New Tanks, New Opportunities

[bruinsbro1997]

So I went to Petco and got a twenty gallon high, with a heater and a cover that included a light, for ninety dollars! It was a steal! I'm thinking of stocking options, but first:
If I add in some gravel from my tank to this tank and some filter media to the filter, then add some raw shrimp, will it cycle instantly? If so, how long would it take?
As for stocking options, I had three ideas:
1-A School Tank, as in six neon tetras, four glowlight tetras, three black neon tetras, six rummynose tetras, possibly five bloodfin tetras???
2-An Asian Biotope, as in one dwarf gourami or betta, six cherry barbs, eight harlequin rasboras, and a loach of some sort that could possibly fit in there???
3-A Community, as in three female guppies, four cory cats, one ram, and possibly a bristlenose?

The cories, gourami, and ram are all coming from my main tank.

Now for my thirty...I'm stocking in some new fish, if you want to know, here's why...
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f17/it-was-bad-158227-2.html#post1422354
Anyways...either way in one option I'm putting some cories, a ram, or a dwarf gourami in that bottom tank. Right now my thirty gallon has:
-three rams
-four cories
-one female dwarf gourami

What could I possibly add in here? I am open to any ideas you guys give me! Thanks!

 

[allaboutfish]

lots of different schools would looks awesome but i like the asian biotype and kuhlis might work.
id add a middle schooling species to the 30 and some more corys and then a top schooling species

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Okay so Asian biotope with:
-one dwarf gourami
-six cherry barbs
-eight harlequin rasboras
-three khuli loaches
That good? BTW, do khulis need sand???
Should I do tetras again in my thirty gallon?????

 

[allaboutfish]

khulis do need sand bc they love to borrow id do harlequins in your 30 bc they'll stay near the top then id do like glowlight tetras in your 20

 

[bruinsbro1997]

I know, but then the glowlights throw off the whole asian biotope theme i had going on...

 

[allaboutfish]

oh........hm.... you need something in the middle

 

[bruinsbro1997]

I know and I was thinking the cherry barbs would do the trick...

 

[allaboutfish]

cherry barbs are more top and middle. how about danios?

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Nah, danios the last time I had them were always at the top of the tank...besides I think twenty is too small for danios, what about a siamese algae eater?

 

[allaboutfish]

you could

 

[bruinsbro1997]

So this is what's going on in the twenty high:
Six cherry barbs
Eight harlequin rasboras
One Siamese algae eater
One dwarf gourami

Sound good???

 

[allaboutfish]

loooks ok to me

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Will start cycling the week after this one!

 

[bruinsbro1997]

In my main tank, could I do this:
-two rams
-four cories
-one angelfish
-five cardinal tetras
-six neon tetras
-five hatchetfish

Is that okay? Or will the angel get too large and eat the tetras???

In the twenty, I'm putting in:
-one honey dwarf gourami
-six cherry barbs
-eight harlequin rasboras
-five zebra danios
-one siamese algae eater or flying fox

Is this setup okay? Also, is there any possible room for khuli loaches in this tank? And are any of these possible tanks overstocked? Please reply! Thanks

 

[allaboutfish]

the first one will not work bc neon tetras are a delicasy for angels in the second one if you removed a school i think you could do three khuli loaches but i wouldnt add them to all of that

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Would the SAE and the khuli loaches be agressive to each other because they're both bottom-dwelling species? Is there any other tetra the angel won't eat?

 

[somethingsfishy]

Depending on the size I don't think the angels would eat the tetras. Pair it off and it will be far less aggressive. I don't have tetras but I do have four paired angels and 9 glofish and a pink gourami and all is perfect. No nippage or chasing. May just be me though.

 

[allaboutfish]

Would the SAE and the khuli loaches be agressive to each other because they're both bottom-dwelling species? Is there any other tetra the angel won't eat?

neons are the only ones they eat and there shouldnt be a problem with the kuhlis and SAE but i think SAE'S like company

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Okay, so here's the revised tank lists.
Thirty Gallon Planted Amazonian Biotope:
-two ram cichlids
-a pair of angels???
-five hatchetfish
-four emerald cories
-six cardinal tetras
-five rummynose tetras
Overstocked or just right??? Any fish to get rid of???

Twenty Gallon Asian Biotope:
-one female honey DG
-six cherry barbs
-eight harlequin rasboras
-five zebra danios
-three SAE
Overstocked or just right??? Any room for the khulis? What kind of plants should I get that are native to Asia???

Please reply, and thanks for all your help guys!

 

[allaboutfish]

i wouldnt do a pair of angels IMO theyre very protective with their fry.