Help identifying danio

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A question I keep asking myself. According to aqadvisor the list I am going to put on is 92% stock level and 80% filtration. Although it's a 125L and my filter apparently filters 600L an hour

Anyway it's a 125L 33US gallon tank. I currently have 3 zebra danios, 3 leopard danios, 4 pearl danios, 2 glowlight danios, 4 peppered Cory's, 2 zebra nerite snails and 1 rabbit snail

After a lot of discussion and help on here today I identified the pearl danios as pearls which I didnt know. The glowlights i know i need more of and the Cory's I'm told to get more of

Ideally I'd like the 3 zebras and leopards, 6 Pearl's, 8 glowlights, the snails and 6 peppered Cory's. Does this sound ok for the tank size? Would I get away with 6 glowlights? Will 6 coreys be ok? A lot of questions but as usual I would much appreciate the help
 
Stocking is not about fish mass to volume. That is all most consider, but it is wrong to do so. Once you select a species, you are bound to provide what it "expects," be that numbers of its own to keep it less stressed, or the preferred water parameters, or the necessary habitat aquascape, or appropriate tankmates, etc.. Ensuring these factors are met will go a long way to healthier fish, and "stocking" then becomes a non-issue.

It would be kinder to the fish to re-home a species in order to have sufficient of the others, rather than having the additional species but not providing sufficient for any of them. That is a direct path to trouble.
 
I agree I would rather have 20 of one fish and them be happy but most schooling fish are a minimum of six. Its always the more the better. I just want variety but happy fishes who get on. I love the glowlights and dont want to take them back but I dont want my corys to not be happy. All the fish at the minute seem happy and content except the glowlights but obviously because their is 2 of them
 
I agree I would rather have 20 of one fish and them be happy but most schooling fish are a minimum of six. Its always the more the better. I just want variety but happy fishes who get on. I love the glowlights and dont want to take them back but I dont want my corys to not be happy. All the fish at the minute seem happy and content except the glowlights but obviously because their is 2 of them

Be careful talking about "happy" fish; none of us can ever know if a fish is or is not happy (except when it becomes so far gone it has to be obvious). Fish will tend to sort of "make the best of a negative situation" much of the time. Fish can be under stress due to what we force on it for weeks, even months, without showing any external sign--until it is too late. Stress is the direct cause of 95% of all fish disease problems in aquaria, so it is crucial to understand their expectations and preferences, and then provide for them to the best we can.

Minimum numbers are misleading when aquarists take them as "minimum" and all will be well; all is not well, necessarily. One scientific study looking into this issue of shoaling species numbers found that when the fish were in groups less than six they had increased aggression; normally mildly aggressive fish became more aggressive, and normally peaceful fish became slightly aggressive in their interactions. Thinking that having just one more will deal with this is false thinking; for one thing, each fish is an individual and while we can understand the norm for a species, we also know there will be those fish that do not follow the norm for whatever reason. And there is no question at all that shoaling fish will be less stressed with just a few more than the "minimum." And the reward to the aquarist will be brighter colouration, increased interaction, and just plain enjoyment of the aquarium.

We don't need 20 or whatever, but always go above the "minimum" as best as you can. Anything less is just not kind to the fish. Read Dr Loiselle's comment in green in my signature block; and Nathan Hill's is relevant too. :fish:
 
I will take a look. Honestly I really do appreciate all this advice. Being relatively new to the hobby I have made two mistakes and both have been off advice from fish shops

I agree fish are making the best out of a bad situation but by us keeping fish and wanting them to survive its eliminating predators they would naturally have in the wild. I find a lot of different advice contradictory as well. I just want what's best for my fishies to an extend as I'm sure we all do. Thank you for all the help tho byron. You have an awful lot of fish knowledge
 
Since you have already been given questionable advice by people trying to sell you stuff (don't worry this is quite common), may I step back and ask if you are aware of the nitrogen cycle. A quick primer is available here. Obviously it would not make sense to start adding more fish if your biological system is not ready to cope with it. Other info you may not be aware of is that sand is the preferred substrate for corydoras. I personally recommend significant weekly water changes. At least 50% but I tend to do 75% in all of my tanks, I have 3.

This does not tell the whole story - plants have a significant impact on the tanks ability to deal with fish waste and it is simply not possible to come up with an algorithm to accurately decide what your tank or filter can deal with. I am not advocating overstocking but according to aqadvisor the tank in my signature pic has only 24% of the filtration it needs and is overstocked by more than 100%. Please don't take this as advice to go mad - I am merely illustrating how far off the mark such sites can be.

One way or another it is worth taking a little time to think about what you want to achieve and do a little research on the species. Seriouslyfish.com is a reliable site for species profiles. It is worth confirming any info you are given - even by members of this site. (Just in case you are wondering I would trust @Byron implicitly :) ).

Nothing that you have posted suggests that there are any urgent issues that have to be dealt with immediately, so it is worth taking a little time over this.
 
I'm 100% getting more glowlights today as I can tell they are stressed and of all the issues this is the most urgent. But yes I agree I should be asking for advice on here before going to the fish shop and trusting them. I've unknowingly made that mistake twice now. The best outcome is to literally only be going to the shop to know what I'm getting and leave and have no questions to ask. I knew sand was preferred but I got a black very fine gravel designed for Cory's. I checked all that as I knew in advance I wanted Cory's. Il start doing 25% weekly and see how I manage with that. Il get 6 more glowlights today and then wait another month before adding more stock. Thank you all for the advice. Its always much appreciated
 
Il start doing 25% weekly and see how I manage with that.

