Fish For 54Litre Tank

[Chappers15]

Hi I’ve recently set up and cycled a 54 litre tank and was wandering what fish I can put in it. I’ve done a lot of research and seen the one Cm per litre rule used a lot. The fish I’m considering are a total of about 50cm on average which fits nicely within the 54 litres.

They are:
. 6 Neon Tetras
. 5 Chilli Rasboras
. 4 Otocinclus
. 2 Blue Velvet Shrimp
. 1 Nerite Snail

Are these fish ok for this tank? I want them to be happy and healthy. Thanks

 

[CassCats]

54 litres is about 15 US gallons...

A little small for the otos with shrimp and a nerite mostly because they will compete for limited food sources. Otos do better also in 6+. I would choose only one of these species. Either the otos, or the shrimp, or the nerite, but not more than one of these.

I would nix the neon tetras, they do better in a 20 gallon. The chili rasboras would be perfect though, get a larger group instead

 

[seangee]

What are the tank dimensions? Neons need swimming space and should be in a tank of at least 60cm length. So they would not be suitable for something like a Flex. Chilli rasboras should be kept in groups of at least 10.

What the hardness of your water. The number we are looking for is GH (general hardness) and should be available on your water suppliers website. We need the number as well as the unit. The fish you have mentioned are all soft water fish so it is important to check that the stock you intend is suitable for the water they will be kept in.

PS The CM/L rule is bunk

 

[Chappers15]

What are the tank dimensions? Neons need swimming space and should be in a tank of at least 60cm length. So they would not be suitable for something like a Flex. Chilli rasboras should be kept in groups of at least 10.

What the hardness of your water. The number we are looking for is GH (general hardness) and should be available on your water suppliers website. We need the number as well as the unit. The fish you have mentioned are all soft water fish so it is important to check that the stock you intend is suitable for the water they will be kept in.

PS The CM/L rule is bunk
[/QUOTE

Hi thanks for responding. My tank parameters are 60 x 30 x 30 and by water hardness is about 5dh.

 

[seangee]

Hi thanks for responding. My tank parameters are 60 x 30 x 30 and by water hardness is about 5dh.

In that case your original suggestion is fine. I would still increase the chilli rasbora. Personally I would go with ember tetras rather than neons as there is less of a size difference and the chillis will be more likely to get to the food before its gone. Not to mention that a fully grown neon could quite possibly fit a chilli into its mouth. Again I would get a group of 10+

Hold off on the otos until the tank has had 3 or 4 months to stabilise. Those guys need to eat constantly so give your tank a chance to establish enough biofilm for them. Many of the specimens you buy are starved and won't eat algae wafers (because they don't know what they are).

 

[Chappers15]

In that case your original suggestion is fine. I would still increase the chilli rasbora. Personally I would go with ember tetras rather than neons as there is less of a size difference and the chillis will be more likely to get to the food before its gone. Not to mention that a fully grown neon could quite possibly fit a chilli into its mouth. Again I would get a group of 10+

Hold off on the otos until the tank has had 3 or 4 months to stabilise. Those guys need to eat constantly so give your tank a chance to establish enough biofilm for them. Many of the specimens you buy are starved and won't eat algae wafers (because they don't know what they are).

Ok thank you. One last question. When you say about getting more tetras and rasboras, do you mean get either tetras or rasboras or both?

 

[seangee]

Ok thank you. One last question. When you say about getting more tetras and rasboras, do you mean get either tetras or rasboras or both?

Your choice. In that size tank I would go for either:

• 10-15 ember tetras AND 10-15 chilli rasbora OR
• 20-30 of 1 of them

If you choose to go with 2 species add all the fish you plan for one species at once. Then wait a week or 2 and add all of the other species if all is well.

here is my tank (90x30x30) which has 20 each of ember tetras and chilli rasbora

 

[Chappers15]

Your choice. In that size tank I would go for either:

• 10-15 ember tetras AND 10-15 chilli rasbora OR
• 20-30 of 1 of them

If you choose to go with 2 species add all the fish you plan for one species at once. Then wait a week or 2 and add all of the other species if all is well.

here is my tank (90x30x30) which has 20 each of ember tetras and chilli rasbora

Alright thanks for the advice. What substrate is that in your tank because I want to add live plants but don’t want to spend £60 on substrate. Also how big is your tank as you said about getting 20 tetras and rasboras altogether as well as some otos but I don’t want to overcrowd.

