Meenu

An update on my tank:

My 30 gallon tank (which should be done cycling soon, as I am on day 9 after the Tetra SafeStart) has 6 danios and 3 male guppies. The fish all seem very healthy and happy. I am no longer having this bully danio issue, since I added the additional fish.

It's a longer, shorter tank, 12 inches tall. I've also got a new canister filter (it's a Fluval 205 - I'm taking back the Penguin 200), and I have the old media in the tank currently, so that I don't lose the bacteria.

I thank you all so much for getting me to this point. My tank would have been a disaster without you guys!

So I'm thinking about how to complete my tank. I was thinking of perhaps 8 neon or cardinal tetras and a dwarf guarami, which would bring my count to 18 fish total, slightly overstocked. But then I was reading about the tetras, and I am worried about being able to keep them alive. So then I was thinking of swordtails, but I don't know if they are compatible with my danios and guppies.

Any advice?

DrGueedo

Well have you been thinking of where the fish stand in the tank? top, middle bottom? It might help you make a choice. Cause so far i see lots of top and middle but no bottom? You could go with cory there a hardy bunch and look really good in a small school?

AlyeskaGirl

I agree, you need a group of cute Corys to add to the bottom and you could still add a DG. Corys are active, always lookin for scraps. Just keep up on your water changes, gravel vacs and things should be fine.

DrGueedo

One of mine loves to sit still on a plant and have his top fin out of the water...i find it odd but cute if he's happy who am i to bother him?

Meenu

I thought neons were bottom to middle range, that's part of the reason I was liking them, but then I read about the difficulties with them.

Diggly

I agree with corys! and maybe a few more male guppys?

I also think a midget species of pleco would look cool as part of your clean up crew though I am biased!

DrGueedo

In my experience neon are more middle to top (but more middle then anything else) And im also biased with cory :P

Meenu

Okay, I'll definitely have to consider cories. I was avoiding them, as I wanted more colorful fish, but they seem very popular.

Also, my danios and guppies hang at the top of the tank and equally at the bottom, but the middle is empty. I don't know if that makes a difference.

Are there any more colorful bottom-dwelling fish?

I'm not sure how I feel about the danios. I've considered getting rid of them (not by flushing, but by posting on craigslist to see if anyone would want them for free). They chase around the guppies, and I don't know if they are playing or being aggressive.

If I get the cories and keep the danios, will this work?
6 danios
3 male guppies
6 corydoras

and either 2-3 more male guppies OR a sword or two?

Too much of a bioload?
And should I be considering more middle-dwellers?

DrGueedo

Cory can come in many color. Try looking the panda spiecie there beige with black stripe there small usually but there really cute.

Diggly

cories come in a variety of types. I have panda cories which look like: http://www.livefishdirect.com/images...nda%20cory.jpg (not my cory!) and he certainly isnt dull coloured! But then I am biased .

not sure about the bioload I would think 3 more male guppys would be fine but dont take my word I am still learning .


Edit Drgueedo stop stealing my thoughts!

thorpbrian

I have 6 albino corydoras that I just added yesterday to my 20 gal. I went with the albino species because I like how they look. They're already my favorite species in my 20 gallon tropical.

Meenu

Okay, I just went to a LFS that tends to have good prices, and the corys are 6-7 bucks each! I can't afford to buy 6 of them - any other suggestions?

Diggly

I suggest shopping around, some lfs do deals and corys will help keep your tank healthy by eating uneaten food etc which helps keep the water quality high. If you cant afford them all at once save up for a bit - you really wont regret it.

Other bottom dwellers such as the kuhli loach are mainly nocturnal so you wont get to enjoy them during the day but they will clean up during night, or maybe some shrimps.

just make sure you research so you dont end up with fish that are too big!!

Meenu

Okay, thanks. I think the loaches are too big. I hadn't even planned on doing bottom feeders until I posted this and got the responses I did. never even considered that the tank actually needed them.

DrGueedo

Well you dont NEED them its just makes it that much easier for keeping your tank clean (plus there cute )

Diggly

I agree you dont really "need" them but if you do overfeed you dont have to worry about rotting food upsetting your water and they dig around which helps it stay clean