First tank advice

[kwi]

No, Male Betta are very terratorial, not recomended for a community tank.

 

[Darter217]

No, Male Betta are very terratorial, not recomended for a community tank.

That is why I decided against it, I don't really understand why they are advertised as a good beginner fish given their temperament.

 

[Ch4rlie]

There are far more soft water species in the hobby than hard water species

This is a very true statement as I've found out

BUT, there are lots of real nice hardwater species on my wishlist.

So be sure to research which species suits your water hardness as you're already doing.
MUCH easier to find species of fish to suit your water parameters than it is to adjust water parameters to suit the fish species you want!

Imho, always asking for trouble when trying to adjust water hardness. There are so many variables and complications that tends to set in once you've started to adjust water hardness.

Keep up the good work in your research

 

[kwi]

That is why I decided against it, I don't really understand why they are advertised as a good beginner fish given their temperament.

They're popular as ornamental fish, bung one in a mason jar and you're good to go.*

*Don't actually bung any fish in a mason jar, they need proper research and a suitable home, just because they don't die doesn't mean you're not killing them.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

After a bit more research I've decided to go with. Although I'm still debating which fish I should add to the tank first after its been cycled.

2 Honey Gouramis
5 Cory catfish
10 or 11 Neon Tetras
The tank will be well planted.

Was considering adding a male Betta fish instead of the Gouramis although I've read that they do not go very well in community tanks despite being advertised as a starter fish in some places.

I'd up that cory school number up to six or seven minimum. Six is really the ideal minimum number for cories, with more always being better as far as they're concerned, tank allowing.

Having said that, do you know which species of cory you want to get? Some get larger than others Other than that, the stocking list sounds great!

 

[Darter217]

This is a very true statement as I've found out

BUT, there are lots of real nice hardwater species on my wishlist.

So be sure to research which species suits your water hardness as you're already doing.
MUCH easier to find species of fish to suit your water parameters than it is to adjust water parameters to suit the fish species you want!

Imho, always asking for trouble when trying to adjust water hardness. There are so many variables and complications that tends to set in once you've started to adjust water hardness.

Keep up the good work in your research

That's something I've just discovered too, the Honey's, neons and Cory's are all supposed to be quite hardy fish that live well in soft water which works well for me. My aim was to find a nice varied combination of fish that are suited to my tank and water type as well as being able to live well together as a community. That combination seems to be the most attractive one.

 

[Darter217]

I'd up that cory school number up to six or seven minimum. Six is really the ideal minimum number for cories, with more always being better as far as they're concerned, tank allowing.

Having said that, do you know which species of cory you want to get? Some get larger than others Other than that, the stocking list sounds great!

I've taken a note of that. For the catfish I'm either going to get some of your average Cory catfish (the ones that grow to 2 or 3 inches) or some panda catfish. My tank isn't really big enough to house some of the larger species. It's about 23 gallons.

 

[Ch4rlie]

I'd up that cory school number up to six or seven minimum. Six is really the ideal minimum number for cories, with more always being better as far as they're concerned, tank allowing.

Having said that, do you know which species of cory you want to get? Some get larger than others Other than that, the stocking list sounds great!

I agree, but I would say the absolute minimum number for cories is 8, but the more, the better, as they are shoaling fish and they are quite active so they really do best in large numbers.

Here is a neat little YouTube clip of wild cories filmed in the Amazon, I saw this clip years ago and since then I've always said the more cories, the better, as they shoal in the hundreds if not in the thousands in the wild. So 8 cories in a tank is very few in comparison!

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I agree, but I would say the absolute minimum number for cories is 8, but the more, the better, as they are shoaling fish and they are quite active so they really do best in large numbers.

Here is a neat little YouTube clip of wild cories filmed in the Amazon, I saw this clip years ago and since then I've always said the more cories, the better, as they shoal in the hundreds if not in the thousands in the wild. So 8 cories in a tank is very few in comparison!

Gah they're so cute I can't take it!!

I just got four more bronze cories to add to my dad's nightmare tank since he only has two in there right now (new four are in quarantine). I removed 26 young livebearers from his tank before getting the cories, but to be honest, it still looks overstocked to me, even for a 57 gallon. So do I get another two bronze, risking overstocking it further, or wait and try to bring the total tank population down first? I'd love more cories, believe me, I've totally fallen in love with the new babies, but don't want to overstock either.

I mean it would need to wait until these four are done with quarantine anyway. The main issue in that tank is that he insists on keeping his adult livebearers, which keep churning out more fry, many of which are still too small to go to LFS.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Yep, cories are real nice, I am particularly partial to salt & pepper cories (corydoras habrousus) always harboured a desire to have some of those.

But alas my water pH and hardness is too high to house these little cuties but I have a plan forming in my head with the help of RO water.......

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Yep, cories are real nice, I am particularly partial to salt & pepper cories (corydoras habrousus) always harboured a desire to have some of those.

But alas my water pH and hardness is too high to house these little cuties but I have a plan forming in my head with the help of RO water.......

The corydoras paleatus (peppered cories) are really appealing to me since seeing @mbsqw1d 's video of his spawning set to Barry White, it's perfect! ) but of the dwarf cories, the salt and peppered are appealing to me the most for my softer water tank!

For when I get a larger tank though, planning a school of sterbai, since they can work in my hard water. NC has been fantastic in finding cories that can live in harder water! Like these bronze and sterbai

 

[Darter217]

I agree, but I would say the absolute minimum number for cories is 8, but the more, the better, as they are shoaling fish and they are quite active so they really do best in large numbers.

Here is a neat little YouTube clip of wild cories filmed in the Amazon, I saw this clip years ago and since then I've always said the more cories, the better, as they shoal in the hundreds if not in the thousands in the wild. So 8 cories in a tank is very few in comparison!

Yes they do seem much more interesting to observe when they are in a group. I might be able to push up to 6 or 7 corys.

 

[kwi]

I would love some corys but the tank is my sons and he doesn't want any.......

 

[Darter217]

I would love some corys but the tank is my sons and he doesn't want any.......

Some people seem put off by them because they are not very flashy and usually sit around at the bottom of the tank, although from watching a few videos I actually think watching them interact with each other is very interesting. Also good for keeping your tank clean.

 

[FishFinatic77]

After a bit more research I've decided to go with. Although I'm still debating which fish I should add to the tank first after its been cycled.

2 Honey Gouramis
5 Cory catfish
10 or 11 Neon Tetras
The tank will be well planted.

Was considering adding a male Betta fish instead of the Gouramis although I've read that they do not go very well in community tanks despite being advertised as a starter fish in some places.

This stocking sounds great! Just, like everyone else has mentioned, you should add a few more cories.
I would probably add the neon tetras first, just in case the tank is not 100% cycled. Honey gouramis and cories are a bit more sensitive.