Stocking List - My General Thoughts.

[Satsumas]

I already feel like i have started too many threads on this 20gal long of mine but here it goes!

The tank is a 20 gal long.
96W Lighting (when it arrives)
Fluval 205 Filter

One thing that need's some attention is the fish that this tank will house, I still haven't decided on what to get! I will list below all the fish that i am considering, have considered or have some interest in, please add your comments and suggestions.

Corydoras - Considering 4-5 of any 2 incher's of the same species.

Rummy Nose Tetra - I'm after a shoal of small fish and i like the rummy nose. Maybe 6 of these.

Keyhole Cichlids - I would also like a pair of fish that would be the biggest in the tank, also to keep the shoal in check. I have taken to Keyhole's and like the idea that they can form a strong relationship as a pair.

Bolivian Rams - I have always liked rams, my brother has 3 GBR's and i would like something different, it's one or the other with regards to the Keyhole's.

Paradise Fish - Just considered these really, they look nice and again they would be the larger fish that i would keep.

Bamboo Shrimp - I have read about these quite a bit and also started and read other posts on here about them. I think i will get a pair of these but how will they do in a 20gal long? Also wil the fish leave them alone?

Rainbow Fish - These were an early consideration of mine as i have always found their colour quite striking and it seem's to almost change when it glisten's in the light. Again these would be the 'larger' fish in the tank. I like the look and sound of the threadfin's and neon's.

Please feel free to suggest some fish and perhaps warn me off certain ones, I also would like to keep different fish to the ones in my sig and the fish that my brother keeps which are: GBR's Rainbow Shark, Cherry Barbs, Zebra Loach.

TIA.

 

[gheitman]

I have a 20 gallon long planted tank that is currently populated by six rummynose tetras, six bandit corys and three otos. I would suggest going with the Bolivian rams instead of the keyhole cichlids because the rams will stay smaller.

 

[Satsumas]

Yes, i think i prefer the colour of the Bolivian's but i am interested in the Keyhole's behaviour. Keyhole's are just too big to be considered as Dwarf Cichlids i hear so yeah maybe i am better off with the Bolivians.

Do you find 6 a good number of Rummy nose tetra Gheitman? Or could i go with 8? That would be pushing it though i guess!
I think a nice stocking list would be 6 Rummy's (or 8 ) 6 two inch Cories, 2 Bolivians and 2 Bamboo shrimp, maybe a couple of oto's aswell.

 

[joannde]

Dwarf Neon Rainbows are very nice. Most other species of commonly available rainbows get too large I think - they are strong swimmers and need a longer tank. I have a pair in my 3 Ft tank and they're doing well but I'd bet they'd do even better in longer tank.

I've been struggling with the stocking list for the 2 20G longs and had considered (along with apistos and GBRs already on your list):
African Shell Dweller cichlids; lots of interesting behavior there. Downside is that you need to ensure you can sell the fry.
2 Fancy goldfish
5 or 6 female bettas in a heavily planted tank
A larger DP tank - these guys are just too irresitable ! Downside - since they are quite small they will be difficult to see unless the tank is eye level and you have a place to sit close by. You could do 6 DPs and a few ottos and (possibly) ghost shrimp
A total invert tank - snails and shrimp

So many choices !!! LOL

 

[Satsumas]

I must admit I do want to get some DP's but i think i would buy a 10 or 15 gal tank for them because they are a species only fish so it seem's a bit of a waste if they are in a 20gal+. I could have a variety of fish in this tank and i want to try out different fish to what i have in my other tank and also to what my brother has in his 30gal.

The definate's at the moment are only the cories but i still don't know what type and how many.
I would put Bamboo shrimp and rummy nose tetra's on the 90% definate list, with Bolivian's following closely behind. If that makes my situation any clearer!
I have noticed that Cories, Rummy nose tetra and Bolivian Rams are all native to South America so i am also thinking about a South American Biotope. Then again the Bamboo shrimp kind of ruin that idea! Also oto's are from SA as are most pleco's so it's only the shrimp that spoil it!

 

[fish 'n' fries]

I've always liked rummy noses myself, and in a long tank they school great! My understanding of rainbow fish is that they also school...so I'd think it would be either or.

I can't comment on the cichlids.

