# Newbie, Tank stocking 120 ltr tank



## mytankfish (May 11, 2010)

how i am new to this site found it very useful, i am just wondering if any1 could help me in picking my fish, sorry should say its a tropical tankset up about 2 weeks currently 

2 x neon blue dwarf gouramis (1 male-1 femal)
3 x female bettas
1 x common pleco (still tiny has established replacement if needed)
4 x black skirt tetras getting 4 more from the same place wednesday 
is this 2 much much just right or... anny suggestion welcome i would like a nice centre piece fish if any has any idesa many thanks


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Hi and welcome to Tropical Fish Keeping forum.

On your fish stocking in your 120 litre/31 US gallon aquarium: The common pleco will grow to more than a foot and should be removed. Your local fish store may exchange, most will. There are small species, max 4 inches, or other types of bottom fish like Rineloricaria (whiptail), Corydoras, a small loach species (some of these grow large, but there are a few suitable small species).

Byron.


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## mytankfish (May 11, 2010)

Im not entirely sure if it is a common pleco i rescued it from a 17 ltr tank i know it will eventually out grow me if it is, but im not going to move him just yet because he has not been their long and dont want to cause stress thank you for your reply any ideas on any of the other fish?


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## Taz (May 3, 2010)

*freshwater*

And what's wrong with "just tropicals"? Welcome to the forum and the 120 looks nice. You were asking about a "central fish"? What about the old faithfuls, like angels? There are lots of colour varieties now, and even several fin "types". So far it sounds like most of your fish are small, other than the pleco,( and you can probably trade/move him when he grows later) so you shouldn't run out of room yet.


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## Taz (May 3, 2010)

Welcome "Tank". Can we see your aquarium "profile"? how did you take your picture - I'm fairly new too & still figuring that part out.


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## mytankfish (May 11, 2010)

Hi, 
i will get a picture uploaded as soon as i get home im currently at work:-D lol i like the angels idea but i heard that they can be semi aggresive. i did attempt to put my male betta in their as he has been house with neon tetras in the past, this did not go down so well he started chaseing my place skirts and male dwarf gourami so i put him back in his 17 ltr tank been grumpy ever since what type of angels do you recommend? and how many? thank you for replying


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

A 31g tankis not large enough for angels. Angels are shoaling fish, so they should either be kept in a small group (preferably 5 or more so they can establish their natural "pecking order" and no one fish gets picked on) or a mated pair. In both cases, nothing less than a 55g tank is recommended.

One comment related to the pleco issue: keeping potentially large fish in small tanks when young cause "stunting" in their growth and this leads to internal issues with organ development (or mis-development) and health problems, and often a sooner-than-normal death. Fish grow all their lives, but they must have adequate water volume and space throughout in order to develop properly. Both aspects are critical: having the "space" to be themselves, and having sufficient water volume to have stable water parameters and quality which smaller tanks do not provide for potentially large fish.

Byron.


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## redchigh (Jan 20, 2010)

I would have assumed the gouramis would have been nice centerpiece fish...

Hmm.
What kind of fish were you thinking of?


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## Taz (May 3, 2010)

Hi Tank;
Sorry it's been a few days - work & all. I'm afraid I misread your thread, I thought you had a 120 gal tank! big oops. The 31 gal will probably be two small for angels - the smallest I had them in was a tall 45 gal. with a pair, and only neons and a couple of corys for company. But the dwarf gouramis should be a nice centrepiece fish. If you want some fun in a small tank, try adding an upside down catfish - I love them, they just make me laugh. And a blind cave tetra is interesting. With the mollies etc. you've got now - that'll about do it for the size you've got. If you manage to get a bigger tank for the pleco, try a smaller version, like a banjo cat, or a bumblebee catfish for interesting cleaners.


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