Stocking Help Please

[PRW1988]

Alright, so I had a 72gallon bowfront reef tank, unfortunatly the protein skimmer overflowed and we had an elcetrical fire. We've since shut down the tank and restarted it as a freshwater tank. Now, my dad wants it to be a community tank. I'm thinking something like neon tetras, zebra danios and thus forth.

Now, I'm not sure on stocking levels as I've been out of the community tanks for a while (mainly into cichlids).

I'm think something along these lines but if theres any problems with it PLEASE TELL ME!

20x neon tetras
12x Zebra Danios
6x Black skirt tetras
6x White skirt tetras
6x Flame tetras
6x Red Minor tetras
6x albino cory catfish
6x peppered cory catfish
6x green cory catfish
2x BN plecos

This is it for now, but my dad would like a bit of a larger fish (or larger growing school of fish) as the centre piece. I was think of a school of like 4-6 dwarf neon rainbows. Or mabye a trio of honey gouramis.

any suggestions on stocking levels would be appriciated. Aswell, if the numbers of neon tetras and zebra danios could be increased that'd be cool. So, as the centre piece fish any suggestions?

 

[justjon]

wow, 20 neons, would love to see all those together!

 

[PRW1988]

Yeah, in a small tank the smaller the school it's better. But in a large tank I figured that a larger shoal would be great I want between 20-30 neons as they'd look beautiful together.

 

[n3ont3tra]

Wow, I can't believe you're getting a freshwater community after marines. Peaceful FW community tanks are SO boring compared to my SW lol.

Anyway, if I were you I would focus on two or three larger schools of fish instead of groups of 6. =]

 

[PRW1988]

Yeah, but since it's my dads choice I can't say anything. After all since the tanks at his office it is his choice. Aswell, an electrical fire from lack of maintainance was a deciding factor... But with him working there and me working our schedules conflicted and we could never find time to maintain the tank. But a community tank isn't hard as we've got a 75gallon of african cichlids at his office and he can do maintainance on that tank easily, so a community tank should be good and relaxing for him.

Now as for the larger shoals. What do you think then of this stocking list?

30x neon tetras
20x Zebra danios
6x albino corys
6x green corys
6x peppered corys
2x BN pleco
12x black skirt tetras
and then like 5 dwarf neon rainbow?

Do I still have room in the tank for more? (I like to understock community tanks... I dunno why lol)

 

[Ficious]

things look very good. i would say either a few diff types of barbs or a few diff types of tetras.


i would also like to recommend some top only fish...i prefer halfbeaks! they stay just at the top and its nice having them always up there. also a community invert. blue lobsters, vampire shrimps...flower shrimp...etc.




look at my stocking. im jealous of your much larger tank but my fish are well balanced...check the sig

 

[n3ont3tra]

Sounds great to me. If you want to keep it understocked then I wouldn't add much more, maybe some shrimp or a few more rainbows or something.

 

[shortymet55]

Might I suggest changing the Neons to Cardinals (if you can find that many). I say this, just because they has a bit more red and get a bit bigger, which will make them look spectacular.

 

[OldMan47]

Yet another suggestion for change. The 18 cories I would divide between 2 groups or even one group. Cories are at their best in bigger groups. In a mixed tan like you are planning, each type will move around the tank together most of the time and I find nothing better than 10 or 15 cories moving across the bottom as a large group. Another tetra type that you might want to consider is rummy nose. They are nice colorful little fish that school very well.

 

[NonstickRon]

Have a look at leopard or pearl danios before you set your mind on the zebras. I think the spots are more attractive personally.

http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_di...amp;pcatid=2768

 

[PRW1988]

Thanks much for the help guys
Unfortunatly where I live Cardinal tetras are aboout $5 each! and neons are less, so neons win lol. Now, what do you think of this stock list if I was to overstock the tank a bit?

30x neon tetras
24x Zebra (or leopard) danios
8x albino corys
8x peppered corys
2x BN pleco
12x black skirt tetras
12x white skirt tetra


Thanks much for the help guys
Unfortunatly where I live Cardinal tetras are aboout $5 each! and neons are less, so neons win lol. Now, what do you think of this stock list if I was to overstock the tank a bit?

30x neon tetras
24x Zebra (or leopard) danios
8x albino corys
8x peppered corys
2x BN pleco
12x black skirt tetras
12x white skirt tetra

 

[n3ont3tra]

looks good to me.

 

[PRW1988]

Now, my father still wants a centre piece fish. But he doesn't want to lower the stocking levels... -.-" can anybody suggest a pair or trio of something that won't grow too large?

 

[monkeywobbler]

Hello!

I would add a trio of Red Dwarf Gourami as a centrepiece. 2 females and 1 male.
A lot of people say they're sickly and not very hardy but I haven't found this to be the case. I've got 1 male and 1 female in my 47g (I should add another female ), and they've both healthy and bright and they add loads of colour and movement to the tank. The male has a really bright red (almost orange) body and a beautiful bright blue fin. The female is grey/silver but develops lovely blueish stripes as she matures.

Just my opinon. If I had another tank I'd stick a couple of rams in I think. Beautiful fish - although you mentioned you had a cichlid tank already!
Failing that, how about Opaline Gourami? They have stunning blue and silver markings.

Monkey

 

[monkeywobbler]

I've managed to kill your thread PRW1988, sorry!