Stocking an 38-gallon aquaium

Question
I just received a 38 for my b'day{woohoo} have just set it up and have put the biomax and sponge filter {AQ 50} in my 20 that is already cycled to help the cycle in the new one along. My question is what would be a good stock for it? I have serpae tetras, black skirts, lemon tetras and cherry barbs in the 20..I am thinking I would like to have more tetras, just different ones, some cories, and maybe a showpiece or two..what would be your suggestion, and how many?? Also, how long should I leave the sponge and biomax in the 20? before moving them to the new one with fish...thank you for your time


Answer
Dear Peggy,
Congratulations on the new 38 gallon! What a great Birthday gift!

You already have a very good plan for your new tank stocking list. Some of the loveliest aquariums are those that have one or two schools of sparkling little fish, a main showfish that stands our from the rest, and some bottom dwellers to provide movement at the lower levels of your tank.

Some good schooling fish might be Barbs, rasboras or tetras like you mentioned. A good show fish would be either 1-2 Gouramis, or maybe 1 or more Angelfish. Another showfish would be a male betta which would be unusual but I'm not sure if that's what you want. With a male betta living in a community tank they can thrive there if the conditions are right, not too much current, peaceful, non-fin nippers ect..

You may also consider doing a Biotope theme tank. Where you have all your fish from a certain area of the world and you decorate the aquarium according to that area's underwater habitat. For example, a good Southeast Asian Aquarium might be a school (6-8) of barbs, either tiger, gold, or cherry, and maybe a school of Harlequin Rasboras (6-8) A pair or two of Gouramis, either Dwarf, Pearl, Moonlight, or Blue and maybe some bottom dwellers like some of the small asian loaches like Yoyos, Clown loaches are very neat too but after a few years they can reach huge sizes of 12" inches!
This isn't the only South East Asian setup you could do, there's lots more fish and fish combinations.

Then there is the South American Theme which fits with your liking of Tetras. In this you would have one or two schools of Tetras, a showfish in the form of Angelfish, Dwarf cichlids like Rams, or even Discus, and some bottom feeders like Ancistrus bristlenose plecos, Corydoras, or Otocinclus.

It's really your choice, but I think I'd go with a community tank, perhaps a biotope theme. Decorating a tank all natural is very fun and getting watch fish interact with a natural environment is very entertaining. Even better if the tank is  well planted!

Just be sure to keep your tank lightly stocked and keep up with those water changes too.

With the biomax and sponge filter it would be good if you could -ideally- leave it in your 20gal for at least 4 weeks. I know this may seem like a VERY long time for you to wait but this is to be sure the bacteria have colonized enough on your sponge and biomax. Why not take that time to research fish species you want, plan out your tank, and decorate and/or plant it. By the end of the four weeks, you should have your current fish selections in mind and you may have your aquarium nicely decorated for your new fish. Although don't forget that, if you can, try to quarantine all new fish for at least a week or two so you won't end up ruining your setup by introducing a fish that may be carrying a disease.

I really hope this helps! Look here for many beautiful pictures and info about aquariums setups sent in by people  across the world. You may be inspired!

http://www.aquahobby.com/e_tanks.php

Best of luck with your new tank!
Karen~