How does this setup sound?

[JenTN]

I tested my water this morning, and everything was good So I headed to LFS, list in hand to start adding my "real fish". Unfortunately, I started looking in all the tanks, and the lfs lady and I spent 45 minutes tweaking my list. The only think on there I knew I absolutely wanted were RAMS! I love those guys- I am going to wait to add them last though, because of there sensitivity to water paramaters. Here is what I am working toward (I have the first three species now)
6 White cloud mountain minnows
2 long finned black skirt tetras
3 harlequin rasboras
4 German blue rams
2 rainbow fish
6 otto cats
4 cory cats
6 cardinal tetras


Does this look overstocked? The lfs lady said I should be okay since I can do water changes 1-2x a week (and will because dirty water grosses me out, lol).

Boy, that lady sure was helpful and nice, too bad you can't tip LFS employees


Edit: 55 gal tank

 

[fwlion]

wat size tank

 

[JenTN]

Oops sorry 55 gal

 

[southpawz]

Sounds fine...but I would do away with the otto cats for now as they need to be in a well established tank with plenty of algae to feed on..... I would bump the number of cories to 6-8 and then later down the road if you need ottos to clean some algae you could add acouple then.

Also make sure you get 2 pair of gbr's and be sure to give them plenty of space on each side of the tank to setup thier territory in.....

 

[JenTN]

Sounds fine...but I would do away with the otto cats for now as they need to be in a well established tank with plenty of algae to feed on..... I would bump the number of cories to 6-8 and then later down the road if you need ottos to clean some algae you could add acouple then.

Also make sure you get 2 pair of gbr's and be sure to give them plenty of space on each side of the tank to setup thier territory in.....

Yeah, the otto's will be added later on, or not at all if i don't have algae.

I have a planted tank but also plan on making a "cave" on each side for each of them. How do I tell the males from the females in order to get 2 pairs? The ones they had at my LFS today were TINY!

 

[Onion01]

even with algae, you shouldn't count on them cleaning up for you.

 

[southpawz]

GBR's are really hard to sex until they get older...I had the same issue as you..I got 2 GBR's when they were tiny. Me and the guy at the FS looked over them several times and thought we had a pair picked out but I believe I have ended up with 2 females now that they have grown up alittle.... No real issues with mine both being female other than they pick at each other from time to time but not so much that they are going to hurt one another.