Stocking help? I want new fish.

[Daumi]

Hey Everyone!

New to this forum, and I have a couple of questions. I have a 40 gallon tank that has been up and running for over two years now. It houses 6 zebra danios, 1 female betta, 5 peppered cories and 4 recently added (6 months ago) 4 ghost shrimp. I would really like some ideas on putting something else in there. I prefer a more natural looking tank and inhabitants (the betta being the exception). My dream would be a small, odd numbered school of rosey barbs, but I don't want them to eat my shrimp (which they will).

What ideas do you guys have??

 

[fishguy1]

Rosy barbs can be fairly nippy IME. Mine do well with tiger barbs.

Seems like the middle/bottom of the tank is empty - perhaps some cherry barbs and a pair of dwarf cichlids like rams or apistos would fill it out.

 

[TraceyB4602]

To fill the middle why don't you go with a school of tetras... There's white skirts black skirts, serpe's* (spelling), red eye, head and tail light, lemon... There are a ton of variaties....

Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

 

[fishguy1]

Serpaes have a tendency to be very nippy as well.

 

[Daumi]

I love GBR's but I have had them completely wipe out a small colony of shrimp before. I love the idea of having the cherry barbs, but still think I would like to have some sort of centerpiece fish taht won't eat my shrimp.

 

[fishguy1]

Shrimp exist to be eaten....anything that won't eat the shrimp would be too small to be considered "centerpieces"

 

[Daumi]

I suppose I will have to think it through. Thanks for the help guys. Much appreciated.

 

[siva]

I think barbs can be a bit too nippy to add with a betta.

 

[Daumi]

I really like the idea of a school of penguin tetras. How many would you add in my situation??

 

[siva]

At least 7

 

[maxlab76]

I would recommend a couple of mollys. Balloon mollys would be cool.

 

[Daumi]

Not into livebearers. Plus Mollies prefer Brackish water is I recall correctly. Thank you for the input though.

You don't think 7 would start to overstock the tank??

 

[honeysuckle11]

I have a german blue ram which is a gorgeous and dont nip. But with them its the luck of the draw.But i also have a dwarf gourami and 4 serpeas and they dont nip any of my fish. I go with the ram.

 

[stephens0813]

To siva I have both tiger barbs and a betta and they do well together

 

[siva]

To siva I have both tiger barbs and a betta and they do well together

Ah there are always exceptions but it is not recommended in general to mix the tiger barbs with flowing fins

 

[stephens0813]

This is true siva and that's what I told my wife but she just had to have a betta and you best believe that I watched it like a hawk got like the first week ready to pull it out if it showed any aggression lol. I'm glad it worked out though cause I have mts and she is against it

 

[siva]

LOL yeah I have a rainbow shark that is in with little shrimp and platy fry and things by all rights he should be aggresive towards (including a female betta) but he's as cool as a cucumber You never know what you're gonna get.