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RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FastFoward5k — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:19:46 GMT

Thanks MOA, FattFishy, Nikita, and anyone else who helped me figure this out! ;)

So here is my final stocking list:

1 Male Green Swordtail

6 Marbled Hatchetfish

4 Skunk Corys

2 Two Lined Pencilfish

6 Gold Neon Tetras

Thanks again!

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FattFishy — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:38:05 GMT

Thanks?

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

math-only aquarium — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:01:53 GMT

...Good advice.

MOA

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FattFishy — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:14:14 GMT

1. Peppered and Bronze are the biggest, Skunk middle, and Panda smallest. Your best bet is the Pepp. and Bronze but Skunk will do fine. You might want to watch it for a little while so that no one steals its food; add it before the swordtail so that the cories are more established and therefore less scared of anything.

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FastFoward5k — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:46:32 GMT

1. I decided I'll get the Skunk Cory because they all get to a maximum size of about 2.5". My LFS always has them and Peppered Corys, but I don't really like Peppered or Bronze as much (and my LFS doesn't have Pandas so I'd have to get them to special order it from LiveAquaria).

2. That's what I thought, I was just checking.

Thanks MOA. ;)

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

math-only aquarium — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:33:24 GMT

Hello Again,

1. Whichever is biggest (I can't remember at the moment) is probably going to be your best choice, followed by the one most commonly stocked by your petshop (they tend to be hardier). Probably bronze or peppered.

2. Tankmates in a 3-gallon system other than inverst is nigh impossible. Bettas are an anomoly in that they can handle both seclusion and small spaces better than almost any other species of fish commonly available. Now, white cloud mountain minnows, guppies, paradise fish, and other hardy species are often sold for small bowls, but most of them don't even last half of their appropriate lifespan in an environment less than 10 gallons. As such, your betta is probably best left to itself--provided it has a heater and filter, of course.

MOA

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FastFoward5k — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:16:25 GMT

Yeah I actually have two more questions:

1. Which type of cory (4 of them) should I get (Panda, Skunk, Peppered, or Bronze)?

2. Are there any good tankmates (other than inverts.) for my betta in the 3 gallon?

Thanks! :D

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FattFishy — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:59:42 GMT

That's a mighty fine list you got there. It'll make a fine display.

If you have any plant questions, feel free to ask!

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FastFoward5k — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:47:52 GMT

Okay sounds good. So I think this is my FINAL stocking list:

29 Gallon Planted:

1 Male Green Swordtail

6 Marbled Hatchetfish

2 Two-Lined Pencilfish

6 Gold Neon Tetras

4 Corys (Panda, Skunk, Peppered, or Bronze?)

3 Gallon Planted:

1 Male Crowntail Betta

Is there anything other than shrimp or snails I can put in there (just checking)?

The only questions I have are which type of cory should I get and the betta tankmate question. And thank you for all your help FattFishy, Nikita, and MOA. :D

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FattFishy — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:05:46 GMT

Yeah, if you put the betta in the 2.5 gallon, the hatchetfish are a definite choice. Just don't add any other top dwelling fish.

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

Nikita — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:25:05 GMT

Well, just throwing in fish to fill a void can cause problems with the whole setup if it's not done properly. I think it sounds good...I like how you included four corydoras; they'll be happier. And the six hatchetfish is a definite improvement.

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FastFoward5k — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 08:58:33 GMT

Actually, I just found a really nice tank for my betta (2.5 gallons) that I might get. It has a HOB filter, a nice light, and looks really good. What if I get this for my betta, and not ini the 29 gallon? Should I just take the beatta out and leave the stocking list alone (except for the betta), or should I add another fish or something? :D

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FastFoward5k — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 08:36:25 GMT

FattFishy: No I didn't think that either would work (especially the loaches), it is just that some guy at PetSmart told me that, and I was just double checking. I knew how big loaches got, but I didn't know they lived 50 years :w00t: .

Nikita: I'm just saying what I've read, I'm not saying you're wrong and I'm right. You seem like a much more experienced aquarist then me, so I believe you definitely.

Here is a new stocking list (is this any better):

1 Male Crowntail Betta

1 Male Green Swordtail

6 Gold Neon Tetras

6 Marbled Hatchetfish

2 Two Lined Pencilfish (a non-schooling type of Nannotomous)

4 Corys (which would be the best out of these: Skunk, Panda, Bronze, or Peppered?)

Thanks. :D

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

Nikita — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 08:22:01 GMT

If you think you're a skilled enough fishkeeper to maintain a schooling fish like the marbled hatchetfish in less than optimal conditions, go right ahead. It's your tank, not mine.

