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2 platies
5 corys
2 cherry barbs (optional)

I think this is a good stocking list. If you didn't want the cherry barbs you could go with the black neons. If you can find them, cardinal tetras would be a colorful alternative to the black neons. Or regular neons.
I think cherry barbs do better in planted tanks, as they need hiding spots. So, I would go with neons or cardinals, if you can get them.


*Kristin*

"the cories will eat algae if they aren't overfed."

Corys will not touch algae.

---

I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

So, i think i have come to a decision.
2 platies (2male)
5 corys
2 cherry barbs (1male, 1female)
As i know a few of you have agreed that this is a good scheme. I am going to try and get some more plants for the tank this weekend when i get the next fish (more corys)
If anyone has any problems with this stocking please speak out soon.

And Cory Addict, you have said
""the cories will eat algae if they aren't overfed."

Corys will not touch algae."
In your last post. Well, mine seem to love the stuff. In fact, all of my lovely hair algea growing on my bogwood has disapeared sinse i bought the corys.
Not that i am doubting your greatness or anything...
bcwcat, thankyou, i love the name too. i was going to do ferretfish, but that was already taken, so BlackNeonFerret it was!

BlackNeonFerret

Corys wont touch algae what you are seeing is most likely the platys as they are known algae eaters.

"A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" Simpsons

i have seen mine eating algea, and they do it lots! they do eat it, honest. But the platies do too.
So, no objections to the stocking so far... Does Java Moss look got on driftwood?
BNF

Java Moss looks great on driftwood, especially after it's established really well.

"If you're afraid you'll make a mistake, you won't make anything."
-Family Circus

Cories definitely eat algae.

if i were you i would keep the 2 platys,though they get big, completly scratch the bolivian ram,and scratch the cories b/c they need 2 be in schools in 6 or more and 6 full grown cories will be pushing your fish stock in a fifteen gallon.if i were you this is how my 15 gallon tank would look.
-6-9 neon tetras
-2 platys
and after my tank was established and had some algea and the tank was fully cycled id get 2 ottos.iwould also wait until the tank was cycled and get and easy beginners plant like java fern which easily grows to a small peice of rock or driftwood,which it is generally sold on.
best of luck,always good to see new hobbyist enjoying they fish.
Cheers
Cichlid Kid

This isn't supposed to be a debate about wheather Corys eat agea or not!!! Mine do, some may not.
Cichlid kid, great suggestions. But a) my tank is already cycled and
b) i already have the Corys (well, 2 anyway) and my LFS dosen't do refunds, unless you have a dead fish within 48 hours. Then they replace the fish.
SO, any other concerns/comments.
BNF
EDIT: i have already given up on the Bolivian Ram.
Could i fit an apple snail in there somewhere as well? (for Algea, it is growing like CRAZY)

[imglink=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/Babelfish/heartagrambanner.jpg]http://www.heartagram.com/[/imglink]
Adding more stock to a tank that is suffering algae issues isn't really a solution. I suggest looking into taking care of the algae issue first hand rather than adding someone to eat it.
Algae comes from excess waste. No animal eats waste. Therefore adding a snail won't really "fix" the algae issue. You'll still have excess waste (when the snail poops ) and therefore an algae issue. You can try reduced lighting for a few days. Have a look around is the tank getting a few hours of direct (or sometimes even indirect) sunlight? How often are you doing water changes. Anything specific in your tap water that's causing you troubles.

^_^

I realy need to rephrase my self better.
I do use an algea scraper. Water changes 20% Every Week.
Any other stocking comments?
Could reducing hours the tank is lit help?

How long is the light on now? Is it in any sunlight? Even a small amount of direct sunlight can cause algae problems. The daylight period is best between 8-12 hours a day. If you have plants 10-12 hrs/day is preferred. If you do not have plants then reducing the day light period to 8 hrs should help to keep the algae under control. Long photoperiods are not better for the fish, only the algae benefit from them.

