Help with boyfriend's tank

[NigelK8485]

My boyfriend just told me he got a 30 gallon tank and wants me to help him figure out stocking. He said he wants small colorful fish....but I don't do small colorful fish. So I'm asking for any of your all's help in giving some stocking ideas I could forward to him. I was thinking swordtails or killifish could be kind of cool but I don't know enough about them and what else could go with them and really just don't have the time to do a whole bunch of research on possible stocking options.

Any possibilities are appreciated.


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[Diamonte]

How bout these.....

2-German Blue Rams
6-Tetras(lemon, red eye, rummy noise, serpae)
5- Cory catfish

My fish is really typing......

 

[ImACoolguy]

GloFish are about the most colorful you can get ?. Personally love the look of Celestial Pearl Danios.


Caleb

~10g tiger barbs
~45g tetras/dojo loach/clown pleco
~75g going to be African cichlids

 

[ImACoolguy]

How bout these.....

2-German Blue Rams
6-Tetras(lemon, red eye, rummy noise, serpae)
5- Cory catfish

My fish is really typing......

+1 to GBR as well. Very pretty.


Caleb

~10g tiger barbs
~45g tetras/dojo loach/clown pleco
~75g going to be African cichlids

 

[FishayFishay]

Maybe he can even get a rainbow fish or a nice school of cardinal tetras that kind of pop out with color. I'm thinking maybe 6-8. They don't grow very big either so it'll be good for extra room to stock.

 

[ImACoolguy]

Maybe he can even get a rainbow fish or a nice school of cardinal tetras that kind of pop out with color. I'm thinking maybe 6-8. They don't grow very big either so it'll be good for extra room to stock.

Rainbowfish like schools too, 5+ to make them comfortable.


Caleb

~10g tiger barbs
~45g tetras/dojo loach/clown pleco
~75g going to be African cichlids

 

[Rivers2k]

GBR will die in a tank less than 6 months old. They need to be in established tanks. YOu could do.

2x Bolivian rams,
8x Cherry barbs
3x Sword tails 2f/1m

 

[TheresaM]

GBR have great colors but really do need an established tank.

Cherry barbs aren't nippy, the males are a gorgeous red.

Male Endlers have great color

Male guppies maybe

Sparkling gouramis have very pretty, subtle color

A big school of one of the red micro rasboras

 

[addisonnolann]

+1 to the celestial pearl danios. They are so gorgeous. I would do a large group of them, some corydoras, maybe a few shrimp (love their little personalities!), and one centerpiece fish, maybe a sparkling gourami.


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[TheresaM]

I love my CPDs but to me they're an up close to appreciate fish, not notice from across the room, if that makes sense.

I have CPDs with a trio of cherry barbs, 2 sparkling gourami, a combination of pygmaeus & habrosus cories, and some ottos. Love that tank

 

[addisonnolann]

That's true. But for me, a large enough school of any fish would draw attention to the tank. You could easily do 15 CPD, 10 corydoras (give or take depending on the species), and 2 sparkling gouramis. Throw in some shrimp as well, and you still wouldn't be at full stocking level.


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[FishayFishay]

That's true. But for me, a large enough school of any fish would draw attention to the tank. You could easily do 15 CPD, 10 corydoras (give or take depending on the species), and 2 sparkling gouramis. Throw in some shrimp as well, and you still wouldn't be at full stocking level.


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Are you sure about the 2 sparkling Gouramis? They can get a bit territorial

 

[addisonnolann]

I've seen many people keep two opposite sex pairs with success, but of course each fish is different and a back up plan is always necessary. If OP wants, one would be fine and just bump up the numbers for the other fish.


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[addisonnolann]

Although, if you do go with the gouramis know that they like to hunt shrimp, so have a lot of hiding places. Some people say the gouramis leave the shrimp alone, other say they preform a mass genocide on them. So be wary, but you can give it a go.


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[NigelK8485]

Well it turns out he's an idiot and it's a 20 gallon tank. But thanks for all the suggestions, I'll be looking more into them and giving him the list to figure out what he wants.

I'm trying to push for a male betta and stocking around it. Or convincing him to get a bigger tank. I have a 45 gallon that's just empty and sitting in my room that I'm debating offering him. It sounds like the nice thing to do but then my greed sets in and I start thinking "well what if we break up and I want the tank"
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[TheresaM]

20g is still a good size and works will almost everyone's suggestions. Good luck!

 

[NigelK8485]

20g is still a good size and works will almost everyone's suggestions. Good luck!

Thank you thank you thank you


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[Pseudomugil]

You could do:

-5 dwarf neon/praecox rainbowfish (3 males, 2 females. Males have red fins, females yellow fins)
-2 sparkling gouramis
-6 peppered corydoras
-10 amano shrimp

Hope I helped

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

+1 for Celestial Pearl Danios.

I would do CPD's and some corys or rasporas

 

[addisonnolann]

Not sure if CPD and a betta would mix, but that would be a nice looking tank. Has anyone ever done that? If not, I might try it out myself. In a 20 gallon you could possibly do a male betta, some CPD if they are compatible, I'm not sure, but you could absolutely add some cories. In my 10 gallon betta tank I have Julii cories and golden White Cloud Mountain minnows.


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