My Current Stocking List

[Blondielovesfish]

Hi, (I hope this is in the right place and sorry if it isn't)
I'm getting a 167 litre tank soon and I'm working out the stocking.
This is my current list (I'm open to suggestions):
8 Neon Tetras
6 Pristella Tetras
1 Dwarf Gourami
2 Keyhole Cichlids.
 
The only thing is I'm wondering about whether or not I should have the Keyholes. They seem like great fish to have but I'm just not sure if they would be the right fish for my tank.
If I didn't get the Keyholes then I could up the numbers of Pristella Tetras to 8.
Any help would be appreciated and also any suggestions. 

 

[TallTree01]

It's up to you really. I'd agree that keyholes would look kind of out of place amongst the other fish now that I think about it.
I reckon some bottom dwellers wouldn't go astray. Perhaps cories or a Bristlenose.

 

[Lunar Jetman]

What about some dwarf cichlids like Kribensis? They're bottom dwellers.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Oh also I'm getting a BN sorry I left that out.

 

[RCA]

Personally I am not a fan of Neons, try Cardinal Tetras or Rasboras Espei 

 

[the_lock_man]

Cardinals are a bit bigger and a bit brighter than neons, so I would say +1 to RCA.
 
I also think that LJ's suggestion of dwarf cichlids is a good one - but with Kribs, remember that they breed like livebearers, but with a decent parental instinct, so they will chase any and every fish that comes anywhere near their brood. You could try one of the various apistogramma species, too, my current faves are A. Agassizii

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Okay thank you I will research them later.
Just a irrelevant question, my tank has I think 12watt of LED lighting, what is that classified as, like is it high, medium or low lighting. The tank is 167 litres and I can give you a link to it if you would like. I'm thinking about the plants I could have in there so I need to know the lighting!
Thanks

 

[the_lock_man]

Sounds low to me. Post a seperate question in the planted forum, they'll tell you.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Okay, thank you I will do that now!

 

[Blondielovesfish]

I've just been looking at those fish you all suggested but apart from the Cardinals I don't really think the others would suit my tank and the other fish! 
Thank you for your suggestions though and I will keep them in the back of my mind in case I start wanting some other different fish!
Okay so my current stocking list:
8 Neon/Cardinal Tetras (it will depend on whether or not my LFS has any Cardinals when I go to buy the fish)
8 Pristella Tetras
1 Dwarf Gourami
1 Bristlenose Pleco
 
For my plants I'm thinking of:
Some Java Fern
Some Anubias (probably nana as well as some others that I'm currently researching)
A Amazon Sword
Some Java Moss
Possibly some Hornwort (Depends on if I can find any for sale)
 
I may have some other plants as my LFS sells some "Beginner Plants" which I'm currently trying to identify. (Next time I'm at the LFS I'll take a pic to get them identified.
 
So yeah, that's my updated list.
 
But one question ~ If I was to go away and no one could come in and feed my fish, should I buy a feeding block? I've thought about buying an automatic feeder but I've heard that they are unreliable and can sometimes dump all the food thus polluting the water and potentially killing all my fish. So what should I use? I live quite rural so it is pretty much impossible to get someone in to feed the fish!

 

[TallTree01]

Most adult healthy fish can go for about 1-2 weeks without food. I used the feeding blocks but wouldn't reccomend them.

 

[the_lock_man]

Yeah, the feeder blocks are poor as well. The first time I used one, when I was a newbie, it just got stuck to the underside of the filter inlet and rotted.

 

[attibones]

Those blocks are awful. They make the water cloudy, first, then they make you want to off yourself. The food quality in them is poor. Your filter will be clogged for days. The water will need more changing. They're just awful.

If you have to go out of town for a while, slice up some cucumber or zucchini and put a hole through the center. One slice lasts around twelve hours in my tank. You could do a few of those. They don't foul the water, they help clear up constipation, and they are part of the balanced fish's diet. Well, plant matter is. You get the point.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Hmmmm I've never heard if the zucchini or cucumber method, would my (predicted) stocking eat it?

Because I'm going on holiday soon (end of June) and its for nine days, so my options are: Keep adding ammonia to the tank even after its been cycled and then leaving it while I'm away and then adding some more and a few days later getting some fish, or, cycle my tank (probably with mature media) and then once it's cycled add some neons and don't add any more fish until after I get back.
I'm just worried about the neons as I don't really want to come home to a fish full of dead neons or find some missing!

 

[attibones]

Most fish will eat it. If you don't think they will, try soaking it with Seachem Garlic stuff. This will help soften it up (you should remove the skin before feeding it to them) and it will make it more appealing to fish.