Stocking Advice Pls

[FishFanatic04]

I would really like some kind of small peaceful cichlid that can live in a community tank. We were planning to have some dwarf gouramis but I'm putting larger Gouramis in my 75g so I thought a pair of Rams or something similar would be nice in my smaller tank. It's a 46 bowfront. Any suggestions on a small cichlid? I don't know much about the different types.

We already have 4 platies and 1 molly. Here's the current plan{open to change}

4 platies
2 molly
8-10 albino cory
13 tetra {haven't completely settled on which}
1 apple snail

and some kind of small peaceful cichlid I hope.

Does that leave room for one of the smallest species of pleco or will we be pushing it?

 

[lloyd]

the trouble u have is rams love warm water where as platies and most corys like cooler water. rainbow cichlids are beutiful little cichlids that are suprisingly hardy if kept in clean water, i dont understand how big your tank is though?

 

[thereverendturtle]

I would suggest a species of apistogramma. Most are very colorful and their requirements are more suited to a community tank. You could have 1-2 males and 2-4 females. If you go with ottos or a bn pleco, you should be good.

 

[lock77]

Kribensis

 

[FishFanatic04]

Ohhh the apistogramma are beautiful! Will I end up overstocked with so many of them? I am a crazy person about water changing so clean water isn't an issue...

would 1 male and 2 females with the rest of the stocking be ok?

 

[FishFanatic04]

the trouble u have is rams love warm water where as platies and most corys like cooler water. rainbow cichlids are beutiful little cichlids that are suprisingly hardy if kept in clean water, i dont understand how big your tank is though?

46gallon bowfront...36" x 16" {widest part of bow} x 20"

 

[thereverendturtle]

A trio would be just fine. And if you wanted you have enough room to add a pair of Bolivian rams.

 

[lloyd]

just be careful about your fishes prefered water temps as your platies wont appreiciate high temps

 

[FishFanatic04]

My platies are doing fine at 78 degrees right now. SO far everything I'm reading says that Bolivian Rams do well at that temp range as well. The bolivian rams are calling out to me! I would love a group of them in hope of having a breeding pair...an opinions on this stocking?

4- platies
2- mollies
8-10 Cory
13-tetra {Lemon or neon)
4-5 Bolivian Rams {2 male/ 3 female?}
Maybe a small pleco.

Geez, that sounds like a very, very full tank. I'm used to seeing 4 little platies in there alone.

 

[thereverendturtle]

That would be fine, but just do two pairs of Bolivian rams. The extra female isn't needed.

 

[FishFanatic04]

Thanks I did just read that they are best in even numbers. I will do 4 then. I am sooo excited now!!! I also read that they like sandy substrate and I planned to change out the river rock I have for the cories anyway. I have a project for tomorrow!! cleaning sand and digging out gravel woohoo.

Thanks to everyone for the replies.

 

[Fishy friend2]

just be careful about your fishes prefered water temps as your platies wont appreiciate high temps

platies do completely fine in higher temps, i believe that there is a platy that is called a marigold variatus, and these appreciate lower temperatures if this is what you are talking about

 

[lloyd]

platys can live in hotter water but when keeping fish especially starting a new tank i think its only right that you aim for optimum temperature for your fish. platys are hardy in regards to water temp but to prefer and in alot of peoples opinions thrive at water temps in the high 60s to mid 70s and where as bolivian rams can be hardier than there cousons the blue rams, they still prefer water in the high 70s to 80s which isnt ideal for platys or neons and most corys.

im sure you could buy those fish and keep them together and they will live and maybe even thrive but wouldnt it be better for your own peice of mind and for the fish if they all had the same or very similar needs in regards to temp and water parameters

 

[soybean]

Buying two male and two female bolivians won't necessarily result in a pair. You could put ten of them in there and still not get a pair! I have a male and two females and he isn't that keen on either of them, he likes his space and chase them both off if they get too close. If you want a breeding pair see if you can come to an arrangement with a decent lfs to buy a mix of about 6 males and females and arrange to return ones that don't form a pair, maybe for credit. That way you can have two rams that cohabit peacefully and demonstrate interesting breeding behaviour without any other rams bothering them and vice versa - they can be very territorial when breeding.

That way you still have a bit of breathing room in the tank incase you ever want to up the numbers of tetra, for example.

Alternatively, apistogrammas are much smaller and you could house a male and two or three females, perhaps the cacatuoides or agassizi varieties which are easy to care for for beginners to dwarf cichlids, not being as fussy about ph and so on compared to some other species. They like lots of little caves and are lovely little things to watch.

 

[FishFanatic04]

Thanks for the thoughts soybean. The good thing is that I have a 46g and a 75g so whenever I have any issues with stocking, I have plenty of room to rearrange things. I am trying to plan my stocking for both tanks separately but I am carefully watching compatibility in both, so everything could work everywhere. I could always move a Ram or 2 to the other tank if they are driving each other crazy. Can they live fine if you only have 1...and are they fine with angelfish? I think I may run into a little trouble because I plan to have 2 Gouramis in the other tank, but I'm sure I can flip flop whatever I need to make them all happy.

I'm going to run into the same issue with the angelfish and getting a breeding pair...and I know they can also be aggressive when breeding.

I am set on getting some Bolivian rams and appreciate all the advice given.

Sorry lloyd, I wasn't completely disregarding your opinion. My platies have been doing great at 77-78 degrees and I plan to keep the temp there. I don't plan to add anymore platies or keep any of their fry {LFS is getting those} so no worries that there will be additions that won't do well at that temp.