37g Stocking Idea

[gregor7777]

Hey All,

I believe the showpiece of my 37g planted tank will be an angel.

That given, how does this look for livestock:

1 Veiled Angel
6 Dalmation Mollies
6 Penguin Tetras
2 Genman Blue Rams
3 Corys
1 Pl*co

It will be planted, but not crazy. Do you think I will be overstocked with this selection? Any changes or additions/subtractions?

Thanks for any advice or ideas.

 

[Blinky]

I'd make the pleco a rubberlip or bristlenose, or get a few otos (a standard 'pleco' - Hypostomus plecostomus - can grow to 18").

Sounds like it's going to be gorgeous!

 

[gregor7777]

Sweet, thanks, the Candystripe Pleco I'm looking at doesn't seem to get very big, so I think he'll be safe.

Those mollies will probably have a lot of baby mollies, which the Angel will probably eat? I don't want my tank to get overcrowded with mollies...will the angel be able to keep it under control do you think?

 

[Blinky]

Yep! My angel does an excellent job of population control. If I want fry to survive, I have to remove them from the tank until they're 1/3" or so - he's relentless. The tank ranges from medium - heavily planted (depending on how much pruning I've been doing) and there are dense clumps of water sprite and ambulia - it makes no difference. The angel waits for them to come out and snaps them up.

 

[gregor7777]

Good, very good. Sounds kind of cruel in a way but I guess that's nature. Do you think I can get away with using sand, like Seachem Onyx Sand?

Is there a better substrate for the bottom dwellers? I just like the black color of the sand.

 

[Blinky]

With plants I'd recommend something like Flourite, or Eco-Complete. Sand compacts and AFAIK doesn't have any nutrients (unless onyx sand is something different from plain old sand), so I'd want to have something nutrient-rich beneath it.
Try posting in the planted forum about substrate, you'll get lots of recommendations - I use flourite in one tank and fine gravel with a layer of peat in the other, so I can't really give an educated opinion on anything else.

While it does seem a bit cruel to let your angel take care of extra fry, I try to tell myself that it's much more cruel to let them breed unchecked until they over populate the tank. Also, from another point of view, it's really quite amazing to watch them hunt

 

[gregor7777]

Great, thanks Blinky you've been a huge help!!

 

[Blinky]

That's what I love about AC - I can offer help with what I know, and get help with the vast amounts of stuff I'm still learning