Another stocking thread...thoughts?

justahannah

justahannah

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Jul 29, 2008
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Tacoma, WA
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Hannah
No fish in the tank yet (still cycling), but I've got a 46 gallon bow front tank, currently filtered by an AC 110. Will also have a variety of lower-light plants (weeping moss, flame moss, java fern, anubias) once they arrive and cycling is finished.

For stocking, I'm thinking:
3 Otto cats
5 Cory cats
4 Kuhli loaches
10-15 Neon Tetra
1 male Betta OR a German Blue Ram pair
plus some blue pearl shrimp once I get my shrimp tank up and going and the population explodes.

My concerns...I see a lot of ambivalence on the boards as to whether neons are too nippy to keep with a betta. But I really want to try it, I think a betta would make a beautiful centerpiece fish and the neons are the only fish my husband has a stiff opinion on us keeping. If I supplement with high-protein frozen and live foods, will it prevent nipping (is nipping caused by nutritional deficiencies or is it a territorial thing?) or give them a blood-lust and make it worse? Suggestions on non-nippy schooling fish alternatives I may or may not be able to talk the husband into? If it doesn't work I'll have another tank on standby for the betta and I'll go with the rams. I also think this stock might be bottom-heavy, but I'd like to keep multiples of all these species. And last...will the betta or rams eat my shrimp? I don't mind if the babies go, and I plan on throwing in extras from a shrimp-only tank so it won't be like I'll be out anything, but I'm also not intentionally wanting to kill the adults, I think they'd be beautiful on a moss carpet as the neons shoal above :P. Thanks for any feedback!
 
both bettas and rams will eat the shrimp.

i have not heard to many reports with neons nipping bettas. on the other hand, i have heard quite a few experences with aggressive bettas. for this tank, you are probably better off getting the rams.

i would pick either the corydoras or the kuhlis and then double the number that you get.

you could also probably add some more neons to the list if that is all you are planning. otherwise, stick with 12-14 and then get a school of hatchetfish to add some action to the top of the tank. just make sure you have a tight-fitting lid.
 
Nipping is part of their social behavior. It is called pecking order. They establish ranks within their group. You cannot stop this at all no matter what you do to curb the habit but I doubt neons will target bettas in a 46g. A 46g is spacious for fish under 3 inches in length although there are a few exceptions such as the serpae tetras.

Try 6-8 corydoras, 6-8 kuhli loaches and 8 otos. Add 20 neon tetras and then a pair of blue rams. How about it? If you still want to keep shrimps, either make the tank heavily planted or get a 20g long for a shrimps only.
 
I agree with Lupin on the stocking. Blue rams and a betta will eat your shrimp unless if it is a heavily planted tank. IMO, German Blue Rams are a better choice than a betta.
 
Thanks for the input...I've got a 10 gal in my office that will be a dedicated blue shrimp farm in the near future. I've lived with a betta before so I'm looking at familiar territory and I just love their personality and think this huge tank with driftwood and rocks and plants would be so much fun to watch one explore. The rams I've heard wonderful things about, but feel like my fall-back option...I'm just not as excited about them. Not sure why, other than possibly my lack of experience with any cichlids other than an oscar that terrorized my mom's community tank (she didn't know better!). I've got time to decide...and really, if I try the betta and it doesn't work, I can always shift him to a 5 gallon in my office and watch him while I play on the computer. That may be the best of both worlds...
 
If you are worried about the shrimp getting eaten you could try a gourami as a centerpiece fish. They are peaceful towards other fish and I have kept them in the same tank as shrimp before. Also, if you are going to keep otos, especially in larger numbers and in a new tank, you will need to supplement their diets with veggies. But I have 6 otos in one of my tank and they are so cute because they school together, something you don't see in smaller groups.
 
Did you buy this rescued specimen? I hope you didn't. Buying will not motivate the petstore to improve its standards. For rescues, I'd simply ask the fish for free until they improve.
 
I did buy...had their bettas been ill I would have argued him out of the store. But for once I was pleasantly surprised, knowing Petco's a large chain...I went in to get prices on a heater for my 10 gallon, and I ended up in an hour long conversation with the gal that runs the fish department. She was very knowledgeable, in the process of quarantining a new shipment of fish in tanks labeled "under observation", explained how their set-up is superior to petsmart (separate water system for each tank rather than everyone sharing, was the main thing I picked up on, and if I talk to her she'll order custom for me if I want), and she gives daily attention to her bettas, checking for and treating the ill, and I didn't see one unhealthy one on the shelf....and she gave me 3 plants for the price of 1 on the wisteria I bought to keep Freddie's temporary home comfortable just cause she could. I don't agree with the small cups, but I was impressed at the care she took with all of the fish (she keeps cichlid tanks at home and I caught her talking to the new shipment :P) and have plans tomorrow to write an e-mail to Petco Corporate commending her and expressing my desire that they take efforts to hire such conscientious, knowledgeable fish people in all their stores. It was an unexpectedly good trip. I meant rescue in the sense he's safe from a little cup and a future in a vase under a lily...not that he was being maltreated (other than the normal heat/space considerations) and ignored.
 
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