Restocking plan - Is this too many?

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Luananeko

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
May 8, 2012
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Location
Beaverton, OR
My tank is still recovering from a columnaris infection that I finished treating almost 2 weeks ago, so for the next few weeks while things finish settling I'm trying to plan out how I want to re-stock it.

75 gallon planted community (been set up and running for over a year, gets 50% water changes either weekly, or every week and a half):
1 King Betta male
1 Red Tail Black Shark
6 Gourami females (2 opaline, 2 blue, 2 pearl)
8 Guppy males
3 Otos
2 African Dwarf Frog adults
8 Dwarf Chain Loaches
2 Bolivian Ram (would prefer German Blue Rams, but I think they're probably just too touchy...)
6 Threadfin Rainbowfish
6 Cherry Barb

I know some of the combinations here are frowned on, so before there's any compatibility concerns over the top half of the list... Other than the Rams, Rainbowfish, and Cherry Barbs, all of the other proposed inhabitants are ones that are either expansions on stock already living together in harmony in the tank, or I've previously successfully kept together prior to the columnaris outbreak. No one gets fin nipped, there's no flaring from the betta, and the only chases that happen are short, half-hearted, "get out of my yard" type chases. So no worries there :)

So other than that, does this look like about the right number/combination of fish, or would it be overstocked? Ideally I'd like to have 8 each of the Rainbowfish and Cherry Barb schools, but I'm not sure if that would be too much. What do you guys think?
 
My tank is still recovering from a columnaris infection that I finished treating almost 2 weeks ago, so for the next few weeks while things finish settling I'm trying to plan out how I want to re-stock it.

75 gallon planted community (been set up and running for over a year, gets 50% water changes either weekly, or every week and a half):
1 King Betta male
1 Red Tail Black Shark
6 Gourami females (2 opaline, 2 blue, 2 pearl)
8 Guppy males
3 Otos
2 African Dwarf Frog adults
8 Dwarf Chain Loaches
2 Bolivian Ram (would prefer German Blue Rams, but I think they're probably just too touchy...)
6 Threadfin Rainbowfish
6 Cherry Barb

I know some of the combinations here are frowned on, so before there's any compatibility concerns over the top half of the list... Other than the Rams, Rainbowfish, and Cherry Barbs, all of the other proposed inhabitants are ones that are either expansions on stock already living together in harmony in the tank, or I've previously successfully kept together prior to the columnaris outbreak. No one gets fin nipped, there's no flaring from the betta, and the only chases that happen are short, half-hearted, "get out of my yard" type chases. So no worries there :)

So other than that, does this look like about the right number/combination of fish, or would it be overstocked? Ideally I'd like to have 8 each of the Rainbowfish and Cherry Barb schools, but I'm not sure if that would be too much. What do you guys think?

I would remove the betta ASAP. I could see severe problems between him the red tail shark, Gouramis and the guppies.
 
I've had the betta with the gourami and guppies for the last year with zero issues whatsoever. All are full grown and never flare or care about each other. It's not a mix I'd recommend to someone not familiar with bettas, but it's not an impossible mix if you know what you're doing. It's all about how you introduce them, how you pick the right personality of betta, etc. I took special care when I picked him out to hold him up to the various guppy tanks to check for aggression and introduced everyone very carefully.

I understand the concern, but I promise it's not a problem in this case :)

Edit: Missed the concern about the RTBS. He's also full grown and has his own happy territory that no one bothers. He shoos away anyone that comes too close, but never anything serious. I watch him like a hawk to make sure, and if he ever decides to snap and be a bully he'll be removed.
 
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