120g stocking ideas?

Originally posted by adblair
Here's my list of desirable qualities:
- Lots of color & personality (doesn't hide a lot)
- Won't eat or dig up plants on a daily basis
- I want lots of fish, so Oscars or anything bigger would be out
- fw only
- must be reasonably affordable (I love discus, but I can't afford them )
- relatively easy to care for (no RO, no feeders)

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If I had the space for a 120 gallon, here's my 'wishlist':

Top level:
Zebra Danios - 10
Really Pretty Betta - 1

Top/mid level:
Neon Tetras - 10
Cardinal Tetras - 10
Sunshine (or is it sunburst?) platies - 8

Bottom level:
Cory cats (I like the green or panda colored ones) - 6
Fancy pleco - 1

Black sand substrate, and black poster board to show through the back of the tank (to bring out the fish's colors!!). Not too many plants, but enough to 'fill in' the tank, and maybe a few fake (dark color) caves or rocks.

Good luck!
~Tara

They're a bit on the pricy side (6-8$/ea), but from what I've seen and read about them - they are well worth it: Congo tetras.

As always, if you want something peaceful, very colorful, and quite active, I'll suggest Celebes rainbowfish (I posted pics of them in this forum).

A school of glowlight tetras...I don't care much for neons.

Then maybe a school of 6-8 larger rainbowfish like Boesmanis or Goyder Rivers. Even some turquoises would look awesome. Course, you could always skip the larger rainbows and get a big ol' school of threadfin rainbows. *drools*

I adore my long fin white skirt tetras. I thought they'd be nippy at first but htey've turned out to the most peaceful fish in there. And, its hard to explain, but they swim cool. Rather, its kind of a lack of swimming. It looks like they hover in mid water and just kind of hang out, but they're always visible.

Naturally, I'd get a big school of cories. About 8 of them. I've got 8 in my 55g and its a lot of fun to watch them.

Maybe even 6 or so danios (longfin zebras are one of my favs) for the top.

And, that tank wouldn't be complete without a big male pearl gourami

Congo tetras look very different as juveniles--they don't stand out much, just another bland tetra until they hit maturity.

Gouramies are better off vegetarian. They will eat meatier prepared foods, but I never had a problem with them eating small fish (all the way down to tiny guppy fry).

Since the tank will be visible from both sides, I'd setup a large, rock, 'backbone' for the tank of rock, with plants on both sides, and a tangle of wood on one side. For fish, I'd add the congos, 5-6 debawi cats (very cool if you can find them, look slightly like a tetra, but a wide, fat head and a dark stripe; http://www.planetcatfish.com/cotm/1999-01.htm), 3-4 bristlenose, and then some rainbows--the turquoise are my favorites. Danios are fun, but they are way too active for me--the buggers are ALWAYS sooming around the tank. I don't mix gouramies with them anymore, since they kept my gouramies in constant hiding. Might not be as big an issue in a bigger tank, but I still prefer a fish that is a bit more sedate.

Originally posted by Leopardess

Congo tetras
Celebes rainbowfish
Boesmanis rainbowfish
long fin white skirt tetras or white clouds

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I like these ideas!
toss in a few cory's and loaches
and you have yourself a nice tank!

Thanks geoff. Though I don't recall mentioning white clouds lol.


No, the gourami will certainly not eat any small fish. The only thing that is *possibly* up for grabs around them are small shrimp. And mine don't even eat the ghost shrimp.

The reason I suggest a lot of those is because I know they'll get along I've got 2 pearl gouramis, a school of celebes, glowlights and white skirts in my 55g and it is the most fun to watch Plus, they're all just so pretty!

I had the most amazing picture of a school of congo tetras in someone's 70g planted tank, but they removed the pics from their server and haven't posted in months, so the pic is gone:sad

One thing to bear in mind, however, is that if you like the rainbowfish idea, is that if you get, say, boesmani AND goyders, they can interbreed. As long as you don't let these fish out (to friends or stores) it shouldn't be a problem. There's a struggle to keep rainbowfish lines "pure" because of that. Of course, I'm sure any fry would be gobbled up, except for a few possible escapees.


Also, hope you don't mind me sticking this in here just for maybe some inspiration, this is Sayimsorry's tank from MFT. It's a 140g, but its a good example of a tank that is viewable no matter how you look at it (without being a cube):

If not discus, what about angels? Fill out with something fast but not nippy, danios or rasbora...

I personally wouldn't get angels. They can really limit what fish can go in the tank. Plus, you might have to deal with them pairing up and becoming aggressive to others and themselves.

Of course, it ain't my decision!

serpei tetras ( i didn't spell that right) are colourfull and active ...we have a dwarf gourami that is really beautiful but he hides all the time so we rarely see him
rasbouras are pretty too and neons ...those would be my choices for inexpensive active fish..... on a more expensive line i would love to see a Black Ghost Knife (They get quite large (over 12"), but they do not grow very fast.) Mind you with them you prolly wouldn't want the rasbouras as they might get eaten.

And you HAVE to have a pleco .... even if it is only a clown ...they are so fun to watch when they get compfy with there surroundings and play

other ideas too but not enough space ......