Your stocking choices for a 165litre?

[Fishy monkey]

After trawling the Internet and forum pages for a year trying to work out my best options for stocking a 60 litre tank, I've now upgraded to a 165litre and find myself in the same position- lots of good choices but contradictions from one site to another about what fish gel well together in a tropical community.
I currently have just 5 non celestial pearl danios. I used to have a Siamese fighter and I really loved that, but because it was a community tank I believe it may have over fed itself so wish to avoid those.
So if this was your tank, what would you stock it with?

 

[Rivercats]

With roughly 43US gallons you can do alot. You already have danios and add a couple more in increase their school. You could do a couple angelfish, a dwarf gourami, cory cats, and a nice school of tetras with those. Or you could go with Rainbow fish and a few loaches like yo-yo loaches that don't get huge (stay away from clown loaches as they grow much too large for that size tank). Did you have any ideas of what you like?

 

[Fishy monkey]

Did you have any ideas of what you like?

Thanks for the response. Yeah I had a couple of German blue rams and really liked them, only had them a week before they died, I suspect they had a virus which also wiped out half my community.

I do like angels but know next to nothing about them, my sister had one that looked kinda moth like in texture, like it had swum through a dirty web, not sure if they're supposed to look like that or if there was a problem, it died a couple of wks after I saw it.

I've had the usual platies, swordtails and neon tetras, now I'm after something a little unusual that I may have to request from an LFS.

 

[Fishy monkey]

I see most posts here deal in gallons, is that inperial or US gallons?

 

[Borderlesscott]

German Rams are notoriously fickle, you really need to be on your game to keep them healthy and the tank would need to have been running for a while. You could try Bolivian Rams as they are slightly more hardy, personally in a 160 litre I would do a pair of either Rainbow cichlids, Keyhole's, Firemouths, or one of my favourites pair of Sajicas, plus 2 male Festivum or Cupid Cichlids, 8 larger sized Tetra and 6 Corydoras.

Most of the posts are US gallons, takes a while getting used to.

 

[emerald76]

What do you mean by non celestial pearl danios? Most larger community fish, such as amgels, will eat CPDs

 

[Fishy monkey]

What do you mean by non celestial pearl danios? Most larger community fish, such as amgels, will eat CPDs

They were named as pearl danios, but when I googled them they looked nothing like the pictures, after a bit of research I found that pearl danios are typically known as celestial ones, a kind of browny speckled fish, whereas mine are more pearly in colour with a red/purply tint at the bottom in the right light. If I google non celestial pearl danios they look like mine

 

[Fishy monkey]

Thanks borderlesscott, I've never heard of some if those so I'll check them out. I'm pretty much a novice but really trying to do a good job and learn as much as I can, just don't wanna hurt or kill any while in learning!
Will any of those you mentioned be aggressive with my danios?

 

[Borderlesscott]

It's hard to say with the Danio's as I'm unsure what species they are, if they are small enough to fit inside a fishes mouth they probably will disappear. I would rehome them as they will restrict your choices in setting up the tank, especially if there the size I imagine when thinking of CPD's, if they are bigger - around Zebra Danio sized, you will be fine with my stocking suggestions.

Most of the fish I recommended only really get aggressive around breeding, you could stick to males who will chase occasionally, but it should not be to aggressive.
The most peaceful selection would be Pair of Keyhole Cichlids, available at most UK fish shops and very peaceful for its size, Pair of Bolivian Rams or Cupid Cichlids, again very available and the Tetra's and Corydoras. After a while you might be able to add another one or two dwarf cichlids into the tank depending on how things are going and your filteration.

 

[Fishy monkey]

if they are bigger - around Zebra Danio sized, you will be fine with my sticking suggestions.

I've never had zebras so don't really know their size, mine grow to a max of 2 inches. Here's a link to a page about mine, I really like their active nature, and they're my longest surviving fish (all of 4 months!) so i'm a bit reluctant to rehome them http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fish/pearldanio.php

 

[Fishy monkey]

It's hard to say with the Danio's as I'm unsure what species they are, if they are small enough to fit inside a fishes mouth they probably will disappear. I would rehome them as they will restrict your choices in setting up the tank, especially if there the size I imagine when thinking of CPD's, if they are bigger - around Zebra Danio sized, you will be fine with my stocking suggestions.

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fish/pearldanio.php

That's a link to a page about mine, I'm reluctant to rehome them as I love their active nature.

I've had a google at your suggestions and like what I've seen of them, I also like what I've read of the peacock gudgeons and bosemani rainbow. It's just a question of finding a happy mix

 

[Borderlesscott]

Pearl Danios will be fine with what I recommended, quick enough to get out of the way of any trouble, though if you go down the Keyhole or Rainbow choice there shouldn't be any, very minor concern with the Sajica or Firemouth.

 

[Fishy monkey]

Pearl Danios will be fine with what I recommended, quick enough to get out of the way of any trouble, though if you go down the Keyhole or Rainbow choice there shouldn't be any, very minor concern with the Sajica or Firemouth.

Thanks loads, really appreciate your input, I'll do some checking out and get a list together