 

[Essjay]

Seangee's tank is an unusual shape being long and shallow. It's 90 cm long compared to your 60.

if you don't want to spend a lot of money on the substrate, plain sand is fine, you don't need a special plants substrate. Most of these become inert in a year or so anyway. Play sand is the cheapest, if you can find any Argos play sand (lots of people bought itfor their children during the lockdown) or any aquarium sand as long as it's smooth and doesn't say on the pack that it increases hardness or pH.

You could still have shrimps with the tetras and rasboras but get more than 2 unless you are 100% sure you get a male and a female.

 

[seangee]

Alright thanks for the advice. What substrate is that in your tank because I want to add live plants but don’t want to spend £60 on substrate

Play sand is the cheapest, , if you can find any Argos play sand

I used Argos play sand for years. If you are willing to spend a little more the sand in that picture is Unipac kivu, and the sand in my signature pic is Unipac black limpopo. I bought a 20KG bag for my tank (50% bigger surface than yours) and still have about 5KG left - so 10KG is probably more than enough. I agree with @essjay that special plant substrates are a waste of money.

 

[Chappers15]

I used Argos play sand for years. If you are willing to spend a little more the sand in that picture is Unipac kivu, and the sand in my signature pic is Unipac black limpopo. I bought a 20KG bag for my tank (50% bigger surface than yours) and still have about 5KG left - so 10KG is probably more than enough. I agree with @essjay that special plant substrates are a waste of money.

thannks for all of the advice you’ve given me. It’s been really helpful and I’ve learnt so much. I can’t wait to stock my tank. Thank you so much

 

[Chappers15]

Seangee's tank is an unusual shape being long and shallow. It's 90 cm long compared to your 60.

if you don't want to spend a lot of money on the substrate, plain sand is fine, you don't need a special plants substrate. Most of these become inert in a year or so anyway. Play sand is the cheapest, if you can find any Argos play sand (lots of people bought itfor their children during the lockdown) or any aquarium sand as long as it's smooth and doesn't say on the pack that it increases hardness or pH.

You could still have shrimps with the tetras and rasboras but get more than 2 unless you are 100% sure you get a male and a female.

Thanks for all the advice but would that be overstocked having 10 tetras, 10 rasboras, 4 otos and multiple shrimp in a 54 litre tank?

 

[Essjay]

In a small tank, I would leave out the otos. 10 rasboras of a Boraras species, 10 of one of the small tetras and shrimps are OK. I had a similar sized tank with a close relative of chili rasboras (they were sold as chilis but weren't), pygmy cories and red cherry shrimps. The tank also had stems of hornwort threaded through a branchy piece of wood which gave the shrimps somewhere to hide when they moulted and made the Boraras feel safe. As you plan live plants that will make the tank very suitable for them.

 

[seangee]

I had a similar sized tank with a close relative of chili rasboras (they were sold as chilis but weren't),

Must be a common thing. I bought 20 chillies sold as b.brigattae. I am certain that what is in my tank is a mixed bag of b.brigittae, b.merah and b.uropthalmoides.
@essjay - since you have kept these... some of mine look like they may have ich (although sometimes in unusual places). Everything else in the tank is fine. I have raised the temp in case but lots of the pics I have found on the internet look the same. Is this just natural colouration. Temp has only been up for 24 hours so I can't tell if there is a difference yet.

 

[Essjay]

Mine have never looked as though they have ich - do any of the three species you have show this more than the others?
Mine were all B. urophthalmoides, going by the descriptions on Seriously Fish. None were red, all had the black spot at the base of the tail, and an orange line above the black line. It's always hard to tell in shops as the fish look washed out but they never turned red which is what made me check up.