36ish Gallon Stocking

[shortymet55]

Before I buy a new tank, I want to make sure Im satisfied with a stocking list, so I don't pay all this money and come out unhappy. I have room for a 29 gallon tank. This is what im thinking:

29 Gallon Tank:
1 Chinese Algae Eater (Already have in 10 gallon tank)
10 Harlequin Rasboras (Already have 4 in 10 gallon tank)
10 Cardinal Tetras (Already have 3 in 10 gallon tank)
??? What else should I get? Are my groups large enough? Will one 6" CAE be enough of a clean-up crew? I would like to fill the rest up with a few larger fish. Suggestions?

10 Gallon Tank (Need to restock after transfer):
3 Swordtails (Already have them in this tank)
4 otto's
3 Guppies
??? What else should I get? Will 4 otto's be enough of a clean-up crew? Ill these two livebearers have too many babies? I'm not using any sort of breeding equipment, so only a few survive. Maybe I should in stock these 10 fish, expecting fry to fill the rest.

Any and all suggestions are welcome. Thanks

 

[shortymet55]

Could I possibly do 2-3 angels with the other tankmates? If not, how about 1? If not then, im back to square one. I read they need a tank 30 gallons or more. I assume 29 is close enough, but how many I can fit is the question. I dont necessarily need 10 of each shoaling fish either. Those are just numbers i pulled out of my head to get started.

 

[bordercollie05]

Could I possibly do 2-3 angels with the other tankmates? If not, how about 1? If not then, im back to square one. I read they need a tank 30 gallons or more. I assume 29 is close enough, but how many I can fit is the question. I dont necessarily need 10 of each shoaling fish either. Those are just numbers i pulled out of my head to get started.

I think an angel would fit, but there's a chance it would eat the cardinals or harlequins. I don't know if a pair of rams would work or not with those fish, but I know the tank is big enough, and they're cool fish. Or, a trio of gouramis would be neat. Maybe rainbowfish? Thos are some of my favorites. Good luck, hope someone else can offer a little bit better advice.

Laura

 

[shortymet55]

I was reading that neons are the natural tasty treats for Angels, so I dont think Cardinals would work very well either. I came up with new lists taking this information into consideration. I really would like Angels, but if not, then ill look into rams, gouramis or rainbowfish. Ive read up on all three before, but not into detail. Anyways, new lists:

29 Gallon Tank:
1 Chinese Algae Eater (Already have in 10 gallon tank)
10 Harlequin Rasboras (Already have 4 in 10 gallon tank)
2 Angelfish
Will one 6" CAE be enough of a clean-up crew? Will he pose a problem for the Angels?

10 Gallon Tank (Need to restock after transfer):
3 Swordtails (Already have them in this tank)
4 otto's
10 Cardinal Tetras ( Already have 3 in this tank)
Will 4 otto's be enough of a clean-up crew?

Thanks again

 

[shortymet55]

Any Comments? I dont want to buy this tank unless I have everything planned out. Please tell me if these two lists will work.

 

[Thomas McMillan]

You could put your Cardinal Tetras in the other aquarium. The clean up crews are fine although I have read that Chinese Algae Eaters can become aggressive.

 

[OldMan47]

I'm not a fan of the CAE so I'll leave that up to you. I think, by reading your proposed stocking, that you are overstocking the 10 and the 29 in your listings. A 10 will not hold 3 swords, and 14 other fish. The 29 will be at full load with that 6 inch plus CAE and two angels that could easily go to 6 inches. At that point the 10 rasboras definitely take you up to a full load.

 

[fry_lover]

get decent size tanks none of this little bitty little teeny ones, get proper fish tank mate

 

[n3ont3tra]

29g is a great size..

CAE are very very aggressive once they get larger and they can get up to 10", so I would rehome it or give it to the local fish store if I were you. 10 cardinals and 10 rasboras plus one or two angels would be good. If you get small angles and large neons, the angle will grow up around them and it is more likely to work out fine. Also make sure the angels are well fed.

For the 10g, three swordtails is about the max, once you have fry you will need to rehome them right away.

 

[shortymet55]

Thanks for the comments. Ill be rehoming the CAE. I dont really like him, just my mom does and she tells me to keep him, but its for the good of the other fish. Im also considering getting like a 36 instead of 29. Thats all the room I have though. Then that give the angels a bit more room, and room for more rasboras.

 

[shortymet55]

If i get a larger tank, could I also put the swordtail in there for natural fry removal (aka Angels)? Then my 10 will be open to all cardinals then clean-up. NEW LISTS:

36ish Gallon Tank:
10 Harlequin Rasboras (Already have 4 in 10 gallon tank)
6 ottos
3 Swordtails (Already have them in 10 gallon tank)
2 Angelfish
Will 6 ottos be enough of a clean-up crew?

10 Gallon Tank:
10 Cardinal Tetras ( Already have 3 in this tank)
4 otto's
Will 4 otto's be enough of a clean-up crew?


Thanks

 

[OldMan47]

Stocking is looking better than last time. The cleanup crew is not a job for otocinclus. They are good algae eaters but 2 or 3 will keep a 36 spotless. Because they need to be fed algae wafers, many people have a hard time keeping otocinclus healthy. If you like them as fish for their own sake, your numbers should be fine. If you expect them to clean up after the other fish you are kidding yourself. Many fish such as cories eat mostly from the bottom of the tank so they help a bit if you overfeed slightly but no fish is truly a cleanup crew. That is your job. The best way to deal with algae is a scraper and the best way to deal with fish wastes is a gravel vacuum. Fish can't do either job as well and won't even attempt the fish waste removal.

 

[shortymet55]

For a clean-up crew I just meant something to eat like extra food and whatnot. I guess this means that a couple cories will be better for this application.

I dont know much about them. I know there are different kinds. What kind am I looking for and how many will I need for each tank, because I know they want to be in groups.

Thanks

 

[n3ont3tra]

For the 10 gallon you'll want a smaller type, like the dwarf varieties, and I would get 5. For the 29/36 gallon you can get a larger type if you want, but panda cories are my favorite and they stay relatively small. I would get at least six. Also, you might want to check the dimensions of the 36g. Tanks usually need to be at least 18" high to keep angels.

 

[shortymet55]

well, the 29 is 18" high, so I assume the 36 will be too, but ill check. Im also not sure about the cories. Im not gonna start with them, but if i see a reason to get some I will. If i dont overfeed, I dont see why I need them.