Assuming this refers to water changes, it is really not sufficient. At least half the tank volume should be automatic once a week (at the one time, not split), and closer to 70 or 75% would be preferable. "Stuff" accumulates in the tank water rapidly, and this "stuff" cannot be handled by any filter no mattyer how large or how many, nor can plants handle it. Only removing and replacing water will help. And this "stuff" slowly impacts fish. For more than a decade I have been changing 60-70% once a week on all my tanks regardless of fish species, numbers, plants.
 
So does changing so much not take out too much bacteria? Its constantly a learning process this. Also byron do mid dwelling fish come to the top for food or do they stay in the middle. All the danios act like they've never been fed but the glowlights just stay lower down. Do you think they'll work out to go to the top or do they need a different type of food?

I had slight ammonia today as well so I did a 50% water change. I think I'm over feeding through worry not all fish are eating. I was feeding every other day but I'm starting to think of feeding everyday but small amounts just once a day instead of probably too much every other day
 
So does changing so much not take out too much bacteria? Its constantly a learning process this.

No. Bacteria live on submerged surfaces in what is termed the biofilm. When you do the water change next time, gently run your fingertips over such a surface, like the side or rear glass (which presumably are not "cleaned" all the time) or a leaf, and you will feel it as slippery or sort of slimy. This is the biofilm. Bacteria colonize this (there are many different species, all good as far as what we are discussing) along with algae and microscopic critters. Usually you cannot see any of this, but it is the reason many fish will graze surfaces, they are looking for food.

Bacteria are very sticky, and it is not easy to dislodge them. The front glass should be cleaned at every water change with one of those sponge scrapers. This prevents the biofilm from getting too thick, which usually results in algae that can be harder to remove once it is settled.

Bacteria will colonize every particle of the substrate, and the filter media. More bacteria live in the substrate than in tyhe filter, which is why the substrate is more important. It also hosts more types of bacteria, again all good, whether aerobic or anaerobic.

Also byron do mid dwelling fish come to the top for food or do they stay in the middle. All the danios act like they've never been fed but the glowlights just stay lower down. Do you think they'll work out to go to the top or do they need a different type of food?

Most fish that swim at a level in the upper water column will feed from the surface but remain down at "their" level otherwise. Some fish swim all over the tank. Some fish may tend to remain at their level and wait for the food to fall down. Substrate fish generally never come to the surface to feed as they expect their food to be in the substrate.

Fish should always appear "hungry." It is their inherent instinct to eat when food is available. In an aquarium this can easily result in gross overfeeding. Good quality flake food, and small pellet foods like Bug Bites, will generally be readily eaten by upper fish (as opposed to substrate fish). The substrate fish must have sinking foods; never rely on the flake food getting down to them. Unless you are overfeeding, the upper fish will consume all of this long before it can get to the substrate. The pellet foods like Bug Bites is a bit different. Corydoras and loaches may graze on sinking tablets/pellets/disks for an hour or longer.

I think I'm over feeding through worry not all fish are eating. I was feeding every other day but I'm starting to think of feeding everyday but small amounts just once a day instead of probably too much every other day

Fish should not be fed more often than once each day, except for fry which need more frequent feedings. Missing a day, or two days, or even three days each week will do no harm. I feed the dry prepared foods daily for three days, then a fast day, then a feed day, then the water change day when they get their "treat" of frozen daphnia and bloodworms a couple hours after the water change (nothing before, ever), then the second fast day because the W/C feeding is substantial.
 
In my smaller tank it was quite slimy. The algae got bad so I got some zebra nerites. I've had algae in this tank but I'm getting slight ammonia spikes at the minute which I assume is over feeding. So should I gravel vac the substrate once a week? Or less?

Tell me about they always appear hungry. They go at it like they've never been fed. The corys I feed pellets which I put in when its lights out. I still think the danios eat some but I know the pellets get down before the danios can eat them so the coreys do get a chance. The glowlights seem to stay in the middle so what should I feed those? Any flake food is consumed in about 20 seconds. I usually do like 1 flake for 2 fish and put in one flake at a time crushed up. So I cant see the glowlights getting anything. Should I put a pipe in to mid level and then put a couple of pellets in for the glowlights?
 
I was thinking the same. Feed everyday Monday to Thursday. Fast day friday. Blood worm Saturday. Fast day and water change Sunday
 
If you can see the slime it is not the biofilm but more likely cyanobacteria. Many think of this as an algae since it is green, but it is a bactyeria that is caused by organics in the presence of light. Too much fish food, too many fish, insufficient water changes, insufficient filter cleanings, insufficient substrate cleaning...all these will contribute to high organics, usually nitrates, and problem algae or cyanobacteria.

If you do not have plants you should vacuum into the substrate in open areas at each weekly water change. If plants are present, this can still be done or less, as the plants will use at least some of these organics.
 
I have live plants. I wouldn't vac round them because I dont want to disturb them too much. I always do the open areas once a week. Any tips on feeding the mid dwelling fish? Stopping the greedy top dwelling danios is impossible!
 

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