Does Anyone Have Experience With These Fish And Plants

I recently started researching fish care for my sister's fish but got really interested and now want to set up my own tank. I want small fish, probably 2 inches fully grown or smaller, and probably schooling fish. Is it okay to go by 1 inch of fish for 1 gallon? I have a 10 gallon tank but I want to give it to my sister's betta. So I'll probably purchase a bigger tank for my tank, depending on what size I need. Probably 30 gallon or bigger?

I'm not familiar on where to get fish from, is it "bad" or "wrong" to get fish from PetSmart or do many people do so? For example I'm also part of the small animal community and we urge people to adopt instead of supporting rodent mills and unethical breeds by purchasing from pet stores. For now I just researched small fish that I could easily buy from PetSmart, but I don't know which ones are the best with each other. I'm thinking maybe an aquarium with zebra danios and white cloud mountain minnows, it seems like they have very similar needs.

Does anyone have experience with Neon Tetras, Black Neon Tetras, Cardinal Tetras, Bloodfin Tetras, Glowlight Tetras, and Harlequin Rasboras? I don't think I'll keep any of these guys together with the Zebras and White Clouds because of the temperature difference but I haven't decided if I want to do a cooler tank with the Zebras and White Clouds or a warmer tank with 2 to 4 species of these fish.

Also, I think I'd want to do a planted tank. What do you think about Java Fern, Amazon Sword, Hornwort, Anubias, or Water Wisteria? I don't know which ones to get and what exactly they need (lights, CO2, plant food, etc.) Which substrate is best with these plants? Should I mix substrates?

 

For the fish, I would recommend 8 neon tetras, and if you want, you could have some shrimp. All the plants listed are easy and all you do is put them in the sand with light. I would recommend sand for plants. C02 is unessecary. You should get a good with lights made for plants. Happy buying.

 

The inch per gallon rule is basically bologna. I would get a 37 gallon tank ensemble and go with a school of tetras and maybe a gourami with a bn pleco

 

Unless you have very strict morals there isn't a bad or good place to buy fish from ( unless you are in the mega toxic betta fish community ). Unless you are doing the walstad method the substrate doesn't matter too much. It's just that some substrate is mega uglo *cough cough* neon gravel * cough cough *

whatever is in your profile they're cute

 

Keep the ten for the betta and get you a 30 gallon - this gives you space for all types of fish not just schooling. (To be honest I would pick one schooling fish type you like and build around that.) For a centerpiece fish you have more options in that size tank though I would avoid angels as they are a little difficult sometimes.
For a temperate tank you could do a centerpiece of dwarf gourami or honey gourami (two different types dwarf are slightly aggressive and get larger while honeys are more peaceful and stay smaller), a moderate tempered betta (though that may be a later attempt), or an apisto or ram cichlid. With them you could do a shoal of cories or kuhlI loaches (6-8 cories of albino, bronze, false juliI or similar temp ranges cories or 10-13 kuhlis they like more to their shoal/school and will hide with less hiring places or fewer than 4 kuhlis, there are several types but I like the pangio kuhli). For dither fish you have a good range, black neon, harliquins, glolight, and bloodfin are nice ones - a school of 6-8 of any of these should work with the above numbers.
For substrate sand is better for cories because most gravel can potentially harm their barbels, same for kuhlis (though they sometimes burrow in the substrate so something easy to get in and out of without scratching them is best). Break up the tank sight lines for the fish to allow them hiding places - the more hiding places the more often you see them and their natural behaviors.

Plants, the ones you listed so well in low to medium lighting without issue though wisteria can do its best in high light and the swords need root food (root tabs easiest here). The anubias and fern need to be tied to something or kept where their rhizome is not buried as it will slowly rot with it covered up (roots can be in substrate without issue, anubias is low care, fern would like a root tab - a good rule is to put one near the plant that needs it).

 

For the fish, I would recommend 8 neon tetras, and if you want, you could have some shrimp. All the plants listed are easy and all you do is put them in the sand with light. I would recommend sand for plants. C02 is unessecary. You should get a good with lights made for plants. Happy buying.

Okay thanks! I don't really want shrimp tbh. Can I put aquarium gravel over a layer of sand? And should I be looking for a certain # of watts for the lamp if I want to have live plants?

The inch per gallon rule is basically bologna. I would get a 37 gallon tank ensemble and go with a school of tetras and maybe a gourami with a bn pleco

Thanks! Do I need a bottom level fish or can I do with just too/middle or all level fish? I sort of like the otocinclus but I don't want a catfish or plecos.

