Please help me stock my tank

Z

ZonaGirl

Small Fish
#1
Jun 2, 2004
45
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Tucson
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#1
Hi everybody,
I have a 45 gal tank that is cycling. I really want to do it right this time, because the last time I had the tank running, I did not do the fishless cycle, and it seemed like I was constantly cycling for the 2 years the tank was running.

Anyway, I am planning on fully planting the tank, but not until I save up enough $$ to upgrade my lighting.

I need some help with stocking the tank. I want friendly community fish, hopefully in a wide variety of colors. I'm also hoping to add a school of schooling fish - I love watching the schools swim around as if they were one entity.

I'm thinking of adding these types of fish, but I don't know how many of each, or if there is an assortment that would be better:
-baloon mollies
-julie cories
-guppies w/colorful tails (can't remember their exact name)
-ghost shrimp
-neon tetras


Thanks *SUNSMILE*
 

Smalltank3

Smalltank3

Large Fish
#2
Dec 23, 2005
961
4
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Wisconsin
#2
You can have this as a stocking plan:
20 Neon Tetras
6 Fancy Guppies(2 Male 4 Female) Don't worry they'll breed like heck)
6 Julii Cory Cats
For the shrimp doesn't really matter how many you get but I would say for a 45 gallon tank 15-20.
That is probably what I would do if I wanted those fish IMO.
Good Luck:)
 

FroggyFox

FroggyFox

Forum Manager
Moderator
#6
May 16, 2003
8,589
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Colorado
#6
Since you're interested in stocking using all smaller type schooling fish, I would suggest using the 1 inch of fish per gallon rule as a guideline. Count each guppy or molly as two inches (as they get about that big as adults) and count each neon as an inch. You could probably count 2 ghost shrimp as an inch. Count the julii as 2 inches each.

Using that, you can come up with your own plan, depending on how much you like each type of fish and what that fish likes. (for example the cories and neons both really need to be in a group...bigger group the better in their opinions)

With the guppies and the mollies, since they're both livebearers you want to try to get all males or be sure to have at least two females per male. (btw the ones with the fancy tails are usually just called 'fancy guppies'...still the same fish ;) )

So for example if you got a trio of guppies and a trio of mollies (1M & 2F of each) that is about 12 inches of the 45 inches you have available.

I'd suggest finding a pleco that will work for your tank, maybe a bristlenose? They get to about 5 inches or so.

Then get at least 6 cories...which is another 12 inches.

10 ghost shrimp would be less than 5 'inches'...

then you could still fit in a group of 10-12 neons.

The above is probably what I'd do using the list you gave. But...if I might suggest, the livebearers will quickly overpopulate your tank because, well, thats just what they tend to do when they dont have a checked population. You should debate what it is that you'd like to do with baby fish (find out if your stores will take them from you, set up another tank to grow them out in, feed them to another fish...etc) so that you have a plan. The other thing you could do is re-evaluate what you want in your tank. If you added a fish like zebra danios that are known for eating baby fish...chances are good that they will do a pretty good job of keeping the population down, its not a guarantee...but it works pretty well.
 

F

FishGeek

Elite Fish
#7
May 13, 2005
4,294
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South Carolina
#7
I agree with Froggy for the most part. This is how I would stock this tank with the fish that you have chosen:
3 Guppies (1 male, 2 female)
3 Balloon Mollies (1 male, 2 female)
5 Cories
5 Otos
11 Neons
I dont feel that Ghost Shrimp are worth trying to keep. They are pretty touchy and although I had some success and I know that others have too, it only lasts for a few months and then they die. If you are set on shrimp then I suggest going with something like a Bamboo Shrimp, Cherry Shrimp, or Amano Shrimp. They seem to be little more hardy than Ghost Shrimp.
 

Z

ZonaGirl

Small Fish
#8
Jun 2, 2004
45
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0
Tucson
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#8
Hmmmnn.... I didn't think about the guppies and/or mollies overpopulating the tank. The last time I had the tank running, I had a bunch of mollies, and only 2 babies made it to adult-ish size. Maybe that was caused by the ammonia problem that I had (due to not cycling beforehand)?

If I take out lievebarers, I don't know what to replace them with. Any suggestions?
 

F

FishGeek

Elite Fish
#9
May 13, 2005
4,294
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South Carolina
#9
If you tak out the livebearers Id do this:
1 either Dwarf Gourami, Killiefish, or something of that nature
1 Angelfish
5 Otos
7 Cories
13 Neons
The larger fish will help the Neons stay together more.
 

T

tessalion

Large Fish
#10
Jun 4, 2006
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#10
I know they weren't on your original list but I would suggest getting some danios. I have 6 in my tank (2 zebra, 4 gold) and they are extremely hyper playful fish that don't take up too much room.
 

Pure

Pure

Elite Fish
#13
Nov 1, 2005
3,216
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Jacksonville, FL
#13
Since you want to actually see a school I would drop the zebras and put an angel or 2 in there. Schooling fish once settled in to a tank do not school unless they feel threatened.

In a tank that large even the danios wile will be busy zipping around the tank will not often exhibit the behavior you are looking for.
 

Likes: FishGeek
Pure

Pure

Elite Fish
#15
Nov 1, 2005
3,216
7
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Jacksonville, FL
#15
It's a gamble. Some say they do not if you raise them together. But there is normally an answer to most problems in our tanks. My answer to this was to put a super veil angel in the tank. His long flowing fins slow him down enough that the tetras could easily get away from him. Yet it kept the tetras in a very tight school in fear of their lives. :D
 

Zman16

Zman16

Large Fish
#18
Aug 1, 2005
865
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#18
Pure said:
My answer to this was to put a super veil angel in the tank. His long flowing fins slow him down enough that the tetras could easily get away from him. Yet it kept the tetras in a very tight school in fear of their lives. :D
Click to expand...
I never would have thought of that. *thumbsups

ZonaGirl said:
Now that just seems mean!!

I'd rather have happy fish, than fish that swim in a cool school for fear of their lives!
Click to expand...
Hey, fear keeps Everything alive. Might sound bad, but its so very true :D
 

Pure

Pure

Elite Fish
#19
Nov 1, 2005
3,216
7
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Jacksonville, FL
#19
Just as I am afraid to jump offa a cliff. Also if it helps tetras are not one of the brightest fish in the world. Their instinct to school is out of fear and is what they most often do in the wild. It's only after we remove them from the wild that they loose this fear and thus stop schooling.

In my 75 I use a super veil angel to keep the green fires in a school and in my 40 The discus do a good job with the rummy nose.
 

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