Does this sound sane to you?

[NinjaSmurf]

Okay, now, finally, have decided on stocking issue of my thirty (US) gallon *shouts in an exhausted little voice* So now I ask you viewers, er, members, whether this will work outside of my head or if I'm just asking for trouble....


This is what I have now:

1 pictus
2 cories
7 guppies

Want I want to get:
2 blue rams
1 farwello (sp)
3 cherry barbs
2 more cories
and some other live bearers, but not sure which (no more freaking guppies!)
Possibly some ADF's, if I can get a hold of some.

The farwello is not a big deal if I really can't fit it in, but I do like them soooo....
Same with the frogs, they don't have them close enough for me to get, but if I ever come across them I'd still like to know if they'll fit.


I'm not worried about the pictus, as he only eat small fry and doesn't bother anything bigger than that, even my cories just get bumped out of the way if they're eating something the pictus wants.

So, should I be worried, or does this sound decent?


edited because I was frantic, and have many stupid fingers....

 

[fufanu360]

get some mouth brooders man instead of live bearers i dunno wut u r asking tho?

 

[NinjaSmurf]

I just want to know if this will work, or be too overstocked, or if carnage will ensue, as I've never had rams and descriptions of a breeding pair range from 'so sweet' to 'kill other fish'.

And mouth brooders? Are they easy and spawn often? Cause that's pretty much what the livebearers are for, I just want fry for the other fish to eat.

 

[fufanu360]

im not really sure myself i have never had mouth brooders, i dont think they spit out fry like a machine as the live bearers do soo, i dont think its over stocked and rams arent very aggresive so

 

[Montyfish]

Well, the rams I had weren't very aggressive. They just minded their own business and occasionally got chased by some mad gourami. I dind't have them for long though as one decided to lodge itself between the filter and glass and the other one decided it would like life in a cycling tank. (well it didn't decide, I did )

The cories would probably enjoy more company, so they would probably be okay.

 

[ladynaoko]

from what I've heard (and please don't quote me on this) mouth brooders can be quite aggresive in community tanks.

I may be wrong though.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Yeah, I wasn't really looking for mouth brooders, I just was worried about all of these fish together, because I've nver had rams, barbs, any other livebearers, farwello or ADF's before. Though sometimes I seriously consider just.... saying BAH to the whole tank and getting tree frogs or something. (Because really, the fish are stand-in's for what I really want and cannot have.... a dog)

Or I could just switch everyone to the five gallon, sell the pictus, and get two fancy goldfish....

But I like these fish too. Arg, curse the whole pet thing!!!

Okay, here's another question. Are rams the type to check you out and have little personalities? Cause I'm really kinda sick of fish that just mate and/or eat all the time.

 

[FrankSlapperinni]

Pictus Cat's, as I was aware, get way to big for a 30 gallon, around 10 or 12 inchs. Besides that, everything looks fine, except you should probably have more than four Cory's, as they are much more active in bigger groups. Cherry barbs are also one of the more peaceful species of barb, but you may want a bigger school of them so they do not become nippy (especially around guppy's).
What are your tank Parameters (pH, Kh etc)?

 

[clutterydrawer]

cherry barbs should NOT be kept in schools, the males dont like each company. they should be kept in a m-f pair or a m-f-f trio.

 

[SirMinion]

Or I could just switch everyone to the five gallon, sell the pictus, and get two fancy goldfish....Are rams the type to check you out and have little personalities? Cause I'm really kinda sick of fish that just mate and/or eat all the time.

Ok here's the plan.. sell the pictus, switch everyone else to the 5 gallon, then you'll have a tank which can be filled with the ultimate 'personality' fish... puffers!

Some south americans, leopards, or browns would go nicely in there.

Or if you change it to brackish, green spots would be great.

And you'd still have fish to control the guppy population!

It's a shame you don't have a 12 foot tank, because the Mbu Puffer's personality has been described as "the nearest thing you can have to a dog in a fishtank"