40g stocking options
 

Hey all, this is kind of an underprepared post being as I havent checked my parameters in a few days (slacking, ive been working like craazy), but i have a 40 gallon tank up and running right now that is only housing 1 fully grown platy and 4 platys that are about 8 months old (not much smaller than the fully grown one) and one common pleco. Knowing what I now know, I definately want to get another 2-3 pleccos, or corys, but im not sure what else I want to stock, I was thinking about possibly moving the platys into another tank I have and doing a cichlid tank, but I dont really think a 40 gal is big enough to house more than 3-4 of any species. Just looking for any suggestions, cichlid or not that anyone can shoot my way, thanks, Joe.:-)

I would not get any more common pleco and would see about rehoming the one you currently have. They can grow to 18"(2' in the wild) This is too large for your tank. Cories should be ok though, as long as your tank isn't unusually tall.

As to cichlids, there are many that prefer overstocked tanks but you must provide plenty of hiding spots and good filtration, while at the same time you may have to buffer the current from the filter though.

What type of cichlids are you interested in keeping? Africian, South American, Central American? The South Americans require soft acidic water, although with many being tanked raised they are able to adapt. The Central Americans that I have seen seem to perfer harder akaline water, more along the lines of which platys need, and Africans need hard akaline water.

I was thinking central americans, I really like jack dempseys and convicts.
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You will need considerably more space than a 40g for either of these cichlids on their own, and they are not compatible (as you may realize, but I mention it just in case). You can read more in our profiles, though I see they need some revision for missing data.

And I concur with previous advice o the pleco, if this is a Common Pleco it needs a new home very soon so it will develop properly.

If you wanted you could do a speices tank on convicts, with a 40 it would allow to you keep a pair. Convicts can be really nasty especially while spawning and raising their fry and they will stand up to fish much larger than themselves.