Tank stocking suggestions; stuff about my tanks

ThePrep95

Small Fish
Apr 9, 2006
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#1
Just curious what types of fish you guys might suggest getting for my empty 44 gallon pentagon (well, one algae eater currently lives in the pentagon to get the cycle going) and my 29 gallon.

Anyway, currently in the 29 gallon:

2 corydora catfish (albino and bronze)
8 rasboras
1 black skirt tetra
1 dwarf gourami
1 dwarf african clawed frog
1 rainbow shark

Does this seem stocked enough, or can I fit more fish? I know all about the inch of fish thing, but most of these fish are quite small and the tank doesn't seem crowded AT ALL. Also, I do weekly 25% water changes.

For the 44 gallon I want Cichlids. What types should I get?? I would like to get about 5 larger cichlids, or 10 smaller ones. Any advice? I know little about cichlids other then what I have read on the forums.
 

#3
The 44G can be a good home for a community tank of Dwarf Cichlids like Rams, kribs, Apistos, etc... You could plant the tank and add some caves so then it will be more like an Amazon tank so then the cichlids will be more acustom to the tank cause it will look like home to them.

Or just make it a normal community tank(i mean like a mixed tank not just a cichlid tank) and have some cory's, gouramis, killies, and others like them.

Or you could even trun it into a SW tank, i am sure that you can get more info in the Saltwater/General Information section of the site than i can give you, cause i don't have a SW tank:p

Do what ever you want with it, but just make sure that the fish you have chosen will get along and not kill one another.
 

FroggyFox

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May 16, 2003
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#4
First totally off topic: Are you sure the tank is a pentagon? Most strange shapes in this hobby are hexagons :) just curious...I dont know that I've seen a pentagon tank before!

Also, you said "I know about the inch of fish thing"...well then you should also know that the inch 'rule' also pertains to that fish in its adult size...not the size it is now. It also doesn't work well unless all the fish you have are not going to get much bigger than 2 inches and are not cichlids. ie, it doesn't pertain to your gourami, the rainbow shark or the frog.

I was going to suggest that you should move the rainbow, gourami and frog to the 44 and maybe get some hefty active fish like tiger barbs or danios to compliment them. I would not normally suggest keeping tetras or rasboras with and ACF or a rainbow shark (because as they get bigger and older they both have been known to be pretty grumpy and smaller slow fish will disappear from tanks). Of course then I read that you want cichlids in the 44 so there went that idea. I figured I'd throw it out there just in case you weren't completely sold on the cichlid idea, OR if you wanted an excuse for another tank :D Ideally in the 29 I'd have you put a few more corydoras in (as they like larger groups) and same with the lone black skirt. With those three schools the tank would be pretty active and long term it would work out well. In answer to your initial question, if you keep the fish in there that are in there I would say the tank is definitely stocked full and I would not get anymore fish.

As for cichlids in a 44 um...check out the smaller tanganyikan species...I find them great fun to watch. If you like n. brichardi you could do a species tank with them, or check out the shell dwellers, cyps, I have one called an altolamprologus compressiceps that is the craziest lookin little fish...love him. Julies (julidochromis sp. ___ ) are cool too....or you could get some labs in there I think (the electric blue or electric yellow....I dont know much about either). One big thing to think about is what kind of water is your tap water naturally...if you have high pH from the tap...you might want to steer towards some africans that will be suited to your tank, or if its low from the tap then you might want to look more closely at the CA or SA cichlids that would fit. There are just so many of them that its hard for us to say "oh you should get X kind" ya know?
 

ThePrep95

Small Fish
Apr 9, 2006
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#6
Very good ideas guys. As for the rainbow shark, he was a little territorial at the start but he gets along fine now with everyone in the tank. I keep a verrrry close eye on everyone in the tank. Iv'e also done some research on DACF, and they shouldn't be a problem as they don't get very big, 2 inches I believe. It is not the same as the AGF, which would be a huge problem in the tank.

Great ideas on the 44, and I say pentagon because thats what the LFS labeled it as. Who knows? I have already provided many hiding spots and caves, and I would LOVE to add some plants, but I heard cichlids uproot them? is this true? What types of fish can you mix with cichlids?

Thanks again =)
 

FroggyFox

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#7
many cichlids uproot plants, yes. But I think some dont.

