55 gallon restocking after Ich question

Hello,
I am looking into re-stocking my tank after losing over 25 fish from ich. My fish have not shown any signs of ich for the last 14 days, in the next few weeks to get more fish.

I have a 55 gallon tank with a Seachem Tidal 110, and a Seachem Tidal 75. My Water parameters are, ph is 7.2, nitrates 0, nitrite 0, ammonia 0, GH 106.

I am looking at getting 2 sunset honey gouramis and possibly a pearl gourami or a honey gourami.

My current stock:
1 Peacock Grudgeon
6 Von Rio Tetras
3 Ember Tetras ( I had 9 before ich )
2 Neon Tetras ( I had 7 before Ich )
3 Black Neon Tetras ( I had 8 before Ich)
2/3 Nerite Snails
2/3 KuhlI Loaches
2 Otocinclus ( I had 3 before Ich )
2 African Dwarf Frogs
1 Blonde Frog
2 Amano Shrimp
1 Albino Bristle Nose Plucky

I have on order the following:
6 Purple/Black Rasboras ( should I get 2 more).
3 Blonde African Dwarf frogs
2 Peacock Grudgeons ( should I get more )
2 Banana Plants
2 Dwarf Lily Bulbs

With plans of getting:
1 pearl Gourami? Or 2 to 3 Honey Gouramis
4 Otocinclus
3 Nerite Snails
6 Amano Shrimp
1 or 2 Bolivian Rams
4 kulhI loaches

 

Welcome to Fishlore hope our members can help you today

 

Hello and welcome to fishlore!! Looking over what you have you have a lot going on. But all looks good now. Your new fish should be put into a qt tank for 2-4 weeks. This way if they come with ick it doesn’t make it into the main tank. This time of the year s when you see a lot of ick. Because of the cold weather. Are you getting your fish through the mail or ordered from a pet store?
All your tetras that lost there schools could use more fish. That’s what I would rebuild before adding different fish. Gouramis can be problem fish and different types may not get along. What is the temp of your tank? The Bolivians could be your center piece fish down the line.
Your filtration is massive for that tank. I’m running almost the same on a 90g. Why so much? And when you checked for nitrate did you shake the 2nd bottle like crazy and again when you mixed it?

 

86 ssinit questioned your nitrate testing procedure. I'm also curious about your nitrate reading. You said it was 0, but in a cycled tank I'd expect to see some nitrates unless the tank is heavily planted. Is that the case?

I also agree about bumping up the numbers of existing shoaling fish instead of (or at least before) adding more varieties, unless you've decided to not keep those varieties.

 

I’d wait a few weeks and agree with others statements. I always try to wait a month after any disease outbreak. Might be a little long but better safe than sorry. I agree QTing new fish is a good plan.

 

Hello and welcome to fishlore!! Looking over what you have you have a lot going on. But all looks good now. Your new fish should be put into a qt tank for 2-4 weeks. This way if they come with ick it doesn’t make it into the main tank. This time of the year s when you see a lot of ick. Because of the cold weather. Are you getting your fish through the mail or ordered from a pet store?
All your tetras that lost there schools could use more fish. That’s what I would rebuild before adding different fish. Gouramis can be problem fish and different types may not get along. What is the temp of your tank? The Bolivians could be your center piece fish down the line.
Your filtration is massive for that tank. I’m running almost the same on a 90 gallon. Why so much? And when you checked for nitrate did you shake the 2nd bottle like crazy and again when you mixed it?

Thank you for your response,this is going to be a long response (Sorry).
I plan on quarantining for 30 days. Getting some of my fish from Trins, and some from Either The Wet Spot, Or Wet and Wild, both are within about 30 minutes from me.
I am putting 2 quarantine tanks up tomorrow 20 hexagon, and a 16 Biocube I already have. I have been checking my aquarium every time I water change which has been every couple days, and every time the nitrate, and nitrites read 0, yes I shake both bottles, and invert the tube several times. It's the same for my 36 bow front that has been up and running for 4 years. I have my African Chiclids in it, 1 very large Female Blue Lab, a medium size Yellow Lab, and a 4 inch Bristle nose Plucky. My Text solution does not expire until September, but maybe the nitrate solution went bad. I will get some new test solution and see if I get the same results. My Temp is 80 right now, I raised it during ich treatment, I had it at 78 before. As far as the filtration goes, I started with the 110 only, but when my first fish started dying, I thought it was not keeping my tank cleaned, which contributed to my deaths. I had a lot of hornwort, and the tank had a smell I did not like so did a 30% water change, and removed 50% of the hornwort. Next morning I had the biggest loss , 6 Black Emperors, 4 Neons, 3 Embers. I added a 50 aquaeon I had on my 36 bow, and removed the rest of the hornwort. Over the next few days I lost 2 to 3 fish a day, but once I added the 75 Tidal I have lost nothing else. I got the 75 Tidal filter for a very good price $49.00, it was actually cheaper then the 55. I usually always have a second filter and heater on hand just in case. I am leaning in not doing tetras other then the Von Rios, the Embers are schooling with them, and the black and regular neons are schooling together, I will consider getting 4 more neons, and 3 more black neons. I plan on getting a school of neon green rasboras, and a school of Black/Purple rasboras. I have had Kissing Gouramis, and dwarfs in the past with great results. I am leaning on getting a Pearl, Honey or sunset thick lip Gourami.

 

86 ssinit questioned your nitrate testing procedure. I'm also curious about your nitrate reading. You said it was 0, but in a cycled tank I'd expect to see some nitrates unless the tank is heavily planted. Is that the case?

I also agree about bumping up the numbers of existing shoaling fish instead of (or at least before) adding more varieties, unless you've decided to not keep those varieties.

Hello,
I have been testing my water every couple days, and every time I get 0 nitrate, my solution has not expired, but maybe it's gone bad, I will get some new solution, and see if I get a different reading. Iam leaning towards not keeping Tetras other then the Von Rios which I love. If I have enough room I plan on getting more of those. Before my major loss only my neon and embers were schooling. I had 8 Black Emperor, 7 Neons, 8 Black Neons, 6 Lemons, and 9 embers (was 10, but a Black emperor ate a very small one) Now my Embers are schooling with the Von Rios.

 

I’d wait a few weeks and agree with others statements. I always try to wait a month after any disease outbreak. Might be a little long but better safe than sorry. I agree QTing new fish is a good plan.

I plan on having all new fish, shrimp, etc in quarantine for 30 days, and don't plan on getting any fish until the I have 2 quarantine tanks ready.. I learned my lesson on that, the ich came with some Petco fish. Petco was awesome, and refunded me for the fish, frog, and shrimp that I bought from them, even fish that was past their 30 refund policy.