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25 or 29 Gallon tank Stocking

1K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  thekoimaiden 
#1 ·
I got a new 25 or 29 gallon tank (I think) Which the dimensions are 30x19x11 3/4 (I think)
It came with a ton of gravel, a background, and 2 heaters. I think it would be wonderful to put it on our fish tank stand in the dining room and add my little Omelette to it....he LOVES big tanks and right now he's only in a 3 gallon tank. I just looove thinking of the possibilities of this new stinker xD
Anyway....I don't care much for neon tetras, though I wouldn't mind them. Any ideas? Omelette is mildly aggressive and he's eaten a ghost shrimp before, but I'd like to have lots of shrimp anyway. Would a colony of RCS be able to breed if the tank is heavily stocked with plants? How about guppies? Mollies? Platys?
I'm just so excited.
But the one thing I DO ABSOLUTELY WANT is a bunch of Otocinclus.
So what I want is.....
Otos
Nerites
Shrimp (which kinds should I buy??)
Guppies
Mollies
Black Kuhli Loach

Now, I know absolutely NOTHING about tropical fish. I just want simple fish that all they need is heaters, filters, plants, and decorations. I don't want to mess with anything complicated because I will just end up killing them ;_____________________________________________;

Anyway, you tell me your opinion.
 
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#2 ·
I'll post the things you want and tell you if it's good or not.
Otos- I think they're okay. I'm not really in to those. Betta Fish do get along.
Nerite Snail- Good as long as you have Algae.
Shrimp- Get the Big kinds like Amano or Cherry. Cherry not that big.
Guppies- Betta Fish would think they're other Betta Fish with their showy fins.
Mollies- Most of the time it doesn't work. May nip and schools of them.
Loach- I have never had experience with those. Sorry. :(
 
#3 ·
I love Otos so they might be the first things I add.
Nerites are fine for me! I don't mind algae on the side walls, but would algae pellets also work?
Shrimp.....Amano are crazy looking little buggers, so I might stick with RCS because I've wanted them since I was 7. But my betta seems to flare like crazy at anything red, so maybe just sticking with amano for me. But would ghost shrimp be ok?? I still love ghost shrimp :lol:
Guppies....So no to those? Because my crazy boy flares at anything that looks remotely like a betta.
That's ok if I can't have mollies....I'll get something else xD
It's ok if you don't know about loaches....I'll find out myself hehe
 
#4 ·
I think Algae Pellets are OK. As long as you see them eat it. You could try Ghost Shrimp. A lot of them. Nope, not guppies. Sorry. And hope the Loach is OK.
 
#5 ·
Well first things first: we need to know your local water hardness to tell whether or not all of these fish will be able to work in your tank. You can usually find this by looking for your local water quality report online. This is important because both oto catfish and black kuhlies (I have some and they're sooo neat) are wild caught fish, and they can't live in water that is too different from where they came. Mollies and guppies have requirements, too, but they are much less stringent.
 
#6 ·
All I know is that we have very hard water (When water evaporates from my tanks on hot days I always have a rough time scrubbing off hard water stains from the glass) and acidic water. The water isn't VERY acidic, just a bit... Well, that's what my dad says, so I assume it's correct? I'll see if I can test anyway.
From what I've learned is that Otos should be in groups of 6 or more, and I'm ok with that. I also learned that loaches get very shy and unhappy if they're not in groups of 4 or more. I'm not too big on that so is there any loach that will be ok singly? If not then forget about it.
And as someone above said (forgot who it was, sorry) a lot of ghost shrimp will be ok? How about a big group of cherries and a single ghost shrimp? Haha I like to be able to name every single pet I have xD
Thanks for your help!
 
#7 ·
ONE MORE THING:
How about Silver Hatchetfish?
Those things are the CUTEST. I don't know much about them though.
 
#8 ·
i have no idea about silver hatchet fish. actually i have no idea about a lot of those except bettas and snail xD my nerites seem to be eating just fine- there is algae and algae wafers galore xD also, snails appreciate some veggies once in awhile :)
 
#9 ·
Very hard water is going to be a problem with the loaches and the otos. They can't handle water with a dGH above 12. This is why the numbers found in your local water quality report are very important. Your water might not be as hard as you think it is. But if you do have very hard water, the guppies and mollies will love it.

As for grouping, I would do a school of 5 otos and a school of 7 loaches. Kuhlies will be very shy without a lot of other kuhlies around. Otos should also not be introduced to the tank until it has been running for about 6 months.

I think the hatchet fish might be a problem with the betta as they both like the top of the aquarium. The betta could see them as "invaders." But I'd wait for someone else's opinion before making a final decision.
 
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