At Last! Stocking List For My Tank!

[-Jo-]

My tank is on the final stages of cycling, so I have been researching into loads of fish and visiting lots of aquatic stores in the hope of finalising what i want in my tank when its done. Its been so hard as Ive been changing my mind over and over again.

Here is my hopeful list of tank mates when its all cycled! my tank is 57 Litres / 12 gallons:

Betta fish x1
Neon Tetra (unsure of amount)
Glowlight Tetra (unsure of amount)
Marbled Hatchetfish x4

I spoke to the staff in the stores i visited and they said that it was a better option to house betta fish with tetras then other community fish as they are not seen as too much of a threat. They advised to choose a betta fish that is already being housed with other community fish in the store then choosing one that was in 'solitary confinement', as atleast they are used to other fish being housed with them.

If you could give me any advise on the amounts of tetras that would be great - would they shoal together or do they tend to keep the shoaling to their own kinds?

Any advice on my stocking list would be gratefully appreciated aswell!

 

[tribalbrit]

I would go for one type of Tetra rather than two. A shoal of neons are always nice or better still go for the cardinal tetra's. Your tank isn't that big so a dozen is more than enough. I'd give it a little longer though before adding the Tetra's.
Betta... don't like them so no comment.
Hatchets a bit on the boring side to me... I would add a shoal of 8 pygmy corydoras instead.. much more fun
And some cherry or red crystal shrimps IMO.

Plant it with crypts and anubias and

 

[-Jo-]

I have wanted to have khuli loaches - but cannot find anywhere that sells them! I do like the pygmy corys so may have to investigate into them. I know what you mean about the hatchett fish, but i like them out of novelty value. ha! thought they looked very unusual.

 

[fluttermoth]

I'd advise a reconsider on the hatchets as well. They're lovely fish, but quite nervy. I've got a dozen in a well planted tank and they still tend to ping off the condensation trays I think you'd need more than four for them to be happy.

I've got a 55l I'm about to stock and I'm thinking of going for something like;

a trio of sparkling gouramis, or perhaps a betta
a small shoal (probably eight or ten) of microrasbora
six or eight pygmy cories
maybe some shrimps

 

[-Jo-]

thank you for your views on hatchets - im glad that ive spoken to some people who have them. I was told by the staff in the shops that they were jumpers! ha!

I definitly want a betta thats for sure!

 

[onidrase]

Imo get either glow lights or neons if you're dying to have those species. Neons are fragile to new tanks (even fully cycled ones) so it's better to not have them unless the tank is 6 months old or more. I have a small school of glow lights with my betta and they do just fine. I'm also gonna have to agree that the hatchets aren't he best idea. pygmy cories would definitely be better. But hatchets are skittish and jumpy, and would definitely do better in a bigger tank with plenty of their own kind and some floating plants for cover.

 

[-Jo-]

I did notice that neon tetras where quite fragile, so I was going to perhaps put them in last - but I dont want to be over running the tank too much - so will keep to just glowlights. How big a schooling size will keep the glowlights happy, but not threaten the betta? I have researched into them, and glowlights are apparently the friendliest of tetras - I hope thats true!

When adding my fish into the quarium when the cycling is complete, when dealing with a Betta fish, is it best to add the betta in last? or is it best to add it first?

 

[onidrase]

I did notice that neon tetras where quite fragile, so I was going to perhaps put them in last - but I dont want to be over running the tank too much - so will keep to just glowlights. How big a schooling size will keep the glowlights happy, but not threaten the betta? I have researched into them, and glowlights are apparently the friendliest of tetras - I hope thats true!

When adding my fish into the quarium when the cycling is complete, when dealing with a Betta fish, is it best to add the betta in last? or is it best to add it first?

I absolutely love my glow lights. 6 would be a fine school, 8 would probably be max. I had my betta in first, and he didn't pay any mind to the glow lights being added.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

I personally like the look of a larger number of one type of fish as opposed to a few different groups of fish in smaller numbers - the bigger groups have a bit more "impact", if that makes any sense I've just got 6 hengeli rasbora and I love them! They mostly stick together which looks nice in the tank

 

[-Jo-]

I love the idea of having a species tank - but I need a kind of community tank because I get soooo indecisive about what i want! ha! The fish you have are really nice!

onidrase, im glad your glowlights get on well with the betta. In the shop i went to i saw they were housing a betta with glowlights there.

Are the staff right when they say that its best to get a betta who is already mixing with fish in the tanks already?

 

[Jayladd]

I love the idea of having a species tank - but I need a kind of community tank because I get soooo indecisive about what i want! ha! The fish you have are really nice!

onidrase, im glad your glowlights get on well with the betta. In the shop i went to i saw they were housing a betta with glowlights there.

Are the staff right when they say that its best to get a betta who is already mixing with fish in the tanks already?

Yes I went for one who was housed with swordtails and he's very docile

 

[Shedeivl]

Are the staff right when they say that its best to get a betta who is already mixing with fish in the tanks already?

Yes I went for one who was housed with swordtails and he's very docile

I agree it's most-likely better to get one already housed however all my Betta have not been housed b4 as my local pet shops are all backwards about putting Betta with anything I find if you introduce them slowly there fine, I always put the other fish in first and the Betta last this is because of two reasons

1 if I have any problems with my tank and it's a bad problem where something might die I could not stand the though of that something being Betta 9-10 this dose not happen but I like the saying better to be safe then sorry

2 is i found if i put the Betta in first he can become far more territorial, which can then cause problem but if there are other fish in the tank first then it's there territory the Betta's going into so they tend to be less threatened

my Betta lives quite happily with a balloon molly and a small BN catty

 

[-Jo-]

thank you for your help! I will definitly add the betta in last and make hes from a tank which is already been housed with other fish.

I have changed my mind about my stocking - which u may have read in my other post. I am now thinking of 1 x Betta, 6 x Glowlight Tetras and 4x Kuhli Loaches.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Forget the Neons & go with Cardinals. More colourful by far & quite a bit hardier.


Tom

 

[-Jo-]

Forget the Neons & go with Cardinals. More colourful by far & quite a bit hardier.


Tom

I definitly prefer the cardinals to the neons, but was told that cardinals were a bit more nippy? Im thinking of 6 glowlight tetras now instead of the neons/cardinals.