I Have Compiled My Stocking List For My Future 400l

[craig855s]

Getting a 400 litre in august sometime and it will be filtered by an eheim pro 2217 so i doubt im gonna be overtstocked. Plans are to have a sand AND gravel substrate,lots of rocks/slates/plant pots and plants for the setting up of territories and caves to keep certain fish away from others. and the fish list is..

bn plec x 3
harlequin x 9
platy x 3
cory x 8
firemouth x2
red tailed black shark x 1
blue acara x 2
cockatoo cichlid x 2
guppy x 3

Along with 10 or so shrimps (cherrys and stuff) and an assasin snail or two

Anyone see any conflicts there,anything you would add/take away?

Cheers for all input

 

[Davo86]

Hi, gravel and sand combinations don't work, After about 6 weeks the same will have mixed in with the gravel and then cleaning becomes a nightmare as when you syphon the gravel you take up all of the sand.

Also you will soon lose the shrimp and possibly the guppys, harlequinns and platys, if you add two Blue Acaras and two FM.

With two FM and BA you have a good chance that one species will become a pair and then you should expect even more casualties. If your having a mixed community then you are best sticking to one of each cichlid sp (Not including dwarfs)

 

[craig855s]

So if i go with 1 of each of the large cichlids (can i have 2-3 of the cockatoos?) will my shrimp/harleys/guppies/platys be ok?

Or would it bebest to stick to either small community fish and no cichlids or a cichlid only tank?

I quite like the idea of the above stocking though,think it will provide a lot of colour and activity in the tank

 

[Davo86]

So if i go with 1 of each of the large cichlids (can i have 2-3 of the cockatoos?) will my shrimp/harleys/guppies/platys be ok?

No sorry the FM and BA will consider the shrimp food, In such a large tank the others might be ok, but you may lose the odd one now and again, guppy fry will obviously be eaten.

You can have either a pair or trio (1M2F) of Apistos yes.

Or would it bebest to stick to either small community fish and no cichlids or a cichlid only tank?

If you go with one Acara and one Firemouth you can go fairly small, Platys and medium sized tetras should be fine, but IMO it is not worth going much smaller.

I quite like the idea of the above stocking though,think it will provide a lot of colour and activity in the tank

Your above stocking may be fine short term but Long term it is guaranteed to fail, with potentially 3 cichlid pairs forming in the tank, your bound to have a casualties

Personally I would either go big

bn plec x 3
harlequin x 9 - swap for 9 Colombian tetra
platy x 3 - swap these for a trio of Sailfin Mollys (1M2F)
cory x 8
firemouth x2 - just have the one FM or even swap it for a T.Elliotti or T.Aureus
red tailed black shark x 1
blue acara x 2 - Just have the one BA
cockatoo cichlid x 2 - add another Female to make a trio (1M2F)
guppy x 3 - Swap for a trio of adult Swords

Or go small with a centrepiece fish

bn plec x 3
harlequin x 9
platy x 3
cory x 8
firemouth x2 - Swap for one Angel
red tailed black shark x 1 - lose the shark
blue acara x 2 - swap for 2 Bolivian Rams
cockatoo cichlid x 2
guppy x 3
Loads of cherry shrimp and snails
+ another couple of shoals of smaller fish, - Rummynose, black neons, phantoms, etc

 

[craig855s]

So if i go with 1 of each of the large cichlids (can i have 2-3 of the cockatoos?) will my shrimp/harleys/guppies/platys be ok?

No sorry the FM and BA will consider the shrimp food, In such a large tank the others might be ok, but you may lose the odd one now and again, guppy fry will obviously be eaten.

You can have either a pair or trio (1M2F) of Apistos yes.

Or would it bebest to stick to either small community fish and no cichlids or a cichlid only tank?

If you go with one Acara and one Firemouth you can go fairly small, Platys and medium sized tetras should be fine, but IMO it is not worth going much smaller.

