Stocking Ideas For A 40 Gallon

[dohntaut]

i have a 40-45 gallon tank that is currently cold water with 2 kois and 5 gold fish. im planning on getting rid of these fish, either sell or donate. once theyre gone and i have a stand built i want to set up a tropical tank.
the tank measures 48 inches long by 15 inches wide and 17 inches tall.
so what i want is to have maybe 1 or 2 groups of small schooling(or shoaling not sure of the differences)fish. then maybe a few centerpiece fish.
i was thinking of
20x neon tetras
20x other small shoaling fish
3-5 medium large fish ( i dont know what would be a good addition since most fish i like that are larger would probably eat the tetras)
also not sure if the 1 inch of fish rule still applies to larger tanks since i figured that having 40 neon tetras in a 40 gallon would still look empty.
i plan to have a well planted low tech set up.
i like discus, blue rams(not too big of fish), i also saw a few eel type fish that i liked at my lfs.

any advice is appreciated, even if you dont have fish compatible with mine, post what you would like to see in a tank of this size
thanks
edit: i would also like to have some shrimp, maybe cherries or my lfs also carries rock shrimp ( i think thats the same as a flower shirmp?)

 

[craig855s]

I'd advise you to steer clear of discus, unless you want to do a LOT of research, and spend lots of money.

Id recomend rummynose tetras, harlequins (hardier and bigger than neons) and as a feature a couple of keyhole cichlids

 

[Carlovel1]

I'd advise you to steer clear of discus, unless you want to do a LOT of research, and spend lots of money.

Id recomend rummynose tetras, harlequins (hardier and bigger than neons) and as a feature a couple of keyhole cichlids

Totally agree with everything you said.
Its not a good idea for to change from Coldwater to tropical and add discus at the same time. Maybe you could add some Common Angelfish instead.

 

[dohntaut]

ooh i like harlequins, do you guys think the tank would look better with 2 large shoals of fish or multiple smaller shoals.
like 20 harlequins and 20 rummy nose tetras
or 10 harlequins 10 rummy nose 10 something else 10 something else
as for centerpiece fish, key hole cichlids look great, i was thinking blue rams, but i hear theyre not as hardy. i also like some of the more colorful gourami

 

[OldMan47]

Often 10 of a single species is enough to give a decent appearance. After that it is up to you and your tastes whether to go for a larger group or a few smaller ones.

 

[waterdrop]

Among your mentioned shoaling fish, neons, harlequins and rummys (in that order) are sequentially each a slight step up in mature adult size I believe. Harlequins are a stunning shoaling fish and you've also mentioned them as a favorite. By choosing neons as the 2nd shoal, you could support a larger shoal than you could the rummys and still have some stocking space left for the kinds of larger fish you are contemplating. Of course, rummys too are really beautiful in a shoal. Somewhat heavier planting is also a factor that sets off shoals like these to even greater effect.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[dohntaut]

thanks for the replys, i think that i would probably go with rummys and harlequins since i have neons in my smaller tank. Though i am not sure how well they will contrast the colors of plants and a dark background. Will they look fine or are there more colorful hardy shoaling fish.
i was thinking of having larger shoals, it should look more impressive in my opinion.
15 harlequins
15 rummynose
3-4 larger fish around 4-5 inches (key hole cichlids look like a good candidate) but more recommendations would be great
8-12 shrimp
i know that this is past the whole 1 inch of fish per gallon rule, but what do you guys think,
feel free to adjust the numbers or give advice about other fish, this is all still a rough idea.
i will be having it as planted as i can get without co2(for now, i may change my mind later on)
I havent seen harlequins, keyholes, or amano shrimp at my lfs, unless i havent noticed, but i may be able to place an order, or drive farther to check out other fish stores

 

[Timmy_Bee]

The 1 inch per gallon is a good guideline to go on, but can be stretched. But i think what you have got planed is a bit too far...
I have got a 180l tank (~47 gallons?) and i have got about 20 fish, and that feels a bit over-stocked.

Also, steer clear of Cichlids unles you want a species tank.

If you want ideas, i would recommed Barbs, cos i love 'em, but if you want a barb tank, i would say keep away from tigers & Odessas. Even though (IMHO) they are the nicest, they are also the most aggressive and you then have to start thinking about suitable tank-mates.

 

[slakey]

Penguin Tetra's can look pretty awesome if you have a nice amount together

I reckon a shoal of Green Laser Corydoras was look pretty awesome too.

Rainbow fish also look really good and could be used as a centre piece fish.

 

[dohntaut]

ok so after more researching i noticed that rummys were said to be sensitive, and keyholes may eat smaller fish
so i think i like the idea of ranbow fish (these are banded gourami correct?) but would they be aggressive among one another if i wanted 3-4
for the schooling fish i think ill substitute the rummys for maybe a differnt type of tetra like glowlight tetras.
so this comes to
15 harlequins
15 glow light tetras
8-12 shrimp
3-4 banded gourami
this is probably over stocked, but its a general idea of what i would like to have. i think the gourami might be aggressive towards each other, and would they eat the shrimp? do most fish over 2 inches eat shrimp? if so then i suppose i should substitute the shrimp for a small group of corys

 

[Ryan_W]

I've had a similar decisson to make recently. Have a look at Congo Tetras, I think they're stunning fish, especially the males. I really like the Silver Tips too...

Just an idea.

Ryan

 

[Carlovel1]

Cories are much better than shrimps.

 

[Ryan_W]

Anyone would think you're a Cory fan?!

I'm struggling to choose between Pandas and Green Lasers.....

 

[dohntaut]

im starting to like cories more now, thought i still really like shrimp. i guess i can add shrimp to my smaller 15 gallon i have set up. i really like panda cories, but if i dont have any shrimp, would there be a good alternative that can help control algae? i understand that plecos can grow very large over time, so maybe something that can stay relatively small, and algae eaters may become aggressive. From what i understand, low co2 levels can cause algae, though most co2 systems look expensive, would a yeast type of co2 system be sufficient for a tank this size?

 

[fluttermoth]

If you want an algae eater that stays small, I'd recommend Bristlenoses; they only grow to 4 or 5" and are generally peaceful; they might give other fish a bit of a shove sometimes over food, or chase someone away from their cave, but they won't do any damage