I'm Rethinking My Entire Stocking Plan Now...

[eaglesaquarium]

I keep rams myself, but do not recommend them to beginners because they are almost guaranteed to break out in ich a couple of days after you get them. On the other hand, if you are prepared and always keep medication at hand, the you should not have problems curing them. The size tank you have will take a pair nicely.

Some people say cardinals should only go into established aquariums, this is not the experience I have had with them. For me they worked fine in a new set up. Same people often say that Corys should only go into an established aquarium, too.

p.s. it may make a difference that when I talk about my own experiences, I often mean in a heavily planted set-up, even when it is new.

Well, I do plan to have at least a moderately planted tank. I appreciate all the advice you have given. It is also very helpful to know WHY GBRs are not recommended for beginners... Just the standard "not recommended for beginners" doesn't explain the reason. Knowing that it is because of an ich issue, makes it much easier for a beginner to be prepared and act a lot less LIKE a beginner with them!


I guess some fish is going to have to be the first in! Whether it is the corys or the cardinals or something else, something has to be first.

In my 55 gall I have
10 harlequin rasboras
10 rummy nose tetras
10 cardinals
6 pepper corys
6 julii corys
There is always something to look at, everyone gets along and the different species are good shoalers. If you were to add the cardinals last, by the time the other species are quarantined your tank should be fine for the cards. With a similar stocking you would still have room for a pair of rams or apistos down the line if your water was suitable

I appreciate hearing this stocking list. I have considered a third schooling species. How long is your 55? Mine will only be 30" long, 18" wide and 24" tall.

anon, have any pics you could share?

 

[twodoctors]

The answer would be whatever is cheapest and most hardy should go in first. I don't agree that corys should go in last as one is supposed to feed them sinking food. They can't just live on scraps (even though a lot of us keep them for that very purpose!).

Sounds like you don't even have a tank yet! Get one and start cycling. You still have at least 10 days before the tank is ready for a small number of fishes.

It would also be good idea to get friendly with your LFS. You can't beat a LFS with good customer service and support. I'm so glad mine is happy to take fishes back and refund.

Adrian

 

[eaglesaquarium]

The answer would be whatever is cheapest and most hardy should go in first. I don't agree that corys should go in last as one is supposed to feed them sinking food. They can't just live on scraps (even though a lot of us keep them for that very purpose!).

Sounds like you don't even have a tank yet! Get one and start cycling. You still have at least 10 days before the tank is ready for a small number of fishes.

It would also be good idea to get friendly with your LFS. You can't beat a LFS with good customer service and support. I'm so glad mine is happy to take fishes back and refund.

Adrian

I am currently cycling an old 10 gallon tank. I am traveling a lot this summer, so I don't want to get the big tank until after that. Meanwhile, I will be passing on the 10 gallon tank to my brother to keep it cycled for me. A 10 gallon tank is far easier to transport than a 56 gallon tank.


I've been searching around the LFS, right now I am not happy with the independents I have seen. Most of them around me look run down and some of the fish tanks just look terrible. My brother has a LFS near him (not terribly far from me) that might be where I need to get a significant amount of fish. BUt, I also have a friend who's buddies with a guy who's a full-time aquarium specialist. He has clients from Trenton, NJ to Washington D.C. I might be able to get fish from him as well, or sell/give him fish as well. He is currently taking coral from my friend. Thanks for the advice... Do you have any stocking suggestions?

 

[OldMan47]

I just skipped over much of this thread to express my own opinion. The kribs are nice peaceful community fish until they pair off to breed. At that point they can quickly become your worst nightmare for sharing their tank with other fish, especially bottom type fish. Kribs tend to mate at the bottom of a tank and will establish a very territorial area at the bottom of the tank near their chosen breeding area. Since you want to have lots of cories, a mating pair of kribs would be a bad choice. You seem to like tiger barbs and I will say, with no reservations, that they simply are not community fish.
Tiger barbs are just fine when kept with lots of other fish of their own kind but they are definitely not fish for a community tank.
Harlequins are a good choice for any peaceful tank. I have kept them without any incidents with all manner of other peaceful fish. they are also quite hardy and will survive and thrive in tanks that are just newly cycled with no troubles.
You have stated that you have water with a near neutral pH but give us no indication of the hardness / mineral content of your water. Often neutral water is fairly soft with low mineral content but that is not always the case. Water that resists changes in pH is seldom low in minerals. Since fish respond far more to mineral content of their water than they do to pH, the pH is seldom a thing worth considering. Instead it would be best for us to help you match your chosen fish to the mineral content of your water.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I just skipped over much of this thread to express my own opinion. The kribs are nice peaceful community fish until they pair off to breed. At that point they can quickly become your worst nightmare for sharing their tank with other fish, especially bottom type fish. Kribs tend to mate at the bottom of a tank and will establish a very territorial area at the bottom of the tank near their chosen breeding area. Since you want to have lots of cories, a mating pair of kribs would be a bad choice. You seem to like tiger barbs and I will say, with no reservations, that they simply are not community fish.
Tiger barbs are just fine when kept with lots of other fish of their own kind but they are definitely not fish for a community tank.
Harlequins are a good choice for any peaceful tank. I have kept them without any incidents with all manner of other peaceful fish. they are also quite hardy and will survive and thrive in tanks that are just newly cycled with no troubles.
You have stated that you have water with a near neutral pH but give us no indication of the hardness / mineral content of your water. Often neutral water is fairly soft with low mineral content but that is not always the case. Water that resists changes in pH is seldom low in minerals. Since fish respond far more to mineral content of their water than they do to pH, the pH is seldom a thing worth considering. Instead it would be best for us to help you match your chosen fish to the mineral content of your water.

