Trying to finally finalize my final stocking list

[Essjay]

Cories have no concept of territory so they never learn to keep out. But it is only breeding rams that would cause a problem, they become very protective of their eggs/fry and will chase other fish away. Most will learn to stay away but not cories.

If you were to get just one Bolivian ram, cories would be OK. Byron has said that Bolivian rams can be kept as just a single fish, and this would solve 2 problems - no potential breeding to upset the cories and it means no trying to find a bonded pair.

 

[HoldenOn]

Cories have no concept of territory so they never learn to keep out. But it is only breeding rams that would cause a problem, they become very protective of their eggs/fry and will chase other fish away. Most will learn to stay away but not cories.

If you were to get just one Bolivian ram, cories would be OK. Byron has said that Bolivian rams can be kept as just a single fish, and this would solve 2 problems - no potential breeding to upset the cories and it means no trying to find a bonded pair.

That sounds nice. I would really like to keep a ram. Ok so where I am now is
-10 peppered corydoras
-1 bolivian ram
Is that too much?

 

[HoldenOn]

I also didn't know that rams were bottom fish. I was hoping they would stay around the middle . I would've liked to have a well dispersed tank, are apistos bottom dwellers?
Edit: what about keyhole cichlids?

 

[Essjay]

I've kept apistos and they too stay mainly on the bottom. I've not kept keyholes though.

The alternative is to have cories as the bottom dwellers and gouramis as top dwellers or a shoal of tetras or other mid water dwellers.

 

[HoldenOn]

I've kept apistos and they too stay mainly on the bottom. I've not kept keyholes though.

The alternative is to have cories as the bottom dwellers and gouramis as top dwellers or a shoal of tetras or other mid water dwellers.

I like that, but I'm pretty sure my LFS only has dwarf, Gold and Opaline gourami. There is another store I haven't checked, so I'll head there this weekend. Would I be able to keep some black neons?

 

[Essjay]

Remind me of the length of a 29 gallon tank, please. I'm in the UK where we don't have standard tank sizes

 

[HoldenOn]

Remind me of the length of a 29 gallon tank, please. I'm in the UK where we don't have standard tank sizes

30 inches long, 12 inches wide, 18 inches tall

 

[Essjay]

That's fine for black neons and most other fish that size.

 

[HoldenOn]

That's fine for black neons and most other fish that size.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Byron]

I like that, but I'm pretty sure my LFS only has dwarf, Gold and Opaline gourami. There is another store I haven't checked, so I'll head there this weekend.

None of these gourami are advisable. The dwarf has health problems, and the Gold and Opaline are the same species, just different varieties (there are several) and this is one of the most aggressive of the medium gourami. Honey Gourami would be better in this tank.

 

[HoldenOn]

None of these gourami are advisable. The dwarf has health problems, and the Gold and Opaline are the same species, just different varieties (there are several) and this is one of the most aggressive of the medium gourami. Honey Gourami would be better in this tank.

Yea, I had heard all this warnings before. I was listing off the ones they had in stock, but I agree honey gourami would probably work best in this tank. I might make a little longer of a trip to a store that isn't Petsmart to get the rest of my fish, we will see what they have there.

 

[HoldenOn]

Could I keep a group of tiger barbs?

 

[Byron]

Could I keep a group of tiger barbs?

Yes with changes, otherwise no. This is a 29g tank which is the minimum size for a group of Tiger Barbs, and there should be 12-15 of them. No other upper fish. The cories should be OK, but not the Bolivian Ram, it would likely get harassed (fin nipped).

 

[HoldenOn]

Yes with changes, otherwise no. This is a 29g tank which is the minimum size for a group of Tiger Barbs, and there should be 12-15 of them. No other upper fish. The cories should be OK, but not the Bolivian Ram, it would likely get harassed (fin nipped).

Yes for sure, I meant in the place of the ram

 

[HoldenOn]

So final stock list if I got tiger barbs would be
- 7 peppered corydora
- 12 tiger barbs