Advice On My Setup Please

[Sheridan]

Hi, my current setup is as follows:

Tropiquarium 68
2 Bolivian rams
2 bristlenose plecs (breeding pair) + 6 youngsters
3 Cherry barbs
1 Black widow tetra
1 Dalmation molly

Not ideal in terms of numbers I know, so where do I go from here?

The number of bristlenose plecs will be reduced soon, the youngsters are just being toughened up prior to being given to a friend.

I will probably get another 3-4 cherry barbs.

Not so sure about the black widow tetra and the molly. The black widow is around 4 years old, bit of an old man, beer belly and back problems (in fish terms), (slightly bent backbone and and rather chubby). He's been like this for a couple of years so I'm sure he's fine. Would it be wise to add several young black widows to the tank?

As for the molly, similar situation, do I add a couple more youngsters?

Bearing all this in mind, I don't want to overstock which I feel like I could be doing adding all these new fish.
Any other suggestions are welcome too, I love fish with a good character!

Thanks for the help!

 

[BOD]

Hi i think that adding the barbs would be ok, but the tetras, in one way could be a good thing and give a new lease of life to your 'old man' or they could go and pick on the old outsider and weaker one and end up killing him, also because of your stocking wouldnt reccomend this and just keep the one molly, 68 refers to litres if im thinking correctly which is 18 G (US) .

EDIT - also plecs are quite messy fish...so i would say with the barbs you are close to stocking limit.

just looked it up 19G (US)

 

[Captain Retardo]

you dont need to add any more Cherry Barbs, they are fine in pairs and trios.

 

[SPLiSH]

Your setup sounds okay although like Captain Retardo said, cherry barbs are not really a schooling fish, they are rather shy and do better in sexed pairs or a trio of 1 male, 2 females.

Other than that it sounds okay, I would add more black widows but try to choose females - rounder bellies and slightly less vibrant colour.

Congrats on the BN fry, by the way!

 

[Sheridan]

Thanks for the help guys, looks like I'll leave the setup as it is, possibly talk to the guys at my lfs to see what they think about the black widows.

My bristlenose bred twice within about 5 weeks, well chuffed

 

[SPLiSH]

Good to hear.

How active are your cherry barbs? I'm considering them for a future tank...

 

[BOD]

well if you dont get any more cherry barbs or black widows you can get mollys if you wanted, but beware of the babies lol they breed like anything, and a ratio of 1 male to 2 females. gd luck

 

[Sheridan]

The cherry barbs are pretty active, follow each other round the tank. Seem like pretty friendly little fish. Not too keen on having 100's of little mollies, that's why I've never kept guppies.

Are there any other dwarf cichlids I could keep in my setup? Something like the bolivian rams I have already maybe?

 

[SPLiSH]

Thanks Sheridan.

I wouldn't add any more dwarfs, they may be small but they're still cichlids and can be aggressive.

 

[lisie]

Not too keen on having 100's of little mollies, that's why I've never kept guppies.

I could be wrong but I believe most, if not all, the fry would be eaten by the cichlids.

 

[Captain Retardo]

I could be wrong but I believe most, if not all, the fry would be eaten by the cichlids.

that's a nice thought, just let the cichlids eat em!

 

[SPLiSH]

I could be wrong but I believe most, if not all, the fry would be eaten by the cichlids.

that's a nice thought, just let the cichlids eat em!

They most likely would be eaten by them, though.

For most fishkeepers who have unwanted fry, they just feed them to their larger fish.

 

[Captain Retardo]

I know, I know, cycle of life thing.