36 Gallon Stocking Additions?

[Dan06]

I have a 36 gallon corner tank that I recently acquired and transfered everything from my 29g over to it. Fully cycled, Fluval305 filter is a year old.

Anyway, the 36g currently holds 5 female guppies (no males...yet), 5 long finned Danios and 4 other small Danios of a name I forgot.

I have a black rock substrate that is littered with slate & slate caves, including corner caves for hiding.

I'd like to stick with schooling fish, but I'm completely open to any other fish. I was recommended to get 4-5 Cory's, but the LFS almost always receives them on the back 9 of their lives. I religiously vacuum with water changes once a week if that opens any more fish options for me.

 

[LindsayBlum]

Hi Dan06,

I also have a 36 gallon! Have you considered german blue rams? I have three GBR's in a tank with 6 neon tetras, 3 otos, 4 snails and ghost shrimp. I took up ram raising last year, and it has been so rewarding. It sounds like you have the proper tank and tankmates, with lots of hiding places and slate rocks (rams like to lay eggs on flat, smooth rocks). Rams are beautiful--so colorful, and once comfortable, they are so lively and fun to watch. They are very sensitive to water conditions however, but since you are adamant about water changes, I would say it's worth a try!

Cories would also be great. Cories are so fun to watch, especially in groups. Good luck!

 

[rkilling1]

Anyway, the 36g currently holds 5 female guppies (no males...yet)

Yet?

If you plan on adding some males, then I suspect you really don't need to add anymore fish.

A year ago I had TWO female guppies in my 28 gallon tank and now I have over 100!!!!

NO JOKE either. All different ages and colors. It's really quite nice to see all the different fish, BUT 100 of them is a little TOO much.

If I were you, I would only add all males or all females that came from an all female tank.

 

[kimo]

"A year ago I had TWO female guppies in my 28 gallon tank and now I have over 100!!!!

NO JOKE either. All different ages and colors. It's really quite nice to see all the different fish, BUT 100 of them is a little TOO much."


Guess you have never seen a 150g tank with 2400 adult fancy guppies in it ?
LOL !

 

[JohnPaul]

I personally always like adding one large gourami as a "centerpiece" fish in my larger tanks. Gouramis are quite happy as loners (often, in fact, it is better to have just one) and some can be quite beautiful; gold gouramis add a striking yellow color (nice if you don't otherwise have any yellow in the tank) or pearl gouramis can be stunning when the light brings out their iridescence.

I've never had blue rams but I agree with LindsayBlum that it sounds like your tank is set up perfectly for them, at least in terms of the slate & substrate.

Certainly any number of tetras would work as schooling fish, though occasionally hyper fish like danios can freak them out a little.

Corys would make a nice bottom crew, or if you wanted to go in a really different direction, some *dwarf* crayfish would probably be great (either the mexican orange dwarf, Cambarelus patzcuarensis, or else the cajun dwarf, Cambarellus shufeldtii). Unlike other crays (such as the "electric blue lobster [sic]" sold in some pet stores, these little guys get no larger than 1.5" at full adult size, they will not eat live plants (unless they are not adequately fed), and they are not a threat to fish, not even fish fry (unlike the larger pet store crays which will definitely go after your fish as soon as they are large enough to do so). The downside on them is that, since pet stores don't carry them, you need to get them from a breeder or else online from Aquabid.