Stocking Options

[dixiedawn]

yeah i know i can ask here, but you guys must really get fed up with same questions day in day out......soooooo i was trying to see if i could lessen the 'stocking q's' a little

 

[dixiedawn]

ok so the thinkfish site probably isn't the best in the world only after i put in the dimentions of the tank AND

6 tiger barbs
6 platys
6 zebra danos
10 black mollies
10 dwarf rainbowfish
10 panda cory
10 cherry barbs
10 ruby barbs

was when it told me i was over stocked.............i ain't no genious but even i know that is WAY too many fish for a 50 gal tank........... but the list of fish i like is there, whats a more realistic number of each? or if they're even compatible!

and i exaggerated the numbers put into the site on purpose to see what it would do.....please don'tkill me!

 

[orange shark]

around 8-9 tiger barbs to stop them nipping fins

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

Barbs, especially tiger barbs, are a bit better suited in their own tank setups.
Corys...a group of 6 is good...no less than 3!
Mollys...not completely sure of all species but most mollys are actually a bit more on the brackish side...Corys however are salt sensitive
Platies are fine with a lot of fish, but remember they are livebearers and can breed like rabbits
Don't know enough about rainbow fish to comment.

Is your tank overfiltered? What is the approximate turnover rate? What do you think your maint schedule will look like? If you are very anal about keeping the tank clean you can usually get away with light overstocking. Also remember to keep in mind what areas of the tank the fish like to be in! The tank will seem way more crowded if everyone likes the same levels.

 

[dixiedawn]

This is for potential stock,i haven't yet set up the aquarium, tis only something for me to think about and research before going the whole hog n buying everything!

I intend on overfiltering the tank yes, however much more info im not sure about...im still learning

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

Yeah I know it can be hard figuring out how many fish to get etc.

My suggestion is pick one or two favorites that you can keep the recommended numbers for (most schooling fish the suggested group is at least 6), and build around that.

Once you have your tank set-up and cycled you can get a better idea of how much time you'll have for maint and such. For example if you don't think your schedule will allow you to do a water change every week plan to understock, or if you can't afford to overfilter yet stay on the lighter side until you can. Figure out where your favorite fish like to hang out (top, mid, bottom), and pick species from your "I like it and it's compatable list", to fill in the levels that are looking a little empty, etc. ^^

Stocking is one of the most frustrating parts of fish keeping because there are no set rules, and fish are individuals...some of them love to break the personality rules. That's why compatibility isn't always easy to gauge. There are a lot of people here to help give opinions though. ^^

 

[dixiedawn]

I work on weekends and am at home mostly during the week, so i don't think finding the time for the maintenance will be a huge issue...esp after i get the hang of it and become more sure of myself.

thanks for the info!