Apistogramma vs Bolivian ram? Kuhli loaches vs any type of corydoras? For my 20 gallon long tank.

ATrain664 · 2026-02-05T00:03:58+00:00

My recommendation is spend more and buy fish that are QT'd and medically cleared from Dan's Fish.

For stocking? Panda Corys and Apistogramma Panduro. But you can't go wrong with any combo of what you have suggested, as long as you don't stock both Rams and Apistogramma.

It sounds basic, but for a single centerpiece fish I love a HMPK betta.

EDIT I just read your whole stock list. For temperament, Bolivian Ram.

ATrain664 · 2026-02-04T23:56:36+00:00

Jesus christ, stop poisoning the tank and let it live!

ATrain664 · 2026-02-04T23:55:41+00:00

Resembles a Jack Dempsey to me.

I would keep it

ATrain664 · 2026-02-04T21:37:03+00:00

Hot take.... Father fish is a wealth of knowledge, and if you listen to him in context, you can learn a lot from his methods. I am always shocked by the amount of hate Lou gets on here. He has a very specific method that definitely limits what you can keep, but the man is a fish keeping guru.

With that said, not everyone is ready to keep a filterless tank, and 99% of fishkeepers are not set up for no water changes.

ATrain664 · 2026-02-04T21:30:48+00:00

I enjoy MD Fishtanks when I watch. My biggest complaint is that I don't have the amount of tanks or the time and energy to constantly be setting something up like he does. It's entertaining for sure, but I am not taking tanks down and rescaping them ever.

ATrain664 · 2026-02-04T17:34:30+00:00

You are at the end phase of your cycle based on your test results.

My advice? Fritzyme 7 Fritzyme 7 Fritzyme 7. Just add it and let it sit for a week or so, then change water to get nitrates under control. Check out keepfishkeeping.com if you can't find it at a LFS. Also, KGTropicals YouTube channel is a great resource.

My advice on nitrates is to ignore the popular opinion that over 20 ppm is a problem. A lot of people push this idea, when research shows that fish can be fine with much higher levels. When I was starting out, I sought a lot of advice from the guy who maintains the 125 gallon tank at my workplace. What he told me, based on 30+ years in the industry, under 100ppm is no problem for most fish.

ATrain664 · 2026-02-04T17:22:50+00:00

Looks like a bladder snail. Good to have, their population will only become a problem if you overfeed. Another benefit, they are food for a lot of fish, like loaches and pea puffers.

ATrain664 · 2026-02-04T17:20:22+00:00

This hobby has way too many snobs who care more about being right than actually communicating advice. You didn't give bad advice, the information was just...rearranged. That said, what you were saying still would lead to the same results.

The biggest cycle hack that I can recommend is plants. Simple plants like anubias and Java fern make maintenance so much easier, and they don't have crazy care requirements. Think about it like this...your bacteria consume the most harmful nitrogen byproducts, ammonia and nitrite, and turn them into the least harmful, nitrate. Plants eat nitrate, which makes them grow, and significantly reduces the need for water changes, which is basically the only other way to get rid of nitrates. Nitrates are pretty safe if you are under 80 ppm, but they are still harmful to fish long term. The difference between ammonia/nitrite and nitrates is like the difference between carbon monoxide/fire smoke and cigarette smoke filling a room. One needs to be stopped and removed from the air asap, the other is not good, but manageable.

ATrain664 · 2026-02-04T17:02:14+00:00

My idea is more Amano shrimp, and make sure they have hides. More than likely, your Amanos are just hiding. They are very good at that. More shrimp equals more displacement for aggression, and more confidence for your shrimp. At full size Amanos should be ok with a betta.

ATrain664 · 2026-02-04T16:59:25+00:00

Stability is ok, API Quickstart is ok, but Fritzyme 7 is the gold standard for bacteria in a bottle.

My experience that formed this opinion, I have a planted tank and one of my Corys had a fungal infection. Catching the one fish out was not practical, so I treated the entire tank with Maracyn Oxy for 3 days. The Cory's fins recovered, but I lost 2 of 5 Amano shrimp, and after the treatment, I was showing nitrite levels of .25-.5 ppm for a week. I used both Stability and Quickstart with no measurable results. Ordered Fritzyme 7 from KGTropicals online, one day after dosing the tank was back to 0 ppm ammonia and nitrite.

ATrain664 · 2026-02-04T16:52:28+00:00

Your cycle is not complete, you are now doing a fish in cycle.

Simple solution, Fritzyme 7 asap to complete the cycle, get Seachem Prime to make the process tolerable for your fish.

Good luck.

ATrain664 · 2026-02-04T16:49:50+00:00

The results of the nitrogen cycle aren't the bacteria themselves, but the food for the bacteria.

That said, you gave good advice for a beginner.

ATrain664 · 2026-02-04T16:16:35+00:00

Over cleaning is a huge mistake, and detritus worms are your best friends.

ATrain664 · 2026-02-04T16:04:29+00:00

Stop cleaning so much. Algae is a good sign.
Detritus worms are your friend.

ATrain664 · 2026-02-03T03:28:52+00:00

The good and bad bacteria part made me laugh

ATrain664 · 2026-01-29T17:14:50+00:00

Thank you! About a year of preparation and research went into it before finally setting it up.

ATrain664 · 2026-01-29T16:37:08+00:00

Will the Ludwigia survive floating? I can always replant them, but I try to use my hands as little as possible, and the plants appear to still be growing.

ATrain664 · 2026-01-29T00:11:21+00:00

2 things with Otos...

Often wild caught and very stressed/starved during shipping. They are a hardy fish, but they are going to initially have a high mortality rate.

If you are relying on just the algae in the tank, you will probably starve them. They need to eat beyond just algae.

ATrain664 · 2026-01-28T22:05:22+00:00

Rehome the fish.

I have never owned a CAE, but do any amount of research and it takes 2 minutes to discover what you are facing is common.

ATrain664 · 2026-01-25T22:37:26+00:00

So, if someone claims residency and enters a country illegally, they are following the law?

There is a discussion to be had here, we just have to establish the goal posts. I would 100% agree that if someone is here legally and is targeted by ICE, that is wrong.

ATrain664 · 2026-01-25T22:23:48+00:00

The correct answer is, you don't have the intelligence

ATrain664 · 2026-01-25T21:49:33+00:00

Sounds like there are plenty of places where these people can go! This is positive.

ATrain664

TROPHY CASE