Yeah, I'm looking into getting a hardness test kit. Failed to find it at one store. I'll be searching others tomorrow.


Thanks for the insight into the kribs and tigers. Any thoughts on the rams or apistogrammas?

 

[KittyKat]

The answer would be whatever is cheapest [...]

That is like saying that a cheap fish's life is less valuable than an expensive one.. which is really not the case.

Agree with hardiest first, but that is a difficult one between Corys and cardinals.

 

[OldMan47]

Of all the choices that you listed, the rasboras are your best bet for a new tank. Depending on which species of Corydoras you are interested in, some of them can also be fairly good in a newly cycled tank.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Of all the choices that you listed, the rasboras are your best bet for a new tank. Depending on which species of Corydoras you are interested in, some of them can also be fairly good in a newly cycled tank.

How would something like this work:


10 red phantom tetras (Month one)
15 pygmy corydoras (Month two)
10 cardinal tetras (month three)



and since I have such a tall tank coming, what about a 8-10 school of hatchetfish?


Or maybe I'll wait about 6 months or so, and then add some German Blue Rams instead...

 

[twodoctors]

The answer would be whatever is cheapest [...]

That is like saying that a cheap fish's life is less valuable than an expensive one.. which is really not the case.

Agree with hardiest first, but that is a difficult one between Corys and cardinals.

Don't mean it like that. Of course we all try our best to keep our fishes alive, but as a beginner there is a chance of making mistake and lose fishes. That's why I said hardy and cheap. Hardy fishes are usually cheap as well anyway as they are more popular and in higher demand.

Of all the choices that you listed, the rasboras are your best bet for a new tank. Depending on which species of Corydoras you are interested in, some of them can also be fairly good in a newly cycled tank.

How would something like this work:


10 red phantom tetras (Month one)
15 pygmy corydoras (Month two)
10 cardinal tetras (month three)



and since I have such a tall tank coming, what about a 8-10 school of hatchetfish?


Or maybe I'll wait about 6 months or so, and then add some German Blue Rams instead...

Sounds like a plan. Still, try not to get all 10-15 at once. Certainly the first batch, get 5 in week 1 then another 5 in week 3.

Adrian

 

[eaglesaquarium]

The answer would be whatever is cheapest [...]

That is like saying that a cheap fish's life is less valuable than an expensive one.. which is really not the case.

Agree with hardiest first, but that is a difficult one between Corys and cardinals.

Don't mean it like that. Of course we all try our best to keep our fishes alive, but as a beginner there is a chance of making mistake and lose fishes. That's why I said hardy and cheap. Hardy fishes are usually cheap as well anyway as they are more popular and in higher demand.

Of all the choices that you listed, the rasboras are your best bet for a new tank. Depending on which species of Corydoras you are interested in, some of them can also be fairly good in a newly cycled tank.

How would something like this work:


10 red phantom tetras (Month one)
15 pygmy corydoras (Month two)
10 cardinal tetras (month three)



and since I have such a tall tank coming, what about a 8-10 school of hatchetfish?


Or maybe I'll wait about 6 months or so, and then add some German Blue Rams instead...

Sounds like a plan. Still, try not to get all 10-15 at once. Certainly the first batch, get 5 in week 1 then another 5 in week 3.

Adrian

Thanks.

 

[ellena]

If you really like tiger barbs, what about pentazona barbs?
http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/barbpent.htm
I've just moved house and having a ton of work done, so I can't get on with setting a tank up for ages, but I'm itching to!
When I do, I intend to steer clear of any fish with aggression issues-I'll have enough on without that to cope with too!
That may be just me though

 

[eaglesaquarium]

If you really like tiger barbs, what about pentazona barbs?
http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/barbpent.htm
I've just moved house and having a ton of work done, so I can't get on with setting a tank up for ages, but I'm itching to!
When I do, I intend to steer clear of any fish with aggression issues-I'll have enough on without that to cope with too!
That may be just me though

They are the same as the "five-banded barbs", right? Yeah, I saw those online, but figured they were the same temperament as the tigers! I will look into those, and see if I can find them locally. I did find that black phantom tetras have a nice look about them, so they are my fall back position right now for schoolers. The five banded barbs look eerily similar to the tigers though, and if they are as peaceful as I have now read (thanks to your mention of them) I might have to carry out a serious search to find a school from somewhere.


Thanks!



(Just when I think I have it all sorted out.... )

 

[eaglesaquarium]

If you really like tiger barbs, what about pentazona barbs?
http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/barbpent.htm
I've just moved house and having a ton of work done, so I can't get on with setting a tank up for ages, but I'm itching to!
When I do, I intend to steer clear of any fish with aggression issues-I'll have enough on without that to cope with too!
That may be just me though

I've been looking more closely at the five banded barbs... They look like a perfect solution to the want for tiger barbs without the aggression (heck, one resource I saw actually said that they work great for folks who like the look of the barbs, but don't want the fin-nipping!).


Question: How would THIS stocking plan work out?


10 black phantom tetra
15 five banded barbs
15 pygmy cories


Then adding a pair of German Blue rams (or blue rams) and a pair of apistogrammas (cockatoo apisto are my preference)... A friend of mine (with experience keeping apistos/rams) is helping me plan an aquascape that will create separate territories for the rams and apistos, plus a "neutral" zone with a nice sandy substrate for the cories to dig in and be merry.

 

[KittyKat]

That's a plan, but be careful to not plan too high a stock: when I last had a tank your size, I had only 15 mid-water schoolers instead of the 25 you plan. The tank was perfectly capable of taking the stock you propose, but I felt that it would have looked crowded with many more fish or more species.

 

[creg]

wow aquariums are cheap in america, £145 for a 56 gallon tank and stand