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Fish for Hard London Water (20 Gallon)

So nearly three weeks on, so far have one done one 50 percent water change, will do another this week.

Looks okay so far, the wood still doesn't seem settled but I've placed a rock over it instead.

Not sure whether to test the water or not.

Next week will be a month so thinking of adding my first livestock!
 
In general plants look okay, some have brown leaves, I have moved a few as I didn't think they were getting enough light. I want to get more mossy stuff growing on the wood.

Can anyone recommend a good fish safe plant fertiliser to provide them some extra nutrients?
 
pollyandpear said:
In general plants look okay, some have brown leaves, I have moved a few as I didn't think they were getting enough light. I want to get more mossy stuff growing on the wood.

Can anyone recommend a good fish safe plant fertiliser to provide them some extra nutrients?
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Personally I’d get your tank on track before adding fish. Save one less worry.
 
So I have bought a new light that clips over the top of aquarium, water test strips, both ammonia and 6 in one, and some TNC plant fertliiser.

If you want to move plants/ change the scape in aquarium is it ok to do so?
 
Ah okay - I just am not happy with the way it looks and want to change it up before I add fish in!
 
So my plan is to test the water and see where we are at. I will do a 50 percent water change as well. And rescape the tank.

Then test again next week and if all good look to add some critters :) Part of me wishes aquatic frogs would be suitable!

Edit ... could aquatic frogs actually be suitable?
 
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Dwarf frogs are certainly possible to keep for those new to tanks. They are reasonably easy to keep and quite fun but they are best with the tank tailored to their care. I just quickly googled care and this looks good from a quick skim

reptilesmagazine.com

Caring For The African Dwarf Frog - Reptiles Magazine

African dwarf frogs were first discovered in rivers, streams, puddles, and shallow ponds in various regions throughout Central Africa in the late 19th century.
reptilesmagazine.com reptilesmagazine.com

The most important thing I find is making sure they get enough food. They slurp up bloodworm and other foods happily but it's important to make sure other tankmates don't get there first.
 
So I have tested my water and apart from the hardness I think all parameters look okay! I have found a tiny snail in my tank haha so he will be staying.

There is a thin film of what looks like oil on the water surface than I need to skim off but I am assuming that now all is okay I can decide what critters to add>?
 
Hi all,
pollyandpear said:
So I have tested my water and apart from the hardness I think all parameters look okay! I have found a tiny snail in my tank haha so he will be staying.
............ assuming that now all is okay I can decide what critters to add>?
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Keep the snail, after that it really depends on how stable the tank is. I'm <"not a great fan of water testing">, not because the water parameters aren't important, they are really important, but <"test kits can be misleading">. Have another look at <"Seasoned Tank Time"> and see what you think after that.
pollyandpear said:
In general plants look okay, some have brown leaves, I have moved a few as I didn't think they were getting enough light. I want to get more mossy stuff growing on the wood.
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What do your plants look like? Can we have a full tank shot? I use a rule of thumb <"lots of plants in active growth = fish safe">.
pollyandpear said:
There is a thin film of what looks like oil on the water surface than I need to skim off
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If it breaks up when you swirl the water around it is bacterial, if it doesn't (basically reforms an instant oil sheen) it lipid based. Either <"more surface agitation or a kitchen towel"> should get rid of it.

cheers Darrel
 
pollyandpear said:
I have found a tiny snail in my tank haha so he will be staying.
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Snails are fun :)
pollyandpear said:
I can decide what critters to add>?
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Personally I would go for tetras (amber tetra or so) at least 10. They would look nice swimming around driftwood.

In my location where I live there is a hard water as well and they doing well.

I have a bad experience with corydoras as some reason they never last more than couple weeks or so maybe because hard water (?)

Hope you all have a good day.

Cheers

:)
 
Let me see if these work.



I'm so torn regarding what I want to stock it with. I really loved the idea of a pleco Or hillstream loach and can't get them out of my mind. Or frogs. Wahh
 

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I'm still bot happy with the substrate, I guess I could cover it with sand eventually but want to make sure the plants I have are thriving.
 
Not trying to be difficult but looking around seeing a lot of people who have hillstream loaches and say they do well in tanks without a high flow?



Is there a way to add flow to my tank so it may be suitable for them?
 
Hi all,
pollyandpear said:
looking around seeing a lot of people who have hillstream loaches and say they do well in tanks without a high flow?
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I'll be honest I don't necessarily believe them in terms of long term maintenance.

Even if they will survive without a lot of flow the issue you have is an oxygen one, basically they are adapted to cool (in tropical tank terms) flowing water with a lot of dissolved oxygen. Have a look at <"life in the fast lane">.

Because dissolved oxygen content (<"all gas solubility">)
  • declines with increasing temperature,
  • oxygen isn't very soluble and
  • diffuses fairly slowly
you can get to a state where you just don't have enough dissolved oxygen. <"Fish that live in still water"> have adaptations to cope with this, but <"rheophilic fish don't">, purely because of <"the way that evolution"> works.
....... Evolution isn't like that, it can't plan for the future, natural selection works on the genes that are already there. Richard Dawkins calls it "Climbing Mount Improbable", by which he means that an organism can't go back down hill in evolutionary terms ("become less fit"), even if there is a loftier peak they could then climb near by..........
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<"Dissolved oxygen"> is different from nearly all the other parameters, because any time period, however short, with oxygen levels below the lethal limit <"leads to fish death">.

cheers Darrel
 
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I think the issue is also one of not trying to meet minimum requirements such that a fish will survive, but seeking to simulate their natural environment such that a fish’s well-being is maintained. On that basis is, I’d say hill stream loaches shouldn’t be kept in a tank that doesn’t have the high flow and high oxygenation they would have in their natural environment.

From my reading, they need a tank with high flow, very rich in oxygen and a minimum size of 50 gallons - because of the high flow without causing turbulence.
www.aquariumsource.com

Hillstream Loach Care Guide: Tank Mates, Size, Breeding...

The hillstream loach is an awesome looking freshwater fish that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Learn how to care for them in this brand new guide.
www.aquariumsource.com www.aquariumsource.com

www.fishkeeper.co.uk

Hillstream Loach-Gastromyzon-Pseudogastromyzon

Expert facts, care advice, feeding tips and breeding information about Hillstream Loach (Gastromyzon spp./Pseudogastromyzon spp.) for freshwater aquarium enthusiasts.
www.fishkeeper.co.uk www.fishkeeper.co.uk
 
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They may not need high flow to survive but they certainly do better with strong flow in their tanks. Look at their body shape, they’re built to live in high flow.

To be fair even what we consider as ‘high flow’ is probably only gentle compared to what they experience in the wild. They need a set up with lots of rounded rocks not upright bog wood like you currently have and ideally a larger tank around the 90cm mark. They’re actually quite territorial and need their own space to get away from each other.
 
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