Mostly the only fish you can mix with african cichlids are...other cichlids. Some of the SA/CA apistos, dwarfs etc you could have in a community tank, but you need to do some research first. One thing you might do is look around at other member's tanks and see what they keep with what, keeping in mind the size of each tank.

Well...count the sides of the tank...if there's 5 its a pentagon and if there's 6 its a hexagon :)
 

Stevie

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Apr 2, 2005
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#8
Thats ma gal froggy!!!

Get the tiger barbs!!! I know I keep going on about them,but you will not find a more fun fish to keep!! They are so active and intersting to watch!! they have the cuitest little faces!!

You could get a good group of 10-12 in that tank,but dont put them with any of the long fin slow fish!!!*crazysmil
 

ThePrep95

Small Fish
Apr 9, 2006
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#9
Well froggy you were right about the rainbow shark, I thought he was a changed man but I was wrong. He was sent to the 44 today for getting aggressive with the rasboras. He really hates their guts. What types of cichlids are at least not too big of a risk to put in a tank with a rainbow shark?

I looked up some barbs, they are pretty dam cool looking. But I am set on getting cichlids, I've wanted them for some time and that was really the purpose of getting the 44. Eventually when I'm older and married (27 now) I will get rid of the 29 and get a huge 125 for the living room or something. Of course, thats my dream anyway =)
 

CAPSLOCK

Elite Fish
Jul 19, 2004
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#11
I've seen pentagons before, they could easily have been a 44g. They look like corner tanks with seams... they have 2 long walls that go against the walls, then 3 front panels. Kind of like a cut diamond shape from above.

I don't know how aggressive african mbunas are compared to rainbow sharks... you might want to get one of the cichlid gurus to help you out with the rainbow shark/cichlid question specifically.
 

Seleya

Superstar Fish
Nov 22, 2004
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#12
I have a 44 pentagon -- it's a corner tank which looks like homeplate from above. I'll put a pic up for ya. :)

I think your cichlid answers depend on what sort of cichlid you want. Cichlids come from darn near everywhere in the world. (ok, so it's a pet peeve of mine...) ;) Mixing the 'shark' with most cichlids will be a problem since, as a general rule, they're going to want to occupy the same basic space.

Your 29 could accommodate more fish since you've chosen wees. Just don't opt for any new species, slowly try filling out one or two schools. (this is assuming you're keeping well up on maintenance)
 

Jun 15, 2006
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#13
I don't mean to hijack the thread but I have a similar question so i'll post it here.
My tank has been up and running for 1 week (10g)
I have
5 tetras (2 buenos aires? , 3 serpae? )
1 angel
1 algae eater

3 questions
1) would that be about the most I can fit into this tank comfortably?
2) What are the odds that these fish will mate? ( I dont necessarily want them to, but my friends tank has like 15 new fish because of that)
3) do angels prefer to be in a group? (2,3,4? or is 1 fine)

thanks
 

#14
your 10 gal is stocked as it is..... I would not put anymore fish in there.....BTW your 10 g is way too small for your angel.

And Prep....... your 44 g tank would be PERFECT for dwarf cichlids..... Kribs,Rams or apistos....Great fish!!!!
AND NO I would NOT mix sharks with cichs...not a good mix.IMO
 

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Seleya

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Nov 22, 2004
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#15
Eli> your 10 is way overstocked. The Buenos Aires are 3+" fish and very active with a tendency to be nippy, angels need a minimum of a 29 gallon for one and the algae eater's needs depend on what exactly it is. You would be best off keeping an eye out for a larger tank (craigslist, freecycle, local paper)
 

FroggyFox

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May 16, 2003
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#17
Eh...one thing we all have to learn fairly early in the hobby is that your lfs is generally not right about a lot of stuff and just want to sell you things whether they actually work or not.

No the angel will not be ok long term in the 10...you'd do better to return the whole lot, or just get like a 29gallon. A 29 is a pretty good size and you'll find that a 10 just really isn't big enough for much. Even if you took the angel out the 5 tetras and the algae eater may outgrow the tank in a year or so...
 

Jun 15, 2006
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#19
well i just looked in my tank and it appears the algae eater has been killed by the tetras . he is badly chewed up...is there any point to get another one (will the same thing happen? )
 

FreddyJ

Large Fish
May 5, 2006
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#20
oh bummer! I would suggest not making the same mistake twice, and trying to find a more suitable companion for your tetras that will fill the void left by your algae eater.