jpwoo

Hello all,

I'm getting close to having my new 20g tank cycled, maybe another week or two to be safe. But it is time to start thinking about stocking.

My plan is to have 6 albino Corys, and a school of 6 or neons or zebra dainos (or black tetras I don't know yet on those guys)

When I go to start adding fish, is there a particular order I should add them in? should I establish one school first, and then the other? Alternate? Put them all in at once in a no holds death match?

Should I add the fish 2 at a time, or can you get away with 3?

Thanks in advance for the help.

redlessi

Welcome to the forum!!!! Once you have your stocking figured out than you can determine how to add the fish. I would definitely not add all at once, maybe 3 at a time at most. The least aggressive fish first and about 3 more after a week or two to give the filtration a chance to catch up to the additional bioload. I am sure others will come along and coment as well. Good Luck

jdhef

I would just add a max of 3 at a time, and I would add tertras or danios, before working on adding the cories.

Also, wait two weeks between each group of three fish, so your bacteria doesn't become overwhelmed. Especially if you go with the tetra's, since they can be pretty sensitive to water conditions.

Blub

3 Fish at a time should work for you in a new tank (I'm talking under a year old) - although the things you can get away with in really well established tanks can be pretty impressive.

As for order I'd go with danios first, then corys. In my experience corys are fairly sensitive.

Black Phantom/Neon/Skirt Tetras (I'm not entirely sure which species you mean) should work well - they are all pretty easy, peaceful species

jpwoo

So I have worked my tank up to 6 black Phantom Tetra. Three boys three girls. I put them in three at a time in two batches over a few weeks. There was a slight amonia jump, but my tank is back to normal 0-0-10 for a few days now. The Phantoms seem to be doing well with the exception of one of them, who just hides under the filter and looks generally unwell. I made the mistake of getting the second group of three from a tank where the fish didn't look their best, kind of greyish and haggard. They seem to be making a recovery. I will be more picky next time. If the sickish one doesn't make it, (I'm no fish doctor) would I be better off getting another Female to takes its place?

Now reading on Cories they seem to be rather sensitive, particularly the smaller varieties. Should I wait longer before adding them, give the tank some more time to establish itself?

I have been looking at the smaller corys to avoid overstocking, but i think I want to skip the pygmies as they are described as middle tank, and the phantoms seem to do that well already, I would like some more bottom type fish.

the Panda's are cute and small, but the forums here suggest they are trouble. Is there a hardy cory at less than two inches?

Thanks again for your time.

Jaysee

Aside from pandas, you could look at peppered corys, which come in the regular and albino forms. Most albinos are bronze corys, though you can find the others on aquabid.com.

There are a few variety of pygmy corys, and at least one of them does in fact swim around the middle of the tank. I've heard them called tetra corys for this reason. Also, the pygmy varieties REALLY do best in larger numbers, as in 10+. I think you are wise to avoid them.

I know it's hard, but if ANY of the fish in the tank look bad - don't buy!

jdhef

I have some Panda cories and they have been pretty hardy. I think as long as you keep up on your water changes you will be fine with them.