Advice on stocking 40 gallon

[saintanna]

hello i’ve started cycling a new 40 gallon tank and am doing some research on what i should stock it with. I was thinking an electric/german blue ram, some rummy nose tetras, false juli corys, and maybe a starlight bristle nose pleco. i know the corys and tetras need to be in groups but are the ram and pleco okay on their own? I haven’t personally kept any of those species except corys so any advice is appreciated.

i put my old filter on this new one plus loads of plants and some driftwood from a previous tank so the cycle shouldn’t take too long in my experience.

 

[BigManAquatics]

The ram and pleco are ok in their own, but the german blue rams usually do best at 82+ degrees so might need to find out about the other fish you want.

 

[SouthAmericanCichlids]

I've heard it said that rummynose tetras need a 6 ft. tank because they school directionally, I forget the specifics, but I believe I heard it from MacZ .

 

[saintanna]

I've heard it said that rummynose tetras need a 6 ft. tank because they school directionally, I forget the specifics, but I believe I heard it from MacZ .

oh i didn’t know that. my tank is only 3 ft long. i haven’t bought any of the fish yet

 

[SouthAmericanCichlids]

Here is what he had said when I asked him about it a while ago:

They are among the few actual schooling fish. As soon as they realise a tank is quite short and they have enough cover they start showing rather shoaling behaviour like other tetras, but at the same time they have higher stress levels as the school is dissolved. When you look at rummynose in a smaller tank in the morning before lights on, you can see they stay in a tight school overnight. Cardinals in contrast, that are known to shoal instead of school are really the opposite. Mine rarely school at all.



There are very few species in freshwater. Rummynose tetras (3 species), red-eye tetras, some bigger tetras like silver dollars and a dozen or so, mostly related rasboras. Many species are simply not easily obtainable in the trade, so not everyone knows of more than the tetras. I myself am sure I don't know all of them.

For rummynose about 1.5m is the least I would try to offer for a school of 30-40. 1m seems to be a bit cramped but for 20 it would be still acceptable. Everything below that is in my opinion too little. Sure, less is possible, but they should expect less optimal behavior.

 

[saintanna]

Here is what he had said when I asked him about it a while ago:

They are among the few actual schooling fish. As soon as they realise a tank is quite short and they have enough cover they start showing rather shoaling behaviour like other tetras, but at the same time they have higher stress levels as the school is dissolved. When you look at rummynose in a smaller tank in the morning before lights on, you can see they stay in a tight school overnight. Cardinals in contrast, that are known to shoal instead of school are really the opposite. Mine rarely school at all.



There are very few species in freshwater. Rummynose tetras (3 species), red-eye tetras, some bigger tetras like silver dollars and a dozen or so, mostly related rasboras. Many species are simply not easily obtainable in the trade, so not everyone knows of more than the tetras. I myself am sure I don't know all of them.

For rummynose about 1.5m is the least I would try to offer for a school of 30-40. 1m seems to be a bit cramped but for 20 it would be still acceptable. Everything below that is in my opinion too little. Sure, less is possible, but they should expect less optimal behavior.

hmm i’ll have to think about it. they’re probably the only tetra i like but idk if i’d want them to not have optimal conditions. my tank is just about 1 meter so it is the minimum he finds acceptable

 

[MacZ]

Here is what he had said when I asked him about it a while ago:

They are among the few actual schooling fish. As soon as they realise a tank is quite short and they have enough cover they start showing rather shoaling behaviour like other tetras, but at the same time they have higher stress levels as the school is dissolved. When you look at rummynose in a smaller tank in the morning before lights on, you can see they stay in a tight school overnight. Cardinals in contrast, that are known to shoal instead of school are really the opposite. Mine rarely school at all.

There are very few species in freshwater. Rummynose tetras (3 species), red-eye tetras, some bigger tetras like silver dollars and a dozen or so, mostly related rasboras. Many species are simply not easily obtainable in the trade, so not everyone knows of more than the tetras. I myself am sure I don't know all of them.

For rummynose about 1.5m is the least I would try to offer for a school of 30-40. 1m seems to be a bit cramped but for 20 it would be still acceptable. Everything below that is in my opinion too little. Sure, less is possible, but they should expect less optimal behavior.

Absolutely correct. And I have to admit, I myself don't know all the schooling rasboras either.

 

[ProudPapa]

hmm i’ll have to think about it. they’re probably the only tetra i like but idk if i’d want them to not have optimal conditions. my tank is just about 1 meter so it is the minimum he finds acceptable

I'm a big fan of serpae tetras. They'd do nicely in your tank, although not with the GBR, but not many fish like temperatures as high as they need.