Stocking FW vs. Stocking SW

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BucketFish

BucketFish

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Since I'm a backwards kinda guy, and have a successful reef up and running(most do fresh first, right?)...I am considering a freshwater now. Went to Petco and walked around...First thing I noticed was THE CRAZY AMOUNT of fish in the freshwater tanks! Glofish, goldfish, mollies I think, guppies...like 20-30 of them in one 29 gallon tank! The saltwaters all looked stocked with 2, 3, maybe 4-5 fish at tops, which seemed correct to me...so the question is, generally speaking (i know there's exceptions and other things to consider, of course) can you stock a freshwater tank with more fish than you would a saltwater?
 
Rbishop

Rbishop

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IMO, pet stores do not necessarily stock from the aspect of long term requirements and needs. They are providing temporary space for them and their intent is move them out as quickly as possible.
 
SubRosa

SubRosa

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Rbishop said:
IMO, pet stores do not necessarily stock from the aspect of long term requirements and needs. They are providing temporary space for them and their intent is move them out as quickly as possible.
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Call the papers! Bob's opinion isn't just an opinion!:naughty: Stores pack 'em in to maximize revenue per sq ft. But that said, yes FW can support long term stocking levels far greater than SW, IF you pick the right fish, and especially if you take full advantage of not having to buy salt to do water changes!
 
BucketFish

BucketFish

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Okay...I'm looking into discus right now. Not quite sure if that's a good place to start but I really like em...What would be a healthy stocking amount of discus for a 55 gallon? I have read this is a social fish that needs to be kept in schools...is a 55 sufficient housing for discus, anyhow?

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BucketFish

BucketFish

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I have seen several threads about having trouble stocking Discus properly. Tips? I read the Discus guide stickie on here a while back, can't find it now :(

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SubRosa

SubRosa

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PERSONALLY I wouldn't consider Discus in anything smaller than a 75 or even better a 90. They should be in a group of at least a haf dozen, and a good rule of thumb (yes there are a few in aquarium keeping!) is 10 gal per fish. Larger groups are better, and you'll probably want some other fish in the tank and that isn't free in terms of bioload.
 
BucketFish

BucketFish

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Okay...tank size sounds logical. Wow, the discus are expensive...are they difficult to keep for a beginner?...Never heard the 10 gallon rule-that doesn't apply to saltwater too, does it? Beginning my freshwater research today. Any recommendation on entertaining, bright colored tankmates to read up on??? I hope that doesn't sound too superficial...i didn't get into freshwater before because IMO so many of them (don't kill me people) are so "fugly!" I'm gonna start looking into compatability, needs, etc. lastly, any advice for drawing up a stock list? Learned A LOT about stocking doing my biocube, now I'd like to think it out a little more. anything helps, i'd hate to stock and then have you guys frown at it this time.
 
jm1212

jm1212

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SubRosa said:
PERSONALLY I wouldn't consider Discus in anything smaller than a 75 or even better a 90. They should be in a group of at least a haf dozen, and a good rule of thumb (yes there are a few in aquarium keeping!) is 10 gal per fish. Larger groups are better, and you'll probably want some other fish in the tank and that isn't free in terms of bioload.
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i agree.

in reference to the rule, it's mostly just to keep from putting too many or too few discus in the tank. discus are one of the few cihclids that do better in schools than on their own. discus are definitely more difficult to take care of than something like an angelfish or even a german blue ram. they can be very rewarding to raise, keep and breed. if you have the resources, i would definitely recomend going for them
 
SubRosa

SubRosa

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If you want to keep a group of Discus in a 90 be prepared for weekly water changes of at least 1/3. If you want consistent spawning be prepared for more than that. As far as colorful tankmates, you are somewhat limited by size, since Discus can be easily spooked by anything that might be a threat. Cardinal Tetras are a standby and a good sized group of large ones is a sight in itself. Dwarf Cichlids such as Rams and Apistos can work if the tank has suitable cover for them. There are lots of nice looking Tetra and Rasbora type fish that can work as well.
 
BucketFish

BucketFish

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Lol ok....I've changed my mind on Discus, after planty of reading and thinkin it thru....now, I'm thinking a 30 gallon would be a better idea.

Here's what I'm looking at now as a rough stocking list:

1-2 Chili Rasbora
1 german ram (what a cool fish!
1 Black veil angelfish, platinum or half black (centerpiece)
1-2 tetras (haven't decided which...are they all the same in compatability and care?)

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