Hows This For Stocking A 30x12x15?

[crazycallum]

Could someone tell me if these would go together? i have absolutly no idea so any changes or recomendations would be great


1 Red tail shark

1 Paradise Fish

1 Velvet Red Swordtail

1 Blue Freshwater Lobster

7 Neon tetras

Could you please tell me what goes together and what doesn't? and what i could have instead?
I'd at least like to keep the lobster and the red tail shark, hopefully aswell the paradise fish

 

[Corleone]

Doesn't look bad. The paradise fish and shark may both grow up to be aggressive. I don't know how they'll work together, but the swordtail should be able to hold up fine. A red finned/rainbow shark might be a better choice -they have a slightly better reputation for aggression as they mature.

The lobster is my primary worry. The shark, being a bottom dweller, would be most at risk. Some people have had good luck keeping them with fish, but some people haven't.

 

[crazycallum]

What other things could i get instead of the lobster? Because i'l need something to eat algae and other waste.....

 

[drufly]

What other things could i get instead of the lobster? Because i'l need something to eat algae and other waste.....

Waste as in poo doesnt get eaten. For algae you could get snails, and for other waste as in food maybe a small plec.

 

[crazycallum]

Yer i know the poo doesn't sorry should'v said lol, I'm not really a fan of snails tbh, what types of small plec are there that i could have?

 

[drufly]

check out the thread on fish speices from the 1st page. I have a bristlenose and a orange marbled plec they are quite nice, tho the bn doesnt come out as mush as the other

 

[crazycallum]

What cheap plecos are there? i can't really afford a £30 one.... would an albino one be ok?

 

[Corleone]

An albino bristlenose would be ok, but be careful with any plec, as the bulk of species sold get upwards of 12-18 inches long (some of them get upwards of 24-36 inches long).

 

[crazycallum]

i think im gonna go with a shoal of rummy nose tetras (6-10) a shoal of maybe neon tetras or other tetra (6-10) a red tail shark, a dwarf gourami not sure which one and a pleco. maybe also a swordtail

can someone reccomend a good pleco or dwarf gourami? and what should i be putting in for like a clean up crew, is a pleco enough?

 

[Corleone]

Best bet for a plec would be a bristlenose - they're one of the cheaper small plecs, and also quite active. Bulldog or rubber lip plecs are also small, but inactive. Zebra plecs are expensive. Only other small plec ever sold in my area are clown plecs, which I don't know much about, but they do look nice.

As for a cleanup crew, the plec will help with certain types of algae, but when it comes to uneaten food, nothing can beat snails. Shrimp, too, but I think the shark might eat them. Trumpet snails burrow in the substrate, so you'll rarely see them except if you catch them out eating at night. Ramshorn snails are reasonably easy to keep from breeding out of control, and in a planted tank you might not see them most of the time, either. Apple snails (usually sold as mystery snails) need to lay their eggs above water, so there's a good chance they won't be able to breed in the tank anyway, and the eggs are easy to see and remove otherwise. Nerite snails almost never breed in fresh water, but they will lay tiny eggs on decor.

 

[crazycallum]

Will something like a couple of panda cory's eat uneaten food?

 

[Corleone]

Yes. Nothing on snails, but they're great fish. Get at least 5-6 if you get them, though. Corys that are kept alone or in small groups tend to be lazy and hide. In good groups, they're active, playful, and a joy to watch.

 

[crazycallum]

So i could have...

8 rummy nose tetras
5 Corys
2 clown loaches / 1 pleco
1 red tail shark
1 dwarf gorouami
maybe 1 swordtail?

 

[Corleone]

I'd drop the loaches and get something int he upper levels of the tank instead - you've got a lot of bottom swimmers for the real estate. Also, clown loaches will far outgrow the tank. They are slow growing, but when they're outgrowing that tank, they can also be hard to get rid of. If you want loaches, there are plenty of smaller species like zebra loaches.

 

[crazycallum]

Drop the loaches but still go for a pleco? or drop them both?
what would u suggest for upper levels?