Stocking Question (pics added)

[Viperboy]

This is because i finally have fish and keep having questions .... so this is what i have in my 29gal ...

(1) Neon Blue Gourami 2”
(1) Clown Pleco 4”
(3) Aeneus Cory Cats 2”-2.5”
(5) Cardinal Tetras 2”
(4) Zebra Danios 3”

The zebras are not adults yet so they are anywhere from 1" to 2" and the tetras are also probably around 1" .... my question is this ... is this a good stocking list? im feeding them tetra min and color flakes and the pleco some algae waffers ... is there anything else i can add that they will like more? .... tetras dont seem to like the flakes as much as the zebras and gordan the gourami ... and the cory cats only seem to get the leftovers so is this common or is there something that just they will like.

Also my other question is this .... would i be able to get 2 more of the same gourami because i just love the way they look .... or would i have to get rid of say the zebras .... cause they are just so hyper compared to everyone else in the tank .... TIA

Ray

PS sorry for the long post

 

[Zagz]

The cory cats will eat off the bottom. You can throw a spirulina wafer in at lights out if you want. My cories love them. Gourami's can be territorial to each other, so if planning to get more I would first figure out what sex the gourami you have is then go with 2 females to one male. The danios may cause stress with the gouramis as they are so zippy. My gourami's do not like overly active fish.

 

[Viperboy]

Yea i knew it was a 2:1 ratio for females to males because i remember reading that somewhere ... but if i leave the zebras and get 2 more gouramis will that be overstocked or ok? .... also the gourami i have in there now loves to just swim up and down in the bubble wall at the back of my tank ... is this normal?

Ill try to get some pics today of my tank and fish and maybe u can help me tell if its male or female.
Ray

 

[Zagz]

You will be overstocked by the 1" rule. What kind of filtration do you use and how often do you do water changes? Some of my tanks are overstocked but I over filter and do 2x water changes per week and test parameters regularily. I watch for signs of aggression and so far all is good.

 

[lovemybarbs]

I think the clown loach and the pleco might like some zucchini every so often. All my fish will eat it, including the barbs.

I'm pretty well stocked, but my filter is huge for my tank and I do 40% water changes a week.

 

[Viperboy]

I have a Emperor 280 and i do water changes weekly .... i can change how much water change i do if thats an issue .... also i have some pics now of Gordan the gourami (such is the name my gf gave him) so help me out and let me know if he is male or female and if he is a neon blue or powder blue .... TIA

boy i hope that worked ... and also i just have a clown pleco not a loach

Ray

 

[lovemybarbs]

Sorry, that is what I meant. The plecos like the veggies. I learned that here of course.

 

[rich311k]

He is a male not sure of the color variety.

 

[RoK]

Wow, Gordan is a nice looking gourami! I really like the red feelers and outer edges of the fins.
Female dwarf gouramis are hard to find in stores. They don't sell too well because they are usually a dull silvery color.

 

[SCFatz]

Neon Blue Gourami

I'd count 4 inches for each of these as well as the cats.

The zebras and the tetras although adding inches,will contribute less to the bioload per inch as compared to the rest.

The pleco is full grown I believe.

So your considering adding another 8 inches imo and are wondering if you need to pull the zebras to facilitate bioload.

IMO your ok to add two more gourami.But you may want to rethink the zebras do to the business the bring anyhow...lots of zipping.

Give it some time and you'll figure it out just based on what you see every day as far as population behavior.

 

[Viperboy]

Yea im seriously debateing getting rid of those dang zebras cause they are so zippy and knock around the tetras as well who just chill around .... so if i cant find two females then dont get any? .... but if i do find em they wont be as colorful? .... could i get another male in a diff color variety. and i guess if i cant go with another gourami or two what would be a good show off fish with lots of color thats fairly big that i could put in.
TIA

Ray

 

[Catalina]

Hey Ray,
I wouldn't recommend another male dwarf gourami in a different color variety as that doesn't help the situation at all IME. The first fish I got were 2 dwarf gouramis, 1 neon and 1 flame, and the flame killed the neon very quickly.