Unless you have very strict morals there isn't a bad or good place to buy fish from ( unless you are in the mega toxic betta fish community ). Unless you are doing the walstad method the substrate doesn't matter too much. It's just that some substrate is mega uglo *cough cough* neon gravel * cough cough *

whatever is in your profile they're cute

Okay thanks! What is the walstad method? I want to use black sand or black gravel or both. Lol thank you, they're Campbell's hybrid dwarf hamsters.

Keep the ten for the betta and get you a 30 gallon - this gives you space for all types of fish not just schooling. (To be honest I would pick one schooling fish type you like and build around that.) For a centerpiece fish you have more options in that size tank though I would avoid angels as they are a little difficult sometimes.
For a temperate tank you could do a centerpiece of dwarf gourami or honey gourami (two different types dwarf are slightly aggressive and get larger while honeys are more peaceful and stay smaller), a moderate tempered betta (though that may be a later attempt), or an apisto or ram cichlid. With them you could do a shoal of cories or kuhlI loaches (6-8 cories of albino, bronze, false juliI or similar temp ranges cories or 10-13 kuhlis they like more to their shoal/school and will hide with less hiring places or fewer than 4 kuhlis, there are several types but I like the pangio kuhli). For dither fish you have a good range, black neon, harliquins, glolight, and bloodfin are nice ones - a school of 6-8 of any of these should work with the above numbers.
For substrate sand is better for cories because most gravel can potentially harm their barbels, same for kuhlis (though they sometimes burrow in the substrate so something easy to get in and out of without scratching them is best). Break up the tank sight lines for the fish to allow them hiding places - the more hiding places the more often you see them and their natural behaviors.

Plants, the ones you listed so well in low to medium lighting without issue though wisteria can do its best in high light and the swords need root food (root tabs easiest here). The anubias and fern need to be tied to something or kept where their rhizome is not buried as it will slowly rot with it covered up (roots can be in substrate without issue, anubias is low care, fern would like a root tab - a good rule is to put one near the plant that needs it).

That sounds a bit complicated. Is it necessary to have different level fish in a tank like this? For example, will not having bottom layer fish be detrimental or not ideal to my tank? How about keeping schools of multiple kinds of fish without a "centrepiece" fish? I don't think I've seen many gouramis at my local Petsmart and I don't know where I can go to get some. For the plants, should I be looking for a specific watt for the lights. So the Anubias and Java Feen can have their roots in the substrate but no more? Do I need a variety of plants? Thanks!

 

The Waksman method is just set a natural way if fish keeping where it all balances out like in nature. If you could get either any kind of sand or gravel I would always choose gravel. My vac sucks up sand all the time back when I hadn’t it in one of my tanks.

 

Okay thanks! I don't really want shrimp tbh. Can I put aquarium gravel over a layer of sand? And should I be looking for a certain # of watts for the lamp if I want to have live plants?



Thanks! Do I need a bottom level fish or can I do with just too/middle or all level fish? I sort of like the otocinclus but I don't want a catfish or plecos.



Okay thanks! What is the walstad method? I want to use black sand or black gravel or both. Lol thank you, they're Campbell's hybrid dwarf hamsters.



That sounds a bit complicated. Is it necessary to have different level fish in a tank like this? For example, will not having bottom layer fish be detrimental or not ideal to my tank? How about keeping schools of multiple kinds of fish without a "centrepiece" fish? I don't think I've seen many gouramis at my local Petsmart and I don't know where I can go to get some. For the plants, should I be looking for a specific watt for the lights. So the Anubias and Java Feen can have their roots in the substrate but no more? Do I need a variety of plants? Thanks!

Having too many middle swimmers will make them aggressive towards everyone because they don't have enough space, two schools at most (up to 8 fish per school) in this size tank.
The different levels also makes it looked better stocked as well as being able to see the fish playing around better (the cories will dash up to the top for air sometimes in a dart and the centerpiece you can see from a distance and is a fish that will interact with you unlike most schooling/shoaling fish. Very few, if any, commonly available schooling fish will greet you - guppies are not schooling fish.

 

The Waksman method is just set a natural way if fish keeping where it all balances out like in nature. If you could get either any kind of sand or gravel I would always choose gravel. My vac sucks up sand all the time back when I hadn’t it in one of my tanks.

Will gravel be okay for live plants? I originally wanted to do fabric plants with gravel but now I'm thinking of incorporating live plants into the tank. What kind of siphon should I buy?

