# 75 Gallon stocking ideas



## OhNoFive0 (Nov 20, 2012)

Yes, I know Byron and others cringe when I post a thread, they know it's going to be stupid, uneducated, and in general, annoying, but they click on the thread anyway....

Anyway, I was throwing around ideas for fish for the 75 gallon. It will be moderately planted as I'll be order more plants at the beginning of the week. Ph is 7.5 Gh/KH are soft, 4 drops or 71.6 ppm.

I was thinking....

12 x Zebra Danios
12 x Cherry Barbs
1x Pearl Gourami? / 12x ___________

or 86ing the Pearl and doing 12 x Cardinal Tetra (want the color contrast) or another contrasting color fish.


OR

a barb tank, just getting a handful (20-25) of barbs of different colors and be done with it. (someone mentioned this in another thread)

5x Tiger Barbs
5x Green Tiger Barbs
5x ______________
5x ______________


So the short is.... fill it in or give me some ideas!

Thanks! 

John

P.S. have fun with it!:-D


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

I never cringe at anyone posting. We are all here to learn and share, or so I hope. And without some asking questions, this won't happen.:-D

I don't really like suggesting fish to anyone, as I feel it should be your aquarium, not mine. I do step in when I see trouble, that is intended to help others avoid mistakes they will later regret. So with that in mind...

No gourami in with active fish. All barbs and danio are active, although the cherry barb is perhaps the less active of the bunch. But better companions if pearl gourami are intended [and here a group of one male and 2-3 female or perhaps 2 males and 4 females in a 75g would be lovely if you want the tank centered on this species] would be any of the medium rasbora, some (but be careful which) of the medium peaceful tetra, and suitable quiet substrate fish would work. All characins in the tetra group are possible fin nippers when placed in with sedate fish with long fins, but there are some that work out generally. 

Cardinals might, I know I wouldn't have these in with some gourami, but the pearl is a bit less domineering and it might work. On the cardinals themselves though, not in with active fish like those barbs or danios. All the species in Paracheirodon are quiet fish, preferring still waters that are heavily shaded; these are not active schooling fish.

A barb and loach tank would be nice. A good aquascape would be fine river gravel, rounded river rock as boulders, several chunks of wood on the "riverbed," and a group of one of the peaceful Botia loaches with 3 or 4 species of barb. Increase the barb numbers though, five is not sufficient for any barb. These are highly interactive fish, the fin nipping many species are noted for is part of this interaction. No less than 8 of those that will nip (Tiger Barb) but the Green is the same species so 10 of both combined is fine. The Black Ruby is my favourite barb, extremely peaceful esp for a barb, and best with 8-10. Check the others in the profiles, you have the space for some of them.


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## OhNoFive0 (Nov 20, 2012)

I'm not overly attached to a gourami tank, the pearl was kind of an after thought. So skipping a gourami tank. 

So still stuck at the 

12 x Zebra Danio
12 x Cherry Barb

I'm leaning towards a barb set up right now, but not 100% yet.

The barb idea is looking like

10 x Green/Tiger barb (5 of each)
10 x Chinese Barb?
10 x Black Ruby Barb (Yes! I like!) 

The only reserve I have about Black Ruby Barb is I've NEVER seen them locally, but I found a new locally owned store not far from my house that I want to check out. Otherwise all I seem to have within 80 miles(it seems) in any direction are chain stores, Petsmart, Petsuppliesplus, walmart and a Petco I think. Guess they can always order them.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

OhNoFive0 said:


> I'm not overly attached to a gourami tank, the pearl was kind of an after thought. So skipping a gourami tank.
> 
> So still stuck at the
> 
> ...


Sometimes you have to wait to get the fish you want. The BRB is not all that common, but this is a beauty. I had my river habitat tank running for several months before this fish appeared locally. Photo of this tank below, though the BRB are scarcely noticeable; they have never showed even the tiniest interest in nipping, and those Congo's are plenty of temptation.

The Chinese Barb presumably is Puntius semifasciolatus which I termed Golden Barb for the common name in the profile. Should be fine. Maybe 8-9? Needs slightly cooler temp but the others mentioned can come down to this.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Realized that last photo was from back in April, so went in and took a new one. Still can't see the barbs that well though. But someone was spawning in the left upper corner though I didn't get that in the photos; I think the Congo's again, with most of the other fish eager standing by for breakfast.:lol:


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## OhNoFive0 (Nov 20, 2012)

Nice looking tank! I'm jealous. What floating plant do you have in there?

From what I'm reading, the overlap temp for those barbs would be 68-75, so I was thinking 70-72?

10 x Green/Tiger Barbs
10 x Black Ruby Barbs
8-9 x Chinese/Golden Barb


Also, what order would you introduce the fish? Does it even matter with these?

and how many would you introduce at one time? I've got that additional sponge filter that is cycled to add to the tank when it comes time for the fish. 


