The Planted Tank Forum banner

Upping my capacity

596 views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  Diana 
#1 ·
Hello all, I'm just looking for a bit of friendly advice from the community!

I currently have a 15 gallon freshwater planted tank that I've had for over a year, and I'm feeling like moving up in tank size. Right now I've got 2 Black Skirt tetra, 2 green Cory cats, and a Botia Angelicus...

When I increase my tank to a 30 gallon, I'm thinking of adding Giant Danios and Tiger Barbs, and perhaps a pleco to help with algae... I'd also like to increase my Cory count as I now understand that they become inactive unless they are in decent sized groups...

Any thoughts?
 
#3 ·
Basically all of the fish you named require being in schools, other than the pleco. I would probably not get giant danios and tiger barbs in that tank, either, as they might be a bit too big and rambunctious. Also, only get the pleco of its a bristlenose, clown pleco, or something else that will stay small.
 
#4 ·
+1 to mattjm20. Common plecos are just enormous poop machines, and very hard to handle. I have not personally had Tiger Barbs, but I have heard plenty of horror stories about them. If you aren't extremely attached to the Tiger Barbs, look into other schooling fish that are less aggressive. JMO.
 
#5 ·
Good idea, but I think if you get only a 30 then the best you will be able to do is to make a good sized school out of your Black Skirts and Cories. There will not be room for that many more fish. Also, a 30 is really too small to have 2 schools that live in pretty much the same zone in the tank. However, here are some ideas.

Other fish that look a bit like Tiger Barbs, but are OK in community tanks:
Puntius pentazona Hey, they changed the name! Oh well, it is still a nice fish.
http://www.fishbase.org/summary/12143

I would stick with Otos in a 30 gallon. Any of the small Plecos will still take up more bio-room.

Botia angelicus would do better in an even larger tank. They are social, and more fish this size means a larger tank.

Can you handle an even larger tank? Perhaps a 45 gallon, 4' long? If you can get one that is not so tall, but sticks out further from the wall then the bottom fish will be happier.
I could see stocking a larger tank like this:
8 Black Skirts
12 Pentazona Barbs
5 Botia angelicus
6 Brochis splendens
1 Bristlenose Pleco.

That is a pretty big bio load, but a healthy planted tank would be OK.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top