# Looking for opinions on stocking list



## LasColinasCichlids (Jan 4, 2011)

Okay...so I am clearing out my larger tank and will be starting the re-stocking process on it next week. I had had cichlids and such in the tank for the most part, and now I want a bit of less stress on me and am hoping to get a nice peaceful tropical thing going like my smaller tank has. Anyways...here is what I am thinking...

3 (1M:2F) Dwarf Gourami (not the sparking/pygmy...I mean the 2 inches that are blue with red zebra-like stripes you see around all the time)

1-3 Peppered cory cats to start with (later will get total to 6 like they like). (Might go with albinos since they are a bit smaller if I am going to have 6 eventually.)

1-2 Otocinclus

3 balloon mollies (1M, who I will transfer from my small tank, and will buy 2 F)

With that main group I was thinking about adding a school of 5 or more of either Cherry Barbs or Longfinned zebra danios. I wanted Celestial Pearl Danios, but they are way too pricey!

Also fish I was considering to add months down the road to this group was...

3 Long Fin Red Minor Tetras
1-3 Upside Down Catfish
1-3 Angelicus Botia (probably just one though since it would be the largest fish at full grown in the tank). 



Any thoughts on the compatablity of these fish?? I know I have the room, filtration, and decor needed for all these fish listed...just wanted to verify I have a good mix of fish that will get along well together. 
Also, on the cory cats...any advice on hardier ones? Like I heard Pandas were easily stressed, I heard albinos are okay being solo more so that the others, and I heard the Bronze are the hardiest of the group...so also looking on people's experiance with the different patterns of cory cats. 

Thanks everyone!!


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## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

First of all, what size is the tank? I might have missed it, but I don't believe I read the tank size.

Here are my observations;

1. Dwarf Gourami: If you want a completely peaceful tank, gourami might not be for you. They are a semi-aggressive fish that likes to live with slow moving fish. The 1m,2f is a good combination for them, though. It is possible that they will be peaceful with the setup. I know alot of people on this site who have Dwarfs in their community tanks.

2. Corydoras: They need at least 5 to be happy, so why not Q them and add them as a group? I have had experience with albino corydoras and 3 stripe (aka Julii) corydoras.

3. Otocinclus: These are frail fish that need a constant supply of algae. These fish must _always_ (!) be kept in a group of at least 3 if tank room is limited, but preferabely more to better their chance of survival.

4. Balloon Mollies: I don't know alot about these guys, so just to be safe, I wont comment on them.

5. Long fin Red Minor Tetra: All tetra need to be kept in groups of at least 6. Red Minors are relatively mean for tetra, so if you want a peaceful tank, these tetra may not belong. If you still want these guys, they are less (less not completely) aggressive in groups of 11 or more.

6. Upside down Catfish: I don't know anything about these guys, so again, I will not comment.

7. Angelicus Botia: This is a species of loach, right? Most loach (if not all) require a group. Do some research to find out the minimum number, and then don't go below that.

My last recommendation is a site called AqAdvisor. It isn't perfect, so once you figure out something on there, post the setup here. You don't have to, but it might save some time. The site is located here;
AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor

Hope this helps!


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## LasColinasCichlids (Jan 4, 2011)

small fry said:


> First of all, what size is the tank? I might have missed it, but I don't believe I read the tank size.
> 
> Here are my observations;
> 
> ...


It is a 29 gallon with a Marineland Penguin 150B BioWheel on it.

I went to AqAdvisor, helped me figure out exactly what I want...and have taken a few off the list.

I still want the Dwarf Gourami, but am hesitant due to that I know they can be aggressive...the dwarfs are less than the others, and if I get them it will either be 1m/1f or 1m/2f since the males get more territorial. 

I am going to go with probably 4 albino cory cats (aqadvisor says minimum of 4, others say minimum of 6...my bff has one all by himself in her tank and he has been perfect for like 3 years in there). 

Going to do just 2 otocinclus...I havent found any site recommending them needing to be in multiples, just that anything over a 10 gal needs 2-3 to clean the tank. So I figure 2 will do just fine. Again, my BFF has a solo oto in her 10 gal and he does his job, she too has had him for like 2-3 years.

Still going to do my balloon mollies...I have a male dalmation one already in my smaller tank that I have had for a little while...so I am going to transfer him to the bigger tank and get him 2-3 gal pals.

