New tank stocking ideas!

[aquabee]

Hey everybodyyyy! Got this tank to put in my bedroom cuz I couldn't pass it up... Too good of a deal. 50 gallons, dim 36x18x20. So a 50 tall. What should I stock it with?? Apistos? Kribs? Dunno!



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[originalhandy]

Put a picture of all of us as the background!

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[MeCasa]

[gambs]

Apistos

[MeCasa]

Too hard to manipulate water, figure out your water parameters and find some fish that like those parameters. For instance I have hard high ph water which excluded many SA cichlids

[mnemenoi]

Bee moved to Central California recently, so her water parameters are an unknown to me. I have a feeling they are a bit softer then the liquid rock here....

[aquabee]

Haha yes. PH 7.5 out of the tap, barely a tinge of ammonia (0.2 ppm), same with nitrite, no nitrate. Hard to believe, no??


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[MeCasa]

You're lucky for sure, that's a decent ph for most anything, do you want one species or multiple?

[mnemenoi]

I say build out with a light Ph reducer (Fluval Stratum) or at least an inert earth tone (Seachem Flourite "Dark"). I personally have been wanting to use some ADA Malaysia as I think it looks terrific but its a strong Ph reducer and not what you really need. Find some decent Mopani to accentuate the flow of the tank. I'd personally avoid rockwork as it would just add to the TDS and could add problems in the long run. Add some Bolbitos (even some mini), various Anubias (I'd get a few different ones to create the idea of differing foliage), and possibly an Aponogeton (Lace family relatives, petco sells dry bulbs for CHEAP). For livestock, I'd stick with the West African biotope idea. A pair of WC Pelvicachromis (Pelvicachromis rubrolabiatus or Pelvicachromis taeniatus would be my choice, though Scarlets are awesome looking as well), a schoaling midwater dweller such as African Fire Barbs (lots of weird ones from Africa that are cool) or african tetras (blue congos, african red eye, Adonis). As a surface dweller go with a pair of African Butterfly fish. For bottom dwellers you have a few options, The Vampire shrimp is cool and from that area and synodontis have a wide and diverse family. The microsnodontis sp. are really being made available and might just fit the bill perfectly. Really a nice biotope tank and if researched a bit more for proper decisions could be submitted to the AGA competition in the biotope category...

[aquabee]

Wow. Thanks for such amazing suggestions. MeCasa, I'm open to multiple species. And Roy, you're right in that the water here can absolutely support more delicate wild species. Here's a pic of my water test straight outta the tap:



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[aquabee]

As far as light pH reducers, I'm good with IAL or alder cones, or even putting a bag of the stratum in a fine mesh bag into the filter, although that stuff can get pretty dirty.


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