# new tank



## juanke (Feb 19, 2013)

hey everyone! So I currently have a 40g breeder lake tang tank and have recently acquired another 40g breeder and was wondering what other fish that style tank would be ideal for?


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## Eric_S (Feb 27, 2007)

More Tangs! What fish do you have in the first 40?


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## juanke (Feb 19, 2013)

I have 2 bristle noses, some multis and blue neons. I think I want this one to be something other than a tang tank. But still cichlids, and a lively tank if possible. I've got a bunch of Texas holey rock too that I can use.


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## crackjack135 (Oct 2, 2012)

Any suggestions?


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

If it were me I would do a low-tech planted tank with apistos, rams, some Australian rainbows and maybe a pair of angels. Add a school of corey cats and a BN pleco and that would make a sweet setup!


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## dsiple3 (Mar 4, 2014)

Check out the Articles section for cookie cutter tanks. You can get some good ideas to start from. The suggested fish are all appropriate for this size tank.
Here's the link:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/c ... er_40g.php


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## juanke (Feb 19, 2013)

so *** been looking into the apistogramma and from what *** read, it says they're difficult to care for? and that i should have a ph of somewhere around 7.0 or so, but mine is 7.8 with holey rock and driftwood. For filtration, I have access to a marineland 160 canister i believe, will that be acceptible or do I need bigger? sorry for all the questions, im just trying to get it all right


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

juanke said:


> so I've been looking into the apistogramma and from what I've read, it says they're difficult to care for? and that i should have a ph of somewhere around 7.0 or so, but mine is 7.8 with holey rock and driftwood. For filtration, I have access to a marineland 160 canister i believe, will that be acceptible or do I need bigger? sorry for all the questions, im just trying to get it all right


I think apistos are fairly hardy. Tank raised fish won't require as low of a ph if that's what they were raised in. Try to find fish that were raised in similar water to yours.

File size requirement depends on the amount of fish. You would probably be ok with a c160 if you only have a few fish in the tank say 6-8 3-4" fish. Optimally, you'd want to aim for around 8-10x the water volume an hour. So for a tank that size a filter that does 300-400gph would be best.

Right now the driftwood and holey rock and kind of equalizing each other. The driftwood will lower you ph where as the holey rock will raise. If you want to go with south americans and a planted tank I would get rid of the holey rock. Use something like seachem bio matrix or bio balls for filtration.


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## juanke (Feb 19, 2013)

So I was thinking about may be a pair of anglefish, 8-10 neon tetras, 3triple red apistos, a few snails, 5-6 cory catfish and maybe some rainbow fish. I haven't decided on them yet tho.
*** taken out all the holey rock and am about to sell them to someone local. So now after I do that I was gonna buy more driftwood and a bunch of low light plants and put them in the tank and do a fish less cycle


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## mambee (Apr 13, 2003)

I foresee a few problems with your plans. Angelfish will eat your neons. I would substitute rummynose tetras. Also, angelfish need to be kept in groups to spread out the aggression. I had 2 angels that couldn't coexist in a 90 gallon tank. Rainbowfish also do best in groups and get fairly large. There are plenty of nice tetras that would work better. I'm thinking lemon tetras, pristella tetras or black phantom tetras.


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## juanke (Feb 19, 2013)

so id have the same amount of rummynose instead of neons, the 3 apistos, the corys, and 6-7 lemon tetras. with the fish that i listed, would 3 or 4 angles even work?


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## mambee (Apr 13, 2003)

I think that would work. You can even substitute Bolivian rams if you can't find the apistos.


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## juanke (Feb 19, 2013)

I've already been in touch with a guy at my local club that breeds them and some other kinds. How many angels would you recommend, like 4? Do you think that would be too many fish for the tank?


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## mambee (Apr 13, 2003)

I would go with 4 angels and start with 6 of either rummynoses or lemon tetras and see how stocked you tank looks. Rummynoses are one of my favorites because they are so active. You can also add some low light plants such as anubias, crypts or java fern.


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## juanke (Feb 19, 2013)

So I just bought 5 rainbow cichlids at my local club for 2$, can these go in the tank as well or in place of something?


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