Are These Okay?

[CommunityKepper]

Hello, I finished cycling my tank last week and have added my 3 black widow tetras (I know there best kept in shoals and I did have more but my family have overfed them when I was on holiday and some died so have decided to leave them as a 3.)
Is this okay for a 60 litre:
My 3 x black widow tetras
6 x Cherry Barbs
6 x Serpae Tetras

Thanks

 

[Assaye]

Why have you decided to leave them as a three? Fair enough some died but that's not really an excuse for making them remain in a small social group.

In a 60 litre, you're going to have too many shoaling fish once they all reach adult size. It'll be really cramped and I imagine they'll feel the stress. Why not 6 black widows, 6 cherry barbs and 6 sterbai corys?

 

[CommunityKepper]

Why have you decided to leave them as a three? Fair enough some died but that's not really an excuse for making them remain in a small social group.

In a 60 litre, you're going to have too many shoaling fish once they all reach adult size. It'll be really cramped and I imagine they'll feel the stress. Why not 6 black widows, 6 cherry barbs and 6 sterbai corys?

But corys grow to 3inch's whereas serpae tetras only grow to 1.6inch's, So I don't understand how it will be less crowded with more and bigger fish. (sorry for being ignarant, Is it because they are all shoaling fish? I was doing that also in a hope that the Black widows will shoal with the serpaes.)

 

[SimoUK]

He means it wont be as crapmed in the middle - top half of the tank, as crys will hang around on the bottom of the tank, giving the tetras more swimming space, whilst having other fish to look at

 

[Assaye]

Why have you decided to leave them as a three? Fair enough some died but that's not really an excuse for making them remain in a small social group.

In a 60 litre, you're going to have too many shoaling fish once they all reach adult size. It'll be really cramped and I imagine they'll feel the stress. Why not 6 black widows, 6 cherry barbs and 6 sterbai corys?

But corys grow to 3inch's whereas serpae tetras only grow to 1.6inch's, So I don't understand how it will be less crowded with more and bigger fish. (sorry for being ignarant, Is it because they are all shoaling fish? I was doing that also in a hope that the Black widows will shoal with the serpaes.)

Yep, it's because they are shoaling fish. You'd have three groups all wanting the same space in the tank, but if you swap some for corys you'd have two groups in the middle and one in the bottom

Could always get pygmy or panda corys if you are worried about corys getting too big. IMO regular (i.e. 3 inch) corys will be fine in 60 litres but I wouldn't put them in less.

Black widows might shoal with other tetras but it's out of desperation as they don't have enough of their own. I have a mix of barbs in one of my tanks and can't add more until after I come back from holiday and my tiger barbs and 5 banded barbs don't shoal, despite looking and acting very similar.

 

[CommunityKepper]

He means it wont be as crapmed in the middle - top half of the tank, as crys will hang around on the bottom of the tank, giving the tetras more swimming space, whilst having other fish to look at

But if my research is right then the cherry barbs prefer bottom-middle, and the serpae and black widow tetras prefer middle-top, so there will still be fish all over the tank and wouldn't be as crowded(If I'm right)because none of the species I said about grow as big as cories.

 

[Assaye]

He means it wont be as crapmed in the middle - top half of the tank, as crys will hang around on the bottom of the tank, giving the tetras more swimming space, whilst having other fish to look at

But if my research is right then the cherry barbs prefer bottom-middle, and the serpae and black widow tetras prefer middle-top, so there will still be fish all over the tank and wouldn't be as crowded(If I'm right)because none of the species I said about grow as big as cories.

In a 60 litre tank, there isn't much difference between "bottom middle" and "middle top". They'll both be all over the place. In a large tank with a lot of height, you'll see a lot of difference in where they like to hang out.

 

[CommunityKepper]

Okay thanks Assaye, what would you reccomend I keep in the tank(that you haven't already mentioned)?