qwertypoii

I have a 30 gallon freshwater planted tank. Currently, I have 4 corys, 1 siamese algae eater, 3 bloodfin tetras and 1 farowella... oh and I have a few snails who snuck in on some plants lol I'm looking to add some more fish but I'm not too sure what to get so that they all get along well.

I have a pH level of 7.6 (out of the tap) so I can't get any fish that require a low ph.

Thanks!!

ATKINSON

It seems that you have your bottom dwellers sorted, how about a pair of dwarf cichlids such as rams or kribs( not so sure about their aggresive level) or a school of 10 neons or cardinals would look cool in a planted tank. Or maybe a gourami: Dwarfs are my favourite. The possibilitys are endless...

qwertypoii

I really did want to get a ram or two as like the centerpiece fish, but my ph is too high for them, I heard they are really sensative and the lower the ph the better. Are there any fish like them that are not as sensative?

I defianately want some fish that are active and don't hide all the time.

harpua2002

Try Bolivian rams. They are much more hardy and adaptable to a larger range of water parameters than GBRs. Plus, it's so difficult to find healthy GBR stock unless you buy directly from a breeder. Chain stores and LFSs rarely have any GBRs that are worth buying.

I would also suggest adding a few more Bloodfins. At that point you'll be stocked. Be sure to add new fish slowly.

jdhef

If you just want a centerpiece fish, a Dwarf Gourami might be a good choice. Of if you have enough room, you could try a small school of Neon Blue Dwarf Rainbowfish.

gmen4life

some rams?

qwertypoii

Thanks for all the suggestions!!

The guy at the pet store said he is getting in some Denison Barbs on Wednesday... he said they are very active and nice to look at, anyone know anything about them?

He also had these fish he said were from Australia but I can't for the life of me remember the name, they have yellow tails and as they mature they get bright blue heads... could they be Boesemani Rainbows??

I may end up with the Bolivian Rams or the Rainbow fish as suggested, they are active fish right?

Thanks again everyone, I really appreciate the help!!

harpua2002

Denison barbs are fantastic looking, but will grow too large for a 30 gallon. Same for boesemani rainbows.

Bolivian rams are small cichlids and behave as such. They will mostly ignore other fish, but may squabble among themselves. It rarely results in damage. You have room in your tank IMO to add a pair and also add a few more bloodfins to make them feel more comfortable.

qwertypoii

Yea I just looked up those barbs now and they get HUGE!! I don't have the space for them... I don't know what that pet shop guy is thinking!!!

I believe that Boesemani's are about the same adult size as bolivian rams (3") and they require 30 gallons minimum... well at least that is what I read, not too sure though...

I do like your stocking suggestion, the bloodfins, while not the most colorful fish are VERY active and they are surprisingly outgoing and nosey for tetras, every time you put your hand near the tank they think it's time to eat, it's quite cute actually, so a few more would be great! I do love the look of the bolivian rams too.

Okay, so here is an odd question, so I read that the Bolivians like things to hide in, like flower pots... but my tank is very 'natural' looking with the live plants and such, anyone have any suggestions of a cave I can buy and/or make that looks more natural?

thanks!

harpua2002

Boesemanis can grow larger than 3 inches.

When I kept Bolivians, I was in the same boat as you are... I wanted my tank to look natural and I really don't like fake ornaments. I got some lace rock and the shapes of it made it easy to fit the pieces together to make a cave. If you're worried about the rocks falling, just use aquarium safe silicone to glue them together. Make sure you let the silicone cure for 24-48 hours.

Beth1965

You could make a cave or two out of stones or use terra cotta pots (not seen soap or insecticides).
Beth

jdhef

I have 3 Boesemani's in my 36 gallon tank. They do get over 3" for sure. My largest is about 4 1/2" long and I've had him just over one year now (though I don't know how old he was when I bought him.) They are great fish and very aggressive eaters. I lost one of the three a couple of weeks ago, and my first indication something was wrong was that he wasn't aggressivly going after his food. I bought a new one to replace him, but at about 1" long he is really tiny compared to the other two, but it will be interesting to see how long it takes him to catch up size wise.

amaux2

I'm in the process of making some caves for my future fish. I've broken up pieces of slate and smoothed off the edges so they're not sharp, and glued them together (with silicon) to make caves. Looks totally natural and my siamese fighter loves his little one.

harpua2002

That sounds super cool amaux2. I would love to see some pics of your creations..... as would other FL folk! We love pics!

Did you smooth off the edges with a Dremel? Just curious.

amaux2

I broke the slate into assorted sizes, then simply rubbed the edges on the concrete patio outside until they were smooth. Made a mess on the concrete, but it was easy and quick to do. Then I soaked them in boiling water for an hour or so, gave them a scrub and let them thoroughly dry before using the silicon.
Here's what we came up with, but the possibilities are endless! I ended up adding a few more pieces to the second one to make it look more like a cave and less like a A-frame structure.

Attached Images

	Slate cave.JPG (36.7 KB, 27 views)
	Slate cave 2.JPG (42.5 KB, 26 views)

harpua2002

Those are really cool! Nice work.

Blub

I think it would be a great idea to get more Bloodfins for a start! They really love being in a school so 6-8 of them would make them a lot happier.

Also, have you looked into Coconut caves? They are sort of natural, although you wouldn't usually find them in the wild it could happen occasionally. They do look great though.