Upgrading from 65L (tropical community) to 160L

[Samuel0110]

Hi guys I am upgrading from a 65L tank to a 160L tank. Currently in the 65L i have 8 guppies (they were born and raised in that tank) and 5 neon tetras.
I have researched and compiled a list of fish that i would like:
3 more neons
2 otos
3 pearl gourami
1 red tailed shark
2 clown loaches
1 peppermint pleco

any advice as to which order to introduce them, compatibility or other suggestions would be greats.

thanks

[ameliaaahx]

3 more neons
2 otos
3 pearl gourami
1 red tailed shark
2 clown loaches
1 peppermint pleco

Welcome to AC.

First of all, I think you have room for more than 8 neons and frankly with a school of only 8 they're going to be feeling pretty insecure. I would say 20 would be a good number -- at least.

Pearl Gourami are territorial, so the rule is one-per-tank.

Clown Loaches get far too big for a 160L tank, and also require a school. A suitable loach for your tank would be a school of 8 or so Dwarf Chain Loaches. They stay a suitable size and are a fantastic fish to keep, I have a school in a tank of a similar size to yours. Info here -- http://www.loaches.com/species-index...ia-sidthimunki
If you don't like the Dwarf Chains, cories are a good alternative for a bottom-dweller. They also require a school and 8 would be ideal. They come in many different varieties such as Bronze, Albino, Peppered, Panda, Sterbai and Julii to name a few. It is important to have a group which are all the same.

I would not recommend a Red-tailed Shark in a 160L tank. A Rainbow shark may be suitable, but you would have to nix the loaches or cories and the pleco too as he would claim the entire floor of the tank as it territory. I also think they would frighten the neons and possibly fight with the gourami. Sharks just don't make good community fish.

If you are going with a Pepperment Pleco I would probably suggest you nix the ottos, or get the ottos instead of the pleco.

So that would bring your stocking to:
- 20 Neon Tetras
- 8 Guppies
- 1 Pearl Gourami
- 8 Dwarf Chain Loaches OR 8 Sterbai Cories (or other variety, whichever you like best)
- 1 Pepperment Pleco OR 3 Ottos

[mizzoutank]

+10000 to the above.

my only exception to that suggestion is no gourami. I've had horrible luck with them. lol
and I would be concerned with the size of the gourami scaring your neons, but the neons being in a good school that size would help.
other than that, you'd have a killer set up with what ammeliaahx has suggested.

[~firefly~]

I agree with the above posts. The only additional suggestion I have is to keep Otos in much larger numbers. They are very sociable and in a tank that size I'd have 10-15 as they are small, and stay small.

[Lady Hobbs]

3 more neons
2 otos
3 pearl gourami
1 red tailed shark
2 clown loaches
1 peppermint pleco
_____________________
NO WAY! Why would you even consider a red tail shark with tiny neon's and otto's? It was suggested to go with ONE gourami and no loaches. Agree to that but also NO shark!

What you should be doing is getting the tank set up, making sure you have the proper filtration and starting the fishless cycle. That will give you 3 weeks to think of stocking. (Directions in my signature.) I would start a thread asking for suggestions of what would work rather than tossing out a bunch that will not?

That 17 gallon would make a good tank for a neon tank, too.

[steeler1]

+ 1 ad least to Lady Hobbs on the Red tailed shark! All those small fish will be harassed to death, if not at first but sometime down the line.

[talldutchie]

Hi guys I am upgrading from a 65L tank to a 160L tank. Currently in the 65L i have 8 guppies (they were born and raised in that tank) and 5 neon tetras.
I have researched and compiled a list of fish that i would like:
3 more neons
2 otos
3 pearl gourami
1 red tailed shark
2 clown loaches
1 peppermint pleco

A nice upgrade. Are you going to plant it? Use sand or gravel? Don't forget to transfer as much as possible filter media if at all possible. What's your water like?

3 neons. Good idea
2 otos. Bit low, but doable. Stock up some algae wafers, all too many of them starve.
pearl gourami. With care you could do a male/female pair. Otherwise dwarfs.
red taileds, I know it's a popular beginners fish but you don't have the space for one. It will grow, get grumpy and beat everyone up
As said, clown loaches is 12 inch/30cm of highly sociable fish, not a good plan.

peppermint pleco, that's Parancistrus nudiventris . Not the best idea, that's a very warm water fish. You'd need ot run at 26 sharp.

You got some options but that depends on your water and how you set up the tank.

If you plant, get some wood in, few rocks on sand you could do half a dozen bronze cories and a bristlneose for the bottom. Run a school of 12 neons and start thinking about a small apistogramma like cacatuoides for example.