# Hypothetical Stocking Plan (:



## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

My LPS has a Fluval 26 Gallon Bowfront Tank kit.  I was making little stocking plans 'just encase' I ever buy it. :lol: I'd want to make it a NPT.

Here are the plans:
1. -5 Female Betta
-6 Palateus Corydoras
-10 Rummynose Tetra
-1 Nerite Snail

aqadvisor said it was over100% stocking level.  

2. -16 Female Bettas

3. -1 Male Betta
-3 Female Platies
-10 Neon Tetras
-1 Mystery Snail

4. RCS Colony. 

5. -20 odd ramshorn snails to breed xD

Is there anything else I 'could' do? Is there any coldwater options? :lol:


----------



## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

MaisyDawgThirteen said:


> My LPS has a Fluval 26 Gallon Bowfront Tank kit.


i didn't know they came that big!





> Here are the plans:
> 1. -5 Female Betta
> -6 Palateus Corydoras
> -10 Rummynose Tetra
> ...


 even with a second filter? 

try:

1 male Betta
-6 Palateus Corydoras
-8 Rummynose Tetra
-1 Nerite Snail


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

For the rummynose plan I would remove the female betta and add more rummynose. They are one of the most tightly schooling tetra found in the hobby and really do best in groups of 10 or more. Read more: TFK profile for Rummy Nose Tetra (Hemigrammus bleheri). If you wanted a single centerpiece fish you could go for a dwarf gourami or thicklips gourami. If I remember correctly your water is medium hard, and all of these species should do fine it it. 

For temperate (most of the fish aren't true coldwater species, but in fact come from temperate regions) you could probably white cloud minnows (read more: TFK profile for White Cloud Mountain Minnows (Tanichthys albonubes)) if your tank is longer than 24" (also a requirement for the rummynose).

A note about AqAdvisor. It is a tool, not a rule. I use it to figure out the best pH, hardness, and water temps for fish. For the more advanced fishkeeper, you can fudge with the stocking levels a little bit.


----------



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

White cloud mountain minnows + hillstream loach for coolwater! Hillstream loach require x2 filtration due to high oxygen needs, as do most coolwater fish. 
I want to do that for my next tank. WCM have amazing displays. Are WCM the ones sold as feeders? 
Also, a male paradise fish with hillstream loach would be nice. Paradise fish show their best colours in coolwater.


----------



## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

What about a pair of dwarf gouramis (male/female), 12 rummynoses, and 6 Cories with a Snail? Or (like registereduser suggested) do 1 male betta, 6 cories, and 12 rummynoses with a snail?
The ones sold as feeders are rosy red/fathead minnows. 
I don't really like paradise fish or hillstream loaches. D:
What about dojo loaches with celestial pearl danios/WCMM?


----------



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

MaisyDawgThirteen said:


> What about a pair of dwarf gouramis (male/female), 12 rummynoses, and 6 Cories with a Snail? Or (like registereduser suggested) do 1 male betta, 6 cories, and 12 rummynoses with a snail?
> The ones sold as feeders are rosy red/fathead minnows.
> I don't really like paradise fish or hillstream loaches. D:
> What about dojo loaches with celestial pearl danios/WCMM?


Female dwarf gourami almost never appear in stores, I doubt you'd find one. They are pretty dull. You'd probably be restricted a male. Remember, never keep two male gourami together (unless they are in a very large tank). 
A honey gourami would probably work, they are less prone to chasing than dwarfs, and females might be easier to find. Or one male would look stunning- they even have honey gourami that are red if that's what you are looking for. 

Note; I was looking into H. bleheri, they may be called firehead tetra in stores. However, be careful as these get mixed up. You want the ones that have their entire heads red (like thekoimaiden posted), the ones with just red on their noses are a different species, wild caught and needing soft water. The link koimaiden posted has a photo to help you distinguish species. I believe P. georgiae is the one you want to avoid, as they are mostly wild caught still.

Edit; avoid the dojo loach as they can exceed 10 inches. I can't think of any other coolwater loach for you atm...
Also, most celestial danios are wild caught and do best in a hardness of under 6gH, which you don't have if you have medium hard water (this fact broke my heart, too).


----------



## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

What is your water like, Maisy?


----------



## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

Erm, idk. D: I think it's hard. That would mean tetras would be out of the question, right? What about cories. 

Boy I wish I could have this tank!!!

Edit: Moonlight Gourami? What size tank do they need? And Pink Kissing Gourami?


----------



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

There a few tetra that do well in harder water... X-ray comes to mind.
Moonlight gourami, I think you could manage one.
Kissing gourami, no, too big.


----------



## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

Don't kissing gourami need 55 gallon?


----------



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Yea, they can get 25cm.. That's almost a foot, maybe around 11", my conversions suck. 

Moonlight gourami stay small enough for you, they are cute!


----------



## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Kissing gourami have never attracted me, I have to say. They look kind of naked, being all pink like that. Moonlight gouramis are purdy.


----------



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Looking through, I think you only have room for a single moonlight gourami anyways. 
They are also pretty skittish, I remember you saying your rasbora annoy you because they are skittish. 
A lone dwarf or honey would be a more outgoing option.

lol, naked kissing gourami. They have plain silver ones too. I like the way their mouth moves


----------



## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

My rasboras are just . . . UGH!!!! xD They hide all day long and as soon as I walk away they come out.  Moonlight gouramis might not be good for me then . . . Opaline Gourami?


