Livebearer community stocking.

[SeanMurphy]

I've got a 29 Gal tank set up with two Aquaclear 30 (new rating) filters hanging on it. I've got it suitably aquascaped with some pottery and plastic plants (not enough light for real plants). I've currently got a population of:

5 mollies (2m 3f)
2 platys (2f) (survivors from my father's fishkeeping experiment)
4 fancy guppies (3f 1m)
and
1 Common pleco (about 3" long, will be retired to the LFS when he hits 6).

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on what else is compatible with this community, perhaps a little different looking, as the current inhabitants look quit similar. I'll probably get a couple more sunset platys just to round out their population again, and then I think I'm getting close to stock saturation for the size of this tank, but something that was entertaining to watch and a little different looking would be a welcome addition.

Oh yeah, and I've also got a bunch of snails like the ones in the picture linked below. Also survivors from my father's tank. The population tends to grow and shrink as overfeeding trends rise and fall.

http://onefish.kicks-ass.org/~sean/gallery2/main.php/v/fish/Oct06/Picture+005.jpg.html

 

[hashbaz]

Livebearers are pretty easy to get along with. Most tetras and danios are good choices.

 

[coldmachineUK]

Glad you are enjoying keeping your fish (and that you rescued two as well!). People dismiss livebearers too often IMHO

Glad you are also planning on a new home for your common plec, because he will indeed get pretty big fairly soon!

I'm taking it from your avatar that the two platies you currently keep are red wagtails? Sunsets or red corals would go really nicely with them. Try to keep a ratio of 1m:2 or 3f with livebearers because it just saves the females from being harrassed all the time. It's not so vital as cichlid m:f ratios though so don't worry too much.

With 5 mollies, and say 5 platies, plus 4 fancy guppies and a temporary common plec, I would say you'd actually be fully stocked in a 29G. Once the plec goes, you might get yourself a trio of suitably sized loaches or cory catfish (e.g. kubotai(polkadot), or striata(zebra) loaches).

 

[kostasonia]

I have kept danios with livebearers for many years! They never had problems

 

[WaterPond]

i keep a male betta in my livebearer tank, good way to contoll the population. But if you want to breed, how about some kuhli loaches(three or more) or some cory cats?

 

[severum mama]

The betta would be a nice addition if there were no fancy guppies in the tank, but speaking from experience I would not trust a betta with guppies. I don't know if the females are equally aggressive toward long-finned fish though.

 

[SeanMurphy]

Incidentally, can anyone tell me definitively what kind of snails those are in the original linked picture?

 

[WaterPond]

MTS, they are great!

 

[flip_lx]

try some shrimp, i've got ghost shrimp a few fry may go missing but after a growth of 2 weeks no issues(i lost 3 out of 8 before i moved them to sit in my 29)

Tetras work well and if you want something else try a peacock eel. my guy lays away all day and swims around at night dosnt bother any of the fish or snails(eats shrimp and shrimp pellets though)