Your Thoughts On My Stocking Scheme

[walker001]

Hi, I currently have a 30 gallon with 5 corys, 4 black skirt tetras, 3 red eyed terta, 9 neon tetras, and 1 danio. The red eyes and the danio were rescues.
A 10 gallon with 1 betta and an algae eater. And 1 5 gallon with 1 betta. Both bettas are males.

I would really like to get a couple of platies and some tiger barbs. Does anyone see a way i can work this out by shuffling fish or can the Betta's tolerate danio's? My Big Bloo enjoys the 10 gallon, but it looks awful empty with just him in there and the lazy butt algae eater.

Any suggestions would be appriciated.
BTW. the 30 gallon is fully planted, substrate is laterite and black tahitian sand with caves and drift wood. Tons of hiding places.
10 gallon is sand substrate w/ plastics at the moment till I get some good clippings to put in there. No real hiding spots in yet.
The 5 gallon has marbles in the bottom and just the Betta.

Thanks,
Walker

 

[dwarfgourami]

Danios and bettas can be a dodgy combination at the best of times (have seen nasty examples of this one, I'm afraid), and a single danio might be even more nippy.

As for the tiger barbs, you are aware that you will need a school of 6-8 to keep them out of trouble, being the boisterous fish they are? Which would be difficult to fit in.

I think I would pass on the tigers if I were you, and settle for the platies. How about fitting them in the 10 gallon with the betta and see how they work out together? Not a male/female pair though- if you're only going to have 2, make it 2 females, to avoid aggression or sexual exhaustion. Three might be better though.

Before I decided on platies, I would decide about the future of the danio, though. If you are planning to keep him, he really needs some companions. I realise it's not your fault he's on his own, but I would still put that before buying a new species, annoying though it may be.

What kind is your algae eater? If a Chinese, you will need to think over his longterm future; they
eventually grow territorial and sometimes aggressive, and too large for a 10 gallon.

So, hang on- another idea coming up!- how about moving the neons in with the betta (but keeping a VERY vigilant eye in case they nip, putting the algae eater in the 30 gals and adding 5 danios? Then see how it goes, and maybe adding 2 or 3 platies to either the 10 gals (will be slightly overstocked) or to the 30 gals.

 

[walker001]

Thanks for the reply. Options, options, options. Thats the biggie. I have some flexability so I can look at different thing. The algae eater was a rescue and its an albino, wether SAE or CAE I don't know. It still small, about 2 inches. I really dont want to put it in the 30 gallon, because of its temperment when older.
Didn't think about the number for the shoal of barbs I would need. Hmm. Also, the 30 gal. has 2 filters, a cannister Flluval for 30 gal. and a Penguin Bio-wheel for a 30 gal. tank. So a fish that enjoys a bit of current is also good.
I like the danio and he seems to like the current so I may get him some partners, and maybe some platys for the 10 gallon and hope the betta doesnt mind too much. Very little current in the beta tank.