----------



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Nope!  They need lot'sa room too.
You're pretty much limited to dwarf, honey, T. vittata, T. pumila, T. fasciata, or T. labiosa. All these species are pretty similar and probably get mixed up names in pet shops.
Profiles included. 
Croaking gourami (Trichopsis vittata) - Seriously Fish
Sparkling Gourami (Trichopsis pumila) - Seriously Fish
Banded Gourami (Trichogaster fasciata) - Seriously Fish
Thick-lipped Gourami (Trichogaster labiosa) - Seriously Fish

A good option could also be a pearl gourami, very pretty IMO. 
Pearl Gourami (Trichopodus leerii) - Seriously Fish


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

MaisyDawgThirteen said:


> My rasboras are just . . . UGH!!!! xD They hide all day long and as soon as I walk away they come out.  Moonlight gouramis might not be good for me then . . . Opaline Gourami?


Opaline gourami is just another name for blue gourami (TFK profile on them). They need a 3-foot or larger tank. Really the only gourami suitable for a 20 gallon tank would be a dwarf gourami or a honey gourami. Dwarfs do come in a powder blue variant, tho.


----------



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

thekoimaiden said:


> Opaline gourami is just another name for blue gourami (TFK profile on them). They need a 3-foot or larger tank. Really the only gourami suitable for a 20 gallon tank would be a dwarf gourami or a honey gourami. Dwarfs do come in a powder blue variant, tho.


It's 26 gallons though!


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Olympia said:


> It's 26 gallons though!


That is true, but we don't know the length of the tank. I was just getting ready to ask that. Gallons matter, but length matters a great bit, too. I'm guessing it is similar in size to my 29 gal which is 30 inches long, and some of those fish can just barely fit in there.


----------



## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

The tank would be a 26 Gallon . 

I do like the honey, dwarf and sparkling. How many sparkling could I fit with 12 rummynoses, and 6 cories? Can they be in groups/pairs?


----------



## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

It's a fluval bowfront 26 gallon. I'll see if I can find a link to it.

EDIT: http://ca-en.hagen.com/Aquatic/Aquariums/Starter-Kits-All-Glass/15226


----------



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Okay, yea wow that is very tall. 
My 20 gallon is 30" long so I thought it would be longer than that. 
I don't think I'd mix anything in with any of those gourami, besides honey and dwarf you could probably have some tank mates.
24"x14"20" - and I think height is the largest dimension.


----------



## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

So, 1 Dwarf, 12 Rummynoses and 6 Palateus Cories? 

The tank is huge in person. 

I wish I would be able to actually get this tank!!!

EDIT: By huge I mean compared to my 10 Gallon. xD


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

MaisyDawgThirteen said:


> It's a fluval bowfront 26 gallon. I'll see if I can find a link to it.
> 
> EDIT: http://ca-en.hagen.com/Aquatic/Aquariums/Starter-Kits-All-Glass/15226


It looks really tall. And if you look closely, there are discus on the front cover. :shock: I'm mortified. 

If you look in the TFK profile for sparkling gourami you'll see that they actually prefer to be kept in groups of 6 or more. That might crowd the tank a bit. I would go for a single centerpiece fish and then a group of schoolers.


----------



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

I think you are okay load wise. Rummynose are extremely active, I don't know if that tank would be that good for them. Koimaiden?


----------



## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

If I was to get this tank, I don't think rummynoses would work.  My water is moderate-hard to hard. 

EDIT: I saw the discus on the box at the store and I was like "WTH?!"


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Ya. Rummynose show their best colors in soft (<5 dGH) waters. I think they can live in up to 12dGh, but they aren't going to be as pretty or healthy. As far as fairing in that size tank, I would be hesitant now that I see its size. If I were to keep rummynose I would want them in a large group (10+), and I'm not sure that size tank would be suited for them. Especially the larger false rummynose (_Petitella georgiae_) which gets close to 3 inches long TFK profile on them. 

I'm a bit irked that they don't show the dimensions as length is going to make a difference here especially when talking about smaller schooling fish. I always assumed the tank was similar in size to my 30" 29 gallon, but it looks a little taller and thinner to me. Either way, for tanks of this size I think it's best to limit to 2-3 species. One substrate fish; one column swimming schooling fish; and a centerpiece fish if you so desire. 

You could do a colony of sparkling gourami in there with a substrate fish.


----------



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

I posted its dimensions above, I googled it and found a retailer that had it listed.
It's 24"x14"20" - and I think height is the largest dimension. 
So there's only 20" of length on it.. tall tanks are very popular and modern but in practice not that useful.


----------



## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

They are ok as long as you choose the right fish for them, but they are super limiting.  Which sucks for those of us with only 17 inches of space.


----------



## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

What fish work in hard water and a tall tank?  Other than livebrearers.


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Depends on how hard. I think I remember you saying your dGH was around 15 or 12. That's only moderately hard water and encompasses some of upper ranges of hardy soft water fish like gourami and some tetra. Some of the rainbowfish would work (but again you need the small ones). Cichlids love hard water, but your tank is a bit small for most of the rift valley lake cichlids. Interestingly enough, brackish water tanks need hard water. You could attempt a brackish tank. 

I don't think your hard water is that limiting. You've got a lot of things that can live there. I think your main problem is the tank. With something longer you have a world of possibilities opened up for you.


----------



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Shelldwellers- little chiclids that live in snail shells like hard water. There's a few species to choose from. Interesting fish, you need 2 snail shells for every 1 fish.
Also, threadfin rainbows or fork tail blue eyes- these are sensitive and a heavily planted tank is best, since itll control nitrates. 

_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------