But I feel sorry for the hatchetfish.

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FattFishy — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 08:01:09 GMT

FastFoward... are you crazy?

First off, NO. Denison barbs need at least a 55 gallon that is 4 feet long to hold a school of six six-inch barbs. Not to mention they probably will take up the tank completely to themselves... I've been researching these guys for quite a while to make a plan with them and it's just too much cost for me. About 25 pounds in England and $25 here... each.

Clown loaches... In the wild, they grow to 18+ inches and live for 50 years. In captivity, they probably got used to be breeded in tiny tanks so grow to 12+ inches (some still might grow to maximum sizes, given the conditions are correct) and same lifespan, 50 years. Now that's a long time.. but in that time, these guys grow to 18 inches. It's like humans, we grow little by little because we live long. For these, they grow to 4 inches and almost stop, growing very slowly during there adolescent years.

Bottom line: No on both of them.

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FastFoward5k — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:41:33 GMT

OK I'll go with either the Honey Gouramis or the Marbled Hatchetfish. But everywhere I have read says that Marbled Hatchetfish thrive when kept in small schools of 3 or more. I'm stilling looking at the Farowella and trying to decide. And I have two more questions:

1. My tank is to small for a school of Denison Barbs, right?

2. Would 6 Clown Loaches get to big for a 29 gallon?

Thanks for all of your help. :D

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

Nikita — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 21:33:32 GMT

Well, you'd need to keep at least six hatchetfish. But you're better off with them than most of the gouramis you mentioned.

Chocolate gourami, I already discussed. See above post.

Licorice gourami, that's even worse than the chocolate gourami. They are not established enough in the hobby and you should not attempt them unless a) you are a very experienced fishkeeper AND b) you're going to devote an entire, large setup to their exclusive use.

Honey gourami, you're fine with. They're good fish. Watch for aggression with fish like bettas.

Sparkling gouramis are too delicate for the setup you have; they should be maintained in a species tank. They are very shy and easily stressed, and won't tolerate mistakes in water quality very well. They also strongly resemble betta fish, and will be attacked by them. So no. No no, no no nono, no no.

Honestly, you might have a better time just keeping hatchets (if you can keep enough for a school, of course).

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FastFoward5k — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 21:24:46 GMT

OK here are some gouramis I'm thinking of (in order of preference):

1. Chocolate Gourami

2. Licorice Gourami

3. Honey Gourami

4. Sparkling Gourami

Or should I just do three marbled hatchetfish instead? :D

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

Nikita — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:11:00 GMT

I agree with Sir Lass (...I couldn't think of anything besides Mr and David but that though I must admit it sounds odd) about the chocolate gouramis. Mixing fish like that in a community aquarium is better left to someone who has kept that type of fish for several years in order to gain experience with it. But there are several small, flashy gouramis that you could keep. Why not honey gouramis? They're inexpensive and pretty, and more hardy than chocolates will be. You could try moonlight gouramis, gold gouramis..there are many options that I feel will give you a higher chance of success.

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

David Lass — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:01:12 GMT

Why chocolate gouramis? They are really very sensitive fish, and are usually kept in a species tank just for themselves. If you can find them in a lfs, they would probably also be fairly expensive.

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FastFoward5k — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:44:25 GMT

Here is my new list:

1. 1 Male Crowntail Betta

2. 1 Male Green Swordtail

3. Pair Male-and-Female Chocolate Gourami

4. 4 Corys (Would Peppered, Skunk, Panda, or Bronze be best?)

5. 6 Gold Neon Tetras

6. 2 Three Lined Pencilfish

7. Farowella Catfish? (not sure, I really like them, but... )

Is this better? :D

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

math-only aquarium — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:07:20 GMT

Well, you're stocking list is a tad heavy (6-15%), but if you forgo the far. catfish then you'd be alright with regard to filter efficiency and tank space. However, I'm still a little worried about those gouramies--a male-female pair is just asking for trouble under those conditions. I'd say either go for two females or go with the Hatchets (remember 6 of them or be prepared to deal with really mean fish later on) or, better yet, leave the top to your betta and let him have free reign over his space.

