Need Stocking Advice!

[ghostie]

O.k., I finally have Nitrates! Hurray!

I have an 18 gal. tank.

My water is fairly hard. I plan on using about 50% R/O water and 50% tap water.

I have a Rena XP1 cannister filter (it's awesome so far!).

In the tank currently, I cycled with 2 red belly platies and 2 mickey mouse platies. There were no ammonia or nitrite spikes (I know it was weird).

There are only plastic plants in there now. I'm a bit initimidated by the whole live plants, need new lights, might get snails, maybe need a CO2 injector thing, so I anticipate a fair amount of algae.

I think I am already seeing diatoms.

What do you all think?

I would like to add 2-3 fish now, and in a few weeks, add another 2-3 fish, etc.

I think I probably need a gravel cleaner fish or otos or something.

At the LFS today, they had panda cories, albino cories, various plecos, etc.

I'm not into big fish and would rather have a variety of smaller fish.

Thanks in advance!
Rich

 

[Zagz]

For bottom feeders cories and otos are great. Plecos will get too big for the tank. Are you looking for colorful fish, schooling fish?

 

[ghostie]

Yes and yes. Just kidding.

I like colorful fish, but I also enjoy schooling fish. I think my tank is a wee bit small to really get a good schooling effect. It's awesome to see 20 fish (like cardinal tetras) moving in one direction and then changing again.

does it matter which cories? do cories and ottos do different things?

 

[JustOneMore20]

Albino, bronze, sodalis, and paleatus cories all get too large for that size tank. I'd get a group of 4-5 panda cories for the bottom. Plecos get too large and make too much waste.

I'd get a small school of fish to go with what you have...maybe a group of 6-8 cardinals, neons, glowlights, flame tetras, lemon tetras, or harlequin rasboras. I wouldn't get anything bigger than those.

With the platies, cories, and tetras or rasboras, you'll be at your stocking max IMO.

 

[ghostie]

do I need to get 4-5 pandas? couldn't I get just 2? or do they prefer groups of 4-5.

also, I'm shooting to be under my stocking max, because I'd rather not be stressed out if I overfeed or miss a water change.

I was hoping to do like 10-12 small fish...

maybe 1 or 2 guppies?

here are some pics I took of my set up to give you a more visual idea of what would work and what wouldn't. Be kind, this is my first time posting/taking pics of my fish.

 

[joannde]

Neat tank, I like it !

Re the Panda Cories - get at least 3, but 5 is MUCH better - they're little characters, so you'll want more in the end anyway !

Personally I love guppies - the colors are just too amazing.

I also love harlequin rasboras - they make a really nice school.

How does this sound:
5 panda cories, 6 rasboras, and 2 male guppies ?

If I may suggest - you might want to get a couple of small plants also and place them in the center of the tank - it will create visual barriers on the bottom of the tank in case any of your fish feel the need to hide.

 

[hsherman1986]

i would agree with joannde's stocking suggestion. If you get any female guppies, you should be prepared for LOTS of babies. One of my friends accedentally bought two females and around six males for her 27 gal, and she now has over 40 babies, less than 2 mos later.

I have kepts all three of what she suggested. I love my guppies, they have a tank to their own, and I only have males. I did not buy any females because of the reproducing thing. I also have kept the harlequin rasboras, it was really nice to watch their color change from silver to red as they matured. Cories are just fun. I have three emerald and one peppered (did have three of each, but two of the peppereds did not make it) and when I had three of each, they all schooled together. They are really fun to watch.

Neons are nice, but it is a trick keeping them alive. If all of them stay alive, they are nice, but I am not sure they are worth the disappointment if over half of them die. My first school of ten lived for quite a few months till I had an ich battle, then I was left with only one. Bought nine more a few months later to get my old school back, and here I am, two weeks later with only five left. I am pretty disappointed, and don't think I will be buying any more.

Sorry so long, but I HTH

BTW: love your platies, i have a soft spot for livebearers.

 

[ghostie]

O.k., maybe today I'll get the panda cories (so they can help clean the tank - )

At one point last year, I thought I wanted guppy babies, but now I'm not so sure again (especially if the babies have babies and the babies from those babies (phew) are not very colorful).

So, today panda cories, in a week or two some guppies, and in a week or two after that the rasboras?

Are rasboras more aggressive than tetras? Tetras are so teeny that I can't imagine that they give anyone a hard time. (We may end up with tetras, because the 3 year old loves them in the store.)

Oh, joannede, what kind of plants do you suggest? I have very low lights and the tank is a bit tall. I like the idea of plants competing with Algae, but don't like the idea of snails.

 

[hsherman1986]

my rasboras left everyone alone. Very peaceful fish.

You will love the cories.

I have had really good success with amazon swords, anachris, anubias, mondo grass, dwarf hairgrass, red wendtii's, and moss balls. I have low lighted tanks as well.

 

[ghostie]

If I stick with the anubais and swords, do I have to upgrade my lighting as well? I literally have the hood and lights that came with the 10 gal. kit.

Also, what am I looking for to avoid snails?

 

[mom2reds]

Wash your plants well befor putting them into your tank, this will help you reduce the chance of snails.

Tess

 

[eah]

Wash your plants well befor putting them into your tank, this will help you reduce the chance of snails.

Tess

Another thing you can do is quarantine your plants for a week or so and watch for snails there. That will also protect you in case the water the plants were kept in at the store had any nasties like ick or other parasites floating around. I know sometimes when I go to buy plants at my LFS I'll see a feeder goldfish or two in the plant aquarium. Since they are so commonly carriers of disease I always quarantine new plants before putting them in my main tank.

Your tank looks great, by the way! It looks like you're doing a great job.

 

[ghostie]

O.k., I just got back from the LFS with 4 panda cories. They are pretty cute I will admit.

I didn't buy the plants. They had some anubais but as I looked at the plants, I saw at least 3 snails on the one I was thinking of getting.

I hadn't thought about the quarantine idea.

Plants can just live in regular water for a week, right? I can just stick treated tap water or R/O water in a bucket and let it sit for a week, no?

Can't wait to introduce the panda cories. I may go back and pick up one more depending on how 4 do. They are teeny compared to the platies

 

[joannde]

I love panda cories - nothing cuter I'm glad you got them - I guarantee they will make you laugh !
Yes, the plants can live in a bucket for a week, no issues there.

 

[hsherman1986]

i have anubias in both of my 10g and one of my 20g with stock ligting, and they are doing fine. granted they would probably do better under more lighting, but imo, they are doing just fine with that I am giving them.