I quite like the idea of the above stocking though,think it will provide a lot of colour and activity in the tank

Your above stocking may be fine short term but Long term it is guaranteed to fail, with potentially 3 cichlid pairs forming in the tank, your bound to have a casualties

Personally I would either go big

bn plec x 3
harlequin x 9 - swap for 9 Colombian tetra
platy x 3 - swap these for a trio of Sailfin Mollys (1M2F)
cory x 8
firemouth x2 - just have the one FM or even swap it for a T.Elliotti or T.Aureus
red tailed black shark x 1
blue acara x 2 - Just have the one BA
cockatoo cichlid x 2 - add another Female to make a trio (1M2F)
guppy x 3 - Swap for a trio of adult Swords

Or go small with a centrepiece fish

bn plec x 3
harlequin x 9
platy x 3
cory x 8
firemouth x2 - Swap for one Angel
red tailed black shark x 1 - lose the shark
blue acara x 2 - swap for 2 Bolivian Rams
cockatoo cichlid x 2
guppy x 3
Loads of cherry shrimp and snails
+ another couple of shoals of smaller fish, - Rummynose, black neons, phantoms, etc

I like the idea of small with a centrepiece then..Will 2 bolivians and 2 cockatoos be ok together (u say breeding cichlids have issues with other cichlids?)

Shark off the list then and a schoal of tetras or danios to be added.

 

[Davo86]

Dwarf cichlids are generally ok, even when breeding,

 

[craig855s]

not too sure on the angel (they need warmer water than ALL the other fish)

Would 4 clown loaches fit in this set-up?

bn plec x 3
harlequin x 9
platy x 3
cory x 8
red tailed black shark x 1
Bolivian Rams x 2
cockatoo cichlid x 2
guppy x 3
Clown loaches x 4??

Shrimps and snails

 

[Davo86]

Clown loach will eat shrimp and snails,

Also Angels do Not require warmer water than the others

 

[craig855s]

dont mind not having shrimps and snails if it means i can have clowns (and all the other fish in the list)

I read angels need 27 degrees...im planning on 25 degrees to keep the above listed fish comfy...would the angel be ok at 25? or is it best to compromise at 26?

 

[meguro]

Angelfish are fine with temps. as low as 23C, so 25C is ok. I'd be inclined to have a mix of angelfish and keyhole cichlids, but what Davo suggested is fine too.

 

[craig855s]

so the list is now.....
bn plec x 3
harlequin x 9
platy x 3
cory x 8
Angel x1
2 Bolivian Rams
cockatoo cichlid x 2
guppy x 3
Small gourami like a honey x2
Glowlight tetra x 7
Loads of cherry shrimp and snails


Once the tank is fully cycled using ammonia how do i go about adding the stock? All at once? certain fish first then others a week later? I obviously want to keep all my bacteria alive so dont wanna stick just a couple of fish in for a week and let the bacteria die off from starvation?

 

[Davo86]

Once the tank is fully cycled using ammonia how do i go about adding the stock? All at once? certain fish first then others a week later? I obviously want to keep all my bacteria alive so dont wanna stick just a couple of fish in for a week and let the bacteria die off from starvation?

I would do it in 3-4 stages, something like this;

harlequins, Glowlight tetras, platys

guppys, honeys, cherry shrimp and snails

corys and bns

Angel, Rams and cockatoos

 

[Ilikefishes]

I thought angels are likely to eat small fish like tetras?

 

[dazsmith69]

id go for a massive shoal of 50+ harlequins or rummy nose tetras

20-30 shrimp, few BN plecs, 15 corys, and a couple of larger very peaceful centrepiece fish (gourami? or keyhold cichlids)

loads of little fish in a massive tank look and get on brilliantly instead of huge teratorial fish that just cause problems

mixing species like youve mention doesnt create that natuiral effect, (i was always thinking it didnt look the way or the fish didnt act the way i thought) IMO, taking the plunge and buying a vast number of one species is so rewarding watching them shoaling in the tank

thats what id do from experience! but just my opinion!

good luck!

 

[craig855s]

may increase schoal sizes a tad but i really want a number of different species...If it doesnt work out i may rehome some and increase numbers in others (for instance the platys in my current set-up are rather shy..which they wouldnt be in a tank that they dominated...so maybe platies in a busy community arent best..but im hoping a 400L will make them feel comfortable)

If i add the fish in 4 stages will i see 3 mini cycles? or will the bacteria from the fishless stay alive between the first stage and the final stage?