Stocking 23G Long!

[guppygourami]

I restarted my tank and am currently in the process of cycling it. I have a 30"x12"x15" tank (23.4US gallons) and plan to make it a low-light planted aquarium with something like three 6500K CFL (26 watt GE energy smart daylight) bulbs hanging overtop. I have soil and a gravel cap. I have an AquaClear50 HOB filter.

Here is my stocking list:
- 10 neon tetras
- 2 german blue rams
- 5 black mollies
- 4 otoclinus

I will be doing around 30% water changes weekly, probably going to keep a pH of around 7 and temperature of around 26-28 degrees celsius, as recommended by AqAdvisor.

Please let me know of any suggestions you may have.

 

[finnipper59]

I restarted my tank and am currently in the process of cycling it. I have a 30"x12"x15" tank (23.4US gallons) and plan to make it a low-light planted aquarium with something like three 6500K CFL (26 watt GE energy smart daylight) bulbs hanging overtop. I have soil and a gravel cap. I have an AquaClear50 HOB filter.

Here is my stocking list:
- 10 neon tetras
- 2 german blue rams
- 5 black mollies
- 4 otoclinus

I will be doing around 30% water changes weekly, probably going to keep a pH of around 7 and temperature of around 26-28 degrees celsius, as recommended by AqAdvisor.

Please let me know of any suggestions you may have.

What you have planned seems good as far as giving you a fully stocked tank and the lighting is adequate for low light plants. The only suggestion I have is to nix the neons and go with green or cherry tetras. I'm on this site for a couple of hours and see so many problems with neons and disease problems. Some have said that they have become too indred to resist disease, other's say it's poor water conditions and overcrowding at the hatcheries. Either way, I would steer you away from the neon tetras.

 

[Barliman]

Here is my stocking list:
- 10 neon tetras
- 2 german blue rams
- 5 black mollies
- 4 otoclinus

Looks like a well-planned aquarium. I have a couple of suggestions:

Neons can be delicate as finnipper suggested, but I've had very good luck with them. Avoid the big box stock and find a good LFS selling healthy fish: active swimming, good eating, no signs of disease and especially no dead ones in the tank.

Also, based on my experience with neons and platys together, placing them with the mollies may be a problem: platys are aggressive eaters, and I suspect mollies are too. You might experience a problem with the mollies out-competing the neons for food. Or not, but it's something to keep in mind.

I recommend one more neon, for a school of 11. For some reason, odd numbers look better.

I'd also wait a few weeks/months to get the otos. They do best in an already-established tank.

Just occurred to me: GBRs need much warmer water than neons: 82-84 vs mid-70s. Bolivian Rams might be a better choice, or a smaller school of cardinal tetras. But they really can be delicate.

Good luck!

 

[guppygourami]

Looks like a well-planned aquarium. I have a couple of suggestions:



Neons can be delicate as finnipper suggested, but I've had very good luck with them. Avoid the big box stock and find a good LFS selling healthy fish: active swimming, good eating, no signs of disease and especially no dead ones in the tank.



Also, based on my experience with neons and platys together, placing them with the mollies may be a problem: platys are aggressive eaters, and I suspect mollies are too. You might experience a problem with the mollies out-competing the neons for food. Or not, but it's something to keep in mind.



I recommend one more neon, for a school of 11. For some reason, odd numbers look better.



I'd also wait a few weeks/months to get the otos. They do best in an already-established tank.



Just occurred to me: GBRs need much warmer water than neons: 82-84 vs mid-70s. Bolivian Rams might be a better choice, or a smaller school of cardinal tetras. But they really can be delicate.



Good luck!

Thanks to both of you!

I think I will stick to neons because I have kept them successfully in a tank (before they were rehomed due to bullying from my angels!) so hopefully I can follow your advice and pick out some nice, healthy ones.

I will look into the mollies with neons. To be honest, I have never heard of them together before so there is probably a reason for that.

Otos seem quite sensitive but I want bottom feeders that will not outgrow my tank nor sift through the soil. Eating algae is a plus too, because I’m bound to get some with the lighting. Any alternative recommendations?

About the GBRS I was originally going to get bolivian rams but germans just seemed more common. I am aware that they are quite sensitive too so they will be added to the tank later on for sure, regardless of which species I choose.

Again, thanks for all the help you two!

 

[Barliman]

Otos seem quite sensitive but I want bottom feeders that will not outgrow my tank nor sift through the soil. Eating algae is a plus too, because I’m bound to get some with the lighting. Any alternative recommendations?

Nerite snails. Excellent algae eaters, very attractive, and they don't breed like little population bombs in your tank.

 

[guppygourami]

Nerite snails. Excellent algae eaters, very attractive, and they don't breed like little population bombs in your tank.

Interesting! What are the benefits of Nerites over, say, ramshorns or assasins?

 

[finnipper59]

Interesting! What are the benefits of Nerites over, say, ramshorns or assasins?

They're prettier. As far as getting any living creatures to get rid of algae...it's a two edged sword...everybody poops, including creatures that eat aglea. And their poop also creates nitrates and nitrates are algae food. So in short, algea eating creatures produce as much algae as they eat.

 

[guppygourami]

They're prettier. As far as getting any living creatures to get rid of algae...it's a two edged sword...everybody poops, including creatures that eat aglea. And their poop also creates nitrates and nitrates are algae food. So in short, algea eating creatures produce as much algae as they eat.

I like the explanations. Buying nerites ASAP!

 

[myo]

Otos seem quite sensitive but I want bottom feeders that will not outgrow my tank nor sift through the soil. Eating algae is a plus too, because I’m bound to get some with the lighting. Any alternative recommendations?

What about smaller varieties of Corydoras? Like Panda etc.?