Stocking Order for 60 Gallon Tank

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JaapEVG

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I have a 60-gallon tank setup and ready to add fish, and the fish I have in mind are

2x Bolivian Ram Cichlids
6x Giant Danios
1x Bristlenose Pleco
1x Angelfish
1x Rainbow Shark

Another question is do you think it’s alright to add the school of danios all at once, or should I do three at a time?

Feel free to share opinions on my stocking. This is my first tank since I was a wee lad, so I still have a lot I can learn.
 
Hi there, welcome to the forum.

Can I ask you the pH and hardness of your water, the dimensions of the tank, and what PPM of ammonia you've cycled to, please?

All those things will affect your stocking, so we can't properly advise you without knowing those :)
 
Definitely do not put the Rams in first. They need pristine water and a well matured tank. It's best to try and imitate their natural habitat, so a dark soily or sandy substrate and have it well planted.

The pleco would appreciate a planted tank too, especially plenty of drift wood or bog wood. They will spend all day rasping at it for algae.

Personally I wouldn't take the rainbow shark, they can be a bit territorial. It should probably go in last and needs to have plenty of nooks and crannies to stake a claim to.

Stocking order would be
Danios
Pleco
Angel
Ram
Shark.

Definitely follow the previous advice. Stock a tank based on what water parameters you have for the most successful aquarium. Your choices are quite eclectic with fish from different continents. Personally I would stick to an Amazon themed tank or an Asian themed tank.
 
It is difficult to recommend species without knowing the source water parameters, but while waiting for those there are a couple issues already mentioned and others not that I might be able to help with.

You asked about adding shoaling fish (danios here) together or separately...always add the entire group of a shoaling species if you can. They will always settle in faster with less stress, so less risk of ich appearing. Species that may have a pecking order or develop an hierarchy within the group will have fewer issues; adding more later with such species sometimes ends in dead new fish.

I certainly agree that the Rainbow Shark should be left out. Individuals vary in temperament, and while generally somewhat better than the closely-related Red Tail Shark, it is still a risk with any other substrate fish, and sometimes upper fish too.

The pleco must have real wood to graze; wood is needed to digest to prevent intestinal problems.

Giant Danio, Devario aequipinnatus, is a shoaling fish that must be kept in a group due to its high level of interaction; 8 is considered the minimum number. Their activeness makes them unsuited to any slow or sedate fish [like angelfish and rams], and they are best with medium/larger danio, peaceful barbs, and loaches. Several sources mention their boisterous aggressiveness including fin nipping, and this will more likely be curtailed and confined to "play" if a group of 8 or more are kept in a 4+ foot tank with suitable tankmates. These fish are jumpers, so a tight cover is a must. If the 60g tank is not 4-feet in length, I would select a different fish than the giant danio.

Bolivian Ram...this species is best as a lone specimen, or as a bonded pair. There is not space in a 60g for more than one male. By bonded pair is meant that the fish have selected each other (male/female) and bonded. This is more likely to succeed, though nothing is guaranteed. I can explain how to find a bonded pair if asked.

Angelfish is a shoaling species and best in a small group (five minimum) but there is not space here for that, so a lone specimen would be best even though I do not like to suggest keeping any fish contrary to its expectations. [In case you are wondering, a lone Bolivian Ram is fine as observations in the habitat suggest they live in isolation except when spawning.] The angelfish might be OK with the Bolivians, or might not, impossible to say as fish temperaments may vary. It will however be a major factor in finding tankmates, which will have to be fairly quiet fish--opposite of the danios. Rasbora are usually OK from this aspect, but not the dwarf species that will easily get eaten. And some of the disk-shaped tetras that are not active, like the Rosy Tetra, Red Phantom Tetra, etc. Any possible fin nippers have to be left out, species like the Red Minor or Serpae Tetra, Black Widow/Skirt Tetra, etc, as these will harass angelfish to death.
 
The best advice for stocking really is to select a "centrepiece fish". For example Angel fish, then build a compatible community around them.

Angel fish are mid-top swimmers and so you would then want to select a species of mid swimmers and then some bottom feeders.

That way you have a community that generally keeps out of each other's way in the tank. Also remember that if a fish can fit in another fish's mouth then it will likely become food for the big fish.
 
Very sorry for the late response - I had 3 exams yesterday!

I actually did go out and buy a small Bristlenose Pleco and 2 Bolivian Rams from the PetSmart I work at - I have seen these rams in their little tank for over a month now, and they look healthy and don’t mess with each other. Now that they’re in my 60 gallon (fully cycled btw), they seem inseparable, so I believe they’re a bonded pair? I’m not sure of their genders. The Pleco immediately went around to eat whatever algae he could find, so that’s nice.

