Fish Adding Order/stock 30 Gallon

[thezodiac]

So I have a cycled 30 gallon tank.
19" x 12" x 30". (19 inches is height)
Aqua clear 70 filter

Currently it contains:
2 bristle nose pleco
5 platy
1 dwarf flame gourami

Fish I'm planning on adding:
10 black shirt tetra
6 panda cory

Can I add anything else? Any suggestions?

So what i'm wondering is how many fish should I add at once?, i'm thinking like 3 panda Cory, wait a week then add the other 3 . And the same half strategy for the tetra?

Thanks in advance

 

[KittyKat]

Watch those plecos carefully and try to have 4-5 caves because males are aggressive and territorial: two males will try to kill each other in a tank that size. 2f would work, 1m 1f might work.

Is the tank planted? How long since the filter has been fully cycled? Do you have sand?

I recommend that you aim for 10 panda Corys and 15 black skirt tetras, if the tank will take it. Maybe 2 female dwarf gouramis as well, in the long term.

 

[thezodiac]

Look again I accidentally posted before UT was done and went back and re entered it

And Ive had them for a few months and there is almost no aggression. 1 is albino and much smaller. Occasionally the larger one will move at it but the albino is much faster and just moves away.

A lot of the time they actually hang out with each other

 

[KittyKat]

And you too

 

[Tizer]

best not to get your pandas in small numbers, they are very small and stress easy without lots of company, if i were you, i would look at getting 8 or more of them.

 

[thezodiac]

Watch those plecos carefully and try to have 4-5 caves because males are aggressive and territorial: two males will try to kill each other in a tank that size. 2f would work, 1m 1f might work.

Is the tank planted? How long since the filter has been fully cycled? Do you have sand?

I recommend that you aim for 10 panda Corys and 15 black skirt tetras, if the tank will take it. Maybe 2 female dwarf gouramis as well, in the long term.

Yes the tank has some live plants, I would say at least 5/6 months. Yes it has sand.

 

[KittyKat]

Is the tank planted? How long since the filter has been fully cycled? Do you have sand?

Yes the tank has some live plants, I would say at least 5/6 months. Yes it has sand.

In that case, I recommend that you first add some more plants, then stock like this:
now: increase feeding
week 1 (of adding stock): 6 tetras (reduce feeding a little)
week 2: increase feeding
week 3: 6 tetras (reduce feeding a little)
week 4: increase feeding
[2 weeks break would be better here, instead of 1]
week 5: 6 Corydoras (reduce feeding quite a bit, Corys will need meaty sinking pellets which tend to be on the polluting side compared to other foods).
week 6: increase feeding
week 7: 4-6 Corys (keep feeding same)
week 8: increase feeding
[2 weeks break would be better]
week 9: 3-6 tetras (you probably don't need to worry about feeding by this point as your filter should contain at least 600-700% more bacteria than it does now)
week 10-12: add 2f dwarf gouramis, if you like… I recommend some floating plants if you go for them

You should be checking water parameters for the whole time and if there are any problems, wait at least 2 weeks before adding any more stock.

 

[thezodiac]

Is the tank planted? How long since the filter has been fully cycled? Do you have sand?

Yes the tank has some live plants, I would say at least 5/6 months. Yes it has sand.

In that case, I recommend that you first add some more plants, then stock like this:
now: increase feeding
week 1 (of adding stock): 6 tetras (reduce feeding a little)
week 2: increase feeding
week 3: 6 tetras (reduce feeding a little)
week 4: increase feeding
[2 weeks break would be better here, instead of 1]
week 5: 6 Corydoras (reduce feeding quite a bit, Corys will need meaty sinking pellets which tend to be on the polluting side compared to other foods).
week 6: increase feeding
week 7: 4-6 Corys (keep feeding same)
week 8: increase feeding
[2 weeks break would be better]
week 9: 3-6 tetras (you probably don't need to worry about feeding by this point as your filter should contain at least 600-700% more bacteria than it does now)
week 10-12: add 2f dwarf gouramis, if you like… I recommend some floating plants if you go for them

You should be checking water parameters for the whole time and if there are any problems, wait at least 2 weeks before adding any more stock.

awesome this was exactly the kind of answer i was looking for! thanks a ton

 

[KittyKat]

I should have said: "You should be checking water parameters for the whole time and if there are any problems, wait at least 2 weeks *after you sort out the problem* before adding any more stock." Also, I should probably add that "no problem" means you never ever see any ammonia and nitrite readings and all fish survive.