Brainstorming ideas for stocking a 68L heavily planted aquarium

FishForums.net Pet of the Month
🐶 POTM Poll is Open! 🦎 Click here to Vote! 🐰

xxBarneyxx

Fish Aficionado
Joined
Oct 28, 2006
Messages
3,701
Reaction score
904
Location
Kent, UK
What I have to work with:
29"x12"x12" 68L aquarium.
Will be heavily planted.
Water hardness is around 220ppm (so high end of medium to low end of hard, not sure what that is in Dh)
PH around 7.5
I'm ok with going slightly over "recommended" stocking limited in terms of bio load, it is heavily filtered and the plants will take care of it. However I don't want to overcrowd swimming areas.

I think we would prefer more smaller fish over a couple of larger one. Would also like to include shrimp and snails.

One idea I had was:
X8 Lampeye Panchax
X5 Panda Corys
X8 Glowlight Danios
X8 Whitecloud Mountain Minnows.

Running the tank at around 22C should be fine for most of these guys and the water parameters should be ok too. From what I can see it is the very lower temperature limits of what Lampeyes want though, so not so sure on that one. My daughter really loves them though. I have also never kept any of these fish before so that would be a positive as well.

I could drop the WCMM and up the temp a little bit but then it is probably back to looking at the more hard water tolerating tetra species again. I'm not 100% opposed to this but I have pretty much been there and done that already with most of the commonly available tetras that would be suitable.

Another possibility would be to drop the WCCM and just get a couple of extra Danios and lampeyes. or dropping the lampeyes and going for another fish that prefers cooler water.

Really nothing set in stone here yet so any interesting suggestions or ideas would be great.
 
Last edited:
I don’t know if you’d like this suggestion, Threadfin Rainbowfish (Iriatherina werneri)

Seems to fit your parameters, your 220ppm hardness is at the end range for these Rainbowfish.

Lovely fish to have, I have had these before and really nice guys especially when males flare their fins against other males for females attention.

And because they are small, shrimps and snails should be fine though shrimplets will likely be tasty snacks for them, I’ve kept RCS and amanos with those rainbows and no issues tbh.

Plus their lower temperature range matches you idea for WCMM 22c and both these species should be fine together.

Tank is about big enough for a nice group of those as well.

Seems to icks a few boxes that fits your requirements.


Just a suggestion :)
 
I don’t know if you’d like this suggestion, Threadfin Rainbowfish (Iriatherina werneri)
Oh thats a great idea. Didn't even think of them and it is something I haven't kept before. They are really pretty as well and my daughter loved the long finned fish she saw at the LFS. Will do some reading. Thanks.
I think that for a 68l tank, I would personally limit the number of species but keep large schools. Why not 15 white clouds, 7 panda cories, and 5 amano shrimp? That would look really nice.
Yeah personally I would go the same route. My Mrs though has other ideas.
 
LMAO just showed my Mrs the Threadfin Rainbow fish. Her response:

What the hell is that, it looks like someone cut the fins off a couple of fish and stuck it on that one. It looks like they have got dressed up for Halloween or something..

When I explained that I think they are quite pretty and they look awesome when they flair their fins to show off, the response:

So they are a bit like a s*** peacock then...

Guess that one is off the list then. I thought it was a great idea though, so thanks :)
 

Most reactions

trending

Staff online

Back
Top