I'm Getting a New Tank and I Need Stocking Ideas

[AquaticQueen]

I am getting a new 29g tank on Thursday and I'M SO EXCITED!!!!! I've never had a tank larger than 10 gallons so this is a big thing for me. I hope I can go bigger in the future. Anyway, I need stocking ideas. I know I want a school of neon tetras and some male guppies. I am at a loss for the rest though. It is going to be a lightly planted tank with probably some anubias, java fern, Amazon sword, hornwort, and water wisteria. All pretty beginner-friendly plants but it's basically all my LFS sells and I don't really want to order plants. I also want some sort of shrimp. Not sure what kind though. The tank won't be set up until probably some time in January which is sad but also a good thing because I need get rid of one of the couches in my basement to make room for the tank. Ah, the things we do for our fish. Well, anyway, back to what this thread is mainly about. Does anybody have any suggestions for the stocking? Particularly, a centerpiece fish?

 

[A201]

Maybe look at a group of Diamond Tetras over Neons. For a centerpiece fish, a solo Electric Blue Acara. A group of Zebra Loaches for bottom feeders.
IMO, that would make a nice looking community.

 

[AquaticQueen]

Maybe look at a group of Diamond Tetras over Neons. For a centerpiece fish, a solo Electric Blue Acara. A group of Zebra Loaches for bottom feeders.
IMO, that would make a nice looking community.

Wow, that sounds really nice! I'll definitely consider those.

Maybe look at a group of Diamond Tetras over Neons. For a centerpiece fish, a solo Electric Blue Acara. A group of Zebra Loaches for bottom feeders.
IMO, that would make a nice looking community.

One question: Would the EBA be okay with a pH of 8.2?
Also, would the guppies get eaten?

 

[ProudPapa]

I'd suggest the school of tetras and a school of one of the smaller Corydoras species, and let the male guppies be your centerpiece. Neons wouldn't be my top choice, mostly because I have struggled with keeping them alive in my 8.2 pH water. Black neon tetras, lemon tetras, serpae tetras, and pristella tetras have all done very well.

I wouldn't add any other kinds of fish. The longer I keep fish the more I enjoy fewer kinds, with larger groups of each kind instead.

Just about any kind of shrimp should be fine, except caridinas. I like neocaradinas (red cherry shrimp and the other color varieties).

 

[A201]

EBA's can easily adapt to a PH of 8.2. Coincidently that is the same PH of my water.
Guppies would eventually end up as a snack.

 

[AquaticQueen]

I'd suggest the school of tetras and a school of one of the smaller Corydoras species, and let the male guppies be your centerpiece. Neons wouldn't be my top choice, mostly because I have struggled with keeping them alive in my 8.2 pH water. Black neon tetras, lemon tetras, serpae tetras, and pristella tetras have all done very well.

I wouldn't add any other kinds of fish. The longer I keep fish the more I enjoy fewer kinds, with larger groups of each kind instead.

Just about any kind of shrimp should be fine, except caridinas. I like neocaradinas (red cherry shrimp and the other color varieties).

Thanks for the suggestions!

EBA's can easily adapt to a PH of 8.2. Coincidently that is the same PH of my water.
Guppies would eventually end up as a snack.

I know cardinals aren't that much bigger than neons, but do you think they would get eaten as well?
Could I potentially get one gourami instead of the EBA? Would it be lonely be itself and would it eat guppies and neons/cardinals?

 

[LHAquatics]

You could also do a betta sorority. Or 8 Harlequin rasboras, 8 Corydoras, and a betta.

 

[ProudPapa]

Could I potentially get one gourami instead of the EBA? Would it be lonely be itself ...

It depends on what species of gourami you have in mind. If it's a dwarf gourami, yes, they almost have to be kept as singles to avoid aggression issues, but they are also often plagued with health issues that are much less frequent in other species.

If you mean honey gouramis, or almost any other species, they're social, and seem to do best in groups of at least three, preferably with a 2:1 F:M ratio (though that's not written in stone).

Again, some dwarf gouramis won't tolerate any other tank mates, while others don't seem to mind. Honey gouramis and pearl gouramis are generally pretty peaceful. Three-spot gouramis (blue, gold, and opaline) are generally less prone to aggression than dwarves, but more than honeys or pearls. I wouldn't put them in a 29 anyway, since they get fairly large.

 

[AquaticQueen]

It depends on what species of gourami you have in mind. If it's a dwarf gourami, yes, they almost have to be kept as singles to avoid aggression issues, but they are also often plagued with health issues that are much less frequent in other species.

If you mean honey gouramis, or almost any other species, they're social, and seem to do best in groups of at least three, preferably with a 2:1 F:M ratio (though that's not written in stone).

Again, some dwarf gouramis won't tolerate any other tank mates, while others don't seem to mind. Honey gouramis and pearl gouramis are generally pretty peaceful. Three-spot gouramis (blue, gold, and opaline) are generally less prone to aggression than dwarves, but more than honeys or pearls. I wouldn't put them in a 29 anyway, since they get fairly large.

I was referring to something like an opaline or gold gourami. I might try a dwarf gourami, but I won't really have a back-up tank in case it doesn't work so I guess we'll see.