how would you arrange these fish into communities?

[mrOverstocknewbie]

Hello all!!!

How would you arrange (re-arrange for me) these fish into communities??
TANKS- 1x37 gal, 3x10gal, 1x5gal
FISH-
4 rosy barbs
2 gold barbs
10 danios (mixed: zebra {1 longfin}, leopard{1 longfin}, pearl, albino)
5 neon tetras
4 glow light tetras
4 Harlequin rasbora
8 cories
1 blue gourami (3-spot)
1 head/tail light tetra
1 red eye tetra
1 molly
1 white cloud
1 oto
1 common pleco (yes he's going to Get to big for any of the tanks listed... but for now)

definately a big mess; to make matters worse 1 of the 10gal tanks & the 5gal tank are my girlfriends in a different home than my own (she most likely won't like re-arranging)

I'm asking because I'd like to attempt to fix mistakes made upto this point. Your opinions are valued because I want happier, healthier fish.

 

[pmoyniha]

I would suggest that any of the tetras shouldn't be in schools smaller than 6 fish. I have noticed a huge difference in my tetras since I lost a couple when I cycled. I don't think the different species of Tetras truely will school together but I may be wrong, if they do I would group them together.

 

[AquaNut]

Hi mrOverstocknewbie

There is no one right way to organize the fish you have, but seeing as you're looking for suggestions, I'll make a couple.

I would put the danios and barbs in the 37 gallon tank for sure, as they require the swimming space. Your plec obviously has to go in there, too. I keep an opaline gourami (colour variant of the gourami you have) with golden barbs with no problems whatsoever. I've never kept rosy barbs; if they're not nippy, I'd put the gourami in the big tank, too. Do all of the different danios school together? If not, is trading a couple of your single specimens in at the lfs for more of the ones you already have a possibility? If it isn't, don't worry about it. Ideal and real aren't always the same thing in fishkeeping, and we do the best we can.

If the gourami isn't going to live in the 37, he'd be beautiful with your neons. However, any of the blue gouramis get too big for a 10 gallon tank, imo.

You have a single oto; he needs some companions. Consider adding 2 or 4 more otos and they can be the bottom dwellers in one of your 10 gallon tanks. They'd be fine with your glowlights and rasboras. Consider adding a few more rasboras to make a fuller school. Your glowlights should be fine as is, as they aren't a true schooling tetra.

Are your cories all the same species? If they're different species, this makes it easier to decide how to split them up, if you do wish to do so. I would probably put most of the cories into the 37 gallon, as well, but that depends a bit on the size of your plec at this point, I guess. If he's 5" long now, that gives you a lot more room to work with than if he's already, say, 12" long. You could put five in the 37 and put the other 3 in a second 10 gallon tank, too. You could keep them with your neons, and add a few more neons to fill out the school somewhat.

That leaves you with 1 white cloud (prefers cooler water, I believe), 1 molly (prefers salt in water), and 2 single specimen tetras (prefer to be in schools), as well as one empty 10 gallon and one empty 5. Both of those single specimen tetras are going to be somewhat miserable on their own. Do you like them enough to want to create schools of them? If so, you could probably put a school of one variety in your remaining 10, along with, perhaps, the molly or white cloud, although mollies and white clouds have different water requirements than tetras, so I'm not sure how well it would work out for you. Otherwise, you might want to consider getting a few more white clouds and keeping them in a cool water 10 gallon. The molly would probably be alright in the 5 alone (not ideal, but again, doing the best you can). If you're not going to create schools for the two single tetras, either consider giving them back to your lfs if they'll take them, or else stick them in with some other tetras or even into the 37. They won't be as active or display their natural behaviour as well, but they won't die of loneliness, either.

Good luck, hope these ideas give you a jumping off point.

 

[mrOverstocknewbie]

1st of all, sorry about posting in the wrong forum.


At least no one Here is tell me I'm wayyy overstocked & to give up fishkeeping (yet, lol!)


pmoyniha, I wish I could put all schoolers in groups of 6 (I was too dumb do it in the 1st place)
--------------------
AquaNut,
Great suggests!! :edit: I didn't add the emoticon?!?! sorry:edit:
I hope can answer all your questions; some with the more detailed tank set-ups & some after.

Current fish & tank set-ups

37 gallon
1 blue gourami (3-spot)
2 gold barbs
6 danios (2 zebra, 1 longfin leopard, 2 pearls, 1 albino) 1 common pleco (currently 4" not counting tail, sadly he'll have to go at some point)

{the plan is to add the fish from next 10gal. to the 37}

10 gallon
3 cories (1 albino, 2 leopard)
4 rosy barbs (2 have signs of ick so I'm treating this tank before moving any fish)

2nd 10 gallon
1 neon tetra (poor lonely thing))
3 glow light tetras
2 harlequin rasbora
1 head/tail light tetra
1 red eye tetra
2 cories (spotted? bandits?)
2 zebra danios (1 longfin)
1 oto (missing... can't find him)

My girlfriend's 10 gallon (newly set-up)
1 molly (has lived without salt for months) 1 white cloud (lived in tropical temps longer than the molly has been around)
2 danios (1 leopard, 1 zebra... chase each other + the white cloud)

My girlfriend's 5 gallon
2 harlequin rasbora
1 glow light tetra
4 neon tetras
3 cories (leopard, pepper, albino)

AquaNut asked: "Do all of the different danios school together?"
My ans: The danios seem group up in chase at times & spread out at other times. The albino (golden or whatever he is) seems to be "independent."

AquaNut asked: "Consider adding a few more rasboras to make a fuller school."
My ans: hmmmm, now this means putting my girlfriends rasboras together in 1 of her tanks or mine plus add more. I'll go for it, hope she will.

AquaNut stated: "Your glowlights should be fine as is, as they aren't a true schooling tetra."
My ans: I haven't read that they weren't true schooling tetras.... mine stick together pretty much.

I agree the 1 head/tail light tetra, 1 red eye tetra, & 1 white cloud do need more of their own kind around..... I'm afraid I won't be able to provide enough for proper schools though.

oh yeah, I have no idea where the oto went, figured he's been hiding but searched really good tonight & nowhere to be found

 

[Adrinal]

Love the user name!!!!