# Stocking 40 gal breeder community tank



## ryocz12 (Dec 2, 2014)

I have a 40 gallon breeder tank (36L x 18W x 17H) and am looking to create a peaceful tropical community tank. The tank is completely cycled, but has a higher pH that's usually between 7.4 and 7.6 due to aragonite in the substrate from my Malawi cichlids that used to be homed here along with the harder tap water. Filtration is not a problem as I'm running a Fluval 406 and do weekly water changes. 

I would like a friendly tank with some bottom feeders, a large school of some sort, an algae eater, and maybe one or two larger showpiece type of fish. Some fish I've looked into for the school are barbs, tetras, mollies, and danios. I know tiger barbs like to nibble a bit though, so don't know about them. Bottom feeders I'm looking at corys, or dojo loaches. For an algae eater, I'm thinking a bristlenose pleco. And for the larger fish, possibly gourami's, but leaning more towards 2 german blue rams or a keyhole cichlid.

I haven't done a community tropical tank in a while so any advice would be nice. I'm looking to house at least 20 fish in here (I had 20 mbuna cichlids with no problem so I know the fish load will be ok with my water changes). I will not be doing any live plants either, been there and done that. Just want a friendly tank with different good looking varieties of active fish in all areas from top to bottom. Maybe some invertebrates too. Any advice and stocking ideas would be a great help. Thank you all!


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## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

i have a 38 gallon with white mollies, white lyre tail mollies, black mollies and dalmatian mollies as well as neon tetras, glowlight tetras, (did have a few sunburts platys but they died) and one chinese algae eater..they are small and are good middle to bottom feeders though some stay at the top waiting for me to feed them...caution mollies breed like rabbits..i started out with about 5 or 6..if i had to guess i got 50 and this tank is a little over a year old and this doesnt count the ones that were eaten or died...if allowing some to be eaten by larger fish and other mollies is no problems then definitely get something larger to go along with them to help control population..

i just added 3 tiger barbs and 1 discus i was given for free by neighbors above..they havent touched my fry yet..gourami might be a good choice for larger species or even the dwarf gourami..if my gourami would be nice id throw him in as well but he is also one given and i know he will eat my fry(not a bad thing though.im over stocked and need to get rid of some)

its fun watching the mollies swim around and then get over excited waiting for you to feed them as if they never ate in their lives..then watching the larger fish swim by the small ones..kinda like jaws lurking in the water watching his prey


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## prodrumernate (Jun 22, 2012)

oh make sure to have many hiding places..and i also have an extra filter on mine rated for a tanke 60+ gallons on top of the original filter that came with it..some will say discus cant go with mollies and are tricky and so on.but seeing how my neighbor had his for a year and the conditions he had his in.im surprised the fish is still alive..but now being in my tank ill see how he does


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