Stocking Ideas

[Alm0stAwesome]

Hello All,

I've been doing my fishless cycling for FOREVER it feels like but in the time it's taken I've been cruising this forum every day and now I want to totally change my stocking plans and get a betta! I have a 48L tank what species could I add and how many of them? I kind of had my heart set on some corys but am open to any and all suggestions. This is very new territory for me because I never considered any of the species that I would call the "little guys" e.g. endlers and tetras.

Thanks! Feeling very excited about this new stocking idea

EDIT: The main reason I started a new thread on this since there are so many already on the forum is because I'm unsure about numbers - thanks!

 

[-FighterFishh]

You could have a male betta, a shoal of 6 pygmy cories and 3 or 4 endlers?

 

[Cazgar]

I wouldn't have tetras as they can be nippy, but as above, some Pygmy or dwarf corys & 3/4 endlers would be ok

 

[Fishball7]

I wouldn't have endlers. Totally different water types. As with livebearers.

Neons, dwarf corys, rasboras, embers. mid-upper tier - 4-6. corys, 3-4.

 

[Fishy friend2]

honestly, livebearers are breed, they thrive, and can adapt to softer waters, just like neons can adapt to harder waters.
this is my suggested stocking
6-8 hengals rasbora or 6-8 ember tetras
3 otocinclus
1 male betta
3 male endlers

 

[Fishball7]

Shrugs. Read an article. Wouldn't mix them just to be safe. Still believe that different environments molded different fish and how they had adapted to thrive; water flow, gh, kh, temperature, and other stuff are so much more important than people think. Fish are different to mammals in that their environments have a strong direct influence to how their bodily reactions function. I want to give my fish the best I can, not a compromise between two types of fish that have different requirements just because I want them for looks; when I can easily go with a better choice.

Btw, otos are generally wild caught. They thrive in planted tanks, as in like these eg

and not like this

Good luck keeping otos in a new tank, just cycled. Wouldn't suggest it.

MAJOR EDIT: Wow, I just realised something. I've been advocating not keeping bettas with livebearers on the assumption that people test their waters and keep their waters at an acidic, soft level for their bettas or hard and alkaline for their livebearers. For example, I have moderately hard, alkaline (7.6) water here and I use rain water mix with a bit of tap water for my bettas + DIY CO2. Which here, I don't think people do! *smacks own head* LOL So funny. Preaching to the wrong group. So I'm changing my stance completely: Keep livebearers with bettas, because it will make no difference to you unless you just understood what I said and actually have good water for bettas.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Hi Guys, these are great suggestions , keep them coming and I will start researching these species when I'm home from work tonight - woo!

Well it's good that you mention the pH of the water because it's a factor in my decision to keep bettas as my pH is quite low and any attempts I've made to increase it (just for cycling) have been a nightmare, it just does NOT want to have a higher pH - I don't think I've got it to hit 8.0 yet, as soon as I get the pH up it immediately crashes to below what it even comes out the tap as, is this even possible!?

 

[Cerbius]

My male loves playing with the cardinal tetras in my 80L, make sure that you have at least 6 though as they are much more confident in a larger shoal...ten seems a good number for me.
Ghost shrimp is another good one, have not really found to have any problems with any fish with them (but have never had really aggressive fish before). Have had 1 of my ghosts for nearly 3 and a half years so they can last a while too

 

[Fishball7]

Test your KH. get it to at least 3, try sodium bicarb.

 

[pablothebetta]

I've often known people keep endlers with bettas without problems and I'm sure I've seen people on here do so - thought I might just add that in there.

I might do something along the lines of:

1 male betta
8 microrasbora (eg chilli rasbora, galaxy rasbora, etc) or ember tetras
8 pygmy cories

You could add shrimp too if wished - they have such a low bio-load that they don't really tend to impact the stocking list

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Definitely loving the look of the rasboras over tetras but i'm unsure if i want to try and do a split between rasboras and endlers or just do larger numbers of one...
Also i guess you would have mentioned by now if i could get away with maybe 3 or 4 of the non-pygmy corys eh?

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Hi fishball, how would i change my kh? I have been adding bicarbonate soda to increase the ph but it never lasts for long

Oh and fishy friend2 - i've now read a couple of the topics in your signature and they were really helpful, thanks!

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Shrugs. Read an article. Wouldn't mix them just to be safe. Still believe that different environments molded different fish and how they had adapted to thrive; water flow, gh, kh, temperature, and other stuff are so much more important than people think. Fish are different to mammals in that their environments have a strong direct influence to how their bodily reactions function. I want to give my fish the best I can, not a compromise between two types of fish that have different requirements just because I want them for looks; when I can easily go with a better choice.

Btw, otos are generally wild caught. They thrive in planted tanks, as in like these eg

and not like this

Good luck keeping otos in a new tank, just cycled. Wouldn't suggest it.

MAJOR EDIT: Wow, I just realised something. I've been advocating not keeping bettas with livebearers on the assumption that people test their waters and keep their waters at an acidic, soft level for their bettas or hard and alkaline for their livebearers. For example, I have moderately hard, alkaline (7.6) water here and I use rain water mix with a bit of tap water for my bettas + DIY CO2. Which here, I don't think people do! *smacks own head* LOL So funny. Preaching to the wrong group. So I'm changing my stance completely: Keep livebearers with bettas, because it will make no difference to you unless you just understood what I said and actually have good water for bettas.

Oh we have another one of these types.....oh boy

For one, you don't need to talk to people like they are dumb or don't know they are doing. I test my pH and my other parameters and do what I can naturally to accommodate my fish. Most tank bred fish are very adaptable and will thrive in a multitude of different pH levels. Its the acclimatizing process that will make or break the fish. You run a higher risk of messing up your fish throwing in chemicals to meet textbook requirements that you do having a stable pH. Based on your assumptions of us and out knowledge, I am going to assume that because you are out to perfect, that you have a betta in stagnant waters to replicate a rice paddy?

Hi fishball, how would i change my kh? I have been adding bicarbonate soda to increase the ph but it never lasts for long

Oh and fishy friend2 - i've now read a couple of the topics in your signature and they were really helpful, thanks!

I understand that your tank is fishless. If you make the decision to alter the pH using chemicals or bcarb, realize that you are going to really have to stay on top of pH changes. Large rises or drops in the pH are worse on a fish than a pH that is stable, regardless of it being too high or too low. My tap water pH is 8.0. I do not alter it, I let it naturally alter itself and I have 7 thriving fishtanks full of fish that breed. If the pH was that big a deal, my fish would not being doing what they do best.

 

[Fishy friend2]

yeah, your welcome mate! i keep them in my sig for me and others as nobody replies much in that section so its not bumped up consantly, and if i didnt have them in my sig. i would forget about them myself

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Hi dieses madchen, yep i'm sadly fishless at the moment but when it comes to stocking the tank i'm going to do a massive water change and then leave the ph alone. I've been messing about with it during cycling to try and help the process along. However i'm getting that sinking feeling that i've done something wrong and stalled the cycle as my nitrIte hasn't moved for (omg just checked my notes) 19 days!
Ugh been cycling for just over a month now...booo! This place is keeping me going tho!
Edit: thought i would clarify about my messing with the ph, i was told that it would help the cycle if it's around 8 and have been trying to increase it ever since!