Stocking Advice

[mark4hay]

Hi i have a fluval roma 200 just started stocking it so far i have got a sailfin molly and six red eye tetra. I know they can sometimes be aggressive but so far they all seem to be getting on fine if anything the sailfin chases them away. just after a bit of stocking advice on what we could put in as well?

 

[ZoddyZod]

frankly you've got LOADS of options you could have in there.

Have you got any sort of idea on what type of fish you want to add? Maybe you've already got a shortlist in your mind that you can show us?

If not, take a trip to a fish shop with a pad and pen, write down the ones you like and then start your research to see if they are suitable, and check back here to see what others think

 

[mark4hay]

i think i would like maybe a ram and a keyhole cichlid ive read that they can go together on quite a few sites maybe some colombian tetra ,rummynose tetra and maybe some neons not sure yet ive read a few people saying there neons have been killed by red eye tetra but others say there fine

 

[mark4hay]

just wondering out of the fish i said what would go well ans how many of each could i get without overstocking?

 

[Aqua Tom]

Well i would up the shoal of tetra to 20. All the same or two schools of 10.

 

[mark4hay]

i think i want quite a few kinds of fish though not just one or 2 kinds of tetra

 

[mark4hay]

i was thinking of having the sailfin molly 6 red eye tetra 10 rummy nose 1 ram 1 keyhole 6 colombian tetra and maybe some neons will this be overstocked?

 

[Aqua Tom]

i think i want quite a few kinds of fish though not just one or 2 kinds of tetra

Big schools of tetra look realy good, its how they are in the wild so they behave more naturaly. I have a school of 20 cardinals in my 180 & they look lovely.

I suppose you could have 3 different schools of 7 tetra.

 

[ZoddyZod]

i think i would like maybe a ram and a keyhole cichlid ive read that they can go together on quite a few sites maybe some colombian tetra ,rummynose tetra and maybe some neons not sure yet ive read a few people saying there neons have been killed by red eye tetra but others say there fine

Rams and Keyholes are a good choice. Could probably have 2 of each in a tank that size without issue.

with regards to having several different schools of fish...... I thought the same when I first started my tank and I must admit that the results weren't that great. Fish rarely school tightly in groups in home aquaria unless there is a threat to them in the tank. If you have several schools then they will school loosely but the overall asthetic gets a bit 'messy' as they mix with one another.

one school of 20ish fish, plus a few cichlids (like the rams & kehole you mention), maybe a group of bottom feeders (corydora, loaches) and possibly a plec might be a nice way of stocking it.

However.......this is your aquarium and you'll be the one that looks at it everyday. These are just my personal opinions.

 

[mark4hay]

ok i might think about having just one or two schools then because i can see how it could look messy with lots of different kinds

with the rams and keyholes if i got 2 of each would they fight if they didnt pair up or if they were both male or both female?

 

[ZoddyZod]

with the rams and keyholes if i got 2 of each would they fight if they didnt pair up or if they were both male or both female?

if you have enough decor/plants in there to break up lines of sight, you should not have too much of a problem with aggression between same sex fish. Keyholes and Bolivian Rams are considered to be fairly peaceful, but it can also depend on the individual personality of the fish.

If you add them both (same fish of each species at least) at the same time this will help. If you add one then one later, the 1st MIGHT think it's his/her territory and never accept the newcomer, constatly chasing/harrassing them instead.

I recently added 2 juvenile rams to my tank with an established adult. Not seen any issues of yet and they interact quite closely all day.

 

[ZoddyZod]

also if you like the rams and keyholes, there are many other 'dwarf' cichlids that you might find interesting. Try searching for 'dwarf cichlids' in google to get an idea of the others that are out there. Some of the Apistogramma's have fantastic colours.

also having a 200L opens you up to 'medium' sized cichlids (if that's the type of fish that interests you the most). Of course this does mean you have to be careful with the schooling fish you choose. General rule is, if a fish can fit it into its mouth, it's likely it will try to eat it.

some examples would be:
angels
firemouths
festivums

 

[mark4hay]

i do like the firemouth cichlids but i aleady have the red eye tetra and sailfin molly i dont think it would go with them would it?

 

[Jungle777]

Hi,

I've had my tank about 3 months now and I'm wondering if I still have room for any more fish (also if anyone has any advice on the stock I already have and any mistaskes I may already have made!) My tank is the Juwel Lido 120.
My current stock consists of the following:

8 cardinal Tetras
3 Clown Loach
3 Siamese fighters (1 male)
3 Rams (1 male)
5 Odessa Barbs
2 Dwarf Algae eaters (the shop said they wont grow too large!)
1 Red-finned (rainbow) shark - Q large, around 5 inches
1 upside-down catfish

From reading the forums I expect I'll need a bigger tank in future to house the Clowns. I was thinking of adding more Cardinal Tetras so they shoal a bit more.

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated!

 

[FishyWishie]

My advice would be to work out what fish you simply must have and then work from there. For me it was German Blue Rams Clown loaches are lovely but your right they can grow very large about 25cm I think max?

Jungle777 do your cardinals just stay in one place ? i have 15 of them and there never away from one of my swords.