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This is what I want to put in my tank as soon as I refinish it..
taking out gravel on one side to put in plant substrate(sand and fine gravel) and eventually get plant light strips for that side..the other side has medium gravel that I'm leaving..and will have lotsa rock formations. Driftwood on both sides.

Want to do:
24 Julii Cories (which I'm thinking get about 3"?)
8 Pearl Gouramies (which I know get 5"
10 Long Skirt Black Widow Tetras (get about 2.5"?)
and a group of Ottos..like 15?/

I don't know about the overstocking, but i do know that the blackskirts will go after the pearl gouramis. and just about anything else. They are basicly the tigerbarb of tetras. If you got a tank that big go for congos tetras or emporer tetras. They are both beautiful fish. Either would be a cool tank. HOpe i helped.

Biologically, I don't think so, but you have way too many bottom fish. Gouramis like to spend alot of time down low, coming up for air and food as well. The bottom of your tank will be like rush hour traffic on the freeway. Just my .02 worth, Steve

I think it'd be fine. A 125 gallon has a surface area of 1296 inches. Divide that by 24 fish, and it leaves 54 square inches of space for a 1.6-2.5 inch fish.

Change the tetras to a school of 15 Cardinals, much better in my opinion.

Change the Ottos to 10.

Go for 2 species of Corys I would, 12 of each.

Do you like Plecs? If you do you could add a rare Plec of some kind.

Do you like any other fish you have not invluded?

Ok no Black Skirts for sure then.
I love my Pearls.
Thought most plecs would eat/damage the plants I eventually want to put in?
I am set on doing all Julii Cories after I saw this many together at LFS. If my tank was ready they'd already be here
LFS doesn't have a good supplier of Cardinals. Last two batches he got he's lost all but 3..almost immediately.
Also thought about instead, doing a great of Hatchets. I may trim my cory school down a bit as I forget to mention the 3 female bettas I'll probably put in this tank as well..

How 'bout 12 peppered cories and 12 jullis? IMO 2 big schools of cories looks better than 2 huge school of cories

I'd go with 15 or so ottos. They like to be in groups, and if the tank has a lot of light and is planted you're gonna need a good cleanup crew.

I'd go with more than 15 tetras. What about skipping the gouramis and getting 20-40 tetras of some sort (maybe neons or glo-lites). Just my $0.02...

I may not do quite 24 Juliis..but will be close. I don't want two different types though, a school that big of Julii's just looks awesome.
And the Pearls were my first choice for the tank..or should I say, my #1 fish in the tank..Just thought a little school of tetras might ad some interest.

"A 125 gallon has a surface area of 1296 inches. Divide that by 24 fish, and it leaves 54 square inches of space for a 1.6-2.5 inch fish." She's talking about 24 cories and 15 ottos, even with a bare bottom tank that's alot of bottom fish,esp to share it with 8 5"+ Gouramis. Subtract the floor space taken up by driftwood and "lotsa rock formations" and all the planted area.
I have a 105G tank with a similar sounding layout with 8 Gold Gouramis and 4 Clown Loaches- the Loaches are small- about 3" for the largest and looking @ my tank, even with another foot of length I'd say it would get pretty packed in there with 39 more bottom dwellers, and IIRC cory cats are pretty active fish.
Aesthetics are also a consideration as well, I'd consider some Angels or Discus- they are striking fish and won't lay on the bottom like the Gouramis and some middle schooling fish.

Thinking 15 Cories.
The Pearls I've had before stayed mid-top most of the time in this tank. I had thought about a few Angels. Would they be a problem for my Otto's though? Or for female bettas?

I'de say your going a bit bottom heavy on the fish. IMO it would be nice to aim for a peacefull cichlid or two (angel if you get it small, rams, kribs, keyholes, etc.) and maybe throw in something top swimming, cutting down on the otto's by a bit

[span class="edited"][Edited by 2004-07-25 23:47][/span]

I have mostly bottomfeeders and catfish in my 29g. 11 corries, 4 ottos, 1 dojo loach, 2 hillstream loaches... I'm used to seeing a lot of bottom-dwelling fish...I guess that's why I keep thinking of lotsa catfish

I don't know about the overstocking, but i do know that the blackskirts will go after the pearl gouramis. and just about anything else. They are basicly the tigerbarb of tetras.

Er, what?! I never had that problem with Black Skirts; in fact, I kept them with gourami.

You won't be overstocked with twice the number of tetras and cories you listed.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

Twice the number I originally listed ?!?

LFS has a few smaller tanks with Black Skirts in them..that they have had for awhile..with some really small things like Neons..and I forget what else.. and their Black Skirts seemed peaceful.

i say
20 corys
10 ottos
4 bolivian rams
8 pearl gouramis
10 cardinals
6 angels
lotsa rocks and drift wood and heavily planted.

Overstocking is really a problem of poor filtration and aggressive stocking. If you start slow and add the fish when your tank is stable and capable of the heavier bioload, it shouldn't be a problem. I agree with shini, although probably wouldn't go that far. If you can afford 24 julii's than go for it, but do it in small steps. Start with a school of say 5 and work your way up, adding 3-4 fish ever other week until you get to the right size. Patience is the key.

I also know what it is to see sweeping schools of cories as my LFS sells about 10 diff varienties, each probably coming in with about 3 fish. Its quite awesome. One of the tanks, I think it had Schwartz's, also had all the ottos moving in the school as well, which was quite awesome.

Black Skirts are the tiger barb of the tetra world? I'd give that title to Serpae tetras. Nearly all the pictures I've seen of them, even the more professional ones seen in books, seem to show them with varyng forms of damaged fins.

Mike