Stocking 54 Litre

[bullgoose]

Hi,
 
   I have a 54  litre tank with just two platys in it.    Tank was cycled first and they went in a month ago. now i want to figure out the final stocking for my tank.   Would love suggestions as to what will work
 
I want a dwarf gourami as a centrepiece. Could   i do this 
 
1 Male Dwarf gourami
2 platys
2 mollies
5 pygmy corries 
cherry shrimp
 
Hope someone can help with suggestion.   Will have the dwarf gourami for sure and the two platies just a question of what goes with them.  Like a slow calm peacful tank 
 
 
Thanks

 

[Ch4rlie]

Gourami may make snacks out of cherry shrimps, certainly the shrimplets for sure.
You may be better getting larger shrimps like amanos though this is no guarantee.
 
Pygmy cories will be ok I think but bump numbers up to 8.
 
Platies and mollies need to be in groups. Also in smaller tanks platies tend to be more aggressive, so reckon a minimum of 20 gal / 75 litre  tank would be the smallest I would consider for these

 

[Byron]

I think your tank size will limit options.  A 54 litre is 15 gallons (some of us still think in imperial better than in metric, lol).  I would not put mollies in this at all; they attain (or should) 3 inches [8 cm] for males, with females close to 5 inches [12-13 cm] or even 6 inches.  The dwarf gourami and two platies existing don't leave much room for more upper fish.
 
Corys for the substrate are fine, and as Ch4rlie, up the numbers to at least 8 but I would recommend 10-12.  This species always does better with more of them.  They also need sand, just to mention.  Water parameters are important too, as this is a rather delicate species of cory.
 
On the dwarf gourami, make sure you acquire it from a reputable source, such as an individual breeder.  I don't know how stores fare in Denmark, but one has to be careful as this species can still carry the iridovirus.
 
Byron.

 

[bullgoose]

Thanks for the reply. Will avoid mollies on your advice. I would have liked some corys but i have large chunk black gravel so best give them a miss.
 
I go to get my gourami now. Will let him settle in a few weeks before adding further.
 
Any other suggestions given my choice of substrate as to what would go well with the two platies and dwarf gourami. ??     

 

[bullgoose]

Got a pair of gouramis. 1 male, 1 female. Now intend to put one more species in along with some shrimp. Harlequin rasboras ? Would they be ok .

Werting

 

[Byron]

Got a pair of gouramis. 1 male, 1 female. Now intend to put one more species in along with some shrimp. Harlequin rasboras ? Would they be ok .

Werting

 
If the two platy were not present, yes, a group of rasbora would be fine with the gourami.  As for bottom fish, maybe a whiptail catfish provided it is the smaller species Rineloricaria parva could work.  Or the interesting red/brown variant that one sees now and then, it too remains small; "Red Lizard Whiptail" is the common name in NA.
 
Byron.