Stocking questions

[jenema]

I apologize for asking another stocking question, I swear I am the most indecisive person on the planet. Anyway, a little back story, a few weeks ago I bought what I thought was a 5 gallon tank at the thrift store for $5, I just measured it the other day and it turns out that it's a 10 gallon. This caused me to rethink that stocking (a betta and a few shrimp) and the stocking of the 29 gallon that I will be setting up in a few months. Suggestions are welcome (I'm not really in love with Harlequins so something in their place would be nice), but here are my plans thus far:
10 gallon:
6 Gold Neon Tetra
1 Guppy
1 Dwarf Gourami
1 Oto

29 gallon:
8 Harlequin Rasbora
6 Panda Cory
1 Angelfish
1 Bolivian Ram

Sent from my HTCONE using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[CCXGT]

The 29 is fine, the 10 might be pushing it a little..

Perhaps consider removing the DG or Guppy.

I suppose just upping the water changes on a tank as small as a 10 isn't a big deal.

If that's the stock you want, go for it.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[jenema]

Someone said that Oto's need to be in schools so I already crossed that off the 10 gallon. I can remove the guppy too

Sent from my HTCONE using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Brookster123]

For the 10.. gourami, 6 neons and 4 otos.. well cycled tank with 50% wc's every 5-6days..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Jun]

I apologize for asking another stocking question, I swear I am the most indecisive person on the planet. Anyway, a little back story, a few weeks ago I bought what I thought was a 5 gallon tank at the thrift store for $5, I just measured it the other day and it turns out that it's a 10 gallon. This caused me to rethink that stocking (a betta and a few shrimp) and the stocking of the 29 gallon that I will be setting up in a few months. Suggestions are welcome (I'm not really in love with Harlequins so something in their place would be nice), but here are my plans thus far:
10 gallon:
6 Gold Neon Tetra
1 Guppy
1 Dwarf Gourami
1 Oto

29 gallon:
8 Harlequin Rasbora
6 Panda Cory
1 Angelfish
1 Bolivian Ram

You've definitely got a good start going! I have a few suggestions on these plans though.

10 gallon:
I would consider choosing either be the dwarf gourami OR the guppy to be your centerpiece. A dwarf gourami would need to be by itself aside from the tetras, but I think you could easily keep a trio of male guppies with your gold tetras even in a 10.

Also, otocinclus really are a shoaling species, and should be in groups. For an algae eater in this size tank, I would recommend nerite snails.

6x gold tetras
1x dwarf gourami
3x nerite snails

OR

6x gold tetras
3x male guppies
3x nerite snails

29 Gallon:
I personally would not recommend an angelfish for this tank. Angels just simply get too big and are often too territorial, especially against another SA cichlid, I usually don't recommend them in anything less than a 55, though others may see differently.

As for the harlies, there are definitely a lot of small schooling cyprinids and characins to take their place. Do you prefer a lot of colour? Or movement/activity? I've plugged in rummynose tetras as an alternative, they are an active and interestingly coloured species that doesn't get too oversized.

Something like this:

1x Bolivian ram
9x rummynose tetras
8x panda cories
1x bristlenose or clown pleco OR 5x otocinclus

 

[jenema]

You've definitely got a good start going! I have a few suggestions on these plans though.

10 gallon:
I would consider choosing either be the dwarf gourami OR the guppy to be your centerpiece. A dwarf gourami would need to be by itself aside from the tetras, but I think you could easily keep a trio of male guppies with your gold tetras even in a 10.

Also, otocinclus really are a shoaling species, and should be in groups. For an algae eater in this size tank, I would recommend nerite snails.

6x gold tetras
1x dwarf gourami
3x nerite snails

OR

6x gold tetras
3x male guppies
3x nerite snails

29 Gallon:
I personally would not recommend an angelfish for this tank. Angels just simply get too big and are often too territorial, especially against another SA cichlid, I usually don't recommend them in anything less than a 55, though others may see differently.

As for the harlies, there are definitely a lot of small schooling cyprinids and characins to take their place. Do you prefer a lot of colour? Or movement/activity? I've plugged in rummynose tetras as an alternative, they are an active and interestingly coloured species that doesn't get too oversized.