For sizable fish with lots of color, I'd take a look at some of the rainbowfish profiles here: http://www.aquahobby.com/e_gallery.php
Rainbowfish are schooling so ideally you'd get a group of at least 4, but if you're returning the danios than I think your tank could be okay with a few of those species. I love Boesemani rainbows but have never owned them and am not sure if their full size or behavior would make them a good choice for your tank or not. Maybe some others can chime in.

Your gourami is beautiful!

 

[Viperboy]

would i be able to put in a bolivan ram or should those be in a species only tank .. cause i have always loved those

Ray

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Rams might do ok, but prefer a planted tank to be at their best.

 

[Viperboy]

my tank is planted on one side (kind of like a jungle side) and then on the other side is the mayan theme with a cave and stuff .... would i be able to add two bolivan rams to my tank now or should i get rid of the zebras then add 2 ... cause arnt they best in pairs? ... thanks so much for all ur guys help so far

EDIT: Here is a pic to give ya an idea of my tank .... its the best pic i could get so far so ill try to get some better ones up soon and i know my plants dont look as good as they can but my CF gets here on tues along with my flourish and fert stuff

Ray

 

[Lonewolfblue]

You may be fine with just 2 rams, but when they are young, you won't be able to tell if you have one of each, or both of one sex. They are a community fish, so they will get along, even if the same sex.

 

[severum mama]

Wow, Gordan is beautiful. Nice pics. But I would have to agree with the others that another male, even of a different species, is probably not a good idea. If you are planning on getting rid of your danios, you might be ok with 2 Bolivians. But then again, with your corys and pleco, you seem to have sort of a lot going on at the bottom levels of your tank. I kept a Bolivian by itself once when my others were picking on it, and it seemed fine alone. The two I have now in my 29 gallon don't particularly care for each other, and I don't think they would mind to live alone either. They don't do any real damage, but spend a lot of time chasing the other out of their territories. If you want a Bolivian or two, I would strongly suggest more plants (real or fake) as they will really appreciate them. If you get two, you can expect them each to claim about half your tank as territory, and they really need a lot of places to hide.

If you're looking for more variety for your corys, mine really enjoy sinking shrimp pellets. And one more thing- are you sure you have a clown pleco? I've had mine for over 2 years now and it is just under 3 inches long- including tail. Make sure you have driftwood in your tank, as panaque catfish need this to rasp on. It helps them digest their food.

 

[Viperboy]

Ok so i go back home tom to fert my plants and add my light fixture and i have decided to get rid of my zebras and get two bolivan rams ... the sizes i listed for my fish are not the size they are now but instead their adult size i believe. So my clown pleco (which im sure it is) is about 3" now because i got the biggest one at the store. And yes as my picture shows i do have a fairly good sized piece of driftwood in my tank and my pleco has started to be less shy and come out of the cave on the left. I got some freeze dried blood worms and brine shrimp and all the fish seem to love em but the cardinal tetras dont seem to eat as much as the gourami or zebras ... any reason for this?

Im gonna go Ram hunting tom around at a few LFS to see if i can find some and does anyone have suggestions as to what a male or a female may look like so i can guess and try to get one of each .... thanks all

Ray

 

[severum mama]

Ah, my monitor sucks so I couldn't see the driftwood.

How have you had the tetras? I didn't see my rummynose eat for over 2 weeks! They may just need more time to get settled, or the danios may be making them nervous.

As for the rams, I've owned as many as 4 adults at once and have never once figured out how to sex them. They really all look exactly the same to me. Even if you end up with the same sex you shouldn't have any real behavioral issues. Mine never do any real damage, and with the one that I moved that was getting picked on, I think the issue was that I just had too many in my 29. 2 will be ok. I still think you need more plant cover on the left though. Enough so they don't have a clear line of sight from one side to the other. JMO

 

[Viperboy]

I have had the tetras a little under a week now and so if i get rid of the danios and put in 2 rams ill be ok? ... does it matter if i put in bolivan or blue? .... also i wanted to kind of keep that side clear of plants kind of giving them a open space and my gf doesnt like the tank "cluttered" with plants ... but i guess i could add a few over there or more to the middle if it has to be done.

Ray