New 50 Gallon 4 Footer

[lefty07603]

I was wondering about stocking ideas. It will be a planted tank. I want maybe a couple schools of fish with a few solo fish as centerpieces. I want a good mix of bottom and top dwelling fish. I like hatchets but they might be too hard for me to keep. And im thinking about getting shrimp instead of catfish to lower the footprint to allow more of other fish. ANY IDEAS WELCOME. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITES?

 

[Nik00117]

I second this we are in the same position! Suggestions please!

 

[magpie]

What are your water parameters?

You're not giving us any fish you like? We need something here - too many options. What appeals to you?

And what do you think it is about hatchets that would be hard for you?

 

[thereverendturtle]

What are your water parameters?

You're not giving us any fish you like? We need something here - too many options. What appeals to you?

And what do you think it is about hatchets that would be hard for you?

Agreed.

 

[lefty07603]

Ok thanks for the interest. I want a very calm tempered tank. I really love gauramis and mollys. For schooling fish i was thinking danios and rasboras. I always like inverts over catfish for cleaners but ive never had catfish Before so i would love to try. I thought hatchets would be hard due to their diet but please correct me if im wrong. And do hatchets attack other fish. And btw i have a small tank with guppies that like to breed. Please tell me if some of my more "visually stimulating" guppies could go in the tank! Thanks so much!

 

[magpie]

What's your water like? Soft, hard, ph?

My marbled hatchets eat anything else I put in there for the other fish - flakes, micropellets, frozen anything (bloodworms, daphnia, etc), and live brine shrimp and blackworms. I've never had a problem feeding them!

 

[lefty07603]

Its normal water, a little soft and the ph is pretty much neutral. And could i house other fish with hatchets. And how many should i get? I heard at least 6

 

[magpie]

Yes, mine don't bother anyone at all.

In a 4-ft tank I'd do more than 6... They like buddies. But I'm talking marbled, not sure which you want. If you go marbled you could easily do 10-12.

 

[aquariumart22]

I would do 3 gouramis, 1 male, 2 female. Maybe a shoal of 7 or so Coradoras and harlequins or I have gold barbs and their awesome. Or skip the gouramis and do hatchets. I'd say get a shoal for the bottom and one or two for the middle/top and maybe a few select centerpiece fish. In my 75 I have 1 male gold gourami, a shoal of 10 rummy noses, 9 harlequins, 7 Cories, 4 other catfish and a rope fish. Just to give you some ideas.

 

[Nik00117]

1 Betta
10 Cherry Shrimp
6 Cories
10 Zebra Fish
10 Cherry Barbs
6 Golden Molly (All females)

How about that?

 

[Wills]

1 Betta
10 Cherry Shrimp
6 Cories
10 Zebra Fish
10 Cherry Barbs
6 Golden Molly (All females)

How about that?

The Betta would struggle in such a big tank, the Zebra Danios would hassle the more peaceful fish like the cherry barbs. I wouldnt fancy the Cherry Shrimps chances either against mollys and bettas...


Couple options from me

3 Pearl Gourami (1m 2f)
15 Harlequin Rasbora
9 Cherry Barbs
6 Dwarf Chain Loaches

or

2 Laetacara Dorsiger
3 Spotted Headstanders
10 Lemon Tetras
10 Panda Corydoras.

or going a bit bigger

2 Rainbow Cichlids
3 Swordtails (1m 2f and let them breed)
6 Red Eye Tetras
3 Hoplo Catfish

Hope that helps
Wills

 

[Nik00117]

3 Pearl Gourami (1m 2f)
15 Harlequin Rasbora
9 Cherry Barbs
6 Dwarf Chain Loaches

I actually like that, thank you

ALthough is there something more colorful then Chain Loaches? What about a different kind of Loach?

 

[Wills]

They are quite nice in the flesh as adults with a lot of black and white contrast going on. Most of the other smaller loaches are similer colours but perhaps a slight difference would be Zebra Loaches which carry a good spectrum of colour

Wills

 

[Livewire]

Get a Golden Dojo Loach!!! Super fun fish to watch

 

[magpie]

I would say if already have a gourami, choose another "centerpiece" fish for fun and variety. I'm biased here but how about dwarf cichlids of some kind? I like Wills option #2 up there, or some variation on it.

What about your hatchets for the top - marbled would be cool, 8-10

Then some sort of tetra for the middle, your choice.
Cardinals, lemons, there are many to choose from. We could choose color and shape based on other selections.

(Or if you want to go outside of the South American region you could do your barbs and rasboras, same numbers)

Then your dwarves for the bottom. You could also add something else for the bottom like the cories mentioned above, otos, or BN pleco.