Tank Stocking

[livelifelow]

Hello, I was hoping to get some advice on tank stocking, or at least bounce around some ideas. No one in my life cares about fish and I have about 5 different ideas of what I want to do.

Currents tanks/occupants:
75g SW DT: 1 sunrise dottyback + small CUC + 2 SPS corals
20g SW invert QT: 4 LPS corals, small CUC
20g SW fish QT: 2 engineer gobies
55g FW DT: 5 Boesemani Rainbows, 5 Roseline Barbs, 1 Opaline Gourami, 2 Neons, 2 Farlowella catfish, 2 Otos, 1 FM albino BN, 1 Julie Cory, snails
20g FW QT: 1 Boesemani Rainbow fry, 1 FM betta, 2 Mexican Dwarf Lobsters
34g: Relatively empty (1-2 kittens, they seem to like the fishy smell)
10g: Possibly empty, haven't seen the hermit crab since July, I'm declaring him dead in a couple weeks.

pH: 7.6
kH: 200 ppm
gH: I think it was 17, may need to retest

Overall, I definitely want to get the Gourami out of the 55g so that I can increase the waterflow in that tank, since I read that the Barbs and the Rainbows preferred higher flow, and the Gourami does not. The Boesemani fry is almost larger than bite size for the other Boesemani and Barbs, but not for the Gourami, he is intended for the 55g. I have always wanted a nice Golden Nugget Pleco and am hoping to put one in the 55g. My FW QT will become a smaller DT once its done being QT. The Boesemani getting busy while in QT has definitely delayed things. I am also hoping to put some different shrimp in tanks where they won't be eaten, and the Mexican Dwarf Lobsters I'm hoping to stick in my 55g.

My rough plan is to put the Gourami in the 20g. Not sure what can go in with him other than a nice (maybe false zebra or snowflake BN) pleco. He took a liking to fish and demolished 5 guppies and 9 neons (hence only having 2). I think how the Gourami move is incredible to watch, he was a spontaneous purchase that shouldn't have happened.

I'm thinking the female betta for the 10g. I had toyed with the idea of a betta sorority and bought her.

The 34 is where I'm hitting a big snag. Here are my ideas:
-Figure 8 puffers and bumblebee gobies
-Small schooling fish (congo tetras, neons, purple harlequin rasboras, and galaxy rasboras), cool pleco, maybe pearl gouramis, and a bottom critter (dwarf chain loaches, peru neon laser cories, or venezuelanus cories, with the other (loach or cory) going in the 55).
-Large betta sorority
-Opaline gourami and something going here
-Leopard Ctenopoma, can these go with my Opaline Gourami? Or with anything else? I fell in love with one of these at the pet store once, but upon further research it didn't seem like a good idea at the time.
-Perhaps a FOWLR tank with my engineer gobies, an urchin, starfish, and other non reef fish.

Please give me your opinions, please correct me if I am doing something wrong. I know my cory should be in a school, I have kept it solo since it is a 4-5 year old 1" long fish that I'm concerned would be out competed (feel free to tell me if you think it needs other cories). The neon school is only 2 because the Gourami ate the other 9, I intend on having more once he's separate. The otos and farlowellas were in groups of 6 and 4 respectively, I had concerns that I lost the others due to lack of food for them, so did not replace what was lost yet, but will if you tell me to.

I greatly appreciate all thoughts and corrections. My 34 has been sitting (relatively) empty since June with me unable to make a decision.

 

[Colin_T]

If you can post tank dimensions (length x width x height) rather than gallons it makes it a bit easier to suggest fish. Different countries have different sized tanks so providing dimensions gives us a better idea of the actual tank size.

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Neon tetras should not be kept with big species of rainbowfish because adult rainbowfish (in the bigger species) can eat neons. Even half size M. boesemani will take neons if they get hungry. Rainbowfish will also eat small shrimp.

Rainbowfish and barbs don't need strong currents but most fish do like to swim into currents every now and then. You can put a small water pump on a timer and have it come on for 30 minutes several times a day and the fish can swim into that. This will resemble the fish swimming up stream where the currents are strong and then moving into a calm pool. The calm pool being the aquarium when the water pump is turned off.

