Best fish for indoor set-up?

**dirt.boy** · 09-19-2011, 06:09 PM

Not into raising fish for food so I am thinking tropicals.

Really like the look of African Cichlids but the pH requirements seem to be opposite of plants. South American Cichlids look bigger that I want to handle.

They are expensive but would Jewel Cichlids and/or Pelvicachromis pulcher (Kribs) be a better choice for slightly acidic water that the plants will like? Will they tolerate my hard municipal water?

Or am I over thinking the pH requirements and just run it at 7.0 like everyone else?

**Brhino** · 09-19-2011, 06:17 PM

The first question you should ask is what size tank you will have. Can't really start thinking about fish until you have that part figured out. Is this going to be a 10 gallon tank on your desk, or a 240 gallon tank taking up half a wall in your living room?

**Lady Hobbs** · 09-19-2011, 06:18 PM

South American would tear your plants up anyway as they love to dig. Rams, kribs or aposto's may be a good choice for you. We recently did a poll here and most of us have 7.6 pH. Same as I've had since I got into the hobby. As Brhino says......tank size???

**Honey Badger 1** · 09-19-2011, 06:21 PM

I think you are over thinking your ph. Unless you buy wild caught fish, the fish you get will already be in the same ph as you have in your tap water.

It's fine to think what fish you want before you have the tank. Then you buy a tank big enough to house the fish you want.

**dirt.boy** · 09-19-2011, 06:21 PM

I was given a very nice 24" bow front with stand (28 gallons?). Or I also have a little larger 3 foot tank that I could use as well. I will also have a 5 gallon sump to ensure the tank level doesn't drop when flooding the plants.

Greg

**dirt.boy** · 09-19-2011, 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by Lady Hobbs

South American would tear your plants up anyway as they love to dig. Rams, kribs or aposto's may be a good choice for you. We recently did a poll here and most of us have 7.6 pH. Same as I've had since I got into the hobby. As Brhino says......tank size???

The fish will be in a nice display tank while the plants will be in seperate grow beds (acting as bio-filters) so I'm not worried about plants eaters or diggers. Algae eaters would be nice to keep tank maintenance down.

**Brhino** · 09-19-2011, 06:26 PM

Sounds like you may want to read into dwarf cichlids, like rams, apistos, kribs, etc. It's a good tank size for them and IIRC they're okay with plants.

**dirt.boy** · 09-19-2011, 06:48 PM

Does your pH poll data reflect a desired 7.6 or just where the systems end up without adjusting? Are most of the systems used stictly as bio-filters or are people trying to produce plant crops as well?

From other aquaponic reading I have heard that tilapia or other native fish in larger systems were kept at 6.8 to 7.2 as a compromise between the fish and the plants. I suppose this is because they want to sell or eat both the fish and the plants.

Thanks!
Greg

**Brhino** · 09-19-2011, 07:04 PM

Most of us here are a lot more fish-focused than plant-focused, so we tend to worry about what the fish need first. I have a planted aquarium that fed by my normal pH 7.8 tap water. I have never worried about messing with my pH for either my fish or my plants. I've never looked up pH tolerance for a plant to see if it would be suitable for my tank, either. From my perspective, plants can handle a range of pHs, but as I say it's not something I've really looked into.

What is your primary goal with this setup? Are you circulating water between this 28 gallon tank and your plant grow beds? Are you doing this so fish waste will fertilize the plants, or are you just interested in having a display tank of fish?

**dirt.boy** · 09-19-2011, 08:21 PM

Originally Posted by Brhino

Most of us here are a lot more fish-focused than plant-focused, so we tend to worry about what the fish need first. I have a planted aquarium that fed by my normal pH 7.8 tap water. I have never worried about messing with my pH for either my fish or my plants. I've never looked up pH tolerance for a plant to see if it would be suitable for my tank, either. From my perspective, plants can handle a range of pHs, but as I say it's not something I've really looked into.

What is your primary goal with this setup? Are you circulating water between this 28 gallon tank and your plant grow beds? Are you doing this so fish waste will fertilize the plants, or are you just interested in having a display tank of fish?

Primary goal is fertilization and watering of a few bonsai trees. Water will continuously circulate to sump from fish tank. Periodic pumping from sump to grow beds. Fish as an added bonus to my bonsai plants.