Stocking

[BlazedSaint]

Hiya

so i have a 29 gallon biocube, currently with 6 platys, 1 swordtail, and 1 flaming dwarf gourami, i had 3 swords however, 2 days home from the petshop and 1 died and the other is going back today because he has fin rot, so as i see it, i have 17 inches of fish, can anyone suggest a school of fish i can add that will go nicely with my current stock?

 

[Fishlover3578]

Maybe guppies but only males otherwise u get lots of babies

 

[BlazedSaint]

Maybe guppies but only males otherwise u get lots of babies

10-4 ya i have platys, im already on baby watch, i dont need anymore baby makers, lol lol lol lol lol, what about like hatchet fish? something that swims on top. i was thinking hatchets or maybe zebra danios, but danios need a school of 6 and i only have 12 inches of fish available and they are "2" in fish so it would put me right on the edge, but do u know much about hatchet fish?

 

[Fishlover3578]

My dad has neons their good schooling fish do well in large groups of 7 I think and r preety

 

[Fishlover3578]

Neons are small I think 1 inch at most depending on kind

 

[BlazedSaint]

Neons are small I think 1 inch at most depending on kind

10-4 my info says 2 inches for neons or zebras but everyone ive spoken to about them says to consider them to be a 1 inch fish

 

[Fishperson]

Yeah, hatchetfish have a much larger bioload than zebra danios do I think. A school of 6 or 7 of them would be nice.

 

[meese-a-mew]

Cardinal Tetras

 

[BlazedSaint]

Cardinal Tetras

hrm ill look into cardinal tetras

 

[BlazedSaint]

Yeah, hatchetfish have a much larger bioload than zebra danios do I think. A school of 6 or 7 of them would be nice.

you mean school of hatchets or zebras? i wont lie the zebras drive me nuts sometimes watching them go nuts, but with a tank full of live bearers and a gourami, they are almost boring, so perhaps a live bearer/zebra tank might be a nice balance, would u consider the zebra danio to be a 1 inch fish or 2 inch fish?

cause now im starting to think zebra danios, cherry barbs, or cardinal tetra, but like i had i have 6 platys(12 inches), 1 flaming dwarf gourami (2 inches) and 2 swords( 6 inches) so im at like 20 inches of fish so im looking for about 6 inches of peaceful schooling fish

 

[vance1013]

you mean school of hatchets or zebras? i wont lie the zebras drive me nuts sometimes watching them go nuts, but with a tank full of live bearers and a gourami, they are almost boring, so perhaps a live bearer/zebra tank might be a nice balance, would u consider the zebra danio to be a 1 inch fish or 2 inch fish?

cause now im starting to think zebra danios, cherry barbs, or cardinal tetra, but like i had i have 6 platys(12 inches), 1 flaming dwarf gourami (2 inches) and 2 swords( 6 inches) so im at like 20 inches of fish so im looking for about 6 inches of peaceful schooling fish

The inch per gallon rule is bunk because its meaning you can have a 10 inch Oscar in a 10 gallon tank you have to take into account swimming space and the bio load of the fish a nice school of cardinals about 8-8 should bring you to stocking via bio load what is your filtration can you add more if so add another filter I have 2 filters on 3 of my tanks

 

[BlazedSaint]

The inch per gallon rule is bunk because its meaning you can have a 10 inch Oscar in a 10 gallon tank you have to take into account swimming space and the bio load of the fish a nice school of cardinals about 8-8 should bring you to stocking via bio load what is your filtration can you add more if so add another filter I have 2 filters on 3 of my tanks

"The Oceanic BioCube features high-quality components and can be used for saltwater or freshwater setups. Enhanced filtration system features dual filter intakes to draw aquarium water from the surface and mid-water for improved water circulation and filtration. Replaceable 2-stage filter cartridge provides easy-to-maintain mechanical and chemical filtration. Bio-ball wet/dry filtration system improves gas exchange and provides efficient biological filtration. Viewing window for filtration water pump to ensure optimum performance. UL-Listed submersible pumps."