Overfeeding is also a cause of algae. Feed a small amount 1 or 2 times a day. Usually about how much will be all eaten up in about 2 minutes. In my 10g this is two small pinches of the flakes, or a couple droppers of (thawed) frozen bloodworms. This is rarely a problem as it is usually eaten up right away and I sometimes a bit extra for the cories, they love it!

If the algae is the green kind that grows on the glass it is supposedly an indicator of decent water conditions, and is easily scraped off. Otos will eat some of this when it is new but it begins to get harder as it ages and they have a harder time with it. Some Cories will eat some algae, but probably not as much as we'd all like. Esp. the stuff on the glass.

I will not make a comment on your stocking as I feel this is usually a personal preference sort of thing. I will tell you that usually for beginner's it is recommended to stay within the 1" fish from nose to beginning of tail, until the tank has been well established, about 6 months or more. Then, if the tank is planted and running smoothly you may be able to push the stocking levels a bit with appropriately sized fish for your tank size. My 10g has 1 betta (2" ), 5 harlequin rasboras (>1"each), 4 panda cories (1 1/4"each), 2 otos (>2" each) In total about 14" of fish from nose to tail, the tank is fairly heavily planted and the filter maintenance is done regularly, the water changes are 1/week, about 25%. The tank has been running for a few months now but I am still waiting for it to completely settle, the plants to get fully established, then I may think about adding 1 more harlie and 1 more panda. The betta has tail-rot right now and has been with me for a year, I am not sure how long he was in the store, so I don't know how old he actually is. I will wait to see how his tail goes before doing anything major like adding new fish.

It is all common sense and patience with fish tanks. It is hard to be patient in the begginning but eventually waiting has it's rewards. Most of us are never truly satisfied with our tanks, we keep changing things, get bored with something and want something else and don't really take the time to look at our tanks as a whole and wonderful thing. This keeps us addicted.

"If you're afraid you'll make a mistake, you won't make anything."
-Family Circus

Well, i do 20% water change every week, and i don't feed much
(platies, flakes in morning, live foods (currently brine shrimp) in aftefnoon, Corys, Algea wafers (TEMPORARALY will be buying catfish pellets when my LFS get them back in stock, also brine shrimp in late evening.)
The tank is not in direct daylight, but i know i have kept the tank lit too much. (14hrs) i will start toning it down to 12 hrs. With a weekly algea scrub, should this be okay. I am very happy with my stocking, and i don't really want to take anything out (2 male platies, 5 albino corys, 1 male, 1 female cherry barb) i don't have them all in yet, as my tank has only been cycled for 6 weeks, and i only have the platies and 2 corys, and i am getting 2 more tomorrow (2 fish every fortnight)

Luvmycrib, great advice about the algea, thankyou to everyone else as well!
(PRAISE THE FISHY PEOPLE, THEY HAVE MADE ME SO HAPPY)
BlackNeonFerret

Edit: Also, algea type is brown algea, and hair algea. It is planted, currently not very many, but i hope to get some more and make it a moderatly planted tank.

BNF,
Just a suggestion but 20% a week doesnt sound like enough given your tank stock. I would suggest 30-40%, this will help with your algae also.

Best of luck!

"A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" Simpsons

how about around 20l??? that would be about 5gal, so 1/3, would that be better

I have decided i am going to buy another, larger tank, so the Corys will, eventually be moved into there. Until then, they are staying in the 15.

This means however, that i will have more room. I would like a small shoal of tetras.

SO, could i add 6 Cardinals. By the time everything would be fully grown, the platies would be dead, so, my fully grown stock would be 4 ALbino Corys and 6 Cardinal Tetras. The Corys would be moved to a bigger tank, probably before they have grown fully, and would be replaced with pandas.

