looking for suggestions

[ECooper]

I am planning to set-up a 33 gal long aquarium. It will have medium light, and plenty of plants (but no CO2). I'll be creating a tank journal to document the process (and will be looking for plant and equipment suggestions eventually).

In the meantime, I am trying to decide on how to stock it. I'm not trying for any particular biotype and so don't mind mixing critters from different continents. The tank will be in the dinning room and will need to look nice to the wife and visitors.

I really like inverts and so will want shrimp and snails. I also love catfish, but the selection is limited considering I want shrimp. I also want a varienty of behavior from the inhabitants of the tank, and lastly, I love oddballs and unusual fish.

Preparing a stocking list is a bit of a challenge...

So I am thinking along the lines of the following:

- a school of Harlequin Rasbora
- a group of marble hatchets
- a pair of blue rams
- cherry red shrimp
- a group of corys
- maybe a Farlowella?

Not very unusual for the most part...and I'm not sure about the rams and shrimp...

Any thoughts and/or comments would be very welcome!

Thanks,
EC

 

[Fishfriend1]

Okay, I have some concerns about the stocking.

A pair of German Blue rams (GBR's) will become very aggressive when they spawn/lay eggs. They could even get to the point of killing all the other fish in their tank. I would stick with one GBR or 1 Bolivian Ram, both are peaceful.

Instead of a Farlowella I would try to find a Loricaria Cat, they are far less expensive, but have the same long, thin body as the Farlowella Cat. Don't screw up the way I did, make sure to buy Algae Waffers and to give them pieces of veggitables (lettuce, zucini, squash) so that they don't starve. This goes for most sucker catfish and all plecos.

If you plan on having cherry shrimp you shouldn't get anything else though, they are small and eaten very quickly. Try something larger, like Amano Shrimp or Mandarin Shrim. Also a good option are bamboo shrimp (though they may just be Amano/Mandarin Shrimp under a different name, I've never been able to figure out if that is so. Also note that almost any fish will attempt to eat shrimp, if the shrim....mall enough to be eaten. I would not recomend smaller shrimp.

If you have hatchets you will want a tight fitting hood, they are able jumpers. Besides that, they are generally good with any fish except gouramis, which will attack them. Hatchets also prefer schools of 6 or more, so they will be a large bioload for your tank.

Rasboras shouldn't prove dangerous to anything in the tank, but if you get a fish with flowing fins they will nip at said fish.

Corys are adorable, and a good addition to almost any tank. However, depending entirly on the rams personality they could end up becoming targets. Rams set up territories, and they generally stick to the bottom of the tank, so they and the Corys will be living together. Unlike rams, Corys are not territorial fish, and don't understand the concept of "territory". They will be all over the tank, and could become targets of the Rams when they enter ram territory. I've never had this problem (1 bolivian ram, 1 GBR, and 9 corys) but others have. Be ready to remove the rams or the corys if such happens, or the corys will end up dead.

If you want a catfish and don't get shrimp, then the Porthole Catfish would be an excelent option for your tank.

Now, all the fish you have plus a porthole cat could overstock the tank, so I would say that the following stock is best:

1 Porthole Cat
5 Bronze or Emrald/Albino Corys
5 Harlequin Rasbora
1 Loricara Cat or Farlowella Cat

That stock has active fish and would be a good beginner set up.

Good Luck!

EDIT: Also, try to over filter the tank, and make sure to do weekly water changes of 50%. I recommend 2 Marineland Penguin 350's for your tank, they will fit and are great filters. I have 3.

 

[ECooper]

Thanks for the suggestions. Loricaria is a good idea. I might just have to leave shrimp out of this tank...I have them in another tank anyhow. I just like them. Ha!

I was thinking of going with 2 filters, but had pretty much decided to go with a canister filter and a powerhead. I'm still open to suggestions though...

EC

 

[Fishfriend1]

If you can afford a canister, get a canister. They are very good filters. HOB's are good for smaller tanks though.