Having too many middle swimmers will make them aggressive towards everyone because they don't have enough space, two schools at most (up to 8 fish per school) in this size tank.
The different levels also makes it looked better stocked as well as being able to see the fish playing around better (the cories will dash up to the top for air sometimes in a dart and the centerpiece you can see from a distance and is a fish that will interact with you unlike most schooling/shoaling fish. Very few, if any, commonly available schooling fish will greet you - guppies are not schooling fish.

Oh that makes sense, thank you! Are there any centrepiece fish that are good with temperatures for danios and the minnows? Same with bottom dwellers, I think I want a tank with a school of danios or minnows or both and some bottom layer fish and maybe a centrepiece fish. I don't really mind if they won't greet me I just want to watch small fish swimming around.

 

Will gravel be okay for live plants? I originally wanted to do fabric plants with gravel but now I'm thinking of incorporating live plants into the tank. What kind of siphon should I buy?



Oh that makes sense, thank you! Are there any centrepiece fish that are good with temperatures for danios and the minnows? Same with bottom dwellers, I think I want a tank with a school of danios or minnows or both and some bottom layer fish and maybe a centrepiece fish. I don't really mind if they won't greet me I just want to watch small fish swimming around.

The plants you listed before will be fine in gravel as well. Some other easy plants are Cryptocorynes, Rotala indica, Jungle vals, spiral vals. just stick them in the gravel and have a good light and they will grow. I'd suggest 1.5 - 2" of gravel to allow for good rooting.

 

I'm confused. You already have WCMM? Or you're getting them?

If you already have them, you need to look for cooler water fish. Bolivian Rams and Neons would be the best choices IMO. You could then add a shoal of cories (activity at all levels makes the tank more fun to watch, and funnily the cories will end up being your favorite fish) or a single small species pleco.

As for buying from petsmart or Petco - don't. Not because it's immoral, but because those stores don't tend to have the healthiest stock. You'd be better off supporting a small, local fish store that cares where they get their fish and doesn't sell diseased fish. You'll also be able to develop a relationship with a small local shop, whereas at Petco/PetSmart you will see a different kid in the fish department every week, and none of them will actually know much about fish.

I would suggest that you hang onto your 10 gallon for a while, and use it to quarantine new arrivals. Adding fish directly to your display tank can lead to disease outbreaks, and at least in a QT tank, if a fish does have a disease, it won't be killing off your existing healthy stock.

Edit: Also, if you do get cories, do not use gravel. Use sand. Cories are sand-sifters and will constantly be swallowing sand in the aquarium, shooting it out through their gills looking for food. Keeping them on gravel is the equivalent of keeping a mudskipper on gravel (a huge no-no).

 

You could get some kuhlI loaches, like 4-5

 

They love sand though

 

They love sand though

You're right

 

Watts for planted tanks is bunk.

This is a bit of a read, but I promise you if you want to keep plants for any extended amount of time this will help immensely:


Also, I really do not recommend gravel for plants. If you must have gravel, get a fine gravel closer to sand. Plants in gravel do not root easily and may float. Gravel is also heavy and plants have to work their way around it. Anubias cannot have its rhizome buried, so people almost always tie it to wood and rocks or other hardscape. The sword will need a root tab, and the others will do well with a liquid fertilizer

A little thing I wrote on fertilizers:
Info Before You Buy Flourish And Ferts In General

 

I have both regular and fake plants in my tank I also have colored rocks it's your tank your taste (red white black) I have

 

Will gravel be okay for live plants? I originally wanted to do fabric plants with gravel but now I'm thinking of incorporating live plants into the tank. What kind of siphon should I buy?



Oh that makes sense, thank you! Are there any centrepiece fish that are good with temperatures for danios and the minnows? Same with bottom dwellers, I think I want a tank with a school of danios or minnows or both and some bottom layer fish and maybe a centrepiece fish. I don't really mind if they won't greet me I just want to watch small fish swimming around.

Yeah gravel is good for plants. Most aquarium plants aren't too picky about what they are growing in. Any will do. But one with a large head part ( idk what its called ) so you can easily clean the scraps of food and droppings from the gravel. If you ever get a fish pool or a low tank get a vacuum that doesn't rely on gravity... a mistake I made...

 

The plants you listed before will be fine in gravel as well. Some other easy plants are Cryptocorynes, Rotala indica, Jungle vals, spiral vals. just stick them in the gravel and have a good light and they will grow. I'd suggest 1.5 - 2" of gravel to allow for good rooting.

