More Money, So More Possibilities!

[SBL]

I have 55 US gallon. My original plan was to slowly plant it and have it fully stocked by Tuesday. On my birthday I got $100, that was Sunday, well today, I received another $100. So that gives me $200 to work with. I can fully plant it and stock it. I'm not worrying about a mini cycle because I have a pond out front I'm planning on transferring media from to boost my bacteria. I'm getting bunch of low maintenance plants like, Crypts, Anubias, Swords, Vallis, and Java Fern. Only thing now is that I need to revise my stocking, I've been thinking on Neons, with a small group of 2-3 Festivums or 4 Angels. I know Angels eat Neons in the wild, but I plan to raise them with the Neons from Juvis. I have a BN and Bulldog pleco already in the tank. I got a group of corys I'm keeping. I'm taking to the LFS to hopefully trade or get credit with: 3 Juvi HRP,1 Juvi JD (not growing, it's sibling is going on 3 inches and he's still at 1 inch), and can't decide on my Female HRP or my Female Con. My female has lost her luster, I'm positive shes a blue con, and not pure HRP. My male is magnificient, and him and my con look better together than him and the female. I never really keep any babies, I will raise mabye 5 out of a spawn of 300.

My plans on stocking so far
Center Piece
4x Angels
or
3-4x Festivums
(Make other suggestions if wanted)

Bottom
1x BN (x)
1x Bulldog Plec (x)
8x Cory (6/8)
1x Clown Pleco
1x Farowella Catfish

Mid-Range Fish
14x Neon Tetras or 14x
5x Bolivian Rams or some Apistos? Maybe?

Top
8x Hatchetfish

Clearly by my stock I have planned I like an amazon biotope theme

 

[Caprichoso]

If I could suggest to you that you think about getting Cardinals instead of Neons. They have much more colour and are not as over bred and sensitive as neons.

Good luck with your new tank

 

[SBL]

I thought about that, I will think about it more, one day im gonna go up there, write down all the prices, add them up, add tax, and do see how much im out. Cardinals are like a dollar more than neons. Plus Tuesday is a sale, so all freshwater fish and plants are buy one get the other for 2 cents, amazing deal, Imma try to get there right after school so I will get everything I need.

 

[Caprichoso]

I thought about that, I will think about it more, one day im gonna go up there, write down all the prices, add them up, add tax, and do see how much im out. Cardinals are like a dollar more than neons. Plus Tuesday is a sale, so all freshwater fish and plants are buy one get the other for 2 cents, amazing deal, Imma try to get there right after school so I will get everything I need.

They are worth the extra money trust me, you will be much happier with them in the long run. One thing you may want to consider as well is not adding all the fish at once. When you do that (even with used media) the sudden added bio-load of all the fish waste can get you an ammonia spike. A good rule of thumb is to add only 10-20% of your desired stock then wait 2-3 weeks, then add more. Otherwise, you could run into some trouble.

Good luck

 

[SBL]

Good point, and the sale is every month. I'm still shooting for getting at least half of the stock done and taken care of. I'm gonna still transfer media, and gonna watch my ammonia closely

 

[pablothebetta]

I personally would definitely go with the cardinals if you can - they really do look great in a shoal with their colours being even brighter than neons

 

[Wills]

looks good to me - I would probs go with Angels over Festivums, some Festivums can be pretty nasty...


Also go for Whiptails like Sturisomas over Farlowellas as Farlowellas are not really ideal for tanks - in the wild they need a certain algae in their diet and it leads to a deficinacy which kills most of them a few months down the line

 

[SBL]

Thanks wills, and I don't know if its a Sturisomas or Farowella, labeled as Farowella but don't they look the same?

 

[SBL]

My lfs has no other Dwarfs other than Cauctoides, rams, keyholes, and bolivians. I have a question, how hard are GBR rams? They had a couple I really like. I will still have 4 Angels, and I guess cories can live with the HRPs. Do bulldog plecs, BNs, and clown plecs accept higher temps?

 

[KkAaNnEe]

Do you really mean 5 x bolivian rams? That would not work, bolivians grow slightly larger than BRs. I would stick to one pair of dwarf in a 55, if its long you could sneak two, but your stocking looks more appropriate for a 75 in my opinion...

Some BRs are kept in different water parameters, just check with your lfs, they are great fish tho