Stocking advice pls

[Coyne]

I have a 45G planted tank that is being filtered with a MarineLand Penguin 350. I currently have 5 Serpe Tetras helping me along with a Fish-In cycling.

Im considering the following fish and would appreciate any advice about care and compatibility.

5 Serpe Tetras (Currently in tank)
7-9 Harlequin Rasbora
3 Mollies or Swords or Platies. (MFF) long finned, probably Lyretail varity.
1 Red Tail Shark
1 Bumblebee Catfish
1 Banjo Catfish

I guess my concerns are that:
a) the Red Tail Shark will harass the long finned live breeders, and
b) the smaller tetras and rasboras will be potential food for the two catfish.

Im having trouble finding anybody with much experience with either type of catfish.

Also, when using the "Inch of Fish" rule of thumb, does this include snails as well? I was thinking of adding a couple snails and maybe a fresh water clam, but dont want to over crowd the tank.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Coursair]

I have a 45G planted tank that is being filtered with a MarineLand Penguin 350. I currently have 5 Serpe Tetras helping me along with a Fish-In cycling.

Im considering the following fish and would appreciate any advice about care and compatibility.

5 Serpe Tetras (Currently in tank)
7-9 Harlequin Rasbora
3 Mollies or Swords or Platies. (MFF) long finned, probably Lyretail varity.
1 Red Tail Shark
1 Bumblebee Catfish
1 Banjo Catfish

I guess my concerns are that:
a) the Red Tail Shark will harass the long finned live breeders, and
b) the smaller tetras and rasboras will be potential food for the two catfish.

Im having trouble finding anybody with much experience with either type of catfish.

Also, when using the "Inch of Fish" rule of thumb, does this include snails as well? I was thinking of adding a couple snails and maybe a fresh water clam, but dont want to over crowd the tank.

Thanks in advance for any help.

I don't count my snails.

Any wide mouth catfish will eat fish that fit in its mouth. Esp any that sleep near the bottom. Check adult size on the two Cats. Banjos stay small I think ? Planet Catfish is where I check first for info.

I would skip the clam. If it dies it can pollute your tank. They stay buried, so you won't see it.

RTS guard a territory. They will usually chase away any fish that get too close. A 45g is decent size but RTS can get pretty burly. You might look at a Rainbow Shark instead ?

 

[Scottyhorse]

I would like to add, mollies prefer brackish water, but they don't need it. They seem to do best in it. I would go with Platy's if it were me. I have also seen some HUGE male mollies at my LFS, and sword tails get even bigger. Just something to think about.

 

[Coyne]

Thanks for the responses. I think I'll take your advise about the clam. Sounded cool in theory, but I hadnt thought it out like you did.

I had asked a couple different folks at different LFS about mollies and brackish water. None of them said they put salt in the water for their mollies (unless they were fighting an infection). I know the advise I get from the big box stores can be sketchy, but one of them was a specialty shop.

To answer the question of how big the catfish get... multiple sights online have them listed as topping out around 4". Since the smallest fish I'll have in the tank grow to about 1 1/2 -2" Im thinking (hoping) it will be alright.

I plugged my selection into AqAdvisor and the only problem that popped up was with having the RTS and the Rasboras.
I remember when I was a kid (over 25 years ago) having a Red Tail Shark in a 10g tank with other fish and it not really being a problem. That said, these past few weeks Ive been learning about a lot of things I did wrong back then (for example: cycling the tank, or even better a fishless cycle). Thanks to sites like this though, Im hoping to do a better job this time.

 

[Coyne]

I would like to add, mollies prefer brackish water, but they don't need it. They seem to do best in it. I would go with Platy's if it were me. I have also seen some HUGE male mollies at my LFS, and sword tails get even bigger. Just something to think about.

From what Ive been reading, The mollies and swordtails top out around 4". Is this not accurate?
My plan is to have 3 largish, colorful fish swimming about complemented by a couple larger schools of smaller, less colorful fish (ie the tetras and rasboras).
However, I havent purchased anything yet and would rather have happy tank than a "cool" tank (trying for both).

 

[CatoeSc]

Your swords and mollies will top out around 4". The females tend to be a bit bigger with the swords. I would recommend salt, but not enough to move all the way to brackish. I put 1 tablespoon of aquarium salt per 5 gallons which is pretty much the norm. The mollies really to tend to do a bit better with a little salt.

Consider this though. Mollies and swords constantly eat... Constantly. So, you'd think they would keep things clean. Problem is this creates quite a bio-load. Both great fish, but if you were to pull your 3 Livebearers out of your aquadvice lineup and replace them with other comparably sized fish you'd probably see them take up a lower percentage of biol-oad.

 

[Coyne]

Is the 1 tablespoon salt per 5 gallons ratio harmful to other fish or plants?

 

[CatoeSc]

Is the 1 tablespoon salt per 5 gallons ratio harmful to other fish or plants?

Not generally. I think it may have played a role in the demise of my African dwarf frogs, but most tropical fish are gonna be happy with a bit of aquarium salt.

 

[Coyne]

Ok then.. I'll add aquarium salt to the list of things I want/need.

As for the bio-load of the livebearing fish... I wasnt aware that they were more of a burden on filtration then other fish. That said, I've been mulling over the idea of adding a secondary canister filter anyways. This information just tips the scales towards getting one.

Ive spoken with a few different hobbiests and seemingly knowledgeable LFS employees and they all seemed to agree that the Red Tail Shark shouldntbe a problem as long as its the last fish I introduce.

 

[CatoeSc]

Ok then.. I'll add aquarium salt to the list of things I want/need.

As for the bio-load of the livebearing fish... I wasnt aware that they were more of a burden on filtration then other fish. That said, I've been mulling over the idea of adding a secondary canister filter anyways. This information just tips the scales towards getting one.

Ive spoken with a few different hobbiests and seemingly knowledgeable LFS employees and they all seemed to agree that the Red Tail Shark shouldntbe a problem as long as its the last fish I introduce.

I don't know about the red tail, but I like to encourage people to consider rainbow sharks if they have doubts. They are similar but all their fins are red. They have a reputation for being a bit less aggressive. I've got one and it does fine.

 

[Coyne]

I had considered a Rainbow shark (possibly albino), but everything I find says they grow to 6" and that my tank might be too small.

I had both when I was younger, and while the RTS was more aggressive than the Rainbow, it wasnt to the point where it was a problem. And that was in a much smaller 10G tank. The internet didnt exist back then, so there was know way of knowing that my tank was way too small for both.

Still in my first cycle... plenty of time to think it out. Just very excited to have it up and running and filled with fish... even though I know thats months down the road.