Would it be better to use a mix of sand and gravel?

I'm confused. You already have WCMM? Or you're getting them?

If you already have them, you need to look for cooler water fish. Bolivian Rams and Neons would be the best choices IMO. You could then add a shoal of cories (activity at all levels makes the tank more fun to watch, and funnily the cories will end up being your favorite fish) or a single small species pleco.

As for buying from petsmart or Petco - don't. Not because it's immoral, but because those stores don't tend to have the healthiest stock. You'd be better off supporting a small, local fish store that cares where they get their fish and doesn't sell diseased fish. You'll also be able to develop a relationship with a small local shop, whereas at Petco/PetSmart you will see a different kid in the fish department every week, and none of them will actually know much about fish.

I would suggest that you hang onto your 10 gallon for a while, and use it to quarantine new arrivals. Adding fish directly to your display tank can lead to disease outbreaks, and at least in a QT tank, if a fish does have a disease, it won't be killing off your existing healthy stock.

Edit: Also, if you do get cories, do not use gravel. Use sand. Cories are sand-sifters and will constantly be swallowing sand in the aquarium, shooting it out through their gills looking for food. Keeping them on gravel is the equivalent of keeping a mudskipper on gravel (a huge no-no).

Nope, I haven't gotten any fish yet. I think I want to get White Clouds and Zebra Danios though. I don't really want a Pleco, how big do the cories get? Can they live in the same temperature as the White Clouds and Zebra Danios?

What do I do in a quarantine tank? Just watch them for a certain amount of time and if they seem healthy, add them in to the main tank? Will sand be okay for the live plants? If I don't want cories, what other bottom layer fish can live with white clouds and danios? Thanks!

Watts for planted tanks is bunk.

This is a bit of a read, but I promise you if you want to keep plants for any extended amount of time this will help immensely:
Lighting an Aquarium with PAR instead of Watts - The Planted Tank Forum

Also, I really do not recommend gravel for plants. If you must have gravel, get a fine gravel closer to sand. Plants in gravel do not root easily and may float. Gravel is also heavy and plants have to work their way around it. Anubias cannot have its rhizome buried, so people almost always tie it to wood and rocks or other hardscape. The sword will need a root tab, and the others will do well with a liquid fertilizer

A little thing I wrote on fertilizers:
Info Before You Buy Flourish And Ferts In General

Thanks, I'll read it! Would it be better to have sand on the bottom and gravel on top instead of all gravel?

 

When you have sand and gravel in a tank, things change over time. Eventually, the sands end up on top of the gravel no matter which went in first or if they are mixed. Heavy things sink, period. You could play around with separating areas using rock dividers and such. That is neat to see when first established. Have fun and be creative! You can always redecorate.
Planted tanks rock!

 

When you have sand and gravel in a tank, things change over time. Eventually, the sands end up on top of the gravel no matter which went in first or if they are mixed. Heavy things sink, period. You could play around with separating areas using rock dividers and such. That is neat to see when first established. Have fun and be creative! You can always redecorate.
Planted tanks rock!

Oh that makes sense, I didn't think of that. I guess I should just use sand then, it'll be better for the plants right? If I do not get cories I might just do a small gravel sections. Do you know if otocinclus can be in a tank with gravel? Thanks!

 

When you have sand and gravel in a tank, things change over time. Eventually, the sands end up on top of the gravel no matter which went in first or if they are mixed. Heavy things sink, period. You could play around with separating areas using rock dividers and such. That is neat to see when first established. Have fun and be creative! You can always redecorate.
Planted tanks rock!

Actually the sand will all sink to the bottom. Smaller grains move between the gravel and all of the gravel ends up on top eventually.

I've had plants on both sand and gravel. It doesn't matter which you choose for the plants. Many argue that gravel is better because it allows the nutrients to fall into the cracks to reach the plant roots, unlike sand where they will sit on top in the bacterial mulm. Free-floating nutrients in the water column will work either way.

Suga, most bottom dwelling fish should be kept on sand. Otos aren't true bottom dwellers, but I wouldn't recommend them for a beginner as they are very sensitive and often starve to death in aquaria due to improper care. They need a long-established aquarium with plenty of biofilm and natural algae and as such, I wouldn't add them to a tank that wasn't approximately a year old. Cories on the other hand are pretty hardy, most don't mind water in the low 70s and some are actually specially geared towards that temperature, and they will honestly make your tank very active and fun to watch. I didn't used to think I liked them much either, until I got some. Now I can't wait to get them again LOL.