Additionally, 4 cories would be better than three in the long run. IMO

If you don't get the far. catfish and the gouramies/Hatchets, then you'd have space for another shoal--which would be a lot less hassle in the long run and adds more activity.

No less, I do realize that some of this is opinion that I'm posting here. Honestly, I really don't see any problems, just the potential for problems. I guess it all comes down to what kind of a fishkeeper you want to be: survive or thrive? Yes, that was a shameless guilt-trip, but do think about it. I really want to see you succeed and I definitely don't want to hear from you a few months from now saying that it didn't work out.

In Hope,

MOA

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FattFishy — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:10:15 GMT

Um.. are you listening? Regarding the hatchetfish, gouramis, and betta compatibility?

Having an understocked tank is possible but has better benefits. First, a less tight cleaning schedule, more space for the fish to feel roomy (although some fish like tetras might feel a bit too roomy), and "emergency" space as needed.

About the farlowella... the situation will not optimum, if not minimum.

You can try a non-schooling pencilfish to fill in the space if you want.

You do know that the banana plant and such need pretty strong lighting, fertilizer, and a CO2 system?

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FastFoward5k — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:18:50 GMT

FattFishy (8/15/2008)

Here's a good list:

1 betta

6 gold neons

1 swordtail

3 bronze/peppered/emerald cories

No offense FattFishy, but that tank is (if possible) understocked. That would be fine in a 15-20 gallon. I don't want my fish to be unhappy or unhealthy but I think they would feel like too much space in that size aquarium with only those :P . Oh and MOA, I thought that 100 watts would be plenty, just wanted to make sure that one section of the aquarium wouldn't be cold. And by the way, I will have live plants (bannana, some type of sword, and some type of bunched plant). Here is what I was thinking:

1 Male Crowntail Betta

1 Male Green Swordtail

Pair of Male-Female Chocolate Gouramis OR 3 Marbled Hatchetfish (or both, if both will do floating plants like Nikita said)

1 Farowella Catfish (maybe)

6 Gold Neon Tetras

3 Bronze Corys

Sorry FattFishy, not trying to say you're wrong but this is just my opinion and I respect yours, too. :D

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FattFishy — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:43:40 GMT

Not to mention your betta will be annoyed beyond his tolerance and might attack. Just forget the hatchetfish idea, doesn't seem all to well.

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

Nikita — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:00:06 GMT

One more thing I would mention is that both the gouramis and the hatchetfish are top-dwelling fish; the gouramis need to come to the surface to utilize their labyrinth organs. The problem is, they're slower and more peaceful than the often-hyperactive hatchetfish.

You may want to consider adding areas of floating plant growth to provide shelter for the gouramis if you mix them with the hatchet fish, or avoid the stress and don't stock them at all.

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FattFishy — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:58:07 GMT

Here's a good list:

1 betta

6 gold neons

1 swordtail

3 bronze/peppered/emerald cories

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

math-only aquarium — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:36:32 GMT

Hello Again,

If you're concerned about the heater, go ahead and get a 150watt, but 100watts should be fine.

As to the pencilfish, some species are and some aren't schoolers(just as FattFishy said). Typically, they do better with more of their own kind in that it helps establish non-interconnected social ranks in the tank. In other words, they'll interact more with each other and this results in less of a chance of other fish getting stressed.

As to the gourami, it is still a bad idea. A male-female pair will cause the male to be more aggressive than usual and could result in trouble. Also, my experience indicates that nearly all labyrinth fish recognize other labyrinth fish regardless of long or short fins. This means that the betta and the gourami could have an altercation. If you're absolutely determined to get chocolates, try for two females.

As to the Hatchetfish, they have less strictly defined schools than other characins and thus can be kept in groups of three. Nevertheless, this generally shouldn't be done due to the fact that Hatchets become more aggressive as they age. Keeping them in a larger school (6 fish) will help ensure that their aggression does not spill out to the other innocent fish in the tank. If, on the other hand, you were keeping the Hatchets alone or with very robust tankmates (their size or a little larger), then it would be OK to go with only three (but that's not what you plan on doing, is it?).

FYI--Angels can and will eat harlequin rasboras--I've seen it and heard of it many times.

I also favor the gold neon tetra of the ones you indicated. They're not quite as picky as the rummies or the rasboras.

