# Stocking & Compatability Question



## NVES (Apr 21, 2010)

Good day all,

Well my 150 gallon tank isn't quite cycled yet, so I'm being patient until it is ready for fish. But in the mean time I keep running through ideas of various fish stocking lists. 

The plan is to have lots of colourful active fish, so this is what I have as a stocking list so far:
20 Cardinal tetras
10 Black neon tetras
10 Rummynose tetras
4-6 Denisoni barbs
4-6 German or Electric Blue Rams
6 Amano shrimp
2-4 Apple or Nerite snails
2 Plecos - don't know which kinds yet (I like the Gold nugget ones)

So I think with this list everyone should get along ok - please say otherwise.

My question is can I add a blue crayfish to this list without disturbing the peace? From reading online I get the impression that the crayfish will eat the tetras and any smaller fish. But I keep seeing these crayfish in Al's with other tetras and all seems fine.
So can I add a blue crayfish to my list?

Any problems with my stocking plans? Any suggestions for other fish to look at?

Thanks for your help and input.

Take care,
Aaron


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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

I get the same feeling with my blue cray... but some people do say they don't eat "live" fish but online I read they do....

I would be more worried about your pleco vs cray


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

NVES said:


> Good day all,
> 
> Well my 150 gallon tank isn't quite cycled yet, so I'm being patient until it is ready for fish. But in the mean time I keep running through ideas of various fish stocking lists.
> 
> ...


If you want to keep a craw in there go with a dwarf orange craw. You will be safe.

My suggestion:

35Cardinal tetras
No black neons. Look bad together.
20 Rummynose tetras
Denisoni barbs <No. Will outcompete tetras and cause them stress.
4-6 BOLIVIAN Rams
8 Nerite snails
2 Plecos - don't know which kinds yet (I like the Gold nugget ones)
40 Amano shrimp


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## Jsu (Dec 4, 2009)

AquariAM said:


> If you want to keep a craw in there go with a dwarf orange craw. You will be safe.
> 
> My suggestion:
> 
> ...


Lucky aquarium is selling 50 cardinals for $50. if you are going with 35, then maybe we can split the 50 cardinals. I only want 10 to 15.

They also sell rummynose and gold nuggets that are cheaper than BA. 
As for your amano, BA barrie was able to offer $2 or cheaper per shrimp if purchase 30 or more. They might become dinner for your Denisoni barbs or bolivian rams once they get big.

I go down to scarborugh and other gta LFSs often. If you like we can make a trip down together since we live around the corner from each other.


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## Philip.Chan.92 (Apr 25, 2010)

Jsu said:


> Lucky aquarium is selling 50 cardinals for $50. if you are going with 35, then maybe we can split the 50 cardinals. I only want 10 to 15.
> 
> They also sell rummynose and gold nuggets that are cheaper than BA.
> As for your amano, BA barrie was able to offer $2 or cheaper per shrimp if purchase 30 or more. They might become dinner for your Denisoni barbs or bolivian rams once they get big.
> ...


I may want some as well, do they school with neons? I know that they are bigger, but which one is hardier and less sensitive?


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

* I may want some as well, do they school with neons? *

They'll _group_ with them but they definitely will not blend together.

*
I know that they are bigger, but which one is hardier and less sensitive? *

Neither fish is what you could call 'hardy'. They are both considerably sensitive fish.
*
They also sell rummynose and gold nuggets that are cheaper than BA.
As for your amano, BA barrie was able to offer $2 or cheaper per shrimp if purchase 30 or more. They might become dinner for your Denisoni barbs or bolivian rams once they get big.*

Having lived there for two years, honestly I'd be wary of buying chewing gum in Barrie. Bolivian Rams absolutely will not eat amano shrimp. Have had them together twice totally different individuals range of sizes. They won't even attack a moulting shrimp that accidentally went into moult in the open. They just aren't aggressive feeders. I've never kept denisoni barbs but again, unless the shrimp was under 1" and the barb over four, given the size and shape of the denison barbs mouth, I really can't see it.

I've kept extremely large angels and extremely large (for the species) bolivian rams with amano shrimp ranging from 0.5>2" and never had a problem. I've had angelfish steal the shrimp's food, because it's easy, but they have never attacked the shrimp.

It is heavily dependant on the species. Kribensis, for instance, will almost always attack shrimp regardless of species of shrimp.


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## NVES (Apr 21, 2010)

Tank still isn't ready. 

Thanks for the suggestion on the Bolivian ram, they look just as good as the GBR's, but are easier to keep - sounds like a win-win to me. 

But no Denisoni barbs? I was planning on this being my centrepiece fish. Any other suggestions?