Thanks,

John


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

OhNoFive0 said:


> Nice looking tank! I'm jealous. What floating plant do you have in there?
> 
> From what I'm reading, the overlap temp for those barbs would be 68-75, so I was thinking 70-72?
> 
> ...


Thank you for the kind words. Floating plants are Ceratopteris cornuta, plus there are several floating leaves from the two Red Tiger Lotus.

On the temp, I had previously suggested loaches for the substrate, they would be very good with barbs. And you want to stay up artound 75F. Botia kubotai and Botia striata are the two I have in this tank, five of each, and they are peaceful, though the B. kubotai do chew holes in the swords, but that doesn't bother me, the swords in this tank were all adventitious plants from my 115g parent plants, and I stuck them in here just to fill in space initially.

If you plant the tank fairly well, and especially with floating plants, you could add either or both of the Black Ruby and Golden Barbs. [I personally wouldn't mess around with cycling filters, with plants.] I would leave the Tigers/Green for last, so they don't go in first and assume the space is all theirs. And with each species, whatever it is, always the complete group at the same time, so they can establish a good heirarchy together, rather than doing this and then having "outsiders" tossed in a week or two later.

The loaches if you get any can go in after the first first two barb species. Loaches don't appreciate unstable water.

Byron.


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## OhNoFive0 (Nov 20, 2012)

Gotcha, Thanks Byron

i'll add the Chinese Barbs first
then the BRBs
then Botia Striata (Zebra Loachs x 5)
Then the Green/Tiger Barbs last.

Correct me if you think it's better to do it another way, but thanks for all your help! It's much appreciated. :-D


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

OhNoFive0 said:


> Gotcha, Thanks Byron
> 
> i'll add the Chinese Barbs first
> then the BRBs
> ...


That sounds fine.


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## OhNoFive0 (Nov 20, 2012)

My new plants are scheduled to be here tomorrow, I did a bunch of different types.

I order a ball of Java Moss

4 Cryptocorne, Wendtii, green
4 Sword, Amazon
2 Tiger Lotus Green
2 Tiger Lotus Red
4 sets (it says 10 plants per) of Vallisneria, Corkscrew
then a generic 12 plant assortment. I'm putting those in tomorrow afternoon when they arrive. Should compliment the other amazon swords and grass nicely.

However, one of the fish stores was able to order the black ruby barbs for me, they initially said it would take 2 or 3 weeks to get them in if they could get them at all. So I called today, and they said they will be in tomorrow. So my question is, can I flip the stocking order and put the BRBs in first, then add the chinese barbs since they keep the chinese barbs in stock normally?


and a side note, I haven't put any plants or anything into this tank in a few weeks now, and today I noticed a snail, it's steady eating algae! Wonder where he came from and how long he's been hiding in there!


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

OhNoFive0 said:


> My new plants are scheduled to be here tomorrow, I did a bunch of different types.
> 
> I order a ball of Java Moss
> 
> ...


No problem with the barb order. The main issue was putting the Tigers in last so the tank has other occupants before they appear.


Snails hitch rides on plants, wood, even in water in the fish bag [though this water should never go into your tank, but it shows how they can slip in un-noticed].


Byron.


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## OhNoFive0 (Nov 20, 2012)

Cool, just wanted to make sure. I know snails sneak in, I just wonder how he's been in there a solid month when I've looked at the tank every single day for the past 6 weeks, and tested water there pretty much every day for a couple weeks and never noticed him before. 

The snail is not really that interesting, just one of those things.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

OhNoFive0 said:


> Cool, just wanted to make sure. I know snails sneak in, I just wonder how he's been in there a solid month when I've looked at the tank every single day for the past 6 weeks, and tested water there pretty much every day for a couple weeks and never noticed him before.
> 
> The snail is not really that interesting, just one of those things.


If it is a Malaysian Livebearing Snail, it could have arrived so small it would seem to be a tiny speck, and then burrowed into the substrate out of sight. If it is a pond or ramshorn snail, which lay eggs, it could have arrived as a tiny egg cluster or as a tiny snail and remained unseen for weeks.

If it is any of the above small snails, they are considered by most of us as helpful. They get into places we can't to clean, eating everything organic, breaking it down so the bacteria can better handle it. They do eat algae, though minimally, but still enough to help.

Byron.


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## OhNoFive0 (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks for the info, I searched those snails plus others. I'm pretty confident it's a pond snail.


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

Congrats on the snail 
Love the fish selection too, they look very cool!


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## OhNoFive0 (Nov 20, 2012)

They're multiplying! Found 3 more super tiny snails hanging out on the glass today when I got home! I'm going to be infested by snails aren't I?


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

Most likely yes :-D


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