60 Gal Living Room Build

Hello All!

I purchased this 60 gal tank on black Friday and have been letting it set up and cycle since the first or second week of December. The only fish that I currently have in the tank are 3 albino cory cats. I am looking for recommendations on stocking this tank.

My wife and I both like angelfish so I would like to have at least one pair of angels. I also like electric blue rams but am not sure if they are compatible with angelfish and other fish that will be added to my tank. I like the look of schooling fish as well. Attached is a picture of my tank with the decorations in place before I added black sand and water. Is there enough room in the tank for angelfish with all of the decorations? Thanks in advance for any advice!


Water Parameters: 2/12/19
PH: 7.6
AMMONIUM: 0 PPM
NITRITE: 0 PPM
NITRATE: 10 PPM
TEMPERATURE: 80F

 

The best advice is to picture dividing the section into levels: bottom, mid and top.

Then determine what bottom dwellers you want.

The move on to the mid and top levels.

Granted, sometimes there is a blur there and a fish will migrate between the mid and top or mid and bottom (or all over), but you get the picture.

I am guessing you are looking at a community tank.

For bottom dwellers, consider looking at a species of corydoras, and then select at least 6-8 minimum to have a nice shoal. Corydoras tend to do better in a shoal.

Other bottom dwellers include kuhlI loaches (striped or java/black). Although not a schooling fish, they also do better in a shoal of 6 or more. They have a very small bio-load, so a 60 galloncould do 10+ easily.

The Electric Blue Rams would be considered bottom dwellers and I don't see a problem with them and Angels.

What type of schooling fish were you looking at?

 

Thanks for the advice! I like the way kuhlI loaches look so I may get a few of them. As far as schooling fish I am not 100% sure on what I want to get yet. I have had neon tetras in the past, I have considered them for this tank as well but am also open for any suggestions.

 

Will the PH level (7.6) that my tank is currently at have a negative effect on any of the fish that we have mentioned? If so, how do you recommend I raise or lower the PH level?

 

Personally, I wouldn't recommend a pair of angels in a community because they can become aggressive if they breed. Maybe just a single angel as a centerpiece? I also agree that you should increase your cory school.

 

Thanks for the advice! I like the way kuhlI loaches look so I may get a few of them.

If you like the way kuhlis look, you may want to consider getting more than a few of them. They can be very shy and may spend most of their time hiding otherwise. You should have enough bottom space in a 60 gallonto have a good sized school of cories plus: a good size school of loaches OR a pair/trio of rams, not sure if you'll have room for them all though. Deciding between bottom dwellers has always been the hardest part of the tank for me... I love them all

 

I will probably get 10 -15 kuhlI loaches and a trio of blue rams. All of my decorations/plants are artificial with the exception of one amazon sword. Will I be okay with the lack of plants in my tank or should I try to add more plants?

 

Chasing pH up or down can sometimes be a never ending uphill battle.

Where I live, I have hard water and my tanks are at 7.8pH.

I keep assorted tetras, sunset gourami, male livebearers, kuhli's, corydoras, peacock eels, Bolivian ram, etc and they have been fine with my pH.

Most fish will acclimate to the pH.

 

When adding my new fish is it okay to add them all at once? If not how many should I add at a time?

 

Really depends on how many fish your talking about and what types.

Were you still considering the 3 EBR's and the kuhli's?

If the tank is cycled, then it would probably would be ok, just keep an eye on your water parameters and perform water changes if you detect spikes.

Most rams prefer stable water parameters.

If you still have only the 3 albino corydoras, I would suggest considering upping that count to a total of 6-8 minimum. They like to shoal.

Those + the kuhli's will be fine together. 60 gallonis plenty of real estate on the bottom for them.

 

Yes, I am still considering 3 EBR's. I will add 3 more alibino corydoras to make a group of 6 and then I will probably get 6-8 kuhli's as well. What other fish do you recommend adding with the EBR's, albino corydoras, kuhli's, and angels?

 

One more question......

Would adding an air stone or circulation pump benefit my tank based off of the fish I am looking to stock? I have been doing some research on this and seem to get mixed opinions. I would rather not waste the money if it will not benefit my fish.

 

I can't comment on what are good tank mates for angel fish, since I have never kept them.

I would double check, but when I looked into getting some Angel's, I think I remember reading that the do not prefer large currents or hyper fish that dart around a lot.

I have 3 Sunset thick lipped gourami in my 75g, and I've never seen them be aggressive toward their tankmates, so you might want to research those.

Mine seem to be actually inquisitive. If they approach another fish, they will extend their 2 feelers and touch the other fish, almost like they're saying hello.

Concerning the airstones, if the discharge from your filter is providing decent surface agitation, then an air stone is not required.

The air bubbles from air stones are not suspended in the water column long enough to provide much gas exchange.

The surface agitation from the air stone provides for the gas exchange process.

I run air stones in my tanks, but I use then to power sponge filters in the back corners of the tanks.

One can be easily hidden behind the decor in your tank, judging from the pic you posted earlier in the thread.

You wouldn't need the circulation pump that you mentioned if you have a sponge filter tucked away in the back corner.

I would recommend looking into the ATI brand.

I have ATI sponge products and like them a lot. I also have the "large" sized HikarI Bacto-Surge sponge, and I don't like it near as much as the ATI brand.

ATI uses all modular parts, so everything is interchangeable and you can "stack" the sponges together. They are also American owned company and manufactured in America.

ATI has their normal line "Hydro Sponge" I - V, that us a fine foam sponge, probably 45ppI (pores per inch).

If it has "Pro" in the name, it uses their reticulated coarse sponge, about the same density and ppI as a sponge foam block that come in Aquaclear filters.

The "Pro" sponges will flow more water through them.

For a 60 gallonlike yours, if it were mine, I would get a ATI Hydro Sponge Pro III or IV.

Or get the stackable add-on, where you can stack another on top. "Pro" coarse on bottom and the regular style fine sponge on top.

They pick up TONS of muck. It is crazy how well they work. When you ring them out in a bucket of water, you will think, where did all this muck come from!

ATI also makes great sponge pre-filters for your main filter's intake tube.

Kensfish.com and jehmco.com all have the best selection and best prices for ATI products.

 

I have some good news!!

I visited a fish store near by and have started adding fish to my aquarium. After discussing with an employee at the fish store I am planning to slowly stock my tank adding about 5 fish at a time. I purchased a pair of angelfish and 3 more albino corydoras which gives me a group of 6. I am going to let these fish get comfortable in their new home and if everything goes well I am hoping to add more fish in 2 weeks or so. I did another water test before purchasing my fish and the results can be found below. I will be checking the water again today and possibly doing a water change. My question is how often should I do a water change and what % should I do with these new fish added to my tank? Thanks again for any advice.


Water Parameter: 2/22/19
Temp: 79F
PH: 7.6
AMMONIUM: 0.25 PPM
NITRITE: 0 PPM
NITRATE: 5 PPM