Something like this:

1x Bolivian ram
9x rummynose tetras
8x panda cories
1x bristlenose or clown pleco OR 5x otocinclus

I really wanted a large centerpiece fish for the 29 that's why I was really hoping an angel would work. I can't find and good centerpiece fish that aren't gourami and that are larger than 3 inches.

Sent from my HTCONE using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Coursair]

3x Nerites Will quickly starve in a 10 gallon tank. I had to swap mine between four different tanks to help keep them fed. Mine would not ever accept processed food. They are algae eating machines. And I don't grow much algae in my tanks at all.

Consider Nano species. I have Celestial Pearl Danios.

My 10g http://youtu.be/aptmdICahvM


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Coursair]

I had 4x Otos in my heavily planted 10 gallon. They did fine between the biofilm , tiny bits of algae, plus they did learn to eat algae wafers and blanched veggies and greens.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Jun]

I really wanted a large centerpiece fish for the 29 that's why I was really hoping an angel would work. I can't find and good centerpiece fish that aren't gourami and that are larger than 3 inches.

Sent from my HTCONE using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Hmmm. That is a tough one. My personal experiences with angels definitely deter me from saying it could work, especially because the temperament of angelfish ranges so widely. Maybe someone else can pipe in with other experiences.

Have you looked at Keyhole cichlids? Very chill guys for cichlids, good sized (4-5 inches), and should be compatible with what else you were thinking for the tank.

Otherwise if you have an eye for it, you could try to get a pair of Bolivians versus just a single one, but they can be very difficult to sex.

3x Nerites Will quickly starve in a 10 gallon tank. I had to swap mine between four different tanks to help keep them fed. Mine would not ever accept processed food. They are algae eating machines. And I don't grow much algae in my tanks at all.

Consider Nano species. I have Celestial Pearl Danios.

My 10g Feeding time 10g Shrimp Jungle - YouTube

I had 4x Otos in my heavily planted 10 gallon. They did fine between the biofilm , tiny bits of algae, plus they did learn to eat algae wafers and blanched veggies and greens.

I agree otos can work in a 10 gallon, but in addition to the other species she is looking at? I know they are low bioload, but I still feel like the stocking level would be a little heavy.

As for the nerites, I may have just grown a lot of algae in my tanks when I finally discovered them way back when, but mine never starved. If you consider nerites, Jenema, I would start with one and if it's not keeping up with the algae, add another.

And nano species are a great suggestion as well.

 

[jenema]

I might see if I can find a keyhole cichlid and see if I like them, was hoping for something prettier but I definitely don't want to make anything unhappy.
And I think I'll just stick to the gold neons and dwarf gourami for now in the 10 gallon.

Sent from my HTCONE using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Jun]

Keyholes can look a little drab on first look, but they do have some pretty subtle blue or cyan colours in certain lights... and their fin shapes are broad and interesting... and they're cichlids, so they make up for a lot in personality. Go see if you can find some and see what you think.

Another suggestion might be rainbow cichlids, though I have not personally kept this species. More research is needed, haha.

 

[jenema]

Thank you for all the help and suggestions

Sent from my HTCONE using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Jun]

You are very welcome. Let us know what you end up deciding to do!

 

[Eggheadfish]

Hi Jenema,
I would also say an angel would probably not be a good choice for a 29. Jun recommends a 55g which is 21" tall versus your 18" which IMO makes a big difference (not to mention footprint for swimming space).
Although I will say, I have a single angel in my 35g hex (24" tall) and it moves all over the place, so for me a 55 min isn't a hard fast rule, you just have to make sure you have adequate room for a full size adult while considering your other stock. You can help with territorial concerns by adding an angel last.
Nevertheless, gouramis or a smaller cichlid would be a better choice for a centerpiece, and I've often looked for suggestions for centerpiece fish in smaller tanks, but to be honest, a couple of schools or shoals with good tank stratification is really just as awesome (ie: hatchets, tetras, cories). The way you set up your tank can make a difference visually too, maybe a really striking decoration or plants can help the fish pop without putting one bigger fish in there.
Keep us posted!

 

[jenema]

To anyone who is/was curious on how these turned out, I have a betta and a female guppy in my 10 gallon with soon to be some ghost shrimp.
I plan on stocking my 29 with:
1 Rainbow Cichlid
1 apisto OR krib
8-10 Harlequin Rasboras
6 Panda Cory

Sent from my HTCONE using Aquarium Advice mobile app