Questions Concerning Fish & Plants

[RainboWBacoN420]

Okay, so I have a 15 gallon community tank consisting of one dwarf Gaurami (that I'm guessing is fill sized already), five neon tetra, two albino Cory catfish, and a dojo loach. I have a 5 gallon in the process of a fishless cycle right now that the community will soon be put into temporarily. My plan is to take the 15 gallon and turn it into a planted tank, then after two or more weeks after the cycle has been established, I hope to put the community back in their new planted tank. The thing is, I'm not sure if that'll be too many fish in there with the plants. I know that plants will break down waste in exchange of oxygen, but I've also been warned that solid fish waste can burn the plant leaves. I don't think the catfish and loach will be a threat to the vegetation because they say at floor, but the gaurami's massive solid waste strings is what I'm worried about. Another thing I'm concerned about is placing all those fish in the temporary five gallon, I know I can do frequent water changes to keep the toxic ammonia and nitrites down, but I'm hoping they'll be okay for a couple weeks in there while the new planted tank is establishing itself. Any advice or tips..?

 

[Byron]

First off, you need to find a new home for the Dojo Loach.  This fish will attain 9-10 inches, but can easily reach a foot, so it needs no less than a 4-foot tank.  It may be small now, but this should be done now, before the limitations of the tank begin affecting the fish's development which is continual.  Aside from this, this is not a "tropical" but a temperate species that should be in the low 70's F, so it is not a good mix with the other mentioned fish.  It is also a highly social fish, that should not be kept alone but in a group of minimum three, but as i said this means a 4-foot tank.
 
Assuming the above occurs, you can temporarily use a 5g to house these fish though I myself would want something larger.  You might consider getting a 10g as a "spare."  But beyond that, use the filter from the 15g, and with the extra water changes you should be OK.  It's actually much more than just the ammonia or nitrite that is the issue, as the filter should keep up with those.
 
Depending what plants you select, and how many, and moving the filter back without cleaning, and moving any solid decor (wood, rock, etc) without cleaning, you shouldn't need to "cycle" the 15g.  I can explain this more if asked, but we will need to know the plants intended.  What substrate are you planning?  With cories, you should have sand; play sand is ideal.
 
Byron.

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

Actually, the loach I have is a black kuhli loach, according to PetSmart's website they only exceed to 4 inches at max. He seems to be doing very fine in the community tank at the moment. And trust me I do want a bigger tank for these guys. I want them to be in the 5 gallon for as short as possible. And the filter I have for the 15 gallon is way too big for the 5 gallon. The biological filter is not present at the moment due to treatment of fungus. I have a better, more reliable power filter in the 5 gallon right now.
I plan to change the 15 into a natural looking tank, a nice branch and a few rocks with a lush of plants (java fern, some grass carpeting, a small bushy plant.) Just enough for a lot of swimming space and hiding spots. The sandy substrate I want to get (I forgot exactly what kind of substrate) I hear is great for any plants and I know the catfish and loach would like it.
But I have a new power filter for the 15 gallon that I'll install for the planted tank that should work better and leave more room for everyone. My main concern is fish feces ruining the leaves and the survival of everyone temporarily in the 5 gallon.

 

[Byron]

You said Dojo Loach in post #1, so I responded to that.  Kuhli loaches are obviously a very different thing, though you should have a group (most all loaches are shoaling fish).  Same for the corys.  But here we are getting into the tank size.  Still, fish need what nature programmed them to need, and we have to do the best to provide it if we expect healthy fish.  I would add another two kuhlii, and 3-4 corys.
 
The point about the filter was also answering you initial question.  Using the same filter goes a long way in preserving bacteria.  However, you can run the 5g filter in the 15g for a few weeks to "seed" it, which is probably easier than moving media that won't fit from one to the other.
 
You don't want too much water movement in a planted tank.  So think that through beforehand.  And as for fish excrement harming plant leaves, I have never seen evidence of this in my 20+ years of planted tanks loaded with fish.  Your lighting will be important for carpeting plants.  And check the substrate, the so-called plant substrates for instance are often rough, and corys and loaches need smooth sand to dig into or they will have issues.
 
Byron.

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

I know, that was a mistake about the loach. The substrate I want to get is the same sandy substrate that I'm using in my crab tank, it's light, smooth and would be perfect for the loach especially. Because right now they have rough gravel and I want to get them the substrate asap. Lighting isn't an issue, I have every thing ready and prepared for the plants arrival.
And okay, I'll take your word on it, thanks! I'll definitely consider getting another loach or two.