Getting a 50g freshwater tank. Need advice on fishes

[attystgo]

Hi, all. This is my first time posting. I have enjoyed reading the forums.

I am upgrading to a 50 g tank (which i will buy hopefully today). I know about cycling the tank (having previously done a fishless cycle in my actual tank).

I want to incorporate, once the tank is cycled, the following:

My 3 male guppies from my other tank (to make my 6g tank a cherry shrimp tank only).

I also want to add the following:

9 female guppies.
Yoyo loach
Dwarf Gourami
Mollies
Mickey Mouse platties
Platties
Cherry Barbs
Swordtails

It will be a planted aquarium, with open space in the center for the fishes to swim freely. My question is: are those all compatible? Would I have any problems? And how many of each should I incorporate in the tank? I plan to incorporate them slowly, first the three guppies, then the female guppies, and so on. As a last question, which type of fish should I incorporate last? The Gourami because it may be the more aggressive?

I have read that I should only have one Gourami, and that some of the others fishes will need five or six of the same species to thrive.

In my current tank, parameters are ammonia 0, nitrites 0 and nitrates 10. I have hard water, which makes the ph 8.2. Since I live in the Caribbean, water temperature fluctuates between 83-85 Farenheit (I have a fan at all times directed to the tank to lower the temperature, which was in the high 80's constantly).

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[bud29]

The water temperature is a bit high....you want to keep it at about 80.

Your species are compatable. The yoyo loaches and cherry barbs like to be in schools, though, so probably at least 4 loaches and at least 6 barbs. As for all the livebearers, make sure to keep them in at least a 1:2 male:female ratio, as this will reduce aggression. If you have more females for every male that is even better. However, if you are keeping all one gender of something you don't have to worry about the ratio with that specific species.

And by the way, to the forum!

 

[attystgo]

Bud29- Thank you for your response. I don't want to buy a chiller, so the temperature will have to stay a little high. Could you give me advise on the number of fishes of each type mentioned in my original post that I can add to this aquarium without overpopulating? Thanks!

 

[bud29]

hello again, I did forget to tell you two things; One-if you keep swordtails with mollies or platys the swordtail will likely interbreed with them. Some people dislike hybridizing, others are fine with it. It is your choice.

Second-while the yoyo loaches do fit in a 50 gallon, they grow to be pretty good sized, so they can limit the what else you can put in the tank. Some other good bottom dweller ideas are black kuhli loaches, a bristlenose pleco, or polka dot loaches.

Here is one plan:
12 guppies
6 platys (3 mickey mouse)
3 mollies
6 cherry barbs
1 dwarf gourami
1 swordtail
1 bristlenose pleco OR small school of smaller loaches

 

[attystgo]

Thank you for all your help. I will take into account your recommendation about interbreeding, and maybe put less types of fishes in the tank. The tank is currently in a fishless cycling (since yesterday), so I have at least a month to decide on the fishes. Once again, thanks for all your help.