 

Actually the sand will all sink to the bottom. Smaller grains move between the gravel and all of the gravel ends up on top eventually.

I've had plants on both sand and gravel. It doesn't matter which you choose for the plants. Many argue that gravel is better because it allows the nutrients to fall into the cracks to reach the plant roots, unlike sand where they will sit on top in the bacterial mulm. Free-floating nutrients in the water column will work either way.

Suga, most bottom dwelling fish should be kept on sand. Otos aren't true bottom dwellers, but I wouldn't recommend them for a beginner as they are very sensitive and often starve to death in aquaria due to improper care. They need a long-established aquarium with plenty of biofilm and natural algae and as such, I wouldn't add them to a tank that wasn't approximately a year old. Cories on the other hand are pretty hardy, most don't mind water in the low 70s and some are actually specially geared towards that temperature, and they will honestly make your tank very active and fun to watch. I didn't used to think I liked them much either, until I got some. Now I can't wait to get them again LOL.

Right, I just realized that you are right about the bigger grains and smaller grains lol! Same thing used when sifting gold. I also do this all the time with my hamsters, whenever I open a new jar of food and there's too many pellets on top and all the seeds are at the bottom I turn it upside down to shake it, so some of the seeds will move and I can get an even spoonful of food.

Thanks for letting me know about the otocinclus! Cories are pretty cute now that I have had a second look at them. How many should I get? Will a tank of cories, danios and/or minnows be fine? Should I be getting at least 6 of each kind? I'll use sand for the cories if it won't affect the plants. I'll have to do more research on centerpiece fish as originally I wanted a giant tank full of small fast fish and didn't even think of bigger/more colourful fish!

 

Otos are great, just tricky. They need natural algae and biofilm in order to survive. They will also be all over the tank, like most suckerfish, so there is that as well.

I would do at least 5 cories. Just pick ones that you like that get to about 2" and make sure that species is temperature compatible with your other fish. Most commonly found cories prefer cooler water, so you have a lot of options.

I think you can do 5-6 cories, a school of neon tetras, and a school of wcmm if you want to (I suggest two schools of mid-dwellers) and a centerpiece fish. Bolivian rams would be my choice There are some interesting cichlids from the African river systems that would also work, but they would be harder to find.

 

Otos are great, just tricky. They need natural algae and biofilm in order to survive. They will also be all over the tank, like most suckerfish, so there is that as well.

I would do at least 5 cories. Just pick ones that you like that get to about 2" and make sure that species is temperature compatible with your other fish. Most commonly found cories prefer cooler water, so you have a lot of options.

I think you can do 5-6 cories, a school of neon tetras, and a school of wcmm if you want to (I suggest two schools of mid-dwellers) and a centerpiece fish. Bolivian rams would be my choice There are some interesting cichlids from the African river systems that would also work, but they would be harder to find.

There are no local stores in my area and the only pet store that has fish at all is PetSmart and Big Al's. I'll check out Big Al's, since they are an aquarium store, not a general pet store like PetSmart, and all the cories at PetSmart seem to be 4 inches fully grown. How many is a "school"? Is there a minimum number? I was thinking maybe getting 6 to 10 and upgrading with more fish in the future if it goes well. So is the centerpiece fish supposed to be a top level fish? Bolivian Rams look very pretty! I'd probably have to search a bit to find one here though.

Can I incorporate zebra danios into this tank? I really like how they look. The fish lore website says Neon Tetras swim middle to bottom, Zebra Danios swim middle to top, and WCMM swim all over. Does that just mean that the minnows don't really have a specific region they like to be and swim every where? Is that too crowded in the middle to have all 3? Thanks!

 

Big Al's is actually supposed to be pretty good. They are a small local shop from what I know, though I do think they expanded and have more than one store now (good for them).

IME Neons are mostly in the middle. You can do zebra danios if you prefer though. WCMM are more all over, but should fill out the tank well enough. So then zebra danios, WCMM, and bolivian rams, with cories at the bottom. And most cories get 3-4". The smaller varieties aren't bottom dwellers, they are benthopelagic, and from what I remember they prefer to be in warmer waters.

 

Big Al's is actually supposed to be pretty good. They are a small local shop from what I know, though I do think they expanded and have more than one store now (good for them).

IME Neons are mostly in the middle. You can do zebra danios if you prefer though. WCMM are more all over, but should fill out the tank well enough. So then zebra danios, WCMM, and bolivian rams, with cories at the bottom. And most cories get 3-4". The smaller varieties aren't bottom dwellers, they are benthopelagic, and from what I remember they prefer to be in warmer waters.

