Tropical Stocking

[Puffymcstuff]

So!... Here's what I've got so far:

Another two or three corys
Another two or three skirts
Three dwarf gouramis
Two angelfish
6-10 neons
And three to five of another colorful tetra

Whatdya guys think?

So along with this, I would do a school of cherry barbs.
And another question... If I had a hatchetfish in here, would that be fine?
And what kind of fish is a hatchetfish?

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Your tank is sixty gallons right? You don't have to do this, but this is what I would do:
-six cories of your preference
-one dwarf gourami of your preference, or you could try a trio of all females
-two angels
-seven cherry barbs
-your other shoal of tetra that is colorful
-small school of five hatchets

As with hatchets, there are two types: silver and marbled. Personally I like silver better, but it is all up to you. I kicked out the skirts because they are nippy tetras, so it's best not to risk it with angels and gouramis in there. I'd also kick out the neons too, they are small enough for angels to snack on. Again, this is all up to you. If you don't like it, feel free to edit anything!

 

[HN1]

Your tank is sixty gallons right? You don't have to do this, but this is what I would do:
-six cories of your preference
-one dwarf gourami of your preference, or you could try a trio of all females
-two angels
-seven cherry barbs
-your other shoal of tetra that is colorful
-small school of five hatchets

As with hatchets, there are two types: silver and marbled. Personally I like silver better, but it is all up to you. I kicked out the skirts because they are nippy tetras, so it's best not to risk it with angels and gouramis in there. I'd also kick out the neons too, they are small enough for angels to snack on. Again, this is all up to you. If you don't like it, feel free to edit anything!

I think I said this before, but just in case. I would not keep gourami and angels in the same tank. Especially not colisa lalia or trichopterus.

IMO, choose either the hatchets OR the additional tetra school. Hatchets are tetra, there are more than the two types and if you go with them be sure to have a very closed lid. They jump. Up the cories to 8-10 and watch it mature.

 

[Puffymcstuff]

I think I said this before, but just in case. I would not keep gourami and angels in the same tank. Especially not colisa lalia or trichopterus.

IMO, choose either the hatchets OR the additional tetra school. Hatchets are tetra, there are more than the two types and if you go with them be sure to have a very closed lid. They jump. Up the cories to 8-10 and watch it mature.

Ok... I don't think I'm going to do the hatchetfish then, because I'd like to have something like Orange Von Rios, and if I buy the DGs really small I think they'll be ok with the angels.

PS what's colisa lalia and trichopterus?
And why not with the DGs and angels, I understand the possibility of aggression, but anything else?

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Ok... I don't think I'm going to do the hatchetfish then, because I'd like to have something like Orange Von Rios, and if I buy the DGs really small I think they'll be ok with the angels.

PS what's colisa lalia and trichopterus?
And why not with the DGs and angels, I understand the possibility of aggression, but anything else?

I can understand where HN1 is coming from, dgs and angels can be aggressive to each other. They are also both top dwellers, and occasionally when a gourami it is not shy it becomes curious.

Chosla lalia is a DG in stores that is usually very sensitive and does not tolerate sudden changes in water quality.

 

[Puffymcstuff]

But if I start them off pretty small, I mean tiny, then they would probably hit it off pretty well right?

 

[HN1]

No. They'd be ok for awhile and then develop their NATURAL behaviors as they mature.

PS- www.google.com. It's great for terms that you may not be familiar with and leads to a lot of interesting on topic reading.

 

[Puffymcstuff]

Ok, I'll look it up, thanks.

 

[Puffymcstuff]

Any other suggestions or pieces of advice anybody?

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Well nothing really, unless you are interested in possibly adding plants, but that goes in whole nother section so really all I have to say is "Good luck!"

 

[Puffymcstuff]

Ok, thanks! ......

 

[Puffymcstuff]

Fish purchasing?

I plan on purchasing:
3-4 skirt tetra
3 DGs
3 corys
3-5 Von rio tetra (or other colorful tetra)
3-5 cherry barbs
2 angelfish
And like 6 neons/cardinals

In what order should I buy them,? how long should I wait in between,? has to be done by the 24th of July because of a sale.

 

[Somethingclever]

From what i have read you are only supposed to add up to three fish per week i think. I could be wrong.

 

[Puffymcstuff]

I've heard 5-6 but have done 8 and been fine.

 

[siva]

What size tank is it and what filtration are you using? Did you fishless cycle the tank?

I would strongly recommend only 1 dwarf gourami. In a trio things would most likely get very ugly. There are other issues as well. Neons are angels natural food source. Some keep them together successfully..but it's risky. Cories are shoalers and should be in groups of 6. Skirt tetras are schoolers that need to be in groups of 6 or more. They are also known to get nippy and I wouldn't combine them with the angels. Von rios also should be in schools of 6 or more, as well as the barbs. The gourami with the angels is also very risky.

 

[Puffymcstuff]

When I first got my aquarium I knew almost zero about it, so I set it up, and let it sit for a few days(it's so long, I can't remember exactly) then I put three zebra danio in there. (already had them) and after a couple weeks of cloudiness, it settled, in those couple weeks I stocked it as a tropical community. I have an external power filter a heater from Walmart that has worked for several months (I set up my tank a little less than a year ago) and I have a twelve inch bubbler bar going ( only 5-6 inches of it actually bubbles) my tank is crystal clear.

 

[Puffymcstuff]

I've done Angels before and they were fine, same with DGs and I already got some advice on how to keep them.

 

[HN1]

As reference for others. Good luck!

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/tropical-stocking-159655.html

 

[bruinsbro1997]

I plan on purchasing:
3-4 skirt tetra
3 DGs
3 corys
3-5 Von rio tetra (or other colorful tetra)
3-5 cherry barbs
2 angelfish
And like 6 neons/cardinals

In what order should I buy them,? how long should I wait in between,? has to be done by the 24th of July because of a sale.

60 Gallon Hex, right? Here's what I'd do (right after you up those schools to 5-6 fish)
-the neons or cardinals, whatever your choice
-von rios after a week and a pwc
-cherry barbs after a week and a pwc
-cories after aweek and a pwc
-DGs (if you do a trio, what worked for me was two females and one male)
after a month and some pwc
-black skirts after two weeks and some pwc
-angels after a month and some pwc
**add these last and make sure they are juvenilles. adding them last when they are juvenilles reduces the aggression the fish has towards its tankmates and the aggression its tankmates has towards them. it also lessens the chances of your neons being eaten because it regards them as tankkmates not food and if you keep them in there it will most likely think of it that way**

This is all my opinion. THe choice is purely up to you.

 

[Puffymcstuff]

Is there an imperative reason why you can't do more than 6 at a time?