Is This Ok Stocking?

[smiles669]

Hey guys, Im looking into downsizing my tank but i want to have a good plan for if i do. Im looking at downsizing to something like a 50-60 gallon tank. Would you guys expect this stocking to be ok.
1 Redtail shark
1 Ropefish
1 African Butterfly
1 Bristlenose Pleco
1 Small syno cat ( Dont remember the exacct species but it is spotted and stays fairly small, around 4 inches max)
4-5 Angels
15 corys
And a small school of tetras, danios, or something small.
Thanks for any help, its always appreciated

O i also forgot to mention i wanted to run this tank with double the filtration, as i am on my current tank, and also have it heavily planted using ferts and maybe co2 aswell

 

[BerryAttack]

i wouldn't advise on getting the redtail shark, and if you get a 60 gallon tank,
don't know anything on ropefish, syno cat, so can't help you there.
for the african butterfly, they are known as jumpers and will eat small tetras, anything that will fit into their mouths, well mine did at least and they need slower moving current, and as they are top dwellers need a lot of top coverage.
there isn't enough room for 4-5 angels, 2 if you have a breeding pair, or just 3, but it has to be the same sex. i have 3 all females in my 65 tank, and around egg laying time the two younger ones will go at it, but after that they are fine.
if you want to do a planted tank with CO2 and all the right lighting, i would advise to go a dirt tank, with small gravel for the cap. it'll be fine for the cories.
 
IMO what i would do is have a dirt substrate with small black gravel to cap, and heavily plant it first... allow around a month before adding any fish.. yes i know long time, but it'll pay off... all the plants will be able to root and you wont have to worry about that later on.. also you have to cycle it.. and i would do a fishless cycle.
then when it is all cycled i would add the type of tetra you would want to get.. i would say get the cardinal tetra.. gives nice red to the tank, and then in a week and a bit, with the water changes to keep the stats under control add in the cories, i would get a small white breed.. then your bristlenose pleco and angels i would get a mix of colour for the angels. (3) yellow, blue, and silver.. or any that are not blue, red, and or white.. to allow contrast in the tank..

 

[The Taffy Apple]

Four or five Angels plus the Redtail shark is asking for trouble.
What I would do, personally, is be confident that my double filtration is up and running as it should be. I presume you are simply setting this new tank up THEN adding stock? If so I would, as berryattack mentioned, prove a fishless cycle can get my filter ready as to how I need it (moving across all your existing filter media into your new filter/s would be the best idea) then stock slowly from there. If my test results proved the filter was doing it's job, i'd start with the school of Tetras (Cardinal being a particular favourite of mine, although they have been known to not thrive in a new tank set-up) and possibly half a dozen Cory.
 
Terry.

 

[misterpro]

Just to chime in, I'd leave the redtail out also.  They get stupidly aggressive when they get older.  ESPECIALLY towards any bottom dwellers and look-a-likes.

 

[smiles669]

Are the redtails really that bad? I have one right now in my tank with tiger barbs, corys, and siamese algea eaters. I see him chase some of the barbs around once in a while but thats all really.

 

[techen]

They will grow up and get much worse, they are sharks afterall.

 

[the_lock_man]

Are the redtails really that bad? I have one right now in my tank with tiger barbs, corys, and siamese algea eaters. I see him chase some of the barbs around once in a while but thats all really.

 
It's a maturity thing. Misterpro is spot on, they get very territorial when they get old. Yours will attack the cories, because they inhabit the same area of the tank that it will think of as its own.
 
And the ropefish is a major no-no too. They get to 36" in length, they need a minimum 5' 150gallon tank.

 

[misterpro]

Well let me explain this a bit further.
 
I rescued a redtail from a tiny tank (he could barely move in there) once.  And 6-7 months later I ended up having to euthanize him (almost cried really didn't like to do that) because he was basically not tolerating any other fish in the tank anymore, and was killing fishes several times a week.  (mostly cories and anything else that even occasionally came in the bottom 40cm of the tank)
 
They become relentless chasers (they don't stop as long as they don't lose track of their target), so fish end up dying of stress and being unable to feed.  And even worse, if the "targeted" fish doesn't see them coming they just ram into them at full speed like a wrecking ball.  I've seen him kill a perfectly healthy black neon tetra in one strike ><
 
When he was still docile I really liked his shark like movements though, really nice looking fish.
 
Judging from the size the first owner got him at and how long him & me had him, mine became bat crap crazy at a year and a half+

 

[smiles669]

Wow i had no idea that they would get that bad! That is one angry fish!

Has anyone ever tried keeping rams with angels and tetras?

 

[smiles669]

So i spent some extra time at the cafe jotting down some stocking ideas that might work a little better based on the advice i was given and id like to find out if you guys think its acceptable. Im asking because ive never kept angels, or tetras before and i would really like this setup to run as smooth as possible. 
I have three plans, all include 3 angels, my bristlenose, and my synodontis cat. 
#1- 15-18 corys,15-18 cardinals, small school of khuli loaches
#2-  20-24 corys, 20-24 cardinals.
Keeping in mind that this will be a heavily planted tank, and also running double to triple filtration.
Thanks guys

 

[the_lock_man]

I would probably go for #2.
 
Just remember that if you are running triple filtration, the current flow in the tank will be quite fast, and the angels might get buffetted around a lot.