Stocking advice please!

[KRL]

I bought an established tank and it turns out its smaller than the seller told me. I'm disappointed but otherwise it seems to be a great tank so I think it just means I'll end up with Multiple Tank Syndrome.

I've had to rethink my previous stocking ideas. My question is- Is 70L too small for a Bristlenose Pleco?

 

[flchamp89]

70 liters is what 19 gallons? Generally a 20 is the minimum recommend for a BN. I think you could do it. A clown pleco is even smaller if you can find one.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[Ch4rlie]

http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/ancistrus-cf-cirrhosus/

And BN's or indeed most catfish tend to be soft water species that do better in more acidic waters (below pH 7.4) and hardness up to around 250ppm.

So its worth checking if your water parameters is suitable for catfish and for any other soft water fish such as Tetras.

 

[KRL]

http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/ancistrus-cf-cirrhosus/

And BN's or indeed most catfish tend to be soft water species that do better in more acidic waters (below pH 7.4) and hardness up to around 250ppm.

So its worth checking if your water parameters is suitable for catfish and for any other soft water fish such as Tetras.

My pH is a little high, but is there a safe/reliable way to bring that down?

 

[Essjay]

The hardness is more important than pH. While there are testers for hardness it is easier to look on your water supplier's website. Hardness has several units, only two of which are used in fishkeeping. When you look for the hardness, make a note of the unit as well as the number and post them both here.

 

[KRL]

The hardness is more important than pH. While there are testers for hardness it is easier to look on your water supplier's website. Hardness has several units, only two of which are used in fishkeeping. When you look for the hardness, make a note of the unit as well as the number and post them both here.

From what I can find, the hardness of my tap water is 96mg/L (calculated as CaCO3). But I don't know what that means...

 

[Essjay]

The two units used in fishkeeping are mg/l CaCO3 (also called ppm) and German degrees (also called dH).
Your tap water is 96 ppm, which converts to 5.4 German deg. This is soft water, and is fine for a bristlenose.

Someone else can advise if the tank is big enough, though Seriously Fish says that a tank with a footprint of at least 60 x 30 cm is OK.

 

[TekFish]

Size-wise, no, I don't think the tank is too small. I think you could fit one in and (s)he'd be happy. However, these things are poop machines, like seriously. I would be very hesitant to put one in a tank that small. The waste itself could build up fast and it will have a HUGE impact on the bioload. Instead I would get like 4-5 Otocinclus of some kind. They'll be perfectly happy in your soft water, plus they're small, don't have a huge bioload, and are interesting to watch interact.

 

[KRL]

The two units used in fishkeeping are mg/l CaCO3 (also called ppm) and German degrees (also called dH).
Your tap water is 96 ppm, which converts to 5.4 German deg. This is soft water, and is fine for a bristlenose.

Someone else can advise if the tank is big enough, though Seriously Fish says that a tank with a footprint of at least 60 x 30 cm is OK.

Thanks for that Essjay!

 

[KRL]

Size-wise, no, I don't think the tank is too small. I think you could fit one in and (s)he'd be happy. However, these things are poop machines, like seriously. I would be very hesitant to put one in a tank that small. The waste itself could build up fast and it will have a HUGE impact on the bioload. Instead I would get like 4-5 Otocinclus of some kind. They'll be perfectly happy in your soft water, plus they're small, don't have a huge bioload, and are interesting to watch interact.

Thanks TekFish! I have sponge filters so I don't know how good they would be cleaning up that much poop! I might have to wait until I get a bigger tank then. At least then I'd know its got enough room to roam and poop.

 

[Byron]

My pH is a little high, but is there a safe/reliable way to bring that down?

Now we know the GH, we can better respond to this question. I will assume the KH (Alkalinity or carbonate hardness) is similar to the GH. KH serves to "buffer" pH, preventing fluctuations, and the higher the KH the stronger the buffering. Here I am assuming a relatively low KH to correspond with the GH, so that means that over time as organics build in the aquarium, the water will likely acidify some, and the pH will lower a bit. This varies depending upon the initial GH/KH/pH, the fish load, maintenance, feeding, plants, etc. But my point is that you shouldn't mess with the pH, but let things occur naturally. It is easier and safer, as a fluctuating pH is extremely stressful on fish. Select fish suited to your soft water, and to the tank size and its capability to house the various fish, and you should be fine.

Byron.

 

[KRL]

Thanks for your help Byron!