So, i always keep up my water changes and have good water quality, so do you think i could pull this off???
i want the Cardinals after i saw some at my local aquarium, and they were gorgeous!
I know girlie was saying that she suddenly got 3ppm of Ammonia from her Neons, but that was in a ten, so i think it could work. Like i said, the corys will be moved into the new tank when i get it. (a 55)

Thanks

Well, just to keep you updated.
AFTER i had fineshed getting the Corys, i realised they had pygmys in the shop *hits self* SO i am going to trade in the Corys when they get older. I got the tetras in the end (the cherry barbs seemed deisied) and when the platies get on their way out, i wanted to add a Betta, So, would
5/6 Black Neons
4 Pygmy Corys
1 Betta (male)

Be Okay???

Thanks

Sounds Good!

Just remember to add them in small batches so you don't upset the stability of the tank. And 1/3 water changes should be fine.

Stay on top of it and test in between, in smaller tanks things can get crazy fast and not in a good way.

"If you're afraid you'll make a mistake, you won't make anything."
-Family Circus

I will, don't worry. I add fish in 2 week intervals, and never more than 1 large, 2/3 medium, or 4 tiny at a time.

I will trade in the albinos soon.

Thanks so much

I know this is not ideal, but i need help URGENTLY.

As some of you may know, the platies have become slightly aggressive, so i have decided to get rid of one (it has a home for it)

I am going to try and calm the male down by adding 2 females (i know about the ratio thing) Do they eat the fry? If not i would sell any that made it. So, could i have
3 Platies (1 m, 2 f, NOT KEEPING FRY)
4 Black Neons
3 Albino Corys,

This unforunatly, would be for about a year.

So, could i get away with it?

Thanks.

I know they eat some of them...maybe not all. Not sure though.
Are you going to up your black neon school? Just wondering since I see you only have 4.

You could add a dwarf gourami and it would help take care of fry. Just a thought...

*Kristin*

I know, but i don't have room for 6 tetras (DO I???) I would love a dwarf gourami, but wouldn't that make the tank overstocked????

It's just that my platies are getting really miserable, i have a home sorted for one, but the other was my first fish, so consequently i ahve grown really attatched to him.

But if it was a perfect world, i could have
3 Corys
6 Tetras
3 Platies (1m 2f)
1 Dwarf Gourami

Unfortunatly, the world is less than perfect.

Oh, my filter is an AquaClear50, and a Stingray10

So, does anyone have ideas. My Male platy needs some females in there!!!

Please, please, please help!

Thanks

But if it was a perfect world, i could have
3 Corys
6 Tetras
3 Platies (1m 2f)
1 Dwarf Gourami

Since its a 15g...you will have to do without the DG...but the other stock seems good. Up the cories to 6...because you have room on the bottom for them. The platies and tetras will take up the mid-top areas.

If you were to get rid of 2 platies...then maybe you could squeeze in the DG...but not with 3 platies.

6 tetras will be fine. The fish will be happier and 2 more won't hurt anything.

With:
6 cories (same kind)
6 tetras
3 platies

You are not overstocked IMO. Keep up with water changes and maintenance and everything will be fine. You even have room for a couple ottos...if you start having algae.

*Kristin*

So,

6 Albino Bronze Corys
6 Black Neon Tetras
3 Platies, 1 male, 2 females.

Would that be ok?

Yes...that is fine.

*Kristin*

Ok then, i will do that.

Thankyou.

OK, sorry for asking so much, but now i have another problem, my larger platy harrassed my smaller to death (literally, he is dead now) and he also keeps randomly attacking my smallest Corys. I am going to the LFS today, to up my schools, and now i need reccomendations for a centrepiece. By the end of today i will have
6 Black Neons
4 Albino Corys
1 Male Platy (getting rehomed, so realisticly, no platies)
I like
~Rams (could they be hardy enough?)
~Bettas
~Dwarf/Honey Gouramis
Platies (but i am really having NO luck with them, out of 3, 2 have died and 1 has been evil and i am rehoming him.)

Any suggestions??? Thanks.

I got a betta. I now have 3 Albino Corys (getting more) 6Black Neons and a male betta. i may also get a few ottos.

The corys will be moving to a 55 when they get too big, and i will be getting some pandas/bandits or something.

Thanks so much for advice, i couldn't of made my tank so good without you!