Not going to do the long fin red minor tetras...found out they will most likely nip at the mollies. 

For a school of fish, I am leaning towards the cherry barbs, but then again am thinking longfinned zebra danios because they are smaller, not to mention barbs tend to nip anyways. 

Yes, the angelicus botia is a loach. They are recommended to be housed in groups of 3 or more, but can do fine solo. However, I think I have decided against it due to it being so large full grown. Without it, I can get more small fishies. 

As far as the upside down cat is concerned, I am not sure yet if I want to add it...that will be up for debate further down the road.

So the fish that are a definate are...
cory cats
oto
balloon mollies
and a school of some kind

I wanted the Dwarf Gourami to be my centerpiece fish...so if I do go with them I could just do one...since most of their aggression is general with just other gourami. And with just a 2 inch fish in a 29 gal tank with the biggest fish being 3 inches (corys), I think it wont give me too many issues. Especially since I have 3 big caves and 5 big (artificial) plants in the tank for them to hide in and under.

Thanks a ton for your input...would love to know more about your experiance with the cory cats...it has been a while, and in the past I have only had personally the albinos...that is why I first wanted peppered corys, something new to me...but with my blue substrate the albinos will look better, and they are about an inch smaller. 

As far as feeding all the fish go...they will get flakes, freeze-dried bloodworms, freeze-dried shrimp, and algae discs...and my African Dwarf Frog also gets her Repto-Min, lol. 
And with the mollies, I figure the dwarf gourami would appreciate the live fry.


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## LasColinasCichlids (Jan 4, 2011)

Okay, so I have come up with a good idea of what I want the tank to consist of when completed...

6 cory (either albino, peppered, Sterba, or False Julii) OR 8 pygmy cory 

3 oto

5-6 Cherr Barb

And 6 each of two schooling fish out of these: harlequin rasbora, mosquito rasbora(8 if I do this one), Eyespot Rasbora.

IF I go with Dwarf Gourami as my centerpiece fish, then I will probably also do a few mollies for producing live fry (1m:2/3f). 

And would LOVE to find dwarf loaches and pygmy hatchetfish as well, but I think if I do find them, they will be too expensive.

Going to start with the cory, oto, and either a rasbora or cherry barb school. 

Also considering changing out my substrate from gravel to sand for the cory, and eventually planting the tank with live plants vs. artificial.

Opinions?


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## cmc29 (Jan 10, 2010)

I would avoid the upside down catfish....he'll get way to big for the tank, and as he ages he gets more aggressive, i've seen it happen. I had one in a 29 gallon and he always fought with my bristlenose plec(also too big for that tank). The ottos i kept 5 in my 29 gallon after i got rid of the pleco and catfish, it was heavilly planted. I think the gourami you are talking about is a powder blue dwarf gourami: if i wanted it peaceful i would keep only 1 of these in my tank. In my experience when i added multiples, it always ended up with only one surviving. As for cherry barbs; i have some in my 45 gallon right now and they good fish. Personally i've always had better luck with cardinal tetras and rasboras. Bright colors that pop next to my live plants. I've never kept mollies so i don't know their capatibility but the cherry barbs are peaceful enough i have 6 right now. I also have 13 rasbora espeis and 7 cardinal tetras in this setup. Good luck with your tank, can't wait to see pictures!!!!


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## cmc29 (Jan 10, 2010)

LasColinasCichlids said:


> Okay, so I have come up with a good idea of what I want the tank to consist of when completed...
> 
> 6 cory (either albino, peppered, Sterba, or False Julii) OR 8 pygmy cory
> 
> ...


kuhli loaches are great fish they don't get too big and they love a sand substrate. I've always had 3 the same 3 in my 29 gallon for 3 years now. Just a fish to check out.


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## fan4guppy (Feb 4, 2011)

cmc29 said:


> I would avoid the upside down catfish....he'll get way to big for the tank, and as he ages he gets more aggressive, i've seen it happen.


The problem with Upside Down Catfish is that there are many species that are sent out by Tropical Fish importers, wholesalers, to pet shops and the poor pet shop owner and aquarist may not know what species they are getting.

