Stocking level - 40gal?

[jinmon]

Okay, time for a new thread with only one question in it.

I have a 40-gallon regular that's been fishless cycled and has had fish in it now for ... almost 3 weeks! Yay! Here's what I have:

6 gold barbs
6 peppered cories
2 golden wonder killifish
4 platies
random snails (mostly ramshorn, a few pond)

Husband wants more fish. I wouldn't say no to a few more, but I wanted to check with y'all about your thoughts. I'd like a pleco (the algae has just started to arrive, gr) and maybe a betta or gouramis or....

How's my stocking level?

[MyCatsDrool]

You have plenty of room for a few more small fish. if you go with a pleco, get a dwarf species like a bristlenose or a candy stripe.

[JustOneMore20]

I think adding a small pleco would work. I'd go with a Bristlenose (great for algae), Clown pleco (some are good, some are ok with algae), Rubberlip (not sure), or a school of Otocinclus algae eaters if you can find them (I'd get 6 or so). Instead of adding in more separate fish (like a betta), why not increase the schools you already have? The Barbs would enjoy having a larger group, as would the cories. Cories are so funny when you get 8-10+ of them together. After you increase the schools you have, I think you would still have room for another school of small tetras (maybe wait a couple months though).

[jinmon]

BWAHAHAHAHA MORE FISH!!!! I know the two main newbie problems are overstocking and overfeeding - I totally get why, buying fish and feeding fish are the best parts!

I will definitely think about increasing the schools I have - I like these fish! But I'm kind of hankering for a betta... I'm a sucker for a hard luck case, and those little cups get to me.

I'm seriously considering getting a bristlenose pleco - there are some breeders in my part of the world so they seem to show up at the fish club auctions. Tried to buy one this last auction but was outbid - it was the semiannual (big) auction so there were too many buyers there, I'll have to see if I get lucky at the mini-auctions they have at each meeting!

However, there are some interesting options at the LFS - they've had clown plecos in the past, very cute. They currently have a butterfly pleco and a flathead pleco(L17) - both stay small, but am I correct in thinking they're not the algae eaters the bristlenoses are? They look less active from the profiles I've read online - anyone have experience with these?