Stocking Levels. Little Help.

[Nick16]

right my new tank (well not quite new!)is a 240L Juwel rio. i have ripped out the internal filter

right my stocking, it wont be massively planted as i wanted to go for a cichlid tank but now i want a community but just with some larger slightly more expensive fish so for my 240L tank would this work.?

4 keyholes (i prefer the shorter finned females but do i need a male?)
4 bosemani rainbows
4 Melanotaenia Praecox (dwarf rainbow)
and a small shoal of harlequins (say 8-10)
1 BN
(my 2 clown plecs would probaly move in as well)

would they work at all? should i increase or decrease any of the numbers? or do i have space for any other fish? (small shoal of gold barbs i could move across?)

cheers.

filtration will be plenty in the form of two TT ex1200's. providing 10X turnover per hour. (well probably nearer 5X taking into account media and height etc)

 

[Nick16]

bumpy.


anyhow, i have worked out that


4 keyholes = 16 inches
4 bosemani =16 inches
4 M.praecox = 8 inches
10 Harlequins =15 inches
1 Bn = 5 inches
2 clown plecs = 10inches.

so, i think there is a rule of 1 inch of fish per gallon (US gallon?) my tank is a 63 USG. but those fish come out a 70 inches. however does the rule apply to the bottom dwelling catfish?

 

[minxfishy]

Up the numbers of the boesemani and praecox to 6 if possible, they prefer larger groups but that really should be the minimum for them. You have space IMO.

 

[Truck]

so, i think there is a rule of 1 inch of fish per gallon (US gallon?)

seeing as you have two good filters and a decent turn over, and the fact we no longer live in the eighties, 2"per gallon is fine but the keyholes and plecs will produce more waste than the rainbows.

 

[Nick16]

thats cool cheers, does the fish per gallon rule apply to the plecs? or is it half? i know they are monster waste producers.!

so if i upped to 6 then that be cool. what about instead of having 6 and 6 what about having 3 species of rainbows in lots of 4.? (do they mix together, all the rainbows? or do they stick to their own specific species?)

 

[Truck]

i would stick to 2 species. of 6 they will feel more secure, with plecos just follow the inch per gallon rule

 

[minxfishy]

They prefer their own species tbh, mine all stick to their own kind, although they are happy to shoal with the others if need be.

 

[Nick16]

right cheers for the help, looks like it 6 and 6.

what kind of W/C do you do per week minx? 50% once a week or 30% twice?

 

[minxfishy]

Actually I do 50% every 4/5 days, but thats just because Im anal about it 50% once a week should be fine.

 

[Nick16]

aha yeah, im pretty religious when it comes to it. yeah, that means 120L of buckets every week! yay

 

[minxfishy]

Hose pipe mate, or python, I couldnt live without it

 

[Truck]

Hose pipe mate, or python, I couldnt live without it

second that, i used london dragons guide on ukaps and now water changes are a doddle

 

[Nick16]

i might have to look into that, only problem is im about 20 metres from any cink.

 

[minxfishy]

Im 50ft from my largest tank to the sink, just get enough length of hose pipe, you can make your own python easily (apparently) there is a link somewhere for it, cheap and easy to do.

Here you go: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=250013

 

[Nick16]

yeah, i think il stick to buckets though. saves me going to the gym.