Noobie 30 Gal

[Stackage]

Hey guys I was hoping to catch some advice from you about a new 30 gal I'm setting up. Mostly I need stocking advice because I'm not sure how many fish would be too many. Right now in my tank I have :

4 Platy
2 Swordtails + 2 Fry I think...I don't see them very often
2 Guramis
1 Pleco
Also there are a ton of snails everywhere that came with some floating grass I picked up.

I want to add at least 2 Amano shrimp and either 2 clown loaches or 2 Cockatil Apistos. I've got a semi-DIY C02 system and lots of plants that are growing really well. The tank stays at about 77 to 81 F. I live in Germany so talking to the two LFS that are here is tough because I don't speak german and they speak broken english. They said the apisto was a ciclid and could be aggressive which I'm not sure is true. Could the tank handle 4 more fish or do I have to chose between the apistos and the loaches to keep it from being over stocked?

 

[WyldFya]

Well too start off with the two loaches and the pleco are going to way outgrow your tank. They will also prove to be problematic with uprooting plants. I'd kick the pleco, unless it is something other than a common (and that is a big maybe), and pass on the clown loaches.

I'll move this to the general aquaria for you as the question is more stock related rather than plant related.

 

[Stackage]

Sorry about the mispost.

So loaches grow to fast? The only pictures I've seen of them are smaller but if they get too big I'll pass. I was just hoping they'd eat all the snails I have growing in the tank. Also, the pleco I'm looking into getting a bigger tank for him. How fast do they grow?

Where'd we land on the apistos? Too aggresive? Or will they get along.

Here's a pic of the tank after I've had it for a month and a half.