Some of the Upside down Catfish belong to the family Synodontis which features a rather large group of species that do have predatory ways about them however that would be a discussion all by itself

The reason why I am stating this is that Dwarf Upside Down Catfish may be an ok addition to the tank however they may be predatory on smaller fish like Tetras as like most Catfish (Not including Plecos and Corydorus species) tend to be nocturnal predators.

For more information on how many species are often confused with Upside Down Catfish see this link

Upside-down catfish - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## LasColinasCichlids (Jan 4, 2011)

The Upside Down Cat I was thinking about originally was the one that maxes out at 4 inches...but after thinking about it, I decided against getting one. Thanks for the detailed info, it helped confirm my suspition that it wouldnt work in my tank.

As for the dwarf gourami...I too was thinking that one only would make a better option for the tank. And if I do go with a gourami for the centerpiece, then I need slow swimming calm fish...which is why the other fish I picked are recommended for housing with a dwarf gourami. 

Thanks for all the useful info cmc29 & fan4guppy!!


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## LasColinasCichlids (Jan 4, 2011)

cmc29 said:


> kuhli loaches are great fish they don't get too big and they love a sand substrate. I've always had 3 the same 3 in my 29 gallon for 3 years now. Just a fish to check out.


 
Yeah, I am very familiar with the kuhli loaches...I use to always have at least one. It is a great loach to fall back on. 

For this tank I wanted fish I havent had before, or in a REALLY long time. The only fish in this tank (or that I want in this tank) that I have had recently and almost always is the mollies. I have had albino corys in the past, but it was a really long time ago.

I have always liked unique fish..and either really big fish, or really litte fish...and with my tank size I have fallen in love with a bunch of dwarf species, and sadly the dwarfs I would love to have (dwarf loaches, pygmy cory) are hard to come by and when you can find them they are out of my price range, especially since they need to be in groups. I found dwarf corys online for sale, and by time I pay shipping its over $100 for a group, and I just cant justify that, especially since in the past month I have spent over $500 on my tanks with set ups, bio-wheel filters, maintence tools, and more. For the next few fish, my budget is $2-3 per fish. lol


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## cmc29 (Jan 10, 2010)

it's worth mentioning that my cherry barbs school with my rasbora espei. The female barbs mostly because the oranges are sort of similar to the rasboras IMO. My cardinals remain an entirely seperate school from the others.


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## LasColinasCichlids (Jan 4, 2011)

cmc29 said:


> it's worth mentioning that my cherry barbs school with my rasbora espei. The female barbs mostly because the oranges are sort of similar to the rasboras IMO. My cardinals remain an entirely seperate school from the others.


 
I ended up getting serpae tetras (6) and habrosus cory (5)... But I still want rasbora for sure, and I am thinking they might school with the serpae? 

Going to add rasbora later this week, and maybe some more cory, maybe a group of a different type of cory, like Albinos. 

Any good options for a good centerpiece fish??? I am thinking calm, peaceful, 2 or 3 inches max, and very colorful.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

LasColinasCichlids said:


> I ended up getting serpae tetras (6) and habrosus cory (5)... But I still want rasbora for sure, and I am thinking they might school with the serpae?
> 
> Going to add rasbora later this week, and maybe some more cory, maybe a group of a different type of cory, like Albinos.
> 
> Any good options for a good centerpiece fish??? I am thinking calm, peaceful, 2 or 3 inches max, and very colorful.


I would not add Rasbora with Serpae Tetra, especially in a small tank (to them, a 29g is small). Serpae Tetra are notorious fin nippers, and do best in a large group of 8 or more, preferably 12+, and on their own. The catfish will probably be OK with them, but Corydoras habrosus is a somewhat delicate species, so be careful on your water parameters. The Rasbora are quiet, sedate shoaling fish, too easy a target for Serpae.

You can read more on these fish in our profiles, second tab from the left in the blue bar across the top, or click on the shaded name in posts.

Byron.


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## LasColinasCichlids (Jan 4, 2011)

Byron said:


> I would not add Rasbora with Serpae Tetra, especially in a small tank (to them, a 29g is small). Serpae Tetra are notorious fin nippers, and do best in a large group of 8 or more, preferably 12+, and on their own. The catfish will probably be OK with them, but Corydoras habrosus is a somewhat delicate species, so be careful on your water parameters. The Rasbora are quiet, sedate shoaling fish, too easy a target for Serpae.
> 
> You can read more on these fish in our profiles, second tab from the left in the blue bar across the top, or click on the shaded name in posts.
> 
> Byron.