For the corys, 4 or 5 would work fine. I'm not sure where you are...but of the ones I can get easily...I like the C. schwartzi and the skunk corys although they get closer to 3'' each. C. trilineatus (usually sold as julii) is perfect IME...hardy, about 2'' and very cute. Pandas are also adorable, and smaller, but some say they are more fragile.

planetcatfish is a great resource to look and drool over different cory species...finding them is then the trouble!

 

[gheitman]

...Do you find 6 a good number of Rummy nose tetra Gheitman? Or could i go with 8? That would be pushing it though i guess!
I think a nice stocking list would be 6 Rummy's (or 8 ) 6 two inch Cories, 2 Bolivians and 2 Bamboo shrimp, maybe a couple of oto's aswell.

That sounds like a good stocking list to me. I think that 8 rummynose tetras would do fine. You could even go with some of the smaller corys like the bandits or pandas.

 

[Satsumas]

@ fish 'n' fries - To be honest the Rainbow's are second in line to a pair of Dwarf Cichlids and they would act as the fish to keep the tetra as a shoal.
Every webpage that has info on corys say's that they should be in a group of at least 6. I'm questioning that both to save some money and also to ease my bioload but i think i will probably go for 6 of the 2" variety which will most likely be Panda's.

@ gheitman - I'm after an eye catching shoal, they always look good in heavily planted tanks and I want to go for something different than the cardinal's or neons. There is the question of wether they will actually shoal though :? My Black Neon's do but only when i do a water change and they become slightly scared besides that they feed off the bottom and swim all over the tank as a very loose shoal Hopefully with 2 larger fish that will be close by then this will keep the rummy nose on their toes! Would it be better to put the rummy nose in after the Bolivian's to keep them as a shoal?

Also... I'm thinking that i should add the cory's towards the end of the list because i am planning on planting some Glossostigma and surely they will uproot the lot if it doesn't have enough time to root in?
What would be the best order of putting fish in the tank?
At the moment my stocking looks like this:
6-8 Rummy Nose Tetra
6 Panda Corys
2 Bolivian Rams (m/f)
2 Bamboo Shrimp

TIA

 

[gheitman]

My rummynose tetras school together almost all the time when I am near the tank except when the lights are out. I don't know if it will make a difference in what order you put the fish in as to how well they school together.

 

[Satsumas]

In all the pictures of people's tank's ive seen which had a group of RMT they have all been close together. For that reason and because i like the look of them i do intend on getting some. I would've thought that when the lights go out they would become really tight as a shoal as most predators are active at night, my danios and black neons seem to want to be eaten though!

I'm not so sure that the stocking order will have an effect on the shoal, but fish are nervous when they go into a new tank and if they see that there are larger fish about it may keep a shoal tight. If the RMT were the first fish in there they would have time and freedom to explore the tank making them feel more secure, which is what i don't want!
I mean i want them to be healthy and happy but as a shoal! This seem's a bit hard to achieve though :?

 

[fish 'n' fries]

My rummys always schooled without any big fish to scare them. They were in a tank with corys! The more corys you have the more relaxed they do seem. That said, I've never seen much difference in behavior once there are 4. My corys aren't bad with uprooting things...but I don't have anything as small as glosso right now, so it certainly wouldn't hurt to put them in later to give it a chance.

Most cichlids are territorial, so adding them last is generally best--otherwise they claim the whole tank as theirs. Aren't rams lower level... same as the corys???

I'd do the rummys, then the corys, then the rams if it were me.

 

[Satsumas]

I was going to add the corys first but now with the glosso issue i may not. Also they would act as the bigger fish already in the tank and maybe keep the rmt on their toes.

When i look at my brother's GBR's they seem really quite tame and as if they wouldn't hurt a fly. I'm not sure about Bolivian's but they are one of the more peaceful cichlids being from South America and seem very similair to GBR's so i assume that they will be fine. My brother's GBR's stay mostly at the lower-middle area but will sometimes venture upwards from time to time. There is a Rainbow Shark in there with his though and they do get chased away from the bottom sometimes. If there are 6 corys in the tank then surely it may be too much work to keep shoo-ing them away? Also i plan on creating as many nooks and crevices for fish to hide in and have as their territory if needed. I do think i will add the Bolivian's last though as they are the fish i am most concerned about.

I did read that someone who kept cories with apisto's had to seperate them as the apisto's were bullying the cories quite badly. That was a territory thing but i'm 90% certain that Bolivian's will be tolerant of corys.

I think i'll add the Rummy's, then Bamboo's, then Corys then Bolivians.