Re-Stocking Tank Soon

[stoneagedinosaur]

Hey all

Just lost 10 harlequin rasboras due (I think to mistakes when starting - fish-in-cycling) and buying fairly old specimens...

lost a few neons to neon tetra disease

Current stocking is:

6 cory sterbai, 2 neon tetras, 3 glowlight tetra, 1 old pepper cory, 1 adult BN plec fella and his young daughter, 2 male pearl gourami and 1 female (I know that's not a great combination!) plus 5 adult apple snails, 6 assassin snails and who knows how many MTS and a handful of amano

Tank stats sit steady around O Nitrite and Ammonia, always some NitrAte due to being surrounded by farmland (@30-50 [sup][/sup]ppm) temp stays around 27[sup]o[/sup]C - fairly hard water 17[sup]o[/sup]dh with PH sitting at around 8.0 - 8.5

Thinking of adding:
3 boesmani rianbowfish Melanotaenia boesemani
6 cardinal tetra Paracheirodon axelrodi
Something like clown loach (would they share the floor space with the sterbai?) - the mrs likes stripes (maybe pencilfish or Zebra danio
I would love cockatoo cichlids but I think my PH is too high for them?
Have seen some golden nugget plecs at my LFS - will they tolerate the BNs and vice versa
Halfway considering a few more harlequins
quite fancy some more cherry shrimp since my (now returned to the shop) angelfish ate my last lot

It's a 165 Litre (prob nearer 150 Litre after gravel) fully cycled 2 year old planted tank as in piccy in signature line. Thoroughly open to ideas / criticism / advice / and won't be offended easily

Just want a stable tank with some variety

Thanks for your help in anticipation

 

[laura120381]

Hi there,

i don't think your tank is large enough to have clown loaches. they prefer to be kept in groups and can grow to quite a size! as tetras are shoaling fish, they should be kept in as large a group as possible. Corys to should be kept in groups of at LEAST 4, more preferably. Your 6 sterbai will be fine but you might like to consider a few friends for the old pepper! If i were you, i would be looking to increase all tetra groups to suitable numbers and the same with the corys. also might be advisable to sort out your gourami problem (you know what to do!!!) and forget about the clown loaches altogether. FYI clown loaches will co-exist well with corys if they are in the right sized tank. i am not an expert on plecos but i think the tank size may be an issue when they are fully grown and you will need to keep an eye on your water parameters as plecos are poop monsters!!! lol maybe someone with more experience could help you more with this!!

good luck and keep us up to date with your ideas!

L.

 

[soybean]

As above really - before thinking about new types of fish, you need to up the numbers of shoaling fish you have. Corys should be at least 6, likewise tetras and rasboras but you get a much better visual from 12+ of one type. Clown loaches are a huuuuge no no unless you have a 6ft tank going spare. I think it's a bit too small for bosemanis and these also need to be 6+ anyway, though you may like smaller rainbows.

 

[Wills]

Few problems with the plans as pointed out by Laura She is totally right about the Clown Loaches but if you like stripy fish Zebra Loaches would be a great addition Also like Laura said up your existing schools first before you add more.

Boesmani Rainbows grow too large for your tank they are a chunky fish and swim a lot and fast! Lots of Dwarf Rainbows though

I would maybe look at having a stocking like


3 Cockatoo Cichlids (1m, 2f) (it could work out in the tap water you just need to find a strong source, preferably tank bred in local water OR a group in a shop close to you in similar water that are obviously thriving in the shop for a couple of weeks or so)
3 Pearl Gourami (2m,1 f)
8 Neon Tetras
8 Glowlight Tetra
2 Bristlenoses (1m,1f)
6 Peppered Cories
6 Sterbai Cories
5 Apple Snails
6 Assassin Snails
Handful of Amano

If you want to add in a group of small Loaches like Zebras or Dwarf Chain - maybe choose between them or one of the Cory groups. Same for any schooling additions choose between your existing Tetras and the Dwarf Rainbows, Pencil Fish, Danios or Harlequins. OR get a bigger tank lol

Wills

 

[stoneagedinosaur]

Would love a bigger tank - with you on the size of clown loaches, hence 'something like' Advice always accepted! Thought about the dwarf rainbows - can you get colour variations? LFS has quite plain ones, but I'm sure colour will show without disturbance / maturity

Will probo assist a gourami to be rehomed. There's loads of plant relief so they tend to hide from each other. Like the idea of danios.

Keep 'em coming!

 

[stoneagedinosaur]

Just back from the fish shop... 6 zebra danios better off and a surprise purchase! The Mrs took a shine to some plattys - never been interested before but - a small price for my semi-selfish hobby I suppose. Now acclimatising in their bags

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Why have you decided to buy some temperate (<20C most of year, just like Peppered Corydoras requirements) Zebra Danios to go with existing fish like your Corydoras sterbai that need at least 24C? Not to mention Zebra Danios really need 4-foot (120cm) tanks, as opposed to your 84cm long tank, as they are hyperactive fish.

 

[soybean]

Why have you decided to buy some temperate (<20C most of year, just like Peppered Corydoras requirements) Zebra Danios to go with existing fish like your Corydoras sterbai that need at least 24C? Not to mention Zebra Danios really need 4-foot (120cm) tanks, as opposed to your 84cm long tank, as they are hyperactive fish.

+1 - Danios aren't a great choice, they're fairly hardy and often sold as good for starting out etc, but they're so hyperactive and need lovely long tanks to stretch their fins. Although they can live in warmer temps it's not natural for them and could well shorten their lifespans.

Platys, on the other hand, may work quite well - find out what your male:female ratio is, you need at least 2 females for every male as Livebearers can harass females to death. Also be aware you'll get a lot of fry.

 

[stoneagedinosaur]

My bad on the danios however - as far as I can tell, there are 3 females and 2 males (bit unsure on one)

 

[Dieses Madchen]

My bad on the danios however - as far as I can tell, there are 3 females and 2 males (bit unsure on one)

If you have platys, you might want them all male or all female......I'm up to my neck in babies with my 4 females and 3 males