I think it's a chain store, considering they're in the USA as well as Canada. But I like that they're an aquarium store rather than all pets. Would it be too much to have all 3 (Neons, Zebras, WCMM)? What other centerpiece fish are good in colder waters? I can't get anything shipped to me since everything would freeze on the way here. Would it be terrible not to get a centerpiece fish? I like the sound of one big colourful fish and a bunch of little schooling fish but I also like the idea of a big tank full of little schooling fish, even without a centerpiece.
Hm. I'll think about the cories then. It'd be nice to have a bottom layer fish just to even out the tank though. I'll probably get them anyways lol, 4 inches isn't that big of a deal.

 

In a 30 gallon tank you could do:

8-10 Pygmy corydoras (Corydoras pygmaeus) they get about 1” as adults. Maybe a little bigger.

8-skirt tetras (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) this would include Black,white, gold, and glo-skirt tetras. Same species different colors. They would all school together. They do get about 2-2.5” as adults.

10-12 harlequin rasboras (Trigonostigma heteromorpha) or 10-12 cherry barbs (Puntius titteya) they both get around 1” or so.

1-Male Powder Blue Dwarf Gourami (Trichogaster lalius) or 1M/1F pair of Honey Gouramis (Trichogaster chuna) They get about 3” but would be a good centerpiece fish. I loved my DG, but they can be aggressive. Depends on the fish. Honey’s are pretty peaceful. So would do very well in a community tank.

These would all be temp compatible at around 74-75F. You would have lots of movement and color in your tank. Your goal is to have fish in each section of your tank. With bottom, mid, and top dwellers. So they have enough space in their own sections. The gouramis are top dwellers, but will hang out wherever they want. So don’t really follow those rules.

With corydoras you do need to pay attention to your substrate. If you are doing plants I would suggest doing Eco-complete. It will be soft enough for the cories, and provide good nutrition for your plants. Or you can do regular sand for the cories and use tons of root tabs. That is what I do for mine. Their little barbels are sensitive to sharp rocks. So just be aware when choosing a substrate. Small rounded gravel is okay.

Also consider adding a couple mystery snails or nerite snails. They are quite entertaining and do help with keeping the tank clean.

Oh and the 1” per gallon rule, is not a great rule at all. In fact it is awful. There had been so much learned about fish needs since back when people recommended that. It is completely obsolete at this point. Although we still hear it quite a lot.

 

I can't help u with the plants, but I can help u with the stocking. Petsmart is fine as long as u look for disease and don't buy sick fish. There r dwarf cichlids that will get to 3 inches that can breed and do their own thing. U could also get dwarf rainbow fish, most tetras, some barbs, and some dwarf crayfish as well as livebearers such as guppies, platys, Molly's, etc

 

I can't help u with the plants, but I can help u with the stocking. Petsmart is fine as long as u look for disease and don't buy sick fish. There r dwarf cichlids that will get to 3 inches that can breed and do their own thing. U could also get dwarf rainbow fish, most tetras, some barbs, and some dwarf crayfish as well as livebearers such as guppies, platys, Molly's, etc

Live plants and crayfish don't mix.

 

Live plants and crayfish don't mix.

Depends on wuts species of crayfish, dwarves will typically not care, while normal sized ones such as fire red and blue ones will rip them out

 

AllieSten EcoComplete is actually really rough. It cuts up the mouths of my ricefish when they eat off it. I would never use it with a bottom dweller, especially a sand-sifting bottom dweller.

Also, pygmy cories don't really spend much time at the bottom. Neither do the other small species, though I did find by habrosus spent some time at the bottom. They also swam mid-tank though, often.

Suga I think that three mid-dwellers in this size tank will end up being too much. Especially without a centerpiece fish, the tank will look chaotic and disorganized. However, it's your choice, your tank. If you do neons as well as the danios and wcmm I would not get cories for the bottom.

 

In a 30 gallon tank you could do:

8-10 Pygmy corydoras (Corydoras pygmaeus) they get about 1” as adults. Maybe a little bigger.

8-skirt tetras (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) this would include Black,white, gold, and glo-skirt tetras. Same species different colors. They would all school together. They do get about 2-2.5” as adults.

10-12 harlequin rasboras (Trigonostigma heteromorpha) or 10-12 cherry barbs (Puntius titteya) they both get around 1” or so.

