Help Stocking A Freshwater Fully Planted&game Theme Tank??

[FluffyBunnySwagger]

I am not ready to stock yet just looking for ideas. My Fiance and I have a spare room for gaming only. We have 2 L shaped desks which are facing each other giving us "battlestations", and as a divider we have an empty 65 gallon tank with a 70-85 gallon tank filter. We are planning on doing a CS:GO theme with a dummy AK-47 dropped into the tank with the plants growing on/around it. Now the part we both need help with is stocking. We already know that we want schooling fish and cherry/electric blue shrimp, but other then that we are clueless. I would also like 1 fish to stick out and kinda be the centerpiece fish of the tank. Any suggestions are highly appreciated.
**We would like the fish to look natural but we are open to bright colors too**

 

[penguin02]

You could do a betta sorority. Then it would be like a minI battlefield They can be risky, but in a 65 gallon you might be okay. Just do an odd number of females. Maybe 9 or 11.

You’ll have to wait for others to help you with schooling fish, I’m not good with temp compatibility

 

[emmysjj]

For Betta Sorority’s, david1978

 

[david1978]

I have 16 bettas in a 75 gallon and it still is way understocked. For a center piece I have a pleco. Yea I know weird. Then glowlight tetras for schooling fish and emerald green cories for the bottom.

 

[Bradley Moles]

I have to see this tank, send a pic. You are the least boring person on this forum. The shrimp kind’ve limits what center piece fish you can have because those are very yummy snacks and also what school you want could limit what cebter fish you have. Could get an angel fish, some people love them, some people hate them. Could get a discus but they like to have a few friends and are quite espensive. My blood parrot is the star of the show in my tank, again some people love and some people hate their looks but they are arguably the most interesting fish with an impressive personality(they could get big and munch shrimp but would likely leave the school alone). I assume you are palinging it heavy with real and/or fake plants because they shrimp need this to thrive, and with the center fish need it to survive.

Side note suggestion: never done this but think it makes sense for your tank buy 50 cal casings and cure them in boilimg water then fill some with substrate and put a small plant in the casing. Could have a few of those staning up around the tank, and possibly laying down if you go with a grass or moss like plant. And could have some with nothing in it as a little shrimp home. Could use 20mm shells if you can find some cheap.

But yes, picture please.(I’ve got more to say but want your thoughts first)

 

[FluffyBunnySwagger]

You could do a betta sorority. Then it would be like a minI battlefield They can be risky, but in a 65 gallon you might be okay. Just do an odd number of females. Maybe 9 or 11.

You’ll have to wait for others to help you with schooling fish, I’m not good with temp compatibility

Thanks for the suggestion but we are really looking outside of betas. we already have a small sorority of 7 in my 55 and would like to try something else

 

[FluffyBunnySwagger]

I have to see this tank, send a pic. You are the least boring person on this forum. The shrimp kind’ve limits what center piece fish you can have because those are very yummy snacks and also what school you want could limit what cebter fish you have. Could get an angel fish, some people love them, some people hate them. Could get a discus but they like to have a few friends and are quite espensive. My blood parrot is the star of the show in my tank, again some people love and some people hate their looks but they are arguably the most interesting fish with an impressive personality(they could get big and munch shrimp but would likely leave the school alone). I assume you are palinging it heavy with real and/or fake plants because they shrimp need this to thrive, and with the center fish need it to survive.

Side note suggestion: never done this but think it makes sense for your tank buy 50 cal casings and cure them in boilimg water then fill some with substrate and put a small plant in the casing. Could have a few of those staning up around the tank, and possibly laying down if you go with a grass or moss like plant. And could have some with nothing in it as a little shrimp home. Could use 20mm shells if you can find some cheap.

But yes, picture please.(I’ve got more to say but want your thoughts first)

Will post a picture when I get the AK, just haven't ordered it yet because I had bills come out this check. The tank is going to be heavily planted for sure for the shrimp though. The shell casing idea is amazing, I can't believe I didn't think of that! I really would like discus but I'm not positive if I'm brave enough to order online. Right now we have a few of the plants and since the tank has been cycled for 3 weeks we put some Rosy Red minnows in so it wouldn't be so empty, but we are really liking the small fish in there. I'm trying to stay away from betas as we already have a sorority in the 55 but anything small and schooly would be great.

 

[Bradley Moles]

Will post a picture when I get the AK, just haven't ordered it yet because I had bills come out this check. The tank is going to be heavily planted for sure for the shrimp though. The shell casing idea is amazing, I can't believe I didn't think of that! I really would like discus but I'm not positive if I'm brave enough to order online. Right now we have a few of the plants and since the tank has been cycled for 3 weeks we put some Rosy Red minnows in so it wouldn't be so empty, but we are really liking the small fish in there. I'm trying to stay away from betas as we already have a sorority in the 55 but anything small and schooly would be great.

Any AK yet?