Sa Stocking Ideas

[scotty]

1 pair strawberry apistos
1 pair german blue rams
12 corys
9 neons
10 dwarf pencil fish
2 zebra otos
2 mottled otos
5 silver hatchets
5 gold tetras


this my current stocking,looking for ideas as i have just switched over to nd 48 x 24 x 18 and now looks like i have nothing in there,looking for ideas on nice colourful community fish,would prefer to keep it SA.

thanks
scott

 

[Monty-2010]

Ellioti's are colourful and peaceful and should be ok with those tank mates, so are rainbow cichlids. With any cichlids that get above 4 inch, you might need to re-home the neons as they could become breakfast.

 

[tenohfive]

A rainbow gets my vote. Great little fish.

 

[minnnt]

Rainbows are definately a very beautiful fish! I would add a Firemouth, they're one of my favourite fish and i don't think i would ever have a tank without one/two. But if you wanted something a bit different then you could go for the Ellioti's as mentioned.

 

[Davo86]

tbh I'd Forget the ellioti, mine is a 5" beast which would annihilate the likes of those tankmates,

I'd be inclined to up the numbers of everything you have then add a group of small Angels, a trio of red Swords, and a small but exotic plec species

 

[scotty]

was thinking about swords myself,might get a trio of males,don't want a plec or angels,just looking for something with a good bit of colour

 

[scotty]

any other options that people can think of.

thanks

scott

 

[Verminator89]

As mentioned, upping the numbers of what you already have would keep it looking nice. I'm a big fan of the 'less is more' motto. Having a shoaler, a centre piece fish/group, bottom dwellers and that extra 'something' is how i set up all my tanks whatever i'm doing.

So it it were me in the size tank you have, and wanted to go for a colourfull community this is how i would set it out;

- Shoal of 15 Buenos Aires or Columbian Tetra
- Pair/Group of Strawberry Apistos
- 10 Dwarf Pencil fish, maybe up these to 15-20?
- several (literally 7) oto's of sorts.
- Japonica shrimp if your apisto's don't mind them

I didnt include the cory's as i'm not a fan, but by all means keep them in there also. The tetras are your shoaler, providing movement in the tank. The pencil fish add a nice alternative to the larger tetras. Then you have your apisto's, which if you get a few more will create a nice interactive group (although be carefull with ratio of males/females. Perhaps 1 male is best, 2 max. The oto's will help keep the tank clean, plus they make for inquisitive fish and are great when they interact as a group. The shrimp, well i can't have a tank without them, i love them!