Opinions on my stocking please?

**pckroeger** · 03-09-2013, 06:22 AM

I am almost complete cycling my tank without fish.

It is a 100L/26g tank, 66cmX39cmX39cm/26inX16inX16in.

Primary filtration is the external filter that came inbuilt into the tank hood, with a max output of 550L/145g per hour, with 350mL seachem matrix bio media and a load of filter foam.

Secondary filtration is a fluval u2 internal power filter, max output 400L/105g per hour; foam, polycarbon, and biomax filter cartridges.

Lighting is 2 X 13W white fluorescent tubes.

Substrate is 90% fine (0-1mm) natural sand substrate, 10% pea sized black gravel.

Tank Parameters are: 8.0 pH, Temp kept at roughly 26C/79F, KH/GH both around 6dH.

Planning a 30% water change per week.

I am planning to stock it with these fish:

15 X Neon Tetra
4 X Endler's Livebearers (1 male, 3 females)
6 X Three-lined Cory (3 male, 3 female, if possible)
1 X Honey Gourami
10 X Red Cherry Shrimp

I know there is a bit of a risk with the red cherry shrimp getting eaten, but I am hoping the other stock will be too small in the mouth to eat the adults, and I have a big bunch of java moss, floating hornwort, and amazon frogbit as well as other artificial plants which i hope will be enough cover for the baby shrimp if I cannot isolate them like I hope to. If the shrimp end up getting attacked I will move them to my quarantine tank and make that a shrimp only tank, and buy another quarantine tank.

Opinions and comments would be greatly appreciated :) thank you.

**genocidex** · 03-09-2013, 06:31 AM

Seems on the heavy stocked side. But with the filteration you have it seems like that wont be a huge issue. Im not sure if the honey gourami is dwarf or not (too tired for my memory to function) but either way i would nix it... Definatly if its not a dwarf.
On the other hand... The neons will find most of the rcs babies and enjoy the snack, the guppy fry will also munch them down... Dont count on many/any surviving babies. Also the neon will hunt down the endler fry so dont count on those breeding too well. Although with 3 females ull have 3 batches per month... Hope u have a home for the fry just incase.

Edit: didnt see u posted parameters. Ur ph might be high because ur dosing ammonia. What is it out of the tap? Temp is on the high end. Cooler temps are better imo, i like 75...

**talldutchie** · 03-09-2013, 06:43 AM

I think you're being overly pessimistic on the shrimp. With ample cover it is well possible to start a self sustaining population. Shrimplets are good at hiding and the neons will be busy with the endler fry.

Stockwise it's OK but that is fully stocked.

PH and GH is on the upper limit for this stock. I'd chuck in some leaf litter, most species will appreciate that.

**genocidex** · 03-09-2013, 06:49 AM

i wouldnt bother with tampering with the hardness at all. nearly all fish prefer and thrive in stable conditions. if your tap has the same ph and hardness as your tank you will be fine. just drip acclimate the fish, specially if they arent from lfs. if you start messing with the ph/hardness i promise you, either hard work or heart break will follow...

**talldutchie** · 03-09-2013, 06:53 AM

As you know I don't agree with that at all.

But, anyway, I'm not suggesting tinkering with the hardness and ph. Some leaf litter will have limited effect on the ph with that hardness. It will provide shelter for the shrimp, the cories will enjoy rummaging in it and everyone except the endlers will enjoy the tannins and other stuff released by it.

**Corvette73** · 04-02-2013, 12:45 AM

I would consider choosing cardinal tetras instead of neons. Even if everything is good in your tank they always die. Cardinals are by far better because they look the same but don't die

**ameliaaahx** · 04-02-2013, 01:09 AM

Cardinals have a higher bio-load than Neons so numbers would have to be reduced. Also, if Australia is anything like New Zealand in fish prices, cardinals are fricken expensive. Like $9 each, compared to $2 for neons. Cardinals are nicer looking tho..

I think that stocklist is fine, I had 40 or so neons in a 25g plus a bunch of kuhli loaches and it was fine. Although I would make it all male Endlers. If It was my tank personally tho I'd nix the endlers completely and just have 20 neons and the rest.

The Honey Gourami will be fine, they max out at 2" or less and are very docile (IME anyway). Mine never got past 1.5".

**madagascariensis** · 04-02-2013, 01:29 AM

+1 to Ameliaahx

not only do honey gouramis have proportionally tiny mouths, they themselves are tiny. I have a full grown male that is 1.5 inches long.
They also are alongside pearl gouramis the most peaceful species of gouramis.

**steeler1** · 04-02-2013, 01:35 AM

+1 to both Amelia and Madagascariensis (did I get it all that time LOL) all very good advice.

**talldutchie** · 04-02-2013, 05:24 AM

Originally Posted by Corvette73

I would consider choosing cardinal tetras instead of neons. Even if everything is good in your tank they always die. Cardinals are by far better because they look the same but don't die

Which says more about the kind of stock you get or perhaps your fishkeeping skills than it does about the species.

In other words, sorry my dear but that's plain nonsense.