Newbie - Stocking List

[JenJ]

So having wanted tropicals for 20 years, I'm finally settled in a house that I don't plan on moving out of anytime soon, and have bought a 54L 2x1x1ft tank. (I wanted to start small at first, then build up!)

I have my Jeyes Kleen Off Ammonia and API Master Test Kit on order, but in the meantime am looking at what I can buy in 4 weeks or so time.

From what I liked at the lfs, I'm currently thinking of the following:

2 dwarf gourami
6 guppies
then either 3 baby petricola catfish (currently about half an inch long, and slow growers? - would rehome 2 when too big)
or 1 snowball plec

Would these species be ok together, and would they cover all bases in terms of top/middle/bottom dwellers? Would I need to take male/female into account or would this not matter with this small mix?

If not can anyone make suitable suggestions? I particularly like little fish, but dislike neon tetras, though other tetras seem nice. It was seeing painted glassfish 20 years ago that made me want tropicals, and although I now realise the ethical issue, would glassfish (non-injected!) be a suitable choice?

 

[Ruskull]

If you want 2 Dwarf Gouramis make sure to get a male female combo. Two males will fight, especially in a small tank. They are fine by themselves though. Sorry, I don't know anything about Glassfish.

 

[crazyforcordoras]

Glassfish are brackish, meaning they need some salt in their water to survive properly

 

[Essjay]

I would not get the catfish. It is never a good idea to buy fish that you know will get too big with the intention of rehoming them. Wait until you have a bigger tank - you will want another one before long!
For a tank with a 24 x 12 inch footprint, maybe a shoal of one of the dwarf corydoras for bottom dwellers? That's Corydoras pygmaeus, habrosus or hastatus. Though you will need sand on the bottom for these fish.

For a tank this size, (I have one!) I would look at the slightly smaller honey gourami rather than dwarf. As Ruskull says for dwarfs, a male/female pair.
Guppies - get all males as females are bigger and will overpoulate the tank in no time as they breed like rabbits. Or look at endlers, smaller relatives of guppies - again all males.

There are a few small tetras around, such as ember tetras. And also microrasboras, eg fish with the latin name starting with Boraras. Have a look at Boraras brigittae for instance.

 

[willowstwin]

from personal exerience I wouldn't house dwarf gouramis and guppies together. My male DG was VERY territorial, and I looked into the tank one day to see him actually tear one of my guppies tails from end to base. I thought it was the tetras fin nipping that had ruined the guppies tails, but unfortunately not.

Why not go for a school of fish along with your DG's? Dwarf Neon rainbows are gorgeous fish and they school nicely.

As for the catfish, why get something you need to rehome? If you cannot, for whatever reason (space, money, etc) get an upgrade tank, it won't be very nice getting rid of your fish. How about corydoras? Get a nice substrate (preferably sand) and get a school of cories.

If you choose to get a bigger tank later, then get your catfish etc.

 

[JenJ]

Thanks all. Some good ideas there.

I may well just shelve the idea of the catfish, though when I referred to 'rehoming' I meant in my inevitable new and bigger second tank when I get it!

What about the single snowball plec? I think that's a comparatively small plec? Would my footprint still be too small for it?

I think the 6 male guppies are the certainty, and the rest will be built around them, whether it's a pair of slightly larger fish, or possibly a small school of tetra? I'll head back to the lfs this weekend and see what catches my eye.

My original plan (which the lfs have now sold) were a pair of electric blue dempseys. Am I correct in thinking they would not suit my tank nor be compatible with a mix of smaller fish? I was told they are very unaggressive for a dempsey.

 

[Essjay]

In this tank the jack dempseys are a definite no. They are not good commumity fish and need a minimum tank size of 45 gallons (170 litres) for just one JD.
They are not 'unaggressive' but perhaps less aggressive than the standard JD. Still not a good choice for a community.

If you want to get into cichlids when you have a bigger tank, check out the New World Cichlid section, and ask advice there.


I can't think of any plec suitable for a tank with a 24 x 12 inch footprint. Assuming you mean L102 as a snowball plec, it grows to 6 inches.

 

[JenJ]

Thanks. I guess the second lesson I've learned this week (the first, obviously, being the fishless cycle!) is never believe what your lfs tells you. They said I'd be fine with the two dempseys, 3 (then down to 1) petricola catfish and some tetras.

I did mean L102, they have a couple in my lfs.

Do I actually need bottom dwellers? Or could I just get the guppies (and some other small schooling fish) and maybe add later?

 

[Essjay]

No, you don't need bottom dwellers. Most people have them to fill in all areas of the tank. I have endler-guppy hybrids rather than guppies, and I find they will eat any food that reaches the bottom, so you won't need a fish just to do that.


Rule number one in fishkeeping is don't trust the shop. Some do have knowledgable people work in them, the problem for a newbie is finding out who they are.

 

[The Taffy Apple]

Hi JenJ... great to hear from someone who has always wanted to get involved in the hobby and you seem to have done the correct thing in chosing a nice sized tank as your first endeavour !!!
I, personally, would forget all Gouramis and all Jack and other Dempseys...too big a footprint for you tank size. You don't HAVE to have bottom dwellers, but maybe an Otto (groups of 3+ but only in more mature tanks) could be an option for you in the future.
I would prefer to add Endler Guppy and more of them than you would with usual size Guppy. You could also look at something like Neon Tetra, or in my opinion other fish of the same size, i have Ember Tetra and they are fantastic.

Best of luck with it all, keep us updated.

Terry.