Stocking thoughts

[jcarr71]

I have long realized I hate zebra danios. I have eight in my main community and they add nothing to it. All they do is force me to overfeed a little because they eat so much at the surface before food can get down to the other levels. I'm going to ship them to the girlfriend's mother's 55g community.

This move would allow so much to get done in that tank. I've had two understocked tetra schools for a couple months, and I'd finally feel comfortable addressing those. I'll have to order off aquabid, some other site, or ask my LFS to order for me, but what would you guys think of this potential stocking? Is it overstocked? I couldn't add more, could I?

The set up:
Size: 75g (normal dimensions)
Filtration: Rena XP3 + Aquaclear 50
Water changes: 40% weekly

7 mollies (1 black, 1 balloon, 5 dalmations)
12 Neon Tetras
8 X-Ray Tetras
8 Emperor Tetras
8 Peppered cories
2 Dwarf Gouramis
2 Red Platies
1 Pleco (Yeah he'll eventually outgrow the tank, but there is a 125g in his future)

The current stocking is the mollies, the 8 neons, 3 each of the x-rays and emperors, the 8 zebras, and the rest.

[VoidParadigm]

I'd switch the Dwarf Gouramis for Honey Gouramis. However it is a big tank, so they would most likely be fine. Lots of territory.

And as long as you'll switch the pleco over, as you said you would, I see no real problem with the stocking plan.

[jaysee]

I think you'd be understocked.

One helpful hint for feeding gluttonous surface feeders is to put the food where the flter outflow is, which will distribute the food all over the tank, allowing everyone an opportunity to get some.

[robflanker]

You can always get a pleco thats not a common.

There are a lot of smaller plecos that would be fine in your tank

[sheamurai]

Another thing I do to get food past piggy topfeeders is to put the pinch of food below the water surface before I let go of it. I'll sprinkle some on the surface at one end of the tank, then sink a pinch at the other end.
I also saw at a fs where they would mix the food with water and add it with a teaspoon so it would sink to the bottom right away.