Help Stocking My 25 Gal Tank

[Lazar_]

Hi

I've just joined the forum and still quite new to fish keeping.
I've bought myself a juwel rekord 800 25 gal tank.
It's been set up for a month now and I've had a male betta and 5 neon tetra in the tank while its been cycling. I know these probably weren't the best fish to use but a friend wanted to get rid of them as he wants to set up a more aggressive tank and the betta is a really nice looking fish.
The water did get cloudyish a day after setting up the tank but I kept up with doing 25% water changes almostly daily and the last 2 weeks the waters been alot clearer and has read 0 nitrate, nitrite and ammonia.
All the fish look healthy and active, the betta isn't bothered by the neons at all and visa versa, sometimes the betta follows them around and i keep thinking he's going to have a go at them but he never does.
So im looking to start stocking the tank, im going to give the neons to a family member as they already have a school of neons so they'll be happier.
Id like to keep the betta as its a really nice looking fish and appears to be quite dosile, apart from flaring up at its reflection a couple of times.
I've done abit of research into it and I just wanted peoples help and opinion, from what Ive found out its best to add small numbers at a time so the water can adjust?
As I say its a 25 gal tank. Upgranded filter pump from a 400 to a 600. Sand substraight, 3D slate background, 5 decent sized artifcial plants and afew little ornaments and a cave type ornament.
Anyway this is what im thinking:
1 Betta
7/8 serpae tetra
3/4 adolfo cory cats
2/platies
maybe 1 honey gourami? not sure that might be to much and not compatible.
Let me know what you think all advise welcome thanks.

 

[agk2000]

The cories would get pretty close to being too big for the tank... but the serpaes and platies would be do able. It would probably not be advised to get the honey gourami, as they nip at fins a lot (from my personaly experience) and the betta would get pestered and might go very aggressive and kill it.

 

[OldMan47]

Welcome to the forum Lazar_.

How are you doing on ammonia and nitrite readings? Have you got both of those at zero and staying there without a water change? I'm afraid that water clarity has nothing to do with getting a tank's filter ready for fish. Instead we grow cultures in our filters that can process both ammonia and nitrites to nitrates. It takes a while and you must control both chemicals using water changes until the filter is ready, we call that cycled. There is a link in my signature area to fish-in cycling which is what you have been doing. It will explain in more detail the process that I just barely touched on here.

Once you have a nicely cycled filter, you will indeed want to make slow changes in the population because the filter will really only be ready to support the stock level that you used during the cycle process. Each increase in stocking requires the filter bacteria to increase to accommodate the new stocking level. The only change I would make to your final stocking proposal would be to increase the number of cories to 5 or 6. Cories are delightful fish when kept in large enough schools but don't do much in small numbers.

 

[Essjay]

I would not have serpae tetras with a betta. Serpaes are one of the nippiest species of tetra and your betta would have no fins left. I once had serpaes and every other fish in the tank had bits missing.
Gouramis and bettas are not recommended as tank mates. They are closely related, and can fight.

 

[Lazar_]

Haven't changed the water for about 5 days now and its read 0 nitrate 0 nitrite 0 ammonia up to now.
Mind I am using those tests stripes to check nitrate nitrite chorline ph etc and there not meant to be very accurate.
Im using a test kit for the ammonia where you add some solution to a sample of the tank water and the ammount it discolours is the ammonia level and the waters stayed exactly the same every time.
Thanks for the advise ill leave the gourami then and ive read up abit on serpae tetra and there semi aggressive especially in smaller tanks so there probably not a good idea.
I do like the look of the stockier more piranha looking tetra like black skirt tetra, Columbian tetra, black phantom tetra. Anyone had any experience with any of these, would they be a better option with the betta.
I've just seen ram cichlids that look like a nice fish, would fit my tank and are suppose to be very peaceful.
Updated list:
1 Betta
8 tetra
1/2 ram cichlids
4/5 corys