Stocking Suggestions

[diesel21]

Hi guys!

well to say I'm excited about my first real tank (after months of saving and some researching) is an understatment! However now I have the choice to get all sorts of fish I feel kinda overwelmed!! Could you guys offer suggestions?

Upgrading the fish from ten gall (can't wait to see their wee faces)

Here are my thoughts so far I'd like (including ones from ten gall);

2 x clown loach (moving from ten gall)
3x peppered corries
3 x three line corries
3x Adolfi
3x Pokadot loaches

5x praecox rainbow (males)
1x male GB ram
6x flame backed bleeding heart tetra
6x lemon tetra
7-9 Tiger Barb?? too aggressive?

Then a centre piece fish maybe a pink gourami? I love severums but think they are to agressive and destructive! or a shoal of silver dollars?

I would love to hear your advice and suggestions as this is my first "big" tank
many thanks folks

 

[diesel21]

another question...rainbow cichlid anyone had any experience with them? the LFS said I cud have one in my community?

 

[drobbyb]

Need more rainbows...6 minimum. Large clown loaches will be too big for this tank eventually and they need to be in groups as well.

 

[diesel21]

Hi there will up the rainbows then I finally saw my first one in the LFS was really surprised at how beautiful they are, I'm aware my clown loach will eventually be to large for the tank, I'll will either upgrade in a few years (they are bout 2 inch long at mo) or rehome them. I was thinkin of gettin them some more wee friends then re-acess in a few years.....
thinkin no tiger barbs now as they kinda reduce who you can keep with them

 

[Davo86]

another question...rainbow cichlid anyone had any experience with them? the LFS said I cud have one in my community?

rainbow cichlids will be fine,
Also if your going for Rams get two

 

[diesel21]

brill!! thanks it was my LFS that suggested rainbow cichlids I'd never heard of them and was dubious. will they be fine with my blue rams as they are both cichlids? thanks again!

 

[OldMan47]

If your rainbow cichlid is Herotilapia multispinosa like these guys they make a great community tank addition provided you have the room for them.

Mine are about 5 inches long and are very territorial when they are breeding. The rest of the time they make very good tank mates for fish much smaller than them. I have mine with neons, black neons, platies, mollies, rasboras and other small community fish. Be aware that the rainbow cichlids are very much plant eaters. I cannot keep a live plant in their tank and the 7 I have are known to remove a full layer of duckweed from a 6 foot long tank in only a week or two.

 

[wendywc]

Rehoming clown loaches is easier said than done. You might have to strip down the tank, empty out half the water, and bag some of the other fish in order to get them. My advice: if you are going to rehome them in the future, then you might as well rehome them now. Then you will have room for the others that you want to keep.

 

[diesel21]

oldman your fish are stunners!!! look in very good health!I'm defo considering these now, ill have to go to my stock page and add up all my inches/numbers etc so far (how sad am I?!) thou the fact they attck plants is a bit of a negitive as I would love a planted tank lol mmmmm decisions

Wendy I can see where you are coming from, I feel selfish as I just wana keep them for another few years before getting them a nice new home, Ill be prepared to spend a bit of time and thought in catchin them lol. that said mine aren't as skitish as people profile them to be, maybe lucky. Advice taken on bord thou as not settin up my "super tank" till after my hol in july as dont want to leave anyone in charge of my fishlings lol