Stocking Ideas And Filter Question ?

[Steffyxx]

Hi i currently have a 3.5 ft tank thats been running for a few months now i have at the moment ,
2 clown loach 1.5 inch (rehoming to bigger 400l tank in 3 months so i am aware how big they grow )
1 red platy
10 golden danios

I was just wondering how many more fish do you think i could add and what kind ? I was thinking corys but wasnt sure if they would get on well with my clowns ?
I am using an internal filter at the moment but have just purchased a fluval 405 external would i have any problems using this with my tank as i know its overcompensating but will save money in the long run when i upgrade ?

Any ideas would be appreciated

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

You have a big conflict in your tank despite all loving strong water current, presuming the "Golden Danios" are a colour morph of Zebra Danios, as the Danios and possibly the Platy (depending upon species) should spend most of the year at 18-20C, while your Clown Loaches need 24C at the very least. The sooner you can seperate them into a temperate and a tropical tank the better it will be, keeping the danios permanently at high temperatures will make them even more hyperactive and reduce their lifespan.

Generally speaking, loaches are too boisterous at feeding time to allow true Corydoras a chance to get their share. However, the slightly larger Brochis or even Megalechis thorarcata (Hoplo) are considered to be in a similar league.

Having said the above, lets get back to your two Clown Loaches... Is this 400l tank 6-foot long (which is what they need long term to house a group of at least six, but ideally 10+, so their can naturally form their complex hierachy)? Are there already other Clown Loaches in this 400l?

If you really are "in for the long haul" with these Clown Loaches, forget adding another species to this 3.5 foot tank, buy another 4-8 Clown Loaches and move them all to the 400l when they reach ~12cm at the latest.

 

[Steffyxx]

Thanks for the advice i have been worrying about the temp conflict myself to be honest but the only thing is i have only got a little 25l tank to move them to and if i remember rightly they get on better with lots of lengh to swim dont they ? , i wish i knew what i do now when i first started because i would never have bought them knowingly together but you learn so much from forums like this ! , i did have 4 loaches and was planning to buy more to get a nice group but 2 died unfortunatley i think it was due to stress or bad conditions of the store i bought them from so i was holding on for a while to make sure my remaining 2 were fine before i went and got more . Turning my 3.5ft into a loach tank doesnt sound like a bad idea though and maybe research and have a few top fish that like higher temps too ,

Yeah the 400l will be a 6ft just waiting to move house to get it going

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

How about rehoming the Danios plus the Platy and buying a group of young Clown or Melon Barbs, that enjoy similar temps and water flow as Clown Loaches?