Hmmm?

[Zeoth]

I'am going to get a 30 gallon Aquarium, rectangular. What should I put in there? I was thinking:

2 Black Mollies
4 Red Platies
2 Bolivian Rams
4 Corys
4 Lemon Tetras
2 Congo Tetras

Anyother suggestons and combinations welcome.

and another question: I've heard of ppl putting like 8 shrimps in some pretty small tanks, Do they (the shrimps) apply to the "Rule" of stocking?.

 

[three-fingers]

If you were going to be starting a new tank, I would be choosing fish that particularly like the water you will be having in the tank.
All the fish aprt from the platies and mollies prefer acidic water, and the mollies you buy in shops do very bad in acidic water (6.8 is the lowest that's really possible, and even the you would have to have extremely low nitrates). Platies tend to be more adaptable to pH than mollies, and I've seen them shriving at pH 6.5, so they should be OK.

I would also take the opportunity to put the fish that need to be kept in groups in shoals - 6 corys, 6 lemon tetras.

and another question: I've heard of ppl putting like 8 shrimps in some pretty small tanks, Do they (the shrimps) apply to the "Rule" of stocking?.

Yep, depends on the type of shrimp. But generally one fully grown amano shrimp counts as a neon tetra sized fish - if your going by the however many inches per whatever rule .
Remember shrimp need good hiding places for when they shed.

 

[Night_Market]

I have read that inverts don't count on the stocking rule, as the excess food and other material it consumes and 'cycles' outweigh the actual animal itself.

The Bolivian rams are lovely peaceful little cichlids...

Good Luck...

 

[three-fingers]

Inverts do affect the stocking rule though, they often go unnoticed because - yes - they do clean up food and the like, but this doesn't actually outweigh the bioload of the shrimp.
Its just because stocking rules generally leave quite a bot of extra space for error.

If you had a tank of 6 neons, and a tank of 6 amano shrimp both set up exactly the same otherwise - you would have very similar nitrate readings if you were feeding them the same quantities.

 

[Zeoth]

I would also take the opportunity to put the fish that need to be kept in groups in shoals - 6 corys, 6 lemon tetras.

Won't that over stock my tank?

 

[three-fingers]

Nope, not at all (unless you have a tiny filter, or unless you never do any water changes whatsoever). But that depends on the cory species, if it's just the regular ones like bronze corydoras then its 100% fine.
Obviously don't add them all at once though get either the lemon tetras or corys first then add the next lot of fish after about a month you know - aleays better to do things slow regardless of if your 'overstocking' (according to that rule) or understocking.

The 1" per gallon rule is way over blown, but its useful for people starting up as it minimises the chances of any possible problems and other variables.

Just do things slowly and test for nitrate, as long as the fish aren't cramped and the nitrate isn't too high then your not overstocked.

Drop the mollies and bump up the numbers of those fish and there will be no problems.

Even after that if you think there's enough space for a few more suitable fish, just test the water and make a judgement . If you see any ammonia/nitrite it is either because your stocking your tank too fast, or your filters too small .

 

[Zeoth]

Anyone else reccomend any combinations for my tank?