Stocking Ideas for a 65L (17g) — Need Opinions Fast!

[targetfish]

Stocking Ideas for a 65L (17g) — Need Opinions Fast!


Hey!


Just set up a new 65L tank and I’d love some stocking advice. I’ve mostly kept Bettas before, so this is my biggest project yet.


Here’s what I’m thinking:

• 8–10 Harlequin Rasboras
• 5–6 Panda Cories
• 1–2 Honey Gouramis

Couple questions:

• Is this over/understocked?
• Would you adjust the numbers?
• Any must-know tips/quirks about these fish that don’t show up in the basic care guides?
• And if you think I should swap/add something, what would you put in a peaceful 65L?

The tank will be fully cycled, planted, filtered, heated, etc. Just looking for some real-world input before I commit.


Excited to hear your ideas — hit me with your best stocking combos!

 

[Essjay]

Before deciding on fish species, you need to know that hardness, of GH, of your water. Fish kept in the 'wrong' hardness won't live as long as they should. The fish you mention are all soft water fish.
If you are on mains water, your water provider's website should give your hardness. Look for a number and the unit of hardness (there are several different units they could use)

 

[targetfish]

Ohh, good point! It says my tap water is 100mg/L of hardness. (Converted to dGH it's ~5.6). Would those species be able to tolerate it? (I also decided against the Panda Corys, so it's just the other two now.)

 

[Essjay]

That hardness is perfect for them.

With honey gouramis, make sure you get just one male. You'll see red honey gouramis for sale but those are not honeys, they are either thick lipped gouramis or some sort of hybrid as they get bigger than real honeys.
If you omit the cories, you could get more harlequins

 

[Colin_T]

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?
What is the pH and KH?

 

[targetfish]

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?
What is the pH and KH?

My tank's dimensions are 61cm x 30cm x 38cm
pH is 7.8 from the source (though I use indian almond leaves and my bettas in other tanks are thriving)
Not sure about KH, I'll have to buy something to test it as it doesn't say on my water supplier's website
(I have strips, but they aren't accurate at all)
Oh, also, the pH in my bettas' tanks is 7 pretty consistently

 

[Colin_T]

You don't need to buy a KH test kit. You only test for GH and KH occasionally (once or twice a year) and it's cheaper to take a sample of tap water to a pet shop and have them test it. The KH might be written as Alkalinity on the water company's website.

If the pH is 7.8 and the GH is around 100ppm (100mg/L), chances are the KH won't be excessively high so it should be fine for the fish you listed.

You could add a group of pygmy Cories to the tank instead of the pandas.

 

[anewbie]

I'd recommend hastatus or pygmy over panda; they are not only smaller but their behavior is totally different.