As to the far. catfish, the 30-gallon recommendation is a minimum, not an ideal, and thus isn't a rule that you, as a responsible fishkeeper, should be looking at. No less, if you can find a species of far. catfish that only reaches about 6-7 inches at maximum (not average), then it would probably do just fine in your 29-gallon system. Just remember that "algae-eaters" require a special diet of their own and should always be added to the setup last (by a few weeks even).

I don't see any major problems from adding the swordtail at this point (aside from it stealing food intended for other fish), but do keep an eye on it. Also, it may be prudent to change your choice of cory as you are getting a livebearer. As I mentioned before, a larger species like the emerald or peppered cory would do a bit better than pandas. (FattFishy answered everything else about that one.)

Also, I agree with FattFishy that you could be looking at a bit of an overstocking/overcrowding problem, but it's hard to say until you finalize your list.

Keep us posted and have fun.

MOA

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FattFishy — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 08:44:20 GMT

Yes, the heater will be fine, I have the same for my 28 gallon.

Assuming you have 4 pandas, 1 farlowella, 6 gold neons, 1 betta, 2 gouramis, 1 swordtail, and 3 pencilfish, as well as no plants, every 7 days of 25% water change and a HOB filter with no carbon, 150 GPH, you're overstocked. You're overstocked by 25% and upgrade will be nessecary to a 33 gallon if you're going to keep it this way and the fish would be cramped.

As for the pencil, some school, some don't. Assuming it's the former, pencilfish would be something to avoid.

Regarding pandas: As a shy and docile catfish, it is also small on comparison with the swordtail. Swordtails are aggressive feeders, possibly going down to scavenge any leftovers missed in the frenzy... that's the pandas job. But he stumbles upon a shrimp pellet and... the pandas are warded off and he steals the food. BUT bigger more robust catfish like bronze can stand up to the swordtail and claim their food back.

You COULD have these many fish, but the arising question: SHOULD you? If you are, do more frequent water changes OR bigger weekly water changes; say 50%. I'm saying this because the bioload is just too much for the filter to handle.

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FastFoward5k — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 05:31:28 GMT

Thanks for all your help so far. :D Before we get into livestock I have one question:

1. Is 100 watts enough of a heater for 29 gallons?

But I have a couple things to say:

Pencilfish are not a schooling fish (one or two per aquarium) so why couldn't I have them and the Harlequin Rasboras/Tetras?

The gourami I decided on (if I do one) is the Chocolate Gourami. They don't have long, flowing fins compared to other labyrinth fish (here is a picture: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=830+882+999&pcatid=999). I would get a male-female pair. Why couldn't I do the gouramis and the hatchetfish (which by the way, hatchetfish only like small groups of 3)?

On to the angelfish, what all of you said is exactly what I was thinking about it. I couldn't remember if angel's minimum size was 25 or something else. I guess it needs bigger, so whatever. And plus I knew that if I did an angel: 1. it would take up a lot of space in the aquarium, 2. the betta may see it's tall fins as a threat, 3. the smallest fish I could get would be a Harlequin Rasbora. I didn't love the idea of it, but I threw it out there because I like them and someone might have been able to think of a cool setup for it.

The schooling fish. I'm down to the Harlequin Rasbora, the Gold Neon Tetra, or the Rummynose Tetras (my school got eaten in my 10 gal. so I may want to try again). Which do you think would be the best? I'm kind of leaning towards the Gold Neon Tetra.

I think I'm going to go with MOA's advice and not worry about an algae eater (I'm getting a Mag-Float for algae wipes), but I would actually like a Farowella for looks. Every where I look it says that 30 gallons is a good size for them, and does 1 gallon really matter?

I think I'm just going to get one Male Green Swordtail. I'll look for aggression towards the betta, and if there is any, I'll return the swordtail to my LFS (they give full refunds in store credit, but I think it is just for me and my friend because they like us a lot, and we go a lot :P ).

I don't really understand what you mean about the panda corys aggressiveness, should I get them or not?

Thanks.

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

math-only aquarium — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:38:00 GMT

...It was an older Hatchetfish (around 3") and the oscar was still pretty young (around 3.5").

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FattFishy — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:17:38 GMT

I think I forgot to mention when a female was present...

Hatchetfish killing a juvenile oscar? That's really weird. I've never heard of them killing oscars...

I had a bad situation with pandas and livebearers so I'd say to choose either one or go with peppered, emerald, bronze cories etc.

