New Tank

[jim_uk_2006]

Hiya everyone, i have a new 350L fish tank and i'm just getting round to sorting it out ready for fish. I was just wondering is anyone has any stocking ideas?
I have been thinking about a big shoal of neon's or cardinals, maybe some guppys and for the bottom i was thinking of a half a dozen kuhli loaches, some shrimp, a plec or some corys.
Now i was just thinking if anybody else has any better ideas or advice, thanks jim

 

[waterdrop]

Hi Jim and Welcome to our beginners section!

I see FM is reading your post and he will have some good suggestions. Neons tend to like softer more acid water and guppies tend to thrive in harder more alkaline water - not an absolute but shows you could benefit from more time in learning about stocking plans, so it is good you are asking.

A 350L is a wonderfully large tank, so you have many options and having one or more large shoals would be highly recommended (at least by me since I like them, lol.) You also have room for some of the many beautiful types of Rams and all sorts of other interesting fish.

In our beginner section we always like to discuss "Cycling" with newcomers as we find everyone comes in with different information and it is so key to a good beginning. Learning about and performing a Fishless Cycle to prepare your biofilter (it can take a couple of months and is necessary prior to introducing fish in most cases) is something that provides the perfect timing for discussing and learning the ins and outs of stocking plans.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Wills]

Hi welcome to the forum!

As Waterdrop said cycling is a really important thing to learn about before you get your fish and Waterdrop is the expert on that so make sure to listen to what she says

With regards fish, the species you mentioned are all small fish which is fine but just to bear in mind in a big tank you could possibly want some big fish in there as well which in most cases would eat the smaller fish like the neon tetras. Also in that tank small fish like khulis if you just get 6 you will never see them simply because there is so much space for them to hide in.

If your into eel type fish and nice shoaling fish I would maybe consider a stock like this - few of my suggestions on this list as well

1 Rotkeil Severum
4 Geophagus Red Head Tapajos
15 Emperor Tetras
5 Bosmani Rainbowfish
4 Hoplo Catfish
2 Tire Track Eels

Just an idea for a starter by no means set in stone but some of the species on there are just to give you an idea of the larger fish you could accommodate in a big tank like this.

Wills

 

[jim_uk_2006]

Thanks for that, i have kept fish before and have made mistakes so i really want to get everything right this time around.
I know cycling the tank is very important and i will try to do it the best i can. As for stocking i'm really open to hearing what people with more experience than me think and suggest.
One of the the only things is i really want a red tailed shark as these are my favourite fish, i had one before and it was about 10 years old when it died
thanks jim

 

[fluttermoth]

Is that 'FM' referring to me?!

Guess I've been nominated to give some suggestions then!
This is what I'd do if it was my tank;
2 BIG shoals of tetras; I think Green Neons and Silvertips would look great.
Yeah, the Kuhli loaches are lovely, but quite shy, so get a large group.
Then, a trio of Bristlenoses for the bottom and some Hatchet fish for the top.
And to finish off, a trio of some kind of Dwarf Chiclid; Rams or Apistogrammas.
But it does depend rather on the pH and hardness of your water.

(P.S; WD, I'm a girl )

 

[jim_uk_2006]

Is that 'FM' referring to me?!

Guess I've been nominated to give some suggestions then!
This is what I'd do if it was my tank;
2 BIG shoals of tetras; I think Green Neons and Silvertips would look great.
Yeah, the Kuhli loaches are lovely, but quite shy, so get a large group.
Then, a trio of Bristlenoses for the bottom and some Hatchet fish for the top.
And to finish off, a trio of some kind of Dwarf Chiclid; Rams or Apistogrammas.
But it does depend rather on the pH and hardness of your water.

(P.S; WD, I'm a girl )

would you go with BN plecs instead of a normal plec then? also what about the shrimp idea? i have seen what they call armoured shrimp i like the look of those, its all so confusing lol

Also i would love to get some live plants growing, is there any that dont need a co2 system? also the tank i have is a juwel rio 300 which states that it holds 350L of water.

 

[danny_sims]

(P.S; WD, I'm a girl )

Someone in trouble? (Only a girl thought you was a lady)

 

[fluttermoth]

(P.S; WD, I'm a girl )

Someone in trouble? (Only a girl thought you was a lady)

Girl, lady, who cares! I'm of the feminine persuasion anyway; and no, WD's not in trouble

Jim; I don't think even your tank is big enough for a normal plec! I just like Bristlenoses; the trouble with advising on stocking is that there are just so many fish to choose from and everyone likes different things, so it all comes down to personal preference really
My list was what I would do if it was mine, that's all. I can't give any comments about the armoured shrimp; I know nothing about shrimp!
As for plants; there are plenty that don't need CO2; I don't have CO2 and I don't have a special substrate, or use any fertilizers and I've got lots of plants. What I always suggest is buying one of the plant collections online and seeing what does well. Java fern, cryptocorynes and vallis are usually very reliable.

 

[jim_uk_2006]

Theres just so many fish to choose from lol

 

[Timmy_Bee]

i would double check your literage (is that a word? if so, its spelt wrong...) just becuase i have a Rio 180 which is ... 180L and i was under the impression the 300 is 300L - but i have been known to assume incorrectly before!

Anywho, i personally would go for a quite heavily planted tank, with big plants and a nice log or something. As for fish, i would steer clear of the neon tetra because:
a) as people have mentioned, it means you cant get any big fish (which i think would be a shame in a big tank)
b) i think they're boring.

I would probs set up a Malawi Cichlid tank, but even these fish arn't particularly large, i just like them! If you take that advide, use a nice sand substate and get plenty of rock

 

[jim_uk_2006]

i would double check your literage (is that a word? if so, its spelt wrong...) just becuase i have a Rio 180 which is ... 180L and i was under the impression the 300 is 300L - but i have been known to assume incorrectly before!

Anywho, i personally would go for a quite heavily planted tank, with big plants and a nice log or something. As for fish, i would steer clear of the neon tetra because:
a) as people have mentioned, it means you cant get any big fish (which i think would be a shame in a big tank)
b) i think they're boring.

I would probs set up a Malawi Cichlid tank, but even these fish arn't particularly large, i just like them! If you take that advide, use a nice sand substate and get plenty of rock

hi if you follow the link it shows that the juwel rio 300 is 350L i think they made it slightly bigger when they did the latest modification
http/www.juwel-aquarium.de/en/rio.htm?cat=7

 

[danny_sims]

Girl, lady, who cares! I'm of the feminine persuasion anyway; and no, WD's not in trouble

thats ok then!

 

[jim_uk_2006]

so is there anybody on here that knows anything about shrimps?

 

[waterdrop]

I'm shrimp challanged (but I do like looking at them in other's tanks )

I must be challanged knowing a girl when I hear one (but I do like looking at them too )

uhoh, I hope the mods don't catch me and turn me into a shrimp

WD