Stock Order.. opinions/advise please

[Frogs62]

In the process of a tank set up and looks like I am going with the fairly "standard" stock list:

Discus- not wild (finalizing)
Corys (still determining)
Tetras (still determining)
Plecos (Albino Long fins)


My question is what would be the "best" order of stocking? Specifically with Discus and Tetras... my thought would be to add the tetras first and get the comfortable and then add the discuss as hopefully that may decrease the possibility of the Discus looking them as a food source. Does it even matter about the Corys and Pleckos.... I would think so but what do I know.

Thank you for the advise

[seanyuki]

Need more informations, how big is the tank?, bare bottom or planted ?Planning of how many those fish, routine for water changes and how often you tend to feed them.What kind of filtration? etc etc.

[Iminit]

Yes kind of vague. I would add the tetras first. What type are you going for? For Cory’s I’d go with sterbas. Good looking and good in the heat. Plecos can be a problem. Some will go after the slime coat on discus. All of these dither fish can go in before the discus. Next where are you planning to get your discus from? What size will you get and how big of a tank. There are different ways to do it with different size discus.

[Frogs62]

I wasn't aware these questions were important in regards to the order in which you add fish to a new tank... learned something new. Its a 1000G tank with a 250G sump and one canister filter....can never have enough filtration!! I plan on very lite sand/gravel bottom, hardscape (wood and rock) no plants. Plan to start with about 20 Discus 3.5- 4.5, about 8 Albino Long fin Pleckos, thinking about 200 Tertas and not sure of the # of Corys

[Willie]

A tank that size means little to no meaningful water changes. I'd recommend you start with at least 5" discus because they're no likely to grow much more. When keeping discus, the rule of thumb is to spend your $$ on fish. Your timing is off for tetras as the collecting season is done. I need 50 tetras in a 110 gal tank to get noticed, so I think you'll need > 200 in a 1,000 gal tank. You'll likely need 4 - 5 dozen corydoras for them to be seen in a tank like that. I've worked with an 880-gal tank and small fish will be hard to find unless you have a lot of them.

As to your original question, it makes no difference what order you add the fish.

[Vinni Smith]

A tank that size means little to no meaningful water changes. I'd recommend you start with at least 5" discus because they're no likely to grow much more. When keeping discus, the rule of thumb is to spend your $$ on fish. Your timing is off for tetras as the collecting season is done. I need 50 tetras in a 110 gal tank to get noticed, so I think you'll need > 200 in a 1,000 gal tank. You'll likely need 4 - 5 dozen corydoras for them to be seen in a tank like that. I've worked with an 880-gal tank and small fish will be hard to find unless you have a lot of them.

As to your original question, it makes no difference what order you add the fish.

I agree with Willie on this one 100%.
I have 2 dozen tetras and 2 dozen rummies in 112 gallons and they are hardly noticed.
All the videos on youtube of giant tanks have dozens and dozens. They look great.

Yep, that is going to be a bear doing 100% WC on that puppy every day! LOL!!!

I also agree on what order to put the fish in.
I don't think it makes a difference.
In this past year I have plopped and dropped so many different dither fish in my discus tanks and they did not even notice.
The only thing that got eaten was some small red shrimp. My bad.
And some of those neons were pretty small indeed.
Plecos come and go in all my tanks with no problem.
I personally have never had the problem with sucking on the discus as some have experienced, however, I only buy the versions that don't get big.
Some plecos get 1 1/2' long! Folks don't realize that a lot of the ones you see in the stores are just mini, baby versions.
I think those may be the ones that create problems?
I stick with Long Fin BN Albinos, Hillstream and clown plecos.

Just my 2 cents...

V

One more thing to the Oper. I would love to see a picture of the 1,000 gallon tank! I bet that is beautiful.

[Frogs62]

Thank you for the advise. Once I get the fish in I will start another thread with pictures.... my goal is a living piece of art not breed. Another question: It sounds like I would need multi dozens of Corey's to even notice them. Would Loaches be better? I am not concerned with the size but I hear they are very active especially as adults and I want a peaceful tank. Maybe a Ray?

[jeep]

Your sump is larger than any tank I can fit in my house, lol... I hope you create a well documented thread in the journal section.

I would prefer a lot of corey's to loaches, especially to clowns because they get pretty large and can harass discus at night when loaches are active and discus are sleeping.

And... no matter what order you introduce your fish into the tank make sure you do proper QT for each no matter who the source is. It would be pretty impossible to treat CC in a tank that size...

[LizStreithorst]

Consider a batch of Dutch or German Blue Rams rather than the tetras. The smaller tetras will be eaten by the Discus. Rams and Discus like the same environment and treatment as the Discus do.