35 gallon hexagonal stocking ideas

[Queen of Thorns]

My husband and I will be purchasing a 35 gallon hexagonal tank soon and we could really use some stocking suggestions. My husband would like an angelfish, but other than that, we haven't decided what we will be doing with this tank after it cycles. Any ideas would be quite welcome.

 

[Blucat]

If it is a tall tank try a pair of angelfish. Bolivian rams are bottom dwelllers and a pair will be suitable after the tank has been established for a while. Corydoras are characterisitic schooling catfish that are loads of fun. A trio of dwarf gourami (1 male 2 female) could also get along.

Dan't get small tetras as this is the natural prey of angelfish. You might be able to have a school of larger tetras howeer some larger tetras are nippy of angelfish fins.

 

[Queen of Thorns]

How many cories could I keep in the tank? Would that be with or without the bolivian rams?

 

[RoK]

You could go with 1-2 angels, 1-3 dwarf gouramis, 4-6 cories, and a BN pleco. Do you like these fish?

 

[Queen of Thorns]

Yes! I certainly like all of those fish. When stocking angelfish, do I just purchase two juveniles and hope that I choose the correct sexes? What is standard practice for obtaining a breeding pair? Thank you so very much for your suggestions. They are much appreciated.

 

[Blucat]

I agree with RoK. If your tank is going well for a couple of months, and it looks like you have a good amount of bottom space you could get the rams.

 

[Queen of Thorns]

After our fishless cycling is complete, should I stock the cories first? I have one emerald cory in my 29 gallon tank, so I would like to acquire some friends for him and move them all into the hex tank.

 

[krap101]

i think you get around like 6 juvies and let them pair off. then you return the rest..

 

[Queen of Thorns]

Current tank plan
2 angels
4 cories
1 bulldog or bristlenose pleco
perhaps a pair of Bolivian rams after the tank is established

 

[severum mama]

That sounds good to me, but I'd still add a small school of tetras for some more activity in your tank- 5 or 6 gold pristellas would be great. Mine are very peaceful and don't bother any of their tankmates, and they get big enough to not become an angel snack. The Bolivian rams would also be fine in your tank, and they are very interesting to watch. They will stay mostly around the bottom, with your cories and pleco, and won't really bother anyone but themselves (at least, mine don't). Your pleco will appreciate a piece of driftwood to rasp on, and have you thought about including plants? Angels and rams prefer a planted tank. Are you new to aquaria? If so, you may want to think about just using fake plants (the fish won't care), just speaking from experience there. I have a 27 gallon hex tank and when it was set up, it was so deep that using the stock lighting made it nearly impossible to grow any real plants. You could always upgrade your lighting later if you want.

Oh, and WELCOME to AA!

 

[RoK]

i think you get around like 6 juvies and let them pair off. then you return the rest..

You could go with that suggestion, if your LFS will allow you to.

 

[Queen of Thorns]

I'm worried. One of the forumers at Aquaria Central said that I shouldn't keep angels or a bristlenose pleco in a 35 hex tank. Is this true? I certainly want to have happy, healthy fish -- so if we can't keep angels, I understand. Please let me know what the best course of action would be...

 

[Queen of Thorns]

Would it be better to try the set-up listed below? I don't want to keep angels in a tank that is too small for them.

Tank Idea Redux
3 Endler's Livebearers
6 Emerald Cories
3 ottos
7 Amano shrimp
2 Bolivian Rams (eventually)

 

[RoK]

Well, I think they said that because hex tanks are usually tall and not that long in length. If that is the case, then it would be best to get small fish. Those fish you just posted would probably be fine but those types of cories can get larger than 3" and with 6 of them, the rams, and shrimp on the bottom of the tank, they won't have too much room to move. :?

 

[Queen of Thorns]

I believe the dimensions of the tank are listed as 23" X 20" X 24". Can you suggest other fish that would be happier in a tank of this size? My husband and I are really open to any suggestions. I can't think of a fish that we don't like.

 

[RoK]

Well, I'd say go with more mid and top dwellers but I don't see why you could not get a BN pleco or the angels. I think you could go with 1-2 angels, a BN pleco, 3 small cories (like peppered or pygmy cories), 1 amano shrimp (if you really like them), and 4-6 endlers and/or fancy guppies. If you don't get angelfish then you could probably go with a bunch of neon tetras which would look quite nice.

 

[Queen of Thorns]

I'm torn. Since this hex tank is going to be situated in a prominent area of the living room, I want to make sure that the tank is visually stunning. It was for this reason that I was originally leaning towards a selection of larger fish. Something along the lines of...

Tank Idea #1
2 angels
4 cories
2 rams
something to take care of algae

However, my husband and I consider it much more important to have fish that are healthy and in the proper environment for their individual needs. Would it be better to keep the following fish in the tank?

Tank Idea #2
6 Endlers
4 cories
3 ottos
some other type of fish suggested by much more advanced aquarists than myself

Please let me know which idea would be preferable. And thank you so much for the suggestions and tips that have already been posted.

 

[smallfry]

JMO,
You and your husband both seem to be drawn to angels, so I would go with what you REALLY like and then work around that. (i.e. plan on a pair of angels......and work any other additions around them). Research fish that are complimentary with angels and provide the "show case" appearance you are looking for. Just make sure to have a balance of bottom/mid/top dwellers. I do agree that your current cory would like some buddies. Hope this helps...keep us posted!

 

[Queen of Thorns]

Well, we've thought about it for a while and my husband and I have decided on the following stocking plan...

35 gallon hexagonal
2 angels
5 lemon tetras
4 bronze cories (I recently found out that my one-eyed cory is Corydoras aeneus, not Brochis splendens.)

We have not completely ruled out the possibility of adding a pair of Bolivian rams somewhere down the road.

Please let me know if there are any problems with this arrangement.

 

[Jchillin]

That looks very good. Have you decided on what type of angels? There are a lot of different variations (vieled, marble, koi, blush, etc.).