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Depending on tank dimensions, a 20 gallon tank might be a bit small for an adult opaline gourami. It's probably fine for juvelines but the gourami can easily reach 4-5 inches and even tho they don't swim long distances, there might be issues with tank mates being attacked. If you have a female gourami there should be less aggression. Females have a shorter rounded dorsal (top) fin, males have a longer more pointed dorsal fin.

Never keep more than one species of labyrinth fish (gouramis & bettas) in the same tank. They are all territorial and fight.

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Congo tetras like a bit of space to swim around and do best in big tanks that are 4ft or longer. All tetras need to be kept in large groups of 10 or more and a big tank is needed to house 10 congos. Congo tetras also prefer soft neutral to slightly acid water and your water is hard and alkaline, which is ideal for M. boesemani rainbowfish, but not necessarily the best for tetras.

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You definitely should add some more Corydoras even if your current fish is a couple of years old. Cories are social fish that live in groups and one on its own is not going to be happy. Try to keep cories in groups of 10 or more if possible. You can mix 2 species to make a group of 10 or just have 10 of one species.

 

[livelifelow]

Sorry about taking so long to get measurements.

Gallons: length x width x height
55: 48” x 12” x 20.5”
34: 36 x 18 x 13
20: 24 x 12.5 x 16
10: 20 x 10.5 x 12.5
20 SW: 30 x 12.5 x 12.5 (would prefer to keep this as sw fish qt if possible)

My concern with the cory was more that it’s definitely stunted, rather than the age, and if that would make it get out-competed for food.

The gourami is male, I am probably going to be doing some rearranging today after having a second BN jump (fortunately this one went into the filter), I would assume the gourami is to blame.

 

[Colin_T]

If the Cory is in a group and you put a bottom feeding food in for them, the fish should get enough to eat. Corydoras are pretty social feeders and the bigger catfish are unlikely to bully or prevent the smaller one from eating.

Check the water quality in the bristlenose tank, as poor water quality will cause fish to jump.

Make sure you have some driftwood in any tank that has suckermouth catfish (bristlenose, Otocinclus, Farlowella). They need bits of wood to help with their digestion. You can also feed them on thin slices of cucumber, zuchinni, pumpkin and most other fruits or green leafy vegetables.
Do not feed citrus (oranges, etc), potatoes, or onions and onion relatives (leeks, shallots, spring onions, garlic) because these can cause water quality issues.

 

[Sarah73]

If you can post tank dimensions (length x width x height) rather than gallons it makes it a bit easier to suggest fish. Different countries have different sized tanks so providing dimensions gives us a better idea of the actual tank size.

---------------------
Neon tetras should not be kept with big species of rainbowfish because adult rainbowfish (in the bigger species) can eat neons. Even half size M. boesemani will take neons if they get hungry. Rainbowfish will also eat small shrimp.

Rainbowfish and barbs don't need strong currents but most fish do like to swim into currents every now and then. You can put a small water pump on a timer and have it come on for 30 minutes several times a day and the fish can swim into that. This will resemble the fish swimming up stream where the currents are strong and then moving into a calm pool. The calm pool being the aquarium when the water pump is turned off.

---------------------
Depending on tank dimensions, a 20 gallon tank might be a bit small for an adult opaline gourami. It's probably fine for juvelines but the gourami can easily reach 4-5 inches and even tho they don't swim long distances, there might be issues with tank mates being attacked. If you have a female gourami there should be less aggression. Females have a shorter rounded dorsal (top) fin, males have a longer more pointed dorsal fin.

Never keep more than one species of labyrinth fish (gouramis & bettas) in the same tank. They are all territorial and fight.

---------------------
Congo tetras like a bit of space to swim around and do best in big tanks that are 4ft or longer. All tetras need to be kept in large groups of 10 or more and a big tank is needed to house 10 congos. Congo tetras also prefer soft neutral to slightly acid water and your water is hard and alkaline, which is ideal for M. boesemani rainbowfish, but not necessarily the best for tetras.

---------------------
You definitely should add some more Corydoras even if your current fish is a couple of years old. Cories are social fish that live in groups and one on its own is not going to be happy. Try to keep cories in groups of 10 or more if possible. You can mix 2 species to make a group of 10 or just have 10 of one species.

Not recommended to mix up corydoras into two groups. One species of 10 or 2 species of 6 or more. That's the only safe way, but it's better to put the same species together. As for the beta, sororities are VERY time consuming, troubling, and not meant for someone who has never kept betas.