Stocking Levels

[300hp+vr6]

im a noob whos steadily stocking up a 22 gal community tank with a few plants.
current fish are
4 neon tetras (originally got 6 but 2 got into old filter and pressumably drowned )
3 female platties
2 male mollies
2 male guppies
at some point (soon) i want some corys what is a good number to get as i understand they appreciate company? i was thinking 4-6?

would the neons be better with another 2 or 3?? how about 2 or 3 cardinals would these shoal with tetras or do they tend to stay seperate?

i deffo want a betta at some point tehyr beutifull fish

 

[n3ont3tra]

4 neon tetras (originally got 6 but 2 got into old filter and pressumably drowned cry1.gif )

Fish can't drown. Maybe the impeller hit them or something, but I guarantee, they didn't drown.

As for your questions:
You're correct, cories do appreciate community. 4-6 would be nice, they would be happy as a clam, especially if you got all of the same species.
Neons would be happier with more, I suggest about 4 more, maybe 6. The more the merrier. I am pretty sure that cardinals school with neons, but someone else may want to confirm that.
You could get a betta, but be careful if you have guppies. The betta might think that's it's a rival because of the guppies bright colors.

Overall, it sound like a good beginner stocking.

 

[Glod]

Fish can't drown. Maybe the impeller hit them or something, but I guarantee, they didn't drown.

Yes they can. Fish need oxygen, same as we do. No oxygen in their medium (Water) and they'll drown sure as we would. Still, it's unlikely that was the case since the other fish are ok.

6 corys is a nice amount for them to play together, they're very social little guys/gals. I'd agree that a few more tetras would be good too. Personally I'd stick to neons to keep them all the same, rather than risk mixing them with cardinals which may or may not shoal with them. They look very similar anyway

I'd seriously reconsider the Betta in that tank. Every Betta has it's own character and you *might* get lucky, but mixing it with other similar sized brightly coloured fish is not a good idea, he may see them as a challenge and attack. Also the tetras may nip the Bettas fins which could lead to other problems. An alternative to consider may be a Dwarf Gourami, they can be quite striking to look at and one should be fine on his own as a centerpiece.

If your heart is set on a Betta, consider getting a small 5(ish) gallon tank to house him on his own. Both you and he would enjoy that much more than watching him suffer in a community. Bettas have great personality and seem quite happy to interact with their pet human.

Overall tho your stock plan looks good to me, maybe a little overstocked but that should be fine with good fitration and regular water changes/ gravel vacs If you avoid the Betta I don't see any obvious problems. Maybe consider dropping the mollies to leave more room for the corydoras, or skip the corys and go with what you have written.

 

[n3ont3tra]

Sorry, I didn't notice the mollies, I would get rid of them, as they really do need brackish water to live thier full life.

tongue2.gif Fish can't drown. Maybe the impeller hit them or something, but I guarantee, they didn't drown. tongue2.gif


Yes they can. Fish need oxygen, same as we do. No oxygen in their medium (Water) and they'll drown sure as we would. Still, it's unlikely that was the case since the other fish are ok.

I would think inside of a filter is the most oxygenated part of the tank.

 

[Glod]

Sorry, I didn't notice the mollies, I would get rid of them, as they really do need brackish water to live thier full life.

tongue2.gif Fish can't drown. Maybe the impeller hit them or something, but I guarantee, they didn't drown. tongue2.gif


Yes they can. Fish need oxygen, same as we do. No oxygen in their medium (Water) and they'll drown sure as we would. Still, it's unlikely that was the case since the other fish are ok.

I would think inside of a filter is the most oxygenated part of the tank.

Hehe, I agree with you it's more likely they died from stress or trauma than drowned. I was just being pedantic

 

[300hp+vr6]

Sorry, I didn't notice the mollies, I would get rid of them, as they really do need brackish water to live thier full life.

tongue2.gif Fish can't drown. Maybe the impeller hit them or something, but I guarantee, they didn't drown. tongue2.gif


Yes they can. Fish need oxygen, same as we do. No oxygen in their medium (Water) and they'll drown sure as we would. Still, it's unlikely that was the case since the other fish are ok.

I would think inside of a filter is the most oxygenated part of the tank.

i thought most fish (not all though) needed to keep water flowing over there gills to extract oxygen?
they both got wedged good and proper poor sods
im gonna get a few neons tomorow (probably 4) and maybe ask if hel take the mollies
then maybe next week get the corys

yes i am set on a betta theyr beutifull iv spoken to lfs and hes agreed bassically with what uv all said he also said if i have problems i can take him back no problem (i have a little 2 ish gal tank i could use tempory if there are problems)

 

[Glod]

The 2 gallon would be suitable for long term care of a Betta. Stick a heater in and a small filter if it's not too powerful. (Male) Bettas don't like strong current much due to their long fins. If you don't filter the small tank tho you'd need to do very regular water changes, probably every other day.

 

[InaneCathode]

Sorry, I didn't notice the mollies, I would get rid of them, as they really do need brackish water to live thier full life.

tongue2.gif Fish can't drown. Maybe the impeller hit them or something, but I guarantee, they didn't drown. tongue2.gif


Yes they can. Fish need oxygen, same as we do. No oxygen in their medium (Water) and they'll drown sure as we would. Still, it's unlikely that was the case since the other fish are ok.

I would think inside of a filter is the most oxygenated part of the tank.

i thought most fish (not all though) needed to keep water flowing over there gills to extract oxygen?
they both got wedged good and proper poor sods
im gonna get a few neons tomorow (probably 4) and maybe ask if hel take the mollies
then maybe next week get the corys

yes i am set on a betta theyr beutifull iv spoken to lfs and hes agreed bassically with what uv all said he also said if i have problems i can take him back no problem (i have a little 2 ish gal tank i could use tempory if there are problems)

If you've ever watched a fish closely (or in a cartoon) they make that *glub glub* face to pull in water and push it over their gills. (i think sharks need to keep moving as they have no way of moving water over their gills (??))

You should seriously concider getting a bigger tank for your future betta (10 gallons would be awesome). It'll give you the chance to aquascape some, provide a huge area for your betta to play in, and if you're like me you'll like it more because it's less of a pain in the ass (with small tanks you have to do water changes *ALOT* more)