The tank is 48.25L x 13.75W x 24.75H, so I think that a school of Giant Danios works with the rams - there are places for the rams to stay on the bottom and there is enough room for the danios to swim around up top. My PetSmart has had a school of 6 for about a month, all looking great - is it an issue if I get them and then get two more from somewhere else?

I want to try an Angelfish, but if I see that it just doesn’t work, I’ll return/rehome it - I’ll probably hold off on it, or I could just skip out on it. I’ll probably skip the Rainbow Shark since it could potentially harm/stress my cichlids out.

So now I’m thinking

2x Bolivian Rams
1x BNP
6-8?x Giant Danios

And not sure what else, if anything. The water is soft (not sure what degree, did a test strip), and the pH is around 7.4 rn. I do want to add driftwood, but I’m not sure what the best source is.

I apologize if some things I’m doing aren’t “optimal” - I just got excited about this new tank, and in the future I plan on taking more time to think about things. For now, the Rams and Pleco are healthy in the tank.
 
The temperature is 76, and I believe the cichlids are a male-female pair - I will keep an eye out to make sure there is no aggression.
 
Actually I’m not sure of their gender after looking again - they could both be males, all I know is they’ve never fought in their tiny tank at PetSmart, and they aren’t fighting now. One has longer black spines at the front of his dorsal fin (probs a male), and the other is smaller and slightly less colorful.
 
You absolutely do not want Giant Danios in with sedate fish like the rams or angelfish. I explained this previous and there is no point in repeating.

Research is key in this hobby. Those who fail, have fish weaken over time and usually die, and then often give up and leave are those who fail to understand that every species of fish has specific requirements and if these are not provided the fish will not be healthy. I will never acquire a fish I see in a store unless I have thoroughly researched it first. I have saved much grief, both for me and the poor fish that are helpless.

The pleco must have real wood to graze. It eats the wood, and this does not provide actual nourishment but the wood is essential for a healthy intestinal tract in this fish. The safest wood is that sold in fish stores. Here you want some chunks to lay on the bottom of the tank to replicate tree roots and fallen trunks. The Malaysian Driftwood sold in some stores and online is about the best; it is dark, natural, heavy so it sinks immediately, and each piece is different. Some have tunnels and crevices which are ideal for such fish.
 
I'll do more research before adding anything else then - I just thought that the Danios would stay at the top/mid level while the cichlids stay near the bottom as they are doing now, but if it really is that bad, I won't rush anything.

Speaking of the cichlids, they WERE following each other as a close pair and interacting fine, but when I gave them some food, the bigger one started chasing the smaller one whenever it entered the line-of-sight. I don't want the smaller one to experience too much stress - I never saw them acting like this in the tiny tank at PetSmart, so any advice with them would be well appreciated.

I'll be picking up some Malaysian driftwood soon for the pleco (still doing fine).

Sorry for being adamant about the danios, I just like the way they look, but if it is at the expense of the cichlids to add them, I'll refrain from doing so - patience is clearly VERY important in this hobby.

Do you have any suggestions for what species will fare well with the BNP and rams?
 
I would need to observe the rams for a time to be able to suggest anything constructive.

As for tankmates, I will assume the soft water is soft though the number would be preferable. "Soft" is a subjective term and I have seen it used by others to represent very soft water, to moderately hard water. Some of the fish I would suggest may have more specific requirements than many others that can show some degree of adaptability.

Cichlids are lower level fish as You mention, so you will probably first want to find some upper-level before adding more lower-level. Surface fish like hatchetfish are ideal with the dwarf cichlid species. The Marble Hatchetfish, Carnegiella strigata, is relatively common in the hobby, and a group of 9-12 advisable. If you want a bit more "action," ass the Carnegiella species tend to be very sedate, there are the slightly larger species in Gasteropelecus and Thoracocharax. I am especially fond of Thoracocharax stellatus, seen under common names like Platinum Hatchetfish. This species is surprisingly interactive, and remain a few inches below the surface (Carnegiella remain at the surface unless frightened). A group of 8-9 would be lovely.

Another surface-dweller is the Rocket Pencilfish, Nannostomus eques, which swims at an oblique angle at or very near the surface. It must have floating plants or it will be severely stressed. Actually, floating plants are mandatory for most all forest fish, including the rams; they will be more settled and brighter coloured with a roof over them too.

Mid-level fish could include some of the tetras, the peaceful less active species. Or rasbora, like the Harlequin Trigonostigma heteromorpha, or even more one of the two very closely related species T. espei or T. hengeli. A group of 10-12 of either.

All of these upper level fish are referred to as dither fish for cichlids; having activity (though not rambunctious) above them does make them more settled and less prone to shyness and being frightened. For all their feistiness, dwarf cichlids are quite sensitive fish.
 

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