Help With Stocking My Tank Please....

[mattlee]

Hi, i have a via aqua ar620 (90L) tank that is almost ready for some more fish. i was forced into doing a fish in cycle due to the aquatic shop giving me bogus info......... all levels are reading 0 and have been for the last 6/7 days now so i think i am about there in the tank already are 2 x dwarf gouramis, 1 x polka dot loach, 1 x asian sun catfish. the tank is 90L and 24x17x14 (w/h/d). i am in 2 minds about taking the catfish back as the shop i got it from told me it would only grow to 12cm and i have since found out that it can grow to 18 inches

i like the look and movement of tiger barbs and also like rams, but would appreciate your opinions/ advice on these fish and other types/ species.

i have 7 silk plants and 2 real plants, gravel, 2 tree root ornaments, 1x 12 inch air stone in the tank. with the standard filter system built into the hood.

my readings today are Nitrite - 0, Ammonia - 0, Nitrate - 0, Ph - 7.6.

thanks, Matt.

 

[RobynR]

Newbie here, but since you don't have any other responses I'll see if I can be of any help. I don't know anything about the loach or the catfish, but I just did a Google search on the catfish and it looks like 18 inches is correct and that would be a lot for your tank. Plus, they'd probably eat your other fish. I'd say you want to get rid of it. It sounds like your loach will get up to 5 inches and would prefer to be kept in a group of three or more, so that sounds like it won't work really well for you either. By the time you have 15" of loach in your tank, that's not much room for anything else you may want.

I would think the gouramis should be fine... unless maybe they're both males and might get territorial? I'm not certain on that.

I do know that you don't want tiger barbs in with gouramis because they're fin nippers and would pick on the gouramis. Maybe a gentler shoaling fish. I think there are some barbs that aren't as nippy, and some folks here could maybe suggest them for you.

I'm pretty sure rams and gouramis are ok, but you probably only want one ram. Two males or two females aren't as likely to get along well (I think) and a pair would be likely to spawn and get really territorial. I'm planning on a single ram in my 30-gallon tank with pygmy corys, maybe neon tetras, and marbled hatchetfish. They are picky about water quality, though, so be prepared and don't add them till the tank has been stable for quite a while.