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

Nikita — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:07:33 GMT

I would also mention that if you do want tetras, opt for ones that don't have the "long and narrow" body plan, like neons, cardinals, and glowlights do. For one, these fish usually stay small, which makes them good targets for angels, and for another, the torpedo-shaped body is awfully easy to just slip down an angelfish's throat.

So if you want tetras, which are a good choice because they are calm and usually easy to care for, you have to pick carefully. Don't get any that are very young. They'll be smaller, and possibly small enough for the angel to swallow.

What you're looking for, instead of the "torpedo" body plan, is a tetra with a more "diamond-shaped" body plan. Angelfish are opportunistic predators. When they spot a live food item, they'll approach it and when they are close enough, they'll spring open their jaws and literally suck in the prey. Now, this doesn't happen when you're feeding, say, flakes. But if you put small fish in there with the angel, that's what happens.

So if you look for more boxy tetras, like the black tetras, congo tetras, diamond tetras, etc, the angelfish will be unable to swallow them whole. In my experience with several years of angelfish keeping, they tend to leave fish like this alone after realizing that their normal hunting methods don't work. There will always be exceptions, of course, but I've kept a very large angelfish with tetras as small as serpaes (still diamond-shaped, remember) and not had the angelfish regard them as food.

So go for larger, more boxy tetras instead of the more streamlined ones. They'll still be beautiful, and the angelfish likely won't see them as food.

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

math-only aquarium — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:40:31 GMT

Hello,

I wouldn't go with the angel but not because the tank is too small (although the tank is on the smallish size for angels). What I'm worried about is their predacious nature. Once the angelfish is full-grown, it can eat fish up to 2-2.5" long, which would really limit the types of shoaling fish you could keep.

The male bettas is potentially problematic. In a tank that size, I don't see the bettas bothering the other fish, but the other fish might fin his fins. Therefore, if you keep the betta in there (I assume you will), then avoid fin-nippers like the plague.

Panda cories in a tank that size can be bad. The increased space and increased size of their tankmates may mean that they will be out-competed for food. If you like the little cories, avoid livebearers (like swordtails) and many of the more aggressive cyprinids (medium-sized or larger barbs, danios, sharks, etc.). A better alternative to panda cories in a tank that size would be emerald cories as they are bigger and more robust.

As to your choice of algae eaters, I'd say forget them for now. First off, a new tank shouldn't (if set up properly) have enough algae to support any algae eater and all the algae eaters you mentioned (most of the algae eaters on the market included) will require special dietary considerations (extra veggies, etc.). Instead, buy a scrubbing pad and keep up on your maintenance--it's less expensive, is better on the fish as a whole, and is less headache.

Most of your tetras look okay except for the penguins and the cardinals (most cardinals are wild-caught and don't acclimate very well). None of your tetras would do well with an angelfish.

The swordtails wouldn't be great with the panda cories. Also, I dissagree with FattFishy a bit regarding their aggression: if you only have males they won't be as aggressive as when a female is present. That's my experience at least.

The rasboras wouldn't do well with an angelfish.

Gouramies and bettas in the same tank can be a really bad, bad, bad idea. They are both labyrinth fish, territorial, and become more territorial with age (especially bettas and gold gouramies) and in the presence of a female (combining more than one male or even a male and female can be a bad idea).

Mollies kinda like company, prefer alkaline conditions (not too hard to accommodate), and can bully smaller fish like tetras and cories.

Pencilfish can be hard to feed and really fair better with more members in the shoal.

Hatchetfish are shoalers and should have at least 6 fish total in their shoal. Other than that, they are fairly easy to keep provided you have a tight-fitting hood. They can become aggressive with age (I saw an adult hatchetfish kill a juvenile oscar once...not pretty).

Well, that's the long and short of it. You might also want to check out my spreadsheet in the pinned topic "Freshwater Stocking Guide" to run possible scenarios. Lastly, please note that I'm just offering reasons why thing might not work out--I'm not saying that if you try something I advise against that your tank will explode or something like that--I'm just telling you where the potential problems are. Ultimately, it's your choice, so what do you think?

MOA

RE: Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FattFishy — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:59:19 GMT

1 Gold Veil Angelfish

This tall fish will grow too tall for the 29 gallon. Although it might fit, they also need some up and down room, it's not sitting there all day long. Also, the angelfish might get territorial with other fish you're suggesting.

