Galaxy are micropredators. I believe they'll enjoy snacking on your shrimplets. Adult shrimps are fine, I have some fire reds in the same tank. On the bright side, Galaxy will keep your tank clear of creepy crawlies! I suggest you stand slow with Galaxy, maybe just 4 for a start. Then shop around and get the prettiest in the tank as you go along, shopping for fish is fun! Don't 'spent' it in one go. I'd suggest get some female Galaxy in the mix, females are duller though.
Watch the pH. CO2 injection will bring it even lower. Nerite snails hate that. If you're using aquasoil it'll explain the low pH, but the soil will lose it's pH effect overtime. Some people actually take advantage of the aquasoil pH lowering to counter the stone's pH altering effect. I think your pH is fine, won't worry too much about it. Most fishes can adapt.
I'm using ADA Amazonia which is why it's at 6.0 plus the fact that my CO2 has been running constantly since this morning around 9-10am at like 2.5bps?
Hmm if the Galaxy Rasboras are gonna hunt my shrimplets then it's gonna be hard for me to grow a colony of shrimps..... now I'm thinking twice about the Galaxy Rasboras. But then again fishes like Espei Rasboras will eat my shrimplets too right! So I'll probably wait till my plants really grow out densely before I add those shrimps!
Have you thought about Pristella maxillaris or X-ray tetra?
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When you add fishes into the tank you'll need to adjust your CO2 rate and schedule. I turn my CO2 on one hour before lights on so that I can reach a 1 degree pH drop. Drop checkers lag, so I use the pH drop as a guide. Calculating CO2 using pH drop when using aquasoil won't give you accurate readings though. I feel the best way is to read plants and faunas. Good pearling and growth with plants, and fishes don't go bonkers, that's how I tune my CO2. All other readings are just rough guidelines.
Also, I'd make sure I get good surface agitation. This gives good gas exchange and increase O2 level, good for fishes and plants especially at night. I used to run airstone at night to disperse the CO2 as I noticed fishes struggling in the morning, but since upping the flow and adjusting the lily pipe to create more surface agitation the problem went away so I did away with the airstone. There are folks who say surface agitation waste CO2 but I think CO2 is cheap so why worry? Small price to pay for happy fishes. Just make sure you have good CO2 dissolution and distribution for the plants.
Things get more complex after throwing fishes into planted tank. In the end it's about finding the right balance for all occupants. Learn to observe both plants and fauna, adjust and experiment and iterate. There's no best way, just your way. This is what makes the hobby fun IMO.
Whatever you do, just remember NOT to overstock. It usually spells trouble for both plants and fishes.
I used to like tetras but after stocking my previous 4ft low tech tank with about 150 tetras, I got a little tired of them... So I'm looking for many other types of fishes instead!Originally Posted by championbarca
Yup! I just adjusted my lights and my CO2!
My CO2 now starts approximately 45mins earlier and ends 1hr earlier than my lights. My photo period is also adjusted to 8hrs a day! (Doing some preparations today so I can welcome the new fishes by tomorrow HAHA)
My lily pipe doesn't really create the little vortex to provide surface agitation because I bought the cheapo one that is in a wrong shape... Maybe I'll change it once I have more budget! Slowly a bit at a time so it won't seem like I'm spending so much money
I also pre planned my aquarium stocking on AQadvisor so I won't over stock them! This was my previous stocking plan but I guess it'll depend if I can even find healthy and nicely coloured Harlequin Rasboras OR I decide to go with Galaxy Rasboras!
And last but not least here's a quick photo shoot! (Not that anything has changed)
Last edited by Ryan Peh; 30th Mar 2016 at 23:17.
Adding to the subject on CO2 and fishes, I find otocinclus to be most sensitive to water parameter changes. They are usually the first to show stress when CO2 gets too high or when water goes bad (e.g. High nitrate).
I have 2 otos in my tank and they are my canaries, early warnings for bad things happening. I'm happy to say they've been with me since day 1 and are still alive and healthy. Best fish evar!
Hmmmm I'm still trying to get my drop checked to turn green but it doesn't seem like it's working HAHA I shall try to lower it more tomorrow or something.
I've heard that otocinclus are one of the most sensitive and fragile fishes... I'm not a very good fish keeper so hopefully nothing wrong goes on and they'll stay with me for a long time too!
Haha don't get obsessed with the drop checker. It's not a living thing. Learn to read plants and fishes, they are the ones that matters! Also, stock your fishes slowly, don't add all at one go. Else you'll have less wiggle room to adjust if things go wrong. Love your fishes and they'll love you back. Impatience is usually what kills them!
