived, and spawned, in pH 7-7.2.


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

No I didn't mean it like that I was just saying so everyone knew how to spell it if they googled it etc


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