[Sandy02]

A little background: I was a huge aquarium nerd through middle and high school. My mother indulged two 55gallons throughout the house and a 100g pond not to mention the various 10gallons in my room. I went off to college and drove the 5hrs across state every other week to upkeep them. Well the family moved to VA while I was still at college so I had to give up all my beautifully planted and wellstocked tanks. It broke my heart and my life hasn't been stable for a tank until now. Mother bought me a beautiful 39g bowfront for my birthday. Now I'm having the issue of wanting too many species all at once. Not to mention my fish community knowledge has eroded a bit (it has been 10years).

So two questions. 1) If you could stock a 39 gallon with zero suggestions, what would you put in it? 2) With the fish listed below, what would you add/take away and how many would you have?

- Angelfish
- Colombian Ram
- African Dwarf Frog
- Pleco
- Bala Shark

The tank is cycled and planted... So I'm really itching to stock it now.

 

[Kitsune_Gem]

No Bala sharks. Your tank is way to small for them.

 

[Sandy02]

A redtailed black shark is what I meant.

Any suggestions for an actual list?

 

[Diana]

- Angelfish
- Colombian Ram
- African Dwarf Frog
- Pleco
- Red Tail Shark

Angel: Mated pair only. Maybe a small Pleco like Clown or Rubber lip. If the Angels do not attack.

Columbian? Ram: Bolivian Ram? Good idea. Mated pair. School of South American somethings, Otos... If Rams are not quite right, look into Apistogramas, another species of Dwarf Cichlid. There are quite a few of these, a bit smaller than Bolivian Rams, more colorful.

ADF: No. Tank is too tall. These frog breathe at the surface.

Pleco: Any of the smallest would be OK: Otocinclus, Paraotocinclus, Clown, Candystripe, Rubberlip, Bulldog... Nothing longer than 4", and smaller is better. 3-5 Otocinclus would be great, and stock similar small tank mates. A school of something, a show fish or a pair.

RTS: No. Tank is too small.

____________________________________________

Possible stocking:

2 Apistos (mated pair) or a 3-4 group of a colony breeding species.
6-15 schooling fish. 6 Bleeding Hearts or similar sized fish, up to 15 Dwarf Rasboras or Ember Tetras or similar sized fish.
5 Otocinclus
6 Hatchets. I like the Marbled or the Marthae Hatchets. They are a bit smaller, and have more color than the silvers. They all jump, so only if it is a covered tank.

 

[Sandy02]

Its a long 39 bowfront, 16" tall should be fine for ADFs right? I'm checking out your list now, there's a few species Ive never had, which is very tempting. Especially now I live in the city and Ive access to a marine warehouse that would probably have them. I appriciate the help.

 

[Kitsune_Gem]

Its a long 39 bowfront, 16" tall should be fine for ADFs right? I'm checking out your list now, there's a few species Ive never had, which is very tempting. Especially now I live in the city and Ive access to a marine warehouse that would probably have them. I appriciate the help.

No still to tall.

 

[Kitsune_Gem]

A redtailed black shark is what I meant.

Any suggestions for an actual list?

Still to small of a tank

 

[Sandy02]

Also I went and looked at Apistos and really liked the colors. Ive never really liked otos though, never found any with any personality.

 

[lauraleellbp]

- Angelfish- possibly a single angel, personally, I wouldn't keep one in a tank this small
- Colombian Ram- fine
- African Dwarf Frog- tank too tall for a dwarf, one of the clawed might work, but then fish might be at risk?
- Pleco- a single SMALL pleco (BN, bulldog, etc) would be fine
- Bala Shark- way too small
- Red Tailed Shark - IMO still small


So out of your list, I'd personally go with a pair of Rams OR a pair of Apistos, a BN pleco, and then some compatible schooling dither fish.