Yup I'm planning to get them slowly! (Just in case I change my mind too)
I'm probably gonna start with just 5 Espei Rasboras and see how it goes after that! Gonna go AA with my girlfriend to shop for fishes tomorrow evening! She's pretty interested to see the fishes too HAHA. I'm thinking if I should try adding maybe 2 Otos as well!
You should get some otos as algae crews. They are cute. Though fragile, they will be okay once they are stable in your tank. Those weak one didn't live in my tank for long. However, those which are in my tank for a while stay long in my tank.
I'm definitely adding Otos in all of my tank, just that I'm not sure if I should at them right at the start since I'm still trying to adjust my co2 levels and fertilisers.
I've read that Otos usually die of starvation cuz there's not enough algae in the tank. That's why usually people don't keep a lot of Otos because there won't be enough algae to go around. Which is why I'm only either getting 2 or 3.
But anyway, my main concern is whether or not I should add them right at the start since I'm still trying to find the correct balance in my tank. Any suggestions?
Otos are the first fish that I add to my tank. They are a great help with the diatoms, fungus and what-not. Usually they make permanent residence, so you'll want to tune your tank parameters with them in mind.
As I mentioned before, they are my CO2 overload warning system; tune CO2 up to a level where they can tolerate, and all other fishes will be fine. Works for me.
Hmmm alright then I think I'll get 6 Espei Rasboras and 3 Otos to start with tonight! Can't waitHAHA
Thanks for all the suggestions Ivan! I am now considering mixing Espei with Purple Harlequins or just Espei with CPD. But then again CPD isn't as shrimp friendly as you mentioned right?
What other fishes are reddish and around the size of CPDs?
CPDs are shrimp friendly, just not shrimplet friendly! I've never been able to have my shrimps breed in my tank, so it doesn't matter to me.
Anyway, I'm not much of a shrimp person, I like plants and fishes better. Shrimps in my tank are more as maintenance crew, less so aesthetics. IMO to have a planted + fish + shrimp tank that is thriving in every aspect is very difficult! Takes a lot of experience and trial+error. I'd narrow the focus and try to succeed at it, then think about pushing the envelope.
What you have tanks looking like these, you won't care if shrimps breed or not.
Else, if you want shrimps to breed? Get a chiller and a shrimp only tank, you'd have better luck.
You can try Ember Tetras too, nice red body when mature. But I think they don't school as well as the Rasboras.
http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species...rycon-amandae/
Just my take!
I think most fish will hunt for shrimplets unless those true algea eaters.
My dream/goal/target for a tank is seeing a school of fish swimming around a nicely planted tank and when you walk closer to it, you'll notice plenty of shrimps at the bottom feeding on things on the carpet plants and in the rotala bushes or something.
I'm a fish + shrimp + plants guy. HAHA greedy me. I've heard many people kept fishes with shrimps but their shrimps still managed to reproduce into a huge colony.
Just a few months back, I bought neon tetras from a guy and he gave me like 50+ cherry shrimps along with it because the shrimps in his 2ft tank (already inhibited with 30-40 tetras) spawn like crazy and he had like 400+ shrimps inside. He had shrimps with all sorts of colours in there.
Maybe I'll just introduce some shrimps with no intentions of breeding them until my plants actually grows much denser that they are now. And a shrimp only tank seems too boring for me HAHA I need to see more stuff moving around.
That's what I thought too... I guess I'll just have to wait till my plants really grows densely before I try to breed shrimps!
can you believe that I have shrimps staying with my tiger barbs and Rams and I don't really see the fishes bother the adult shrimps and once a while I will find a few more shrimps inside...
^ THESE are the examples I love to hear HAHAHA Looks like I'm getting some CPDscan you believe that I have shrimps staying with my tiger barbs and Rams and I don't really see the fishes bother the adult shrimps and once a while I will find a few more shrimps inside...
I think you should get otos and shrimps then slowly add other fishes..
This is because shrimps need sometime to settle down, so without other predators, they can explore the tank freely and know where are their hiding place where there are danger. once settle down, if you get pregnant shrimps, they'll start breeding and giving birth, then when shrimps are a little bigger, start to add fish and everything should fall in nicely... because you should have a colony of shrimps that are breeding for you already.
I didn't want to get my shrimps so early because the tank just finished cycling and I'm still fiddling with the CO2 levels so the tank isn't really stable..? Which is why I'm looking to get some Espei Rasboras first and if they survive well then I'll look to add shrimps!
Would it work too if I took out the Rasboras for awhile and add the shrimps then put the Rasboras back in?
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