1-Male Powder Blue Dwarf Gourami (Trichogaster lalius) or 1M/1F pair of Honey Gouramis (Trichogaster chuna) They get about 3” but would be a good centerpiece fish. I loved my DG, but they can be aggressive. Depends on the fish. Honey’s are pretty peaceful. So would do very well in a community tank.

These would all be temp compatible at around 74-75F. You would have lots of movement and color in your tank. Your goal is to have fish in each section of your tank. With bottom, mid, and top dwellers. So they have enough space in their own sections. The gouramis are top dwellers, but will hang out wherever they want. So don’t really follow those rules.

With corydoras you do need to pay attention to your substrate. If you are doing plants I would suggest doing Eco-complete. It will be soft enough for the cories, and provide good nutrition for your plants. Or you can do regular sand for the cories and use tons of root tabs. That is what I do for mine. Their little barbels are sensitive to sharp rocks. So just be aware when choosing a substrate. Small rounded gravel is okay.

Also consider adding a couple mystery snails or nerite snails. They are quite entertaining and do help with keeping the tank clean.

Oh and the 1” per gallon rule, is not a great rule at all. In fact it is awful. There had been so much learned about fish needs since back when people recommended that. It is completely obsolete at this point. Although we still hear it quite a lot.

If you are wanting to research fish needs, one of the best resources is seriouslyfish. Lots of very good info. Highly trusted.

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm pretty much set on a colder tank but this was great info, for the future if I want to try a warmer tank with the rasboras, I really like them. Thanks for the website too!

I can't help u with the plants, but I can help u with the stocking. Petsmart is fine as long as u look for disease and don't buy sick fish. There r dwarf cichlids that will get to 3 inches that can breed and do their own thing. U could also get dwarf rainbow fish, most tetras, some barbs, and some dwarf crayfish as well as livebearers such as guppies, platys, Molly's, etc

Okay thanks!

Live plants and crayfish don't mix.

Depends on wuts species of crayfish, dwarves will typically not care, while normal sized ones such as fire red and blue ones will rip them out

I'll just stay away from crayfish for now, lol. I'm not knowledgeable enough and want to stick to basics.

AllieSten EcoComplete is actually really rough. It cuts up the mouths of my ricefish when they eat off it. I would never use it with a bottom dweller, especially a sand-sifting bottom dweller.

Also, pygmy cories don't really spend much time at the bottom. Neither do the other small species, though I did find by habrosus spent some time at the bottom. They also swam mid-tank though, often.

Suga I think that three mid-dwellers in this size tank will end up being too much. Especially without a centerpiece fish, the tank will look chaotic and disorganized. However, it's your choice, your tank. If you do neons as well as the danios and wcmm I would not get cories for the bottom.

Thank you! I'll just use sand and get the 4 inch cories. Will 3 mid dwellers be okay in a bigger tank? I haven't bought the tank yet so honestly I could get any size, I just don't want to over crowd the fish. I'd rather under stock than over stock, but I wanted at least a 30 gal, not opposed to bigger at all. So if it's a 30 gal and I want the neons, danios, and wcmm, you suggest no cories, but if I get a bigger tank will it be okay to get the cories? Are gouramis or platies a good choice for center piece fish and how many can I get?

 

A 40 breeder is my favorite tank size for larger tanks You could do three larger schools in there, and a group of rams or gudgeons or whatever else works. Gouramis would work and in a 40 breeder you could get a larger species than the DG (they are sometimes terrors to your other fish). You could also do a sizeable group of honey gouramis as a centerpiece.

If you can do the bigger tank, do. A 40 breeder is a great starter size. You will probably want a canister for filtration, and if you stock it slowly, shouldn't have any issues with ammonia.

 

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm pretty much set on a colder tank but this was great info, for the future if I want to try a warmer tank with the rasboras, I really like them. Thanks for the website too!



Okay thanks!




I'll just stay away from crayfish for now, lol. I'm not knowledgeable enough and want to stick to basics.



Thank you! I'll just use sand and get the 4 inch cories. Will 3 mid dwellers be okay in a bigger tank? I haven't bought the tank yet so honestly I could get any size, I just don't want to over crowd the fish. I'd rather under stock than over stock, but I wanted at least a 30 gal, not opposed to bigger at all. So if it's a 30 gal and I want the neons, danios, and wcmm, you suggest no cories, but if I get a bigger tank will it be okay to get the cories? Are gouramis or platies a good choice for center piece fish and how many can I get?

Make sure the copies are not warm water, some cool water are peppered, panda, and a couple others but I am scratching for names right now besides those two. If you go with a centerpiece fish and cories you will likely need to forgo one school.

