Another Stocking Question

[Doryfan]

Hi, I know you have millions of these type of questions and really appreciate your patience and help.

Would like to know if I can add any more fish! Current occupants are:

9 x platy (7f, 2m)
8 x lemon tetra
4 x harlequin tetra

I would really love to add 6 more harlequins to make 10 - I love these. And if poss a group of smaller cories (like sterbai, julii and panda - so any of those although lfs doesn't stock panda at the mo).

Do I have room?

I know I will have extra platties from time to time (!) - didn't realise how prolific these could be! - but lfs will take any fry that make it if I warn them 1st!

Thanks for any advice

Tank is Juwel Rio 240L. Plastic plants at the mo but real ones on order - more questions to follow in planted section, sorry!
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 0
Tank set up in October 2006, cloned from Rio 125L.

 

[Doryfan]

Should have said, sorry: am using API Freshwater Master Kit to do tests, weekly water change of about 20% with gravel vac. Hope this gives enough info - but please let me know if you need more!

 

[Castellop123]

You still have plenty of room... 240 litres can hold a lot of small, low excrement fish species... Corydoras would also be a fine addition to this community setup... As long as you have not got a large, sharp gravel substrate, you should find that your Corydoras will thrive.

 

[Chri$]

240l = 64g so as a rough guide you could fit around 64 inch of fish in there.

So at the moment you have around 36 inch of fish. You could fit another 30 inch of fish if you wish. Adding 6 more rasboras would be a good idea.

Then you could consider adding another group of shaoling fish etc.

 

[Chri$]

You still have plenty of room... 240 litres can hold a lot of small, low excrement fish species... Corydoras would also be a fine addition to this community setup... As long as you have not got a large, sharp gravel substrate, you should find that your Corydoras will thrive.

Beat me to it!

 

[Doryfan]

Thank you both for your replies.

I will definitely add 6 more harlequins, I really love these - and plan for a group of smaller cories - have small rounded gravel substrate, not sharp at all so hopefully will be ok.

Thanks again
jen

PS Have loads of really dopey questions for the plant forum - sorry

 

[smithrc]

Wow - I bet it looks empty

In our 240, we have the following....

11 congo Tetras (5 at 3" and 5 at 1")
7 Petricola Synos (3")
3 Starlight bristle noses (5")
4 L400 Plecs (2")
1 Ranger Plec (4")
4 Slown loaches (2")
8 Tri-line Corys (1.5")

So that would be a total of.... 88" at the moment...

HOWEVER - the built in filter is poo... its been running stocked for about 3 weeks and it just cant cope with a resonable stocking level. Despite 0 levels, the water had particals floating in it that the filter was no longer removing .... so yesturday I put a tetratec 1200 external on there - been out all day, came home tonight and was shocked how clear the tank is B)

If you want to use the tank to its full potential - remove the internal filter and get a decent external

 

[Doryfan]

Yep, it does look a little empty at the mo! As am complete beginner, wanted to take things slowly - which is really hard 'cos I'm not normally very patient

Interesting about the filter, the water isn't as clear as I'd like although the tests are perfect. More questions to come methinks...

 

[smithrc]

Yep, it does look a little empty at the mo! As am complete beginner, wanted to take things slowly - which is really hard 'cos I'm not normally very patient

Interesting about the filter, the water isn't as clear as I'd like although the tests are perfect. More questions to come methinks...

Very sensible

nice tank to start out with too
our first tank was a 50L

 

[Doryfan]

Started out with a Rio 125L in September. By the end of October we'd convinced ourselves that bigger was definitely better

 

[gsta13]

Hey i also have a 240, not started it up yet waiting for things on order, how hard is it to remove the internal filter, i have a external filter (fluval 304) will this be enough for the 240? Lol if you think that tank sounded empty, i did have this tank up and running at one point with only my stocking from my 15g in it. 3 rams and two adult guppies and 7guppy fry lol that was very E M P T Y!
Greg