lol i dunno man, the filter is built into the bio cube, im not using the filter cartridges tho, im using the API Mirco Carbon, it defiantly collects more debris, its a 3 stage back, the water goes into one chamber, the flows into the second chamber(this is where i have the Carbon, and where the bio balls go) and the is pumped into chamber 3 and there is a sponge between chamber 2 and 3

 

[BlazedSaint]

and is pumped back into the tank from chamber 3

 

[vance1013]

That's sounds like a efficient enough filter, another thing to take into account is the full adult size of the fish as well fish keep growing until they reach their max adult size may it be 2in or 20in if you want you could regime the 2 swords and replace with a couple different schools of schooling fish to add color and movement

 

[BlazedSaint]

That's sounds like a efficient enough filter, another thing to take into account is the full adult size of the fish as well fish keep growing until they reach their max adult size may it be 2in or 20in if you want you could regime the 2 swords and replace with a couple different schools of schooling fish to add color and movement

Right Right The sizes i gave werent there current size, it was there adult sizes : ) i do my research before i buy fish to make sure my parameters and comparability are good and i always base my fish choices off of adult size, so based on adult size i have 20 inches of fish thats why i was looking into like a school of 1 inch fish that perfer the top but i think hatchets are to big, so im kinda wondering if i can get away with like a small school of zebra danios, like 5-6

 

[vance1013]

Right Right The sizes i gave werent there current size, it was there adult sizes : ) i do my research before i buy fish to make sure my parameters and comparability are good and i always base my fish choices off of adult size, so based on adult size i have 20 inches of fish thats why i was looking into like a school of 1 inch fish that perfer the top but i think hatchets are to big, so im kinda wondering if i can get away with like a small school of zebra danios, like 5-6

If your really worried about the inch thing and are sticking to that then only 3 zebra danios since they get to 3inches but if your fully cycled and have a healthy colony you can have a school of 5-6 zebra danios

 

[BlazedSaint]

If your really worried about the inch thing and are sticking to that then only 3 zebra danios since they get to 3inches but if your fully cycled and have a healthy colony you can have a school of 5-6 zebra danios

10-4, ya im completely cycled, and have a few plants, but its starting to look like im about to lose another swordtail so i dunno what im going to do, definatly wait till the swordtail issue clears up(bought some bad swords 3 days ago), and im 99% sure im about to lose another swordtail and the fin rot sword isnt lookin so hot either : ( very sad everything else looks is doing fine, but you have given me more to research to ty for that : ) ill base my decisions more on bioload

 

[kjacks]

Vance is right the inch per gallon rule really isnt used as its inaccurate . With what you have stocked and the sound of your filteration setup a group of 6 small schooling fish would work like the neons im sure the danios would work as well.. or you could try to find some information on nano fish. Like bororas brigetta very similar to neons but red

 

[Fishperson]

The inch per gallon is ok if you use it right. There are other things to take into consideration, for example, minimum tank requirements, aggression issues, and bioload. So when you adjust it like that you've got:

2 swordtails- grow to 8 inches but equals around 10 inches of regular fish
6 platys - grow to 15 inches but equals around 18 inches of regular fish
1 dwarf gourami - grows to 2 inches and equals around 2 inches of normal fish.

That puts you at around 30 inches, which is pretty good.

And just so I don't get yelled at again for giving the inch per gallon rule as advice, READ THE WHOLE POST BEFORE YOU RESPOND TO THIS!

 

[kjacks]

I did read the whole thing.. the first time but it seems like some people take the 1in per gallon to literal and take it as a golden rule and run with it .. just wanted to make sure again that it was noted to anyone tagging along its not ok to just go by that rule ..

Have saw alot of posts lately people with 10gal tanks an bad stocking and plenty think they are ok bc they followed the inch rule