1 Male Crowntail Betta (definite)

The extra space wil probably ease its aggression. Watch for nipped fins or any visible aggression in the first few days.

4 Panda Corys (definite)

Good. This or the catfish.

1 Bristlenose Pleco OR 6 Otocinclus OR Farowella Catfish (definitely one of the three, but only one)

I wouldn't recommend the Farlowella Cat, it just grows a bit big for you tank. The swimming space it needs might not cut it with a 29 gallon. But with the pandas and other fish, stick to the pandas.

6: Cardinal Tetras, Rummynose Tetras, Silvertip Tetras, Black Neon Tetra, Gold Neon Tetra, Penguin Tetra (just one or two species)

Forget Penguin Tetras. Many fishkeepers have reported its bad aggression and horrible nipping. Do one species only.

2 Swordtails (Green + Neon)

Like I said, watch the aggression. Very competitive for mates and will fight very hard to accomplish that. Give hiding spaces if you're willing to put them in. Piece of bad news, the betta might think it's another betta and... you know what happens.

6 Harlequin Rasboras

Either this or the tetras.

2 Honey Gouramis OR 2 Chocolate Gouramis OR 3 Licorice Gouramis OR 1 Gold Gourami OR 3 Sparkling Gourami (definitely want a gourami)

I'm hoping that you're talking about a female + male pair. Gold Gouramis can get quite nasty and grow big, 6 inches. I wouldn't do it if I were you. For your situation with all these fish, 2 Honey Gouramis. Here's the bad news. Your betta is there. First, it's a labyrinth fish, just like a gourami. Also, colorful and long fins, just like gourami. Obviously, in his mind (betta), he'll think that it's another betta and shred the gourami's fins or kill him.

1 Marble Lyretail Molly

Depends on situation...

3 Pencilfish

This, rasbora or tetra.

2 Marble Hatchetfish OR 2 Marthae Silver Hatchetfish

This or gourami. Also a schooling fish, keep to themselves on the very surface area. Need at least 6. GET A VERY TIGHT FITTING HOOD! Any two minutes with the hood open can mean a deathbed if not careful.

Suggested tank stocks:

1 betta, 6 rasbora/tetra, 4 pandas, 1 molly

You can choose between:

Betta, gourami, swordtail or hatchetfish

rasbora, tetra, or pencilfish

cory, oto, or pleco

molly can be added to any.

Play around with the setups, you'll find one you like.

Thinking of Starting a New Tank... Pt. 2

FastFoward5k — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:27:00 GMT

That 8-9 gallons wasn't big enough to do anything in. So I decided I'm going to wait a little while (until I have some $$$) and do a 29 gallon. I am going to get a 29 Gallon All-Glass Aquarium, Aquatic Gardens Full Flourescent Hood, Aqueon Aquarium Power Filter (up to 30 gal.), Petco 100 Watt Submersible Aquarium Heater, ATI Aquarium Thermometer, Marine-Land Medium Siphon-Kleen, Penn Plax Aquarium Tank Stand 29 Gallon, Mag-Float Floating Magnet Aquarium Cleaner. I'm listing all this just in case anyone knows if any of the products are very good (well I know that the Aqueon HOB Filter is very good [have the 10 gal. model in my 10 gallon]). I will be using those two live plants that I can't remember the name of (Nikita, FattFishy, and MOA know what I mean, just check Thinking of Starting a New Aquarium.... Here is a list of the fish I'm thinking (I would never put ALL of these in because of overstocking, overcrowding, incompatibility, etc. but this is just a list of some fish I was thinking of) :

1 Gold Veil Angelfish

1 Male Crowntail Betta (definite)

4 Panda Corys (definite)

1 Bristlenose Pleco OR 6 Otocinclus OR Farowella Catfish (definitely one of the three, but only one)

6: Cardinal Tetras, Rummynose Tetras, Silvertip Tetras, Black Neon Tetra, Gold Neon Tetra, Penguin Tetra (just one or two species)

2 Swordtails (Green + Neon)

6 Harlequin Rasboras

2 Honey Gouramis OR 2 Chocolate Gouramis OR 3 Licorice Gouramis OR 1 Gold Gourami OR 3 Sparkling Gourami (definitely want a gourami)

1 Marble Lyretail Molly

3 Pencilfish

2 Marble Hatchetfish OR 2 Marthae Silver Hatchetfish

I know it is a long list but I really need some help deciding and figuring out what is best. :D