Stocking suggestions for 180G

iceprizm

Ok i am getting a 180 gallon tank. the plan is to move my 13 rainbow,12 harlequin, 6 congo,9 cory, and a few bristlenose into it.

Water is hard. 7.0ph
I plan on running 2 canister filters on the tank.
I def want this to be a planted tank.

looking for some stock suggestions.
I was thinking clown loaches but with a planted tank that might not work.
Maybe some buenos aries? Or Gouramis?

Angel079

If you set up the tank and fully plant it right away and give it few months for the plants to develop a proper root system you'll have no issue with the Clowns. Chose more sturdy plants and less stem plants that'll dev good roots like Swords, Hygrophilia's, Vallis, that type plants.

For what you got and the size tank, I'd pers stock up the Congo's and the Cory. I'd not add Gourami's to the Rainbow's I doubt that'll end well.

Like the Buenos aries idea, but if you get them, make sure to get a school of at least 10, they have a fin nipping reputation when kept in small group (and you don't want that in your tank).

iceprizm

good ideas. not sure what i have growing in my other tanks. i know i have Anubias, Java Moss, Hornwort, and a few i dont remember. swords never do well for me, maybe i get the wrong kind...
i guess in the 180 i can make a deeper substrate to help with rooting, maybe 3.5"?

yeah i def. want more congos.....i kick myself for not buying more when i did (they were half price)!!!
right now there are 5 emerald green and 4 juli cories.....maybe get 5 of another variety?
i also have 4 yellow sailfish and 2 candycane swordtails that would go in.
like to get more rainbows have 8 austrailian and 5 preacox. maybe some red irian or torquise?

what would be a good starting qty of clowns?
I often see tiger barbs with the clowns.......would they work in my tank?
ok beunos aires are in....
Hmmm liveaquaria says gouramis are ok with rainbows, so does aquariumfish.net:

Good tanks mates for these Gouramis: All Barbs, Gouramis, Danios, Rainbows, a school of Clown Loaches, one Red Tail Shark or one Rainbow Shark, a school of Bala Sharks, and a Spiny Eel. Click here to read more about several other groups of compatible fish.

do you have any personal experience with why they wouldnt work together?

Angel079

You can post plant pictures to be ID'ed in the plant section if you like?
Swords are heavy root feeders, they often don't do well unless they get root tablets 1-2x/year.
Anubias tied down to Driftwood would work well too.
My tanks that you see under aquariums here all have ~2"; from my exp 2-2.5" fine gravel has worked well for the plants. But bare in mind if using Anubias or Java Fern, they don't thrive when planted in gravel well, they rather wanna be attached to something (driftwood, rocks etc).

Yes def if you can stock the Cory's to 8-10 each that would do wonders for their schooling behavior (and I mean heck you have the room for them).

I perf like the Boeseman's (Pictures under my aquariums "Rainbows 55g") or Torquise Rainbows the best - But its your tank not mine, so you need to know what you like best

Tiger Barbs are the most active one's of all Barbs, also lil on the aggressive side there, I pers wouldn't wanna house these together with calm Tetra's.
If you want Gourami, get them, like I said your tank. Just from my pers exp with Rainbows when spawning they get territorial and that with the Gourami's IMO is a mix like the Tiger Barbs vs Tetra.
I try for more peaceful set up's in community tanks, if you have aggressive / territorial/ fin nippers among peaceful fish it may work for a while, but the permanent stress being chased around leads to other health issues (kinda like humans under permant stress) and that in the long run causes for short lives, issues within the stock of the tank yaddy ya - Nothing I pers like to deal with in my set ups - But like I said your tanks your call

In the combo of Cory and pleco you said you have (who else do you have for the bottom) I think i'd get 2 Clown's

jeaninel

I agree about adding more Congos and cories. I would get 4-5 more of the Julii. Cories are so much more fun to watch when they're in a big group of the same species and you may see some spawning activity. I have Pearl gouramis (1 male, 1 female) in with my Congos and they get along fine. I don't think I'd try Tiger Barbs or the Buenos Aires Tetra with the Congos though because of their fin nipping reputation and the Congos have those long, beautiful fins.

You said your PH is 7 (neutral) and hard. Do you know what the GH and KH is?

Sounds like it will be a nice tank. Would love to see pics once you have it up and running.

iceprizm

ok GH looks like 11
KH is 5
when i started the tanks i was using very soft water. as an experiment i started using hard tap water. I noticed an immediate improvement in the rainbows and corys behavior. they became very active and the corys displayed spawning behavior. so thats all i use now.

the tank with the sword has a mixed substrate of flourite and eco-complete so i thought i wouldnt have to add fert for the gravel. there is another plant with mass root system that is slowly taking over the tank. the sword was doing well at one point it just seemed to stop growing. although it is a live bearer tank and they are kinda hard on the plants.
my anubia is attached to driftwood and rocks. my Java Fern is on a cocconut shell and i seeded some onto a ceramic hollow log. I did my homework there.

its funny every time i see the boosemani in a fish store i am always disappointed in their color. they have just a little blue with no yellow color at all, so i always get something else. that and they are kinda pricey.....

are gouramis easy to sex? i would think a pair of them would be able to find a spot in the tank. it is 6' long. but ill have to ask around.

for the bottom i just have the 9 cories and however many bristle noses i decide to add. one tank has 2 the other has 4.
it was my understanding that 2 clown fish would not be enough, did i miss something?

Angel079

Meeting the water needs of the fish you house can REALLY make a super big difference, so I'm glad you found your way there
That's very odd there on the Sword, not growing/ dieing can either be no/low ferts, which it then wouldn't be in your case or lights: lights that are high in reds and too little blue's, not a full spectrum? Way too much or wayy too lil wattage as a total (far up/down of 1 wpg)?
Uh that sounds like a nice set up for the other plants there - Do you have a chance of pictures there for us? *Pretty please*
For setting up your new tank, I'd strongly suggest to safe the $ on the flourite, just use fine gravel and if you wanna try Swords again just get plant sticks to be added only for them (from Nutrafin, API etc).

My Boeseman's looks VERY dull when I got them, but some good water, good foods...you see their colors in the pictures....
Your LFS store should be well able to sex you a pair of them - Which one's you wanna get?

Considering a Clowns size of 16-17" (as adult) is why I said i'd not get more, cause all your Bristle Noses and Cory will need some room too, adding like 5-6 Clown's to that would overcrowd the bottom IMO - BUt its your tank not mine

iceprizm

your bosemans look awesome. maybe ill give them a shot.
what do you feed your to get the color?

the flourite comes with the 180 tank. just not sure if it may be too sharp for the cories. right now the cories have flourite sand.
about when i switched to hard water was when my sword went downhill. i also had a red leafed plant, the same one in your pics that just lost the will to live. its too bad cause it was a cool looking plant, it kept sending big leafs to the surface.
I plan on taking all my plants from my 55g and planting them in my 180, and see how things go.
the 180 has 4 VHO bulbs. not really sure how well those will work for the plants. but i have many flourescent fixtures i could install in the canopy if i wanted to.

ill have to look into the gouramis more. i have enough stock to get the 180 running anyway.

jeaninel

Young Boesemani can be kind of drab looking. But trust me, they turn into a gorgeous fish. Here's a couple pics of mine:

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jeaninel

Gouramis are fairly easy to sex unless they're very young. Typically the male has a longer and more pointed dorsal fin. The female's is shorter and more rounded.