How crazy are these stocking ideas?

[missmichelle]

Hokay, so...

Due to an overindulgence in Multi-Tank Syndrome, I've ended up with more small tanks than I'd like to have in an apartment. So, I'm attempting to consolidate 6 small tanks into 2 larger and one small tank. I'm looking for advice on the compatibility of the fishes listed. I already own most of these fish, and some of the random ones were rescues from various places.

I used Aqadvisor to check filtration and I'm good on that, and I'm diligent about water changes and making sure the fishes are all accounted for and healthy every day. The only real compatibility warnings I got on Aqadvisor were about the Caudopunk being aggressive (but she's actually a total chicken), and the dwarf puffer wanting to eat Amano shrimps.

I have one female Betta who is VERY large and highly aggressive, and she has her own 4 gallon. I am certain she would not be community friendly, as she frequently tries to kill fingers.

The other two planned tanks are:

15 Gallon Column:
1 Male Dwarf Gourami
6 Neon Tetras (currently own 4, bigger school for more safe feeling for them)
3 Amano Shrimps
2 Zebra Nerite Snails
And the wildcard:
One very very small female Betta. She is full grown at barely 2 inches nose to tail tip (can't even eat a full size betta pellet, she eats micro-pellets). She was raised from a fingernail-size fry with Amanos and Ghost Shrimp, Nerite Snails, and African Dwarf Frogs with no aggression problems. My LFS keeps a Betta in almost every community tank they have in the store just for show, and it seems to work out decently.

20 Gallon Long:
4 Harlequin Rasboras
4 Rummy Nose Tetras (not yet owned)
3 Otocinclus (currently own one)
2 JuliI Corys (currently own one)
And the wildcards:
One female Caudopunctatus. She is highly docile, and currently gets chased around by the dwarf gouramI most of the time. Only chases Neon Tetras away when they try to get in her cave, but has never actually nipped at anything.
One juvenile dwarf/pea puffer, gender unknown (still too young). Tried to eat an Amano shrimp's leg once because it looked like a worm, but has been ok with Otos and other algae fish types.

Alright... now how crazy are these ideas?

 

[shelleyd2008]

I would skip the gourami/betta combo since they are the same type of fish (anabantoid/labarynth fish), both semi-aggressive to aggressive, and both inhabit the same area of the tank.

From what I can tell, your 20-long would need bigger/better schools. I believe the otos are okay in groups of 3, but the rasboras, tetras, and corys should have groups of at least 6. From what I've read of the Caudopunctatus, the females are not very aggressive unless they are protecting eggs/fry, so I think she'd be okay. The puffer should be in a species-only tank since they can get nippy/try to eat their tank mates, but you can always try it and see.

Other than the sizes of your schools for the 20, I don't think the fish mentioned would be a bad mix. Just watch the puffer in the 20 and please don't put the betta with the gourami!

 

[missmichelle]

Thank you so much!

I checked Aqadvisor, and I could up the rasboras' and tetras' school to 6 and still have plenty of filtration (I have 2 filters, one for each end of the long tank). I was only going to get another juliI because I currently have an "adopted" one, and feel like it needs at LEAST one companion; adding more than 2 brings the filtration to a manageable-but-not-great level. Could potentially do 3 ok though. Definitely will add the puffer last and watch it veeerrryyyy carefully.

As for the gourami/betta, she is literally the size of a small guppy. Even the Amano shrimp are all bigger than her. Do you think she would take on a rather large male Gourami, or are you saying the aggression would be more on the Gourami's part? Could it be something I could attempt but also watch carefully? That column tank has very divided sight lines with plants and a large wood piece up the center.

 

[MJDuti]

How tall is the column tank? I ask because of the African Dwarf Frogs (ADFs), they need to go up to the surface for air every once in awhile and are not the best swimmers, hence shorter tanks are better for them. However they will Sprint to the top and back down again. They may also be stressed by all the other fish and will have a hard time getting any food unless you spot-feed them while the others are eating maybe.

I will also agree with ShelleyD about the betta. Even if they do get along, which is possible (not likely with the gouramI though), they are also not the quickest swimmers and may not get as much food before the savages and may also be stressed (possibly fin nips, but unlikely with anything other than the gourami). how's that for a run-on sentence?

If you can manage 1 more small tank, I did have my betta with my ADF in a small tank. They were fine together.

As far as the other tank goes, 20G long gives you lots of options, but definitely do not put the dwarf puffer in there. They look all cute and innocent but I have NEVER read or seen them in a community tank that worked. Once again, if you can manage a small tank and want to do it, you can get a few of these guys and put them together, as long as there are visual divides and you have snails for them. My suggestion is to up the cories, with a school of 5 or 6 they will be the most entertaining fish you'll have in there.

 

[missmichelle]

I actually don't have the ADFs anymore, one I got from the local Petco ended up being sick on arrival, and the one healthy one escaped through the feeding hole and got eaten by the dog :-( They were kept with the small female betta in a 5 gallon. So no worries on the column!

I've been doing a LOT of Googling on the Gourami/Betta combination, and it seems like people rarely have success with a male Betta and a male GouramI (duh!) but nearly always are fine with a female Betta and male Gourami. For feeding, the only fast fish to compete with in that tank would be the neon tetras, the GouramI is slow too. I can definitely make sure she eats enough. I like to watch each tank as they eat to make sure they all get some anyway

I have a one bedroom apartment, in which I only had 3 small tanks until my boyfriend moved in for the summer, and now there are 6! Just too many for that little living room, so I really want to get it down to 3, and I KNOW his Betta is not docile. She's very fun, but very violent, and needs her own space.

 

[tropicalfishlover]

IMO I don't think that the DG and betta combo will work and I'm sorry about you frogs.

 

[Corine]

Why not put the two female bettas in a divided tank? =] Are any of your extra tanks a ten gallon?

 

[Shine]

Personally I'd be more worried about the puffer in a community set up then the female betta and d.g. Yeah that one could be a problem, but I have seen dwarf puffers in with cories before (not mine) and none of the cories had tails left

 

[shelleyd2008]

Thank you so much!

I checked Aqadvisor, and I could up the rasboras' and tetras' school to 6 and still have plenty of filtration (I have 2 filters, one for each end of the long tank). I was only going to get another juliI because I currently have an "adopted" one, and feel like it needs at LEAST one companion; adding more than 2 brings the filtration to a manageable-but-not-great level. Could potentially do 3 ok though. Definitely will add the puffer last and watch it veeerrryyyy carefully.

As for the gourami/betta, she is literally the size of a small guppy. Even the Amano shrimp are all bigger than her. Do you think she would take on a rather large male Gourami, or are you saying the aggression would be more on the Gourami's part? Could it be something I could attempt but also watch carefully? That column tank has very divided sight lines with plants and a large wood piece up the center.

It could go either way. They are both aggressive/semi-aggressive species and would both occupy the same space. You could try it but be ready to remove one or the other if necessary.