stocking suggestions for a 40gal.

[smidget]

hello everyone,

i just finished cycling my 40 [acronym:88fcda1491="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:88fcda1491]. and i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for stocking. i'm most interested in some more colourful, active fish.

i'd also like to try some live plants but as i've never had live plants before i was wondering which ones would be best for a beginner

[Menagerie]

First, think of what type of temperaments you want. Do you want peaceful, semi-aggressive, or aggressive? What size of fish do you want? 6-9" or a bunch of 4" or smaller? What is your pH and hardness?

[smidget]

i think probably peaceful to semi-agressive, smaller fish.

pH is around 7.4
[acronym:8e8ed676dc="General Hardness"]gh[/acronym:8e8ed676dc] is about 5

[Menagerie]

You want peaceful. Semi-agressives need to be with each other--minimizes problems and you want fish good for a beginner

Go to liveaquaria.com and under fish, look at freshwater. Not all the fish are good for beginners and not all are peaceful. However, this will give you an opportunity to do some of your own research (the more you know, they better off you are). Compile a list and we will help out afterwards. That site also gives ideas of size, temperament and ideal tank mates. Have fun!

[smidget]

thanks! looks like a very informative site, i'll let you know what i come up with

[Menagerie]

I look forward to it!

[Allivymar]

I also suggest checking out the krib faq site ( http://faq.thekrib.com/ ), especially the "first aquarium" "aquatic plants" and "good and bad fish" sections. Its a lot, but will give you all the important info you'll need for starting the tank and which fish would work well.

I assume you have a handle on the nitrogen cycle? Just to be sure, when you say you've cycled the tank, you've done a fishless cycle with an ammonia source and the nitrifying bacteria have colonised the tank? Or cycled the tank with some fish already?

[smidget]

thanks for the site

i did a fishless cycle- i'm not a complete beginner, i've done puffers for a while and now i'm switching back over to fw. i wish i had've found this site a long time ago everyone here is so helpful and there's tons of great info.

[smidget]

ok so here's what i'm thinking:

2 dwarf gourami
true rummynose tetra- how many?
1 redtail shark- i already have one that i want to transfer in
harlequin rasbora- do i really need 8-10?
maybe some rainbow fish

tiger barbs?
clown loaches?
can/should i add these?

what about any fw shrimp?

so any suggestions? especially about numbers and such

[Menagerie]

Clown loaches like to be in groups of three or more and will one day out grow your tank. There are smaller loaches--yo-yo, Khuli. Tiger barbs have a nippy rep and will munch on the gourami's feelers, they may also harass other fish. Personally, I don't keep Barbs because they just don't seem community oriented enough. Tetras are a schooling fish; I would get 3 or 5.
I have never kept rasboras, but they are probably happiest in groups. There is a ton of rainbow fish--some stay smallish (2 1/2") and they go up from there.

From what I have heard, [acronym:2192dc7bf6="Freshwater"]FW[/acronym:2192dc7bf6] shrimp are great.


Can someone answer why you need schooling fish in odd numbers??? I keep reading that.