 

There are several cooler-water species of Cory so I suggest the OP sees what's available nearby and then checks temp compatibility with the ones he/she likes.

Peppered cories would be nice though They are cuties!

Mcasella if the OP does the 40 breeder I think the three mid-dwellers, cories, and a centerpiece group is very doable.

 

I have both anubias nana and water wisteria, and I love them. I would definitely recommend water wisteria for a 30 gallon tank. I have it in my 29 gallon and my fish love it.

 

There are several cooler-water species of Cory so I suggest the OP sees what's available nearby and then checks temp compatibility with the ones he/she likes.

Peppered cories would be nice though They are cuties!

Mcasella if the OP does the 40 breeder I think the three mid-dwellers, cories, and a centerpiece group is very doable.

I was going with their planned 30, rather than a larger 40, which is a more appealing tank to the eye as well.

 

40 Breeders are the best tanks ;P LOL. Mine just has wild bettas in it, but I love it.

 

A 40 breeder is my favorite tank size for larger tanks You could do three larger schools in there, and a group of rams or gudgeons or whatever else works. Gouramis would work and in a 40 breeder you could get a larger species than the DG (they are sometimes terrors to your other fish). You could also do a sizeable group of honey gouramis as a centerpiece.

If you can do the bigger tank, do. A 40 breeder is a great starter size. You will probably want a canister for filtration, and if you stock it slowly, shouldn't have any issues with ammonia.

I can't find any center piece fish other than gouramis (no honey gouramis either) on PetSmart's website. But I don't want to rush this so I'm going to go to Big Al's when I have time to see if they have a larger selection of live fish, and try asking employees there about center piece fish too! When I quarantine the fish, should I do one species at a time? How slow is stocking slowly? One school, half a school, a few fish every __ days? Thanks!

Make sure the copies are not warm water, some cool water are peppered, panda, and a couple others but I am scratching for names right now besides those two. If you go with a centerpiece fish and cories you will likely need to forgo one school.

I will! I think if I get the 3 schools plus the cories and centerpiece fish I'll do at least 40 gallons.

There are several cooler-water species of Cory so I suggest the OP sees what's available nearby and then checks temp compatibility with the ones he/she likes.

Peppered cories would be nice though They are cuties!

Mcasella if the OP does the 40 breeder I think the three mid-dwellers, cories, and a centerpiece group is very doable.

I will definitely check!

I have both anubias nana and water wisteria, and I love them. I would definitely recommend water wisteria for a 30 gallon tank. I have it in my 29 gallon and my fish love it.

Okay thanks! Do you have any special care for your plants? I'm planning on sand and root tabs if needed, but I don't know what light to get.

 

I would do 5ish fish at a time max (since you're getting large schools, I think doing one at a time would be too much for your tank). QT them in a plastic tub with a small filter for about a month, then add them to the tank on the same day you get your next batch of fish (assuming all are healthy). If you have any disease outbreaks, it's better they happen in a QT tank where they won't introduce something to your existing healthy stock.

I would get the zebra danios first and add them right to the tank once it's set up, then a few weeks later, get whichever species you want to add next and add them to your QT tank. The zebra danios are hardy and can kickstart the nitrogen cycle in your tank. That way when you add new fish, you'll already have an established BB colony. You can also harvest a bit of sponge from your filter to cycle your QT tank.

For lights, see what they have at Big Al's. I'm sure they will have something that will work.

 

I would do 5ish fish at a time max (since you're getting large schools, I think doing one at a time would be too much for your tank). QT them in a plastic tub with a small filter for about a month, then add them to the tank on the same day you get your next batch of fish (assuming all are healthy). If you have any disease outbreaks, it's better they happen in a QT tank where they won't introduce something to your existing healthy stock.

I would get the zebra danios first and add them right to the tank once it's set up, then a few weeks later, get whichever species you want to add next and add them to your QT tank. The zebra danios are hardy and can kickstart the nitrogen cycle in your tank. That way when you add new fish, you'll already have an established BB colony. You can also harvest a bit of sponge from your filter to cycle your QT tank.

For lights, see what they have at Big Al's. I'm sure they will have something that will work.

Alright, thank you! So when I set up the tank, I'll plant all the live plants and run the filter(s), then I'll use something like Tetra Safe Start, then add the zebra danios in first. Can I just stick a small sponge filter in the main tank with the zebra danios, then just move it to the quarantine tank a few weeks later?