Updated/Final Stocking List

[zackish]

Ok, after taking everyones input in the other thread and such I have made my final list because I think my tank is almost cycled. It has been only 9 days and I am at 0 ammonia, 2 nitrite and 40 nitrates.
Anyways, I am going for a 30 gal. planted tank with the following:
7 cardinal tetras
7 Harlequin Rasboras
1 honey gourami
3 oto-cats
3 panda corydoras
then some misc. inverts like shrimp and snails

Well that's it...for a final what do you think?

[SkarloeysMom]

If others say you can get a few more fish in there I'd add more to your panda shoal. I've hear they are happier in groups of at least 6. I can't get up to 6 but I'm going to try to go to 4 once I feel like things are going better in my 10g.

I wonder if the area of bottom of the tank has anything to do with the number of bottom feeders you can have in a tank. Like if you had a long tank could you get more bottom feeders in?? Hmmm, sorry, just wondering outloud.

[zackish]

I think the length of the tank in general is dependant on how many fish you can add because there is more area for them to swim around. I think surface area is greater than height to an extent.

[zackish]

Well I think I have updated it again to just one group of rasboras because I was talking to a kid at a new pet shop today which happened to be really good. he worked there and he had a lot of experience and me and him became pretty good friends in the hour we BS'd. Anyways, he said don't bother with the cardinals in because sometimes they get thim in from a really good company and only 4 of them still live out of 50. Taking in everyone elses thought I think I am going to go with one big group of rasboras then the rest of my list.

Also, is it ok to stock all the fish I plan on getting or close to all at once?

[gm72]

Once your tank is cycled you can start adding fish. I tend to take it easy and stock half at once then stock another few fish every week or two. That is probably conservative, but I do it this way to ease the stress on the fish and on the bioload.