my 20gal and 30gal tanks take2

[agwats]

Ok so I have an established 20 gal tank and a new cycled 30. I started the build for the 30 months ago but after moving and such it was delayed but now it is up and running so its time to figure out what im doing with them.

The 20 have 2 schools of tetras and a few plants. I would like to make it a small south american community and get some more plants. The lighting is basic, just what came with the hood, and the substrate is small gravel and laterite (not sure if that's spelled correctly). Right now it has a java fern on the drift wood and an anubias nana. I wanted a taller plant like watersprite or something but not sure what to get. As far as fish goes the final stock I want to look like this;
6 serpae tetras
6 pristella tetras
6 panda cories
1 pitbull pleco
Any thoughts or suggestions?

As for my 30 it is cycled with a large piece of drift wood an a neat looking rock but no plants yet. Substrate is PFS. This one I wanted to do as an asian themed planted tank. The stock list im thinking is either;
3 gourami (1 male 2 female) probably pearls
8 tiger barbs (regular and green as I've heard they will school together)
4 yoyo loaches

Or
1 blue gourami
8 tiger barbs
6-8 of another schooling fish
4 yoyo loaches

Any feedback on either tank would be greatly appreciated!

 

[fishy-gal]

if you want water sprite, get water sprite, you can get them on the internet andd they grow really fast. my friend gave me two and one has grown very very much. the other isn't, but i think it is dieing. water sprite also help keep your tank very clear.

 

[bruinsbro1997]

IMO just one school of tetra in the 20.

I think the thirty gallon stocking sounds good, except the tiger barb and gourami combo. Sounds like a super risky thing to do IMO. Have you tried some tetras like bloodfins or red phantoms. They are brightly colored like the tetras and are triangularly shaped. JMO.

 

[agwats]

IMO just one school of tetra in the 20.

I think the thirty gallon stocking sounds good, except the tiger barb and gourami combo. Sounds like a super risky thing to do IMO. Have you tried some tetras like bloodfins or red phantoms. They are brightly colored like the tetras and are triangularly shaped. JMO.

The 20 already has the serpae and pristella schools in it has foe about a year. They both stay pretty small so I thought they would be fine with some small cories and a pitbull as they stay around 2.5 to 3 inches... would that bee too much?

Tiger barbs were the first companion fish recommended from this site and my LFS when I originally decided to get a gourami been told that in schools of 6 or more they aren't nearly as aggressive and are less likely to nip. Is that not true? As far as the tetras for the 30 I wanted to keep is as an asian themed tank so they wouldn't fit. Any ideas for other schoolers that are asian that the gourami wont pick on?

 

[agwats]

if you want water sprite, get water sprite, you can get them on the internet andd they grow really fast. my friend gave me two and one has grown very very much. the other isn't, but i think it is dieing. water sprite also help keep your tank very clear.

Its my first planted tank and I wasn't sure if the lighting would be ok for water sprite but I do want to get it I think they look awesome! Thanks for the advise

 

[bruinsbro1997]

The 20 already has the serpae and pristella schools in it has foe about a year

Tiger barbs were the first companion fish recommended from this site and my LFS when I originally decided to get a gourami been told that in schools of 6 or more they aren't nearly as aggressive and are less likely to nip. Is that not true? As far as the tetras for the 30 I wanted to keep is as an asian themed tank so they wouldn't fit. Any ideas for other schoolers that are asian that the gourami wont pick on?

Yes, but that doesn't mean they won't. It depends on the tiger barb. I kinda still wouldn't risk it because those feelers the gourami has are just too much of a temptation to barbs.

I think rosy barbs looks similar and don't nip. Don't know their requirements though.

 

[Gboy66]

Its my first planted tank and I wasn't sure if the lighting would be ok for water sprite but I do want to get it I think they look awesome! Thanks for the advise

Ya wont you need a better light then the one that comes with the hood? Or will it be good enough for most plants?

 

[agwats]

That lights fine for the java fern and anubias nana. I wasn't sure about the water sprite but it seems it will be okay.

 

[Gboy66]

But most require a better light?

 

[agwats]

Some do some don't it just depends on the plants

 

[agwats]

So if instead of the tiger barbs could I go with cherry barbs or would the gourami bully them? I was thinking maybe a stock like this for the 30
1 blue gourami
8 cherry barbs
6-8 of another schooler (maybe a type of danio?)
4 yoyo loaches
Would this work? Any suggestions on another school of barbs or danios? The only things im set on is I want an asian themed tank with a gourami and I like the yoyo loaches as bottom dwellers. Trying to figure out some other mid-top dwellers to round out the community.

 

[Gboy66]

Could do a school of leopard danios and maybe rummys instead of the barbs. I never put in fish that i know could nip others. Gourami would be fine i think

 

[agwats]

So how bout;
1 blue gourami
8 leopard danios
6 cherry barbs
4 yoyo loaches

 

[Gboy66]

Looks good, but iv never had bards and dont know if they will stress your fish out. Id increase the barbs to make less nipping

 

[agwats]

Cherry barbs are small and peaceful im not worried about them nipping. Just wanted to make sure the gourami would get along with everything

 

[agwats]

6 serpae tetras
6 pristella tetras
6 panda cories
1 pitbull pleco

What are your thought on this stock for a 20gal south american community. The tetras are already in and have been for a while and I wanted to add some bottom dwellers. You think this would work?

 

[Gboy66]

Thats good. Seems like ur 20 g is stocked more than your 30

 

[agwats]

Thats good. Seems like ur 20 g is stocked more than your 30

They would have the same # of fish but the blue gourami gets around 5 inches and the yoyo loaches get 3-4 inches each while the largest fish in th 20 would be the pitbull pleco at 2-3 inches. The tetras and panda cories all stay under 2 inches

 

[Gboy66]

True but i havent seen a 5" gourami. Maybe thats just the blues

 

[agwats]

The blue or "three spot" gourami ranges from 4-6 inches. Generally they tend to stay from the 4.5 to 5 inch range from what I've researched and heard. As apposed to the powder blue or neon blue which are dwarf varieties and stay from 2-3 inches. I was thinking about upping the cherry barbs to 8 since they are smaller.