Stocking A New 200L

[Shifty1303]

Hey all!

Beginning to cycle my new fluval roma 200 and am trying to decide what I will fill it with. Currently have 5 corys, 2 glowlight tetras and 1 snakeskin barb in my 110l which I will move over eventually before breaking down the old tank.

Live in a hard water area with a ph around 7.4 so am looking for any suggestions of hardy fish to stock with my preference being to have larger schools of smaller fish. An active barb shoal would be good so any recommendations here?

Also looking to get a hardy and affordable centerpiece fish or two so again any good recommendations? Was told red rainbowfish were a good shout by my lfs?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Wills]

Hi, sounds exciting
 
Rainbow fish would be a good shout as they do thrive in the harder water - your best option in here are the Dwarf Neon Rainbows, this will allow a large school Rainbows are not really centerpiece fish as they are shoaling rather than stand alone personalities.
 
Personally I would rehome the Glowlights as you move the tank over as it will allow you greater numbers in the other schools. Then its upto you, but if your looking at focusing on harder water fish perhaps this isnt the best home for the cories and you would be better off with a school of Loaches? But thats upto you really as I think Cories will be ok in the high ph, its just not ideal.
 
So, so far I would be looking at a stocking like
 
10 Dwarf Neon Rainbows
10 Snakesin Barbs
10 Cories (all the same species) OR 10 Dwarf Chain Loaches
 
Then for a centre piece something like a trio of Pearl Gourami would be ideal
 
Wills

 

[Shifty1303]

Ah ok thanks for the response.

Well ive never had issues with the corys before although I knew they prefered softer water. Ive had one peppered Cory which survived through all my beginner tanks etc and is in her 8th year with me now. Obviously i could never give her up and I love corys too much not to keep them really

I will look out for the dwarf rainbows as they sound perfect but I have an issue in finding snakeskin barbs sadly. Have tried to find more constantly for the last couple of years but no lfs within an hour of me stocks them. I got the snakeskin originally by accident when he was a baby in a tank of five banded barbs I bought from and couldnt tell the difference. I honestly cant see myself finding more so can you recommend another hardy and characterful barb species?

I love gouramis - had a shoal of honey dwarf ones before - but I have my reservations about them as to me they seem almost as disease prone as guppys. Can you ease my mind on these?

Thanks again!