Another Stocking Question

[Chaz]

Hi guys first i will give you my specs:

ammonia=0
p.h=7.4
nitrite=0
nitrate=0

55litres
Dimension 60x30x39

current stock: 2 rosy barbs, 1 male guppy, 2 female guppies, 1 amano shrinp and one dwarf gourami and 1 celebes halfbeak

it is a mature aquarium and has had these current fish for 8 months

I need more fish i think? as it seems a little bit boring (not much going on!)
I am open to any suggestions!

hello? any body there?

 

[riverman444]

0 Nitrate? That's odd.

2 or 3 Panda Corys would be a good additon for the bottom. I'm not the expert at stocking levels, but adding any more than a couple corys or similar small fish may not be the best idea. 55 litres =14.5 US Gal or 12.1 UK Gal. Don't want to get too crowded.

 

[@ombomb]

0 Nitrate? That's odd.

Just what I was thinking. My tapwater has about 20ppm Nitrates so I really doubt your tank water has 0 (n.b. if it does it's not nessecarily a good thing as BGA thrives in tanks with 0 nitrates).

I'd buy a new test kit and make sure you get the correct reading before adding anything.

 

[riverman444]

0 Nitrate? That's odd.

Just what I was thinking. My tapwater has about 20ppm Nitrates so I really doubt your tank water has 0 (n.b. if it does it's not nessecarily a good thing as BGA thrives in tanks with 0 nitrates).

I'd buy a new test kit and make sure you get the correct reading before adding anything.

I totally agree. For being a "mature" tank, you should have a nitrate reading unless you just did a massive water change.

 

[Chaz]

I bought a new one a few days ago and it has always been like that!! it never posed as a problem before with any fish... mabe it is just our tap water? (and we have a huge filter)

 

[Phoenixfish]

isnt there a type of pigmy cory? that grow to less then an 1" each

 

[Chaz]

Anybody else got any suggestions?

 

[Chaz]

anybody else!!! why is no-body on line???

 

[Spader]

um maybe one more female guppy? idk im not good with stocking cause when i first started i had a dlamtion molly, blackmolly, 3 females bettas, an algae eater, and a breeder net at the smae time. luckily i bought a 10 gallon and everything is good now :] none died :]

 

[lljdma06]

0 Nitrate? That's odd.

Not really, if it's the test kit. I know the result card for my test kit [Aquarium Pharmaceuticals (sp)] says 0ppm for Nitrates for the lowest color level. Now is it really 0ppm, probably not. It's probably between 1-4, but according to the test it'll be 0. I am not entirely pleased with this test. I have managed to get the colors to change, but it took a large concentration of nitrogen ferilizer to change the color. When this test runs out, I will probably invest in a different brand since I really want a better test. I find it hard to believe that I have 0ppm nitrate when I have no BGA and dose nearly 24ml of Seachem nitrogen every week. I will say, however, that my tank is planted with predominantly fast-growing stem plants. Since my fish look great and are very healthy, I assume that I am closer to 10-20ppm, or perhaps even lower, since excess nitrates may be consumed.

If I were you, I would invest in a more accurate test. I plan on it.

If you really want to add a fish, I would go for another female guppy to ease agression, OR another rosy barb to complete the trio, AND a few more amano shrimps for the bottom. Unless your tank is heavily planted with live plants, I wouldn't add much more livestock. Sorry for the use of caps, but I wanted to make myself clear.

 

[yvez9]

panda cories, 5 or 6, would make a great addition to this tank

 

[@ombomb]

I am not entirely pleased with this test. I have managed to get the colors to change, but it took a large concentration of nitrogen ferilizer to change the color

It sounds to me as though either the test is too old or you're not testing correctly. No offence meant, it's just that I use API test kits and have only had problems with them when I wasn't doing the test correctly. If it's over 6 months old then it's time for a new one, and make sure you give the bottles a VERY good shake (1 minute) before testing.

 

[Behemoth]

get a small upside down catfish, they come in a few sizes so beware some can grow to a good size. although if you have a cave he will not come out( they tend to hide on the tops of the caves) and you will rarely see it, but if you have a bunch of plants and decor without those hiding spots for it to get into then this is truely an amazing fish to watch and adds a lot of excitement. when my comes out all the other fish are terrified of it, but it's really a friendly fish.

 

[jkrekord]

behmoth get your fact right up side down catfish grow to 4 inches they NEED to be in groups of 3+ and need lots of swimming space

 

[Behemoth]

i'm sorry i only had my upside down catfish for 4 years, and it's only 2 inches long( the store around here has the large ones that can grow to 4+ inches and the small ones which max at 2.5 inches), very friendly with other fish and has been doing fine since i had it. they may thrive when they are in groups of 3 or more, but i believe some fish can adapt to it's living environement and some fish can do fine without being paired with another kind of it's own.
i don't know how many liters= a gallon but i do agree they should be kept in a big tank with a lot of space because mine will come out when the lights are off and it loves to wander around.