As for the info on the rasbora with the serpae tetra...thank you.

On my habrosus cory...yeah, I have read all about them being delicate...and thankfully on my 29 gal all my water parameters are consistanly steady and in a desired range for them. 

Byron, any other recommended species of fish that can easily and safely get along with these guys? Also, any recommended fish to fit with the group to have as centerpiece fish (that I only need 1 to a max of 3 of in a group)???


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

LasColinasCichlids said:


> As for the info on the rasbora with the serpae tetra...thank you.
> 
> On my habrosus cory...yeah, I have read all about them being delicate...and thankfully on my 29 gal all my water parameters are consistanly steady and in a desired range for them.
> 
> Byron, any other recommended species of fish that can easily and safely get along with these guys? Also, any recommended fish to fit with the group to have as centerpiece fish (that I only need 1 to a max of 3 of in a group)???


Assuming you mean get along with the Serpae, and in your 29 gallon tank, my honest answer is no I know of nothing other than bottom fish. [Serpae are the same as the Red Minor Tetra you earlier mentioned, species is Hyphessobrycon eques, another case of a fish species having more than one "common" name.]

Before someone chimes in that they have Serpae with this or that and no problems, permit me to say that each fish can be somewhat individual, just like dogs or cats...or people. But, a species of fish is inherently programmed by nature and this we cannot change. The overwhelming experience of aquarists tells us that this fish will nip fins, and this gets worse if there are less than 8 at minimum, preferably more; and it gets worse the smaller the tank. Their aggressiveness can also be heightened if "target" fish are present, fish that are slow and sedate, or with long trailing fins--angelfish, discus, gourami, dwarf cichlids are all unsuitable for a tank with Serpae [Tiger Barb are exactly the same, btw].

So, if you really want Serpae, I would go with a display for them and increase their number to 12 and have some bottom fish. In a 20g, with some plants, bogwood, a sand or gravel substrate--quite a nice display.

Byron.


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## LasColinasCichlids (Jan 4, 2011)

Byron said:


> Assuming you mean get along with the Serpae, and in your 29 gallon tank, my honest answer is no I know of nothing other than bottom fish. [Serpae are the same as the Red Minor Tetra you earlier mentioned, species is Hyphessobrycon eques, another case of a fish species having more than one "common" name.]
> 
> Before someone chimes in that they have Serpae with this or that and no problems, permit me to say that each fish can be somewhat individual, just like dogs or cats...or people. But, a species of fish is inherently programmed by nature and this we cannot change. The overwhelming experience of aquarists tells us that this fish will nip fins, and this gets worse if there are less than 8 at minimum, preferably more; and it gets worse the smaller the tank. Their aggressiveness can also be heightened if "target" fish are present, fish that are slow and sedate, or with long trailing fins--angelfish, discus, gourami, dwarf cichlids are all unsuitable for a tank with Serpae [Tiger Barb are exactly the same, btw].
> 
> ...


Yeah, I know the serpae are the same as the Red Minor, but I just fell in love with the little guys at the store (such a difference when purchasing fish from a specialy aquarium store verses a chain pet store, the fish look so much healthier and colorful!).

Yeah, I have had tiger barb before, a group of 5 was my last school, they were pretty chill for what they are known for, however I was careful on what was housed with...they were used as dither fish for cichlids. 

I was thinking about Odessa Barbs, but 5 of them would be too much on my tank since they can reach 3+ inches.


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## fan4guppy (Feb 4, 2011)

LasColinasCichlids said:


> The Upside Down Cat I was thinking about originally was the one that maxes out at 4 inches...but after thinking about it, I decided against getting one. Thanks for the detailed info, it helped confirm my suspition that it wouldnt work in my tank.
> 
> As for the dwarf gourami...I too was thinking that one only would make a better option for the tank. And if I do go with a gourami for the centerpiece, then I need slow swimming calm fish...which is why the other fish I picked are recommended for housing with a dwarf gourami.
> 
> Thanks for all the useful info cmc29 & fan4guppy!!


You are very welcome about the information about the Upside Down Catfish.

As for the Dwarf Gourami. I kept these in a community tank years ago, with 1 male and 3 females. It may be something to think about in your tank. Females though from what I have seen in the local pet shops in the area are hard to come by.


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