Advice On Stocking My Community Tank?

[wet44]

I have a 50 gallon bow front tank that I've had established for a long time but I need to finish stocking it with fish. I currently have 4 Serpae tetras, 5 neon tetras, 3 Sterbai corys, 2 peppered corys, and 1 albino aeneus cory.
 
My current plan is to have:
8 Neon tetras
0 or 8 Serpae tetras? (rehome or get more)
5 Sterbai corys (either rehome the other three corys or keep them?)
6 Dwarf Chain loaches
 
I think my plans would overstock my tank, but I'm not too sure either. I also don't know too well if dwarf chain loaches will hurt anything in my tank. I've just heard they are semi-aggressive and swim around fast. Does anyone have suggestions on my tank inhabitants and plans?
Thanks

 

[Baccus]

My dwarf chain loaches live very happily with a pack of 15 strebia corys, the chain loaches can be very active and get very boistrus but never what I would call aggressive. They will come up and swim around with the endlers and rainbow fish as well but again never aggressive. My bristlenoses even bred in with the chain loaches and no fry that I can tell became snacks for the chain loaches.
Personally I would increase the numbers of one of the corydoras species so that they can all feel comfortable with their own species. Since corydoras can live over 10 years of age you could keep the odd ones out with the other corys and just replace with the one desired species as the other ones die out. Unless you can find somebody who already has plenty of the other ones and can rehome your odd ones out.
If you really like the tetras then stick with them and increase their numebers, most tetras are prey fish to bigger fish so they feel safety in numbers.

 

[wet44]

Thanks for your advice. So you don't think my current plans would overstock the tank?

 

[Byron]

You do not have "too many" so no, you are not overstocked, but keep in mind that stocking has many important aspects beyond mere numbers and size of fish.  The species themselves, their requirements in terms of space, and their interactions all factor in.
 
I would definitely increase the corys; while we frequently recommend minimum numbers, like five or six of this or that, the fact is that more is always better when it comes to any shoaling fish species (with very few exceptions).  So when space permits, as it does here, more corys will be better for them than just a few.  And I would say 9-12.
 
The dwarf chain loaches could be increased, but not as importantly as with the corys.  I've had a group of five together for over four years now, and while I have read accounts of aggression I have not personally seen it, but I wouldn't discount it given the sources.  I also have a group of banded dwarf loaches in with them, and I suspect this has helped to keep their attention more.  The trick here is to have a suitable environment for them; loaches are playful and social, and I have (or have had) several species and all do better with lots of chunks of wood with tunnels, or similar artificial decor.  They like their privacy, so make sure each loach can select its own "home" space.
 
If you decide to retain the Serpae Tetra, I would get no fewer than 10 in total.  But keep in mind that you will be much more limited in additional fish with this species, than you would with a group of neons, due to the Serpae's temperament.  And with a group of 10-12 neons, you would have space for more fish.  The Serpaes however will limit this.
 
Byron.

 

[wet44]

So if I maxed out with 10 Serpaes, 10 neons, 9 corys, and 6 loaches that would be overstocking? I'm just a little confused as to what would be too many fish for my 50 gallon (190 liters I believe). I want my fish to feel comfortable with shoal numbers and how full the tank is.

 

[Byron]

So if I maxed out with 10 Serpaes, 10 neons, 9 corys, and 6 loaches that would be overstocking? I'm just a little confused as to what would be too many fish for my 50 gallon (190 liters I believe). I want my fish to feel comfortable with shoal numbers and how full the tank is.

 
No, that would not be overstocked.  I'm assuming you do weekly water changes of around half the tank volume, and have some live plants, and provide lots of wood for the loaches and corys to feel "at home."
 
My point about the Serpae limiting other fish has to do with their behaviour.  They can be very nippy to sedate fish, or to those with longer fins, so with Serpae present, you are going to be limited in what else you can have in terms of the species.  If you were to get rid of the 3 Serpae and replace them with say 9-10 Rosy Tetra or Roberti Tetra, which look very similar but have almost completely opposite dispositions, you would have more options for additional fish.
 
Fish like Serpae can also have more impact on the tank's biological system, again due to their demeanour, than would the Rosy even though both species are much the same in size.  Fish that have aggressive tendancies, however mild physically, send out pheromones and allomones which are like chemical signals that other fish read, and if the signals are somewhat aggressive the other fish will respond accordingly, impacting the tank's biological system more than if they were "calm," if that makes any sense.  This is what I was getting at earlier about the many factors that can affect stocking.
 
Shoaling fish in general will always have less biological impact with more of them, up to a point.  Obviously one can have too many fish for a given tank no matter what, but in the general scheme of things, more of a species will usually translate into less stress which means the fish are having less impact on the system even though there may be a few more of them.  It has its limits as I say, but what might be considered "too many" may in fact not be, because of the species and their requirements and expectations.  Have a read of Dr. Loiselle's quote in my signature...that is the crux behind all of this.  "Normal behaviours" will only be forthcoming when we provide the fish species with what nature has programmed into its expectations, and when this is done the fish will be "happy" and healthier, which means less impact on the system.
 
Byron.

 

[wet44]

Ah. Thanks, that cleared things up a lot. So I guess it's completely up to me whether or not I should continue with the Serpaes. 
 
Again, thanks for the help! Once I get my tank finished I'll try to post a pic or video on the topic for that.