Just Another Stocking Thread!

[Antler]

I have a 20 gallon long well established, with 6 CPD's, 6 Black Neon Tetras, and a Blue Florida Crsyfish. This weekend I'll be adding another 6 CPD's, and Black Neon Tetra. I'm removing the crayfish and putting him in his own tank soon. I need two suggestions on more stock.

1. A single or pair of centerpiece fish

2. A clean up crew for this setup/stock

 

[NadiaG]

I'd go with a clean up crew!

 

[Rivercats]

For bottom feeders and your current stock I'd do 6 Pygmy or Dwarf Cory Cat's. Maybe Panda cory cats if you can't find the others.

I'm not so sure about a centerpiece fish with the CPD's.

 

[Antler]

I'd go with a clean up crew!

I was going to do both if possible lol

For bottom feeders and your current stock I'd do 6 Pygmy or Dwarf Cory Cat's. Maybe Panda cory cats if you can't find the others.

I'm not so sure about a centerpiece fish with the CPD's.

I looked at the corys, there not appealing to me. I'm thinkin some shrimp and snails. Not sure how many or what kind I should get though.

About the centerpiece. I was thinkin of goin with a betta. I read they'll usually do fine with CPD's. Thinking a male or two females.

 

[VioletFeathers]

Having just 2 female betta fish isn't a good idea, you need odd numbers otherwise there will be one dominant & the other will get picked on. I'd just go for a male.

 

[fissyfriend]

I would go with a female betta. They are more interactive and tend to be less aggressive with your other fish.

 

[Antler]

Ok thanks.

Anyone else want to give some input on shrimp and snails for a cleanup crew?

 

[H3F4D]

i got an algae eater & a cory cat!

Noticed you said the corys arent appealing to you... maybe look around i picked one up at my lfs and hes a happy fishy lol suprisingly he likes to move around alot ! actually quite funny to watch him ! i would recomend a cory myself but everybody has theyre own opinion

Anyways best of luck to you

 

[Rivercats]

You could do red cherry shrimp with the stock you have now but if you add a betta chances are they will get picked off as the betta can catch them. The stock you have now would eat any tiny babies they could catch but not adults. CPD's are often kept with small shrimp. Also I wouldn't put a betta in with CPD but if you do make sure you have a plan of what to do with the betta if it turns out to be aggressive.

 

[Antler]

You could do red cherry shrimp with the stock you have now but if you add a betta chances are they will get picked off as the betta can catch them. The stock you have now would eat any tiny babies they could catch but not adults. CPD's are often kept with small shrimp. Also I wouldn't put a betta in with CPD but if you do make sure you have a plan of what to do with the betta if it turns out to be aggressive.

Thanks Rivercats. I'm not set on the Betta, I just wanted a decent looking centerpiece fish. Clean up crew for me is more important. Also, I love crayfish and shrimp lol

 

[Antler]

Ok I think I've decided on my stock.

12 CPD's
12 Black Neon Tetras
12 Copper Harlequin
2 Blue Dwarf Gourami

I'm settled on a clean up crew of MTS and ghost/RCS, though I need opinions on how many of either.

 

[Rivercats]

I'd only do 1 DG but still am worried about any DG with CPD's. Also ghost shrimp will likely hunt and kill the smaller RCS so I'd only do one or the other. You don't need many MTS as they breed readily especially if a lot of food is available.

 

[Antler]

I'd only do 1 DG but still am worried about any DG with CPD's. Also ghost shrimp will likely hunt and kill the smaller RCS so I'd only do one or the other. You don't need many MTS as they breed readily especially if a lot of food is available.

I'll be sure to keep a close eye on the DG for the first while, if there's any trouble I'll isolate it until I can bring it back to the LFS. Any reason why you recommend only one? I though they were better in pairs.

With the shrimp I only plan to do one or the other, just not sure which. Would 10 be too many in my 20G Long tank?

 

[Rivercats]

Rarely can you get female dwarf gourami's at pet shops simply because they are drab in color (usually dull grey or tan) and they don't sell. Keeping 2 males may or may not work depending the each ones temperament. But the smaller the tank the more apt two males are to have aggression issues with each other.

As for shrimp I'd do RCS myself as they will likely breed in the tank. Just be sure to have a good wad of moss growing and other hiding places so some of the baby might live and not get eaten. Ghost shrimp rarely ever breed in tanks and it's not uncommon for other species of shrimp and even occasionally prawn to get mixed in with ghost shrimp since many juvenile shrimp look like ghost shrimp. Also ghost shrimp will often hunt small sleeping fish or small fish in general if they can catch them. They aren't my favorite shrimp as you can tell.

 

[Antler]

Rarely can you get female dwarf gourami's at pet shops simply because they are drab in color (usually dull grey or tan) and they don't sell. Keeping 2 males may or may not work depending the each ones temperament. But the smaller the tank the more apt two males are to have aggression issues with each other.

As for shrimp I'd do RCS myself as they will likely breed in the tank. Just be sure to have a good wad of moss growing and other hiding places so some of the baby might live and not get eaten. Ghost shrimp rarely ever breed in tanks and it's not uncommon for other species of shrimp and even occasionally prawn to get mixed in with ghost shrimp since many juvenile shrimp look like ghost shrimp. Also ghost shrimp will often hunt small sleeping fish or small fish in general if they can catch them. They aren't my favorite shrimp as you can tell.

Ok I get it. I'm not too particular with the species of shrimp, but there is zero live plants in this tank. I do hope to gradually remove some fakes and replace with live plants but it would have to be low-light plants. I have a Beamswork LED 400, identical to marinelands double bright, and don't plan to upgrade for this tank.

 

[Antler]

A little update. Since I added the 6 CPD's and 6 Black Neon Tetra's two weeks ago today. Since then I've lost 3 CPD's to the crayfish, and one jumped out and dried up on the floor. They were all healthy fish, and as much as I love the crayfish it's gonna have to go. When I go to my LFS again I'll be trading it for some shrimp/snails. That'll take care of the bottom until I can track down some marbled crayfish. There supposed to be very timid, not aggressive to fish at all.

 

[Antler]

Also I forgot to mention I changed my stocking a little. Here's the final stocking.

1 Honey Gourami
12 CPD's
12 Black Neon Tetra
12 Copper Harlequin/ Harlequin Rasbora

10 RCS
5 Nerite Snails

 

[Dallascowboys16]

For a twenty gallon long that stock plan is crazy over stocked. 37 fish in a twenty gallon long is far too many. Go with 6 of each small fish and a gourami and you can still have shrimp and snails. Your stock plan right now is far too many fish.

 

[Antler]

For a twenty gallon long that stock plan is crazy over stocked. 37 fish in a twenty gallon long is far too many. Go with 6 of each small fish and a gourami and you can still have shrimp and snails. Your stock plan right now is far too many fish.

Really? I punched all my setup and stock into squad visor and it says that would be 100% stocked. I had 12 fish in there before I lost a few of the danios and the tank looked empty other than at feeding time.

 

[Dallascowboys16]

Aqua advisor may say the stocking level will be okay but the tank will be pretty packed I think and may appear very frantic and chaotic. Just a recommendation. That is a lot of fish in a 20 gallon.