8g, Livebearers!

[ajbettle]

going to get a 8 gallon - (UK), now i saw on a website ur not ment to keep guppys or endlers with ottos, is this true?
anyway heres my stocing list for the tank:

- 1 otto = 1.5inch
- 5 Endlers livebearers = 5inch
- 1 hoeny gourami = 2inch
- total = 7 fish - 8.5 inch, 0.5 inch over the 1inch per gallon rule...not that its a good rule!!

1. do u think this would be ok?
2. wud they be ok with the gourami
3. do endlers stay at the top or will they go middle as well?
4. i dont want loads of fish at the top!! xoz the gourami might get angry...
5. will the otto attack the endlers?

thnaks everyone!

 

[Annastasia]

Cherry Barbs and Otos need more of their own kind. I'd stick with the Endlers and maybe get a couple more Otos, and skip the Barbs.
They should be fine together, in my experience. The Otos don't tend to be aggressive at all. They can be very disease-prone though, so make sure you get healthy ones and that you quarantine. Do you have a place for Endler fry to go, or are you thinking all males? You'll also want to keep up on the water changes, since the tank might be a little overstocked and you don't want your fish getting sick.

Also, your signtaure is over the guidelines. Please check them out in the Board Announcements section, and edit your signature accordingly.

 

[ajbettle]

im definetly thinking males, there alot prettier and i dont want fry...but dont endlers just stay at the top of the tank? wont that be boring? if not ad the go middle to top ill go for:

- 6 endlers = 6inch
- 2 ottos = 3 inch
- = 9 inch, this ok Annastasia???
or willit be boring having all the fish at top?

i was thinking:

- 30% water change every week and 3 days
- 30% water change and siphon, remove debris etc. once overy 3 weeks
- every month change filter sponge
- would this be enough???

 

[Annastasia]

I'd go 4-5 Endlers and 3 Otos myself. That should be fine.

You'll want to syphon the gravel and get debris every water change, or every other at least. The yuckies in the substrate are going to hurt the water quality. And you don't want to change your filter more then you have to. You're essentially throwing away your bacteria and recycling the tank every time you do that. You won't have the hardiest fish in there, so cycling isn't going to be great for them. I also recommend you fishless cycle before you get the fish.

 

[ajbettle]

o ok, so:

- 3 ottos = 4.5inch
- 5 endlers = 5inch
- total = 9.5 inch..but that rule sucks anyway! lol

maintence wise:

- 30% water change and siphon out every week and 3 days? (that sure is alot?)
- rinse filters in aquarium water and change very rarely
- then that should be ok? im gonna cycle with ma moms danios! lol porr things! then give her them back!

 

[Annastasia]

It should be OK. They aren't big waste producing fish, and you'll be keeping the water quality good. Why do you do water changes every week and three days, out of curiosity? Also, wait a bit to add the Otos after the tank has cycled. They prefer mature tanks.

I'd still look into fishless cycling. It's easy and cheap and you don't have to put the fish through cycling. I'm sure they aren't thrilled about it anyway.

Also, as I mentioned before, please edit your signature. It's a lot to scroll past.

 

[ajbettle]

to me, lol a week n 3 days is a week n half, and it will seem that i dont do em as freqeuntly, and it wud b pain doing it every week, so i add on 3 days lol! stupid arnt i!