And I'm surprised at the quanities you guys listed for the cardinal tetras and shrimp - that's a lot of each! 
Although I must admit I was pulling back on the quanities so as to keep cost down, but seeing that Frank's sells Cardinals for $1 each, then I might just do 30 or more. 

So Jsu I'm game for splitting the batch with you - only you will need to be patient as my tank continues to cycle.

I haven't been to Barrie in a while, anyone else know where to pick up some amano shrimp and apple or nerite snails?? As I'm having some algae issues in the tank, the cleaning crew (shrimp and snails) will be the first to be added.

Also what is the consensus of adding a crawfish into the mix - would 20 or so shrimp, some snails, 2-3 plecos, and a crawfish all get along?

Thanks,
Aaron


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

NVES said:


> Tank still isn't ready.
> 
> Thanks for the suggestion on the Bolivian ram, they look just as good as the GBR's, but are easier to keep - sounds like a win-win to me.
> 
> ...


The reason you can keep a large number of certain things, like some species of shrimp, certain tetras, white cloud minnows- is that they eat very little for their size.

The reason that it is not wise to keep the large barbs with tetras is that the larger barbs- especially streamlined fast swimmers with lots of energy like denison's and odessa barbs, are extremely good eaters. They inhale food at a rate much greater than the other fish there. You can get around this for some fish by using a feeding tube and getting food right to the bottom for them past the denisons, but since those other fish like to eat at the surface or just under it like the denisons do, you will have those fish being outcompeted. You can easily solve this, of course, by omitting the fish that would be outcompeted and keeping your denison barbs, which I agree are a stunning fish.

As per cleanup crew, this is my suggestion if you want something that will deal with every conceivable type of algae, and try to get them from Menagerie. I know I plug that place a lot but for community tropical stuff, it's just going to be healthier than Big Als. It's pretty much guaranteed.

Anyways here's my suggestion:









Red nerite (Awesome for single cell algae and algae in hard to reach places like leaf creases and rough rocks)









Zebra Nerite. Good for general algae control

(No apple snail. They are not cleaners. They do eat a fair bit of hair algae but they produce tonnes of waste and require massive amounts of supplemental food. It's a neat 'pet' but do not think of it as a cleaner. You can still get one. It's just not in your cleaning crew)









L144 bushynose pleco (pair) available in albino, gold with black eyes, and brown. Eat most kinds of softer algae but not really single cell (small green circles, hard to scrape off). Good 'volume' algae consumers









Amano shrimp. Good at getting algae in hard to reach places. Great for super delicate areas like small soft plant leaves and stems that could be damaged by larger less dexterous animals.

^
You should still feed all of the above. Can't just feed stuff algae. I'd recommend the Shirakura or Hikari shrimp food (menagerie) for your shrimp. Tetra bottomin for snails (skim milk based. Big Als Scarboro) and Sera Catfish chips for the pleco. They will all eat spirulina foods like algae wafers. IMO, the amount of spirulina in these is quite low and I prefer to feed a higher level. What I'm doing for my pleco right now is to shove a bunch of 20% spirulina flake down a tube to the bottom of the tank and it sits there in a clump until she gets it, which is quite quickly. She also eats the sera catfish chips and some New Life Spectrum pellets.

Bolivian Rams are fun fish. I like their personality better than blue rams and in a large tank like yours you can successfully keep them in a group setting. It would not be unreasonable to have something like two females and three males or even four males (females are the large aggressive fish and hold territory. Males in this species are small and do not hold territory)


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## NVES (Apr 21, 2010)

AquariAM said:


> Bolivian Rams are fun fish. I like their personality better than blue rams and in a large tank like yours you can successfully keep them in a group setting. It would not be unreasonable to have something like two females and three males or even four males (females are the large aggressive fish and hold territory. Males in this species are small and do not hold territory)


Well I've taken several of the suggestions above and have changed my plans up a little here's the latest list that I'm working towards:

50 Cardinal tetras (I hope Frank will have the $50 for 50 again)
15 Silver tip tetras (currently have 10)
4-6 Bolivian Rams (need input on male to female ratios)
2 Bushynose plecos (love these guys)
1 Blue Phantom pleco
15 Amano shrimp
3 Apple snails
6 Nerite snails

I've taken out the other tetras as I don't want to mix too many different types together, and will play it by ear if I want to add more or other types later on. 
I also don't want to go too heavy on the amano shrimp so that there is still something left for the plecos to eat.

But the next fish I plan on adding is the Bolivian Rams - what is the best combo of males and females? Also where is the best place to buy these from?
I'm going to continue researching these guys before I add them, so if you have any info please share.

Thanks,
Aaron


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