Stocking plans in 20 long

[kbfish]

I have a 20 long with 6 kuhli loaches and 3 pygmy corys (I had 3 more but they died a few months ago and I haven’t had the chance to get more).

I was wondering—I’m wanting to possibly get a few more of each and possibly either some small tetras or a pair of bolivian rams. Is this something I could do and if so, how many of each?

8 x kuhli loaches
6 x pygmy corys
and
2 x bolivian rams
OR
8-10 x ember teras

 

[fluttermoth]

Hi there, kbfish, welcome to the forum

Before we can properly recommend species of fish for you, we need to know the dimensions of the tank, and the pH and hardness of your water.

If you don't know the last two, you can look them up on your water supplier's website; you might need to take a note of the numbers, and what scale the company are using (there are, confusingly, a few different ways of measuring hardness, and not every company uses the same ones), and post them here, as some of them can be tricky to interpret

 

[kbfish]

the dimensions are 30x12x13 and the ph is about 8 and i’ve tried but i can’t get it a whole lot lower

 

[Byron]

the dimensions are 30x12x13 and the ph is about 8 and i’ve tried but i can’t get it a whole lot lower

Do not attempt to adjust the pH on its own, this rarely works and can be very detrimental to fish; you don't want to be messing with water chemistry but rather let it work itself out so it will be more stable long-term. Related to the pH are the general or total hardness (GH) and the carbonate hardness (KH or Alkalinity). You/we need to know these numbers for your source water, and these will tell us what the pH may or may not do. The pH is generally dependent upon the GH and KH, and depending what these are, they may have to be adjusted in order to alter the pH. But this is only a brief explanation, not intended as a suggestion you do this. It can get very complicated. GH is generally the most significant of these for fish. You may be able to find this data on the website of your municipal water authority.

One thing does stand out though, this tank is not really suited to Bolivian Rams. I will explain. Male cichlids are very territorial, and if you end up with two males, in this small a tank one is likely to bee dead before too long. Females might fare better. A male/female pair has to bond with each other or one of them will be dead before long. A single Bolivian Ram gets a bit large for this small a space; I would not have these in anything under 3 feet length.

You don't mention substrate material; pygmy cories need sand, and kuhlii loaches are better with sand too. And pygmy cories need less warmth than some tropicals; I would not go above 75-76F max.

We'll be able to offer more assistance when we have the parameter data. And, welcome to TFF.

 

[kbfish]

I only tried to lower the ph with wood and almond leaves, i know not to mess with it with specific ph changers. also i’m not 100% about the hardness because i couldn’t find the KH and pH for my utility’s website, BUT i found the average KH in my area is about 50 ppm. I don’t know if this will help but the total dissolved solids is about 130.

I have a dirted substrate with dirt on the bottom and sand covering it for the corys and loaches and for the look, but i’m planning on changing it to a real soil substrate for the plants as it’s less messy.

 

[Byron]

I only tried to lower the ph with wood and almond leaves, i know not to mess with it with specific ph changers. also i’m not 100% about the hardness because i couldn’t find the KH and pH for my utility’s website, BUT i found the average KH in my area is about 50 ppm. I don’t know if this will help but the total dissolved solids is about 130.

I have a dirted substrate with dirt on the bottom and sand covering it for the corys and loaches and for the look, but i’m planning on changing it to a real soil substrate for the plants as it’s less messy.

First on the parameters...we need to know the GH (you do, for the fish as well as plants). The KH of 50 ppm (= 3 dKH) is relatively low so not likely to seriously impact the pH fluctuation. [I'll come back to this in a moment.] The TDS is the measure of all dissolved solids which includes the minerals that make up the GH but also other substances. But it does give us a clue that the GH is likely low, comparable to the KH. But you need to confirm this...mayber post the link to the water site and someone can try to decipher it, or you could call them tomorrow.

The ph remaining at 8 if the GH and KH are this low, and with dirt, etc, is puzzling. Ity would be worth knowing if they are adding something to raise the pH; this is common in soft water areas as the acidic pH can corrode pipes and such, so various chemicals can be added. I have soda ash added to my municipal water, but this dissipates out quickly so the pH in the tanks is acidic and stays there.

Now to the dirt...you cannot have dirt only with fish, especially those that dig or burrow. You need at least 1 inch of sand, but such fish are likely to get this all mixed up in no time. I would suggest sand alone, no dirt at all; plants do not need this, there is very little benefit...the only benefit in fact is the CO2 from the decomposition of organics, and that will occur in any substrate once it has been going for a few months. And soil will have a significant impact on the water chemistry so it is another factor. Which brings me back to the pH, GH and KH...with soil these can lower significantly.

 

[kbfish]

It’s weird that the map readings are low because i know that the water in my area is super hard—nevermind those maps are super wrong! The KH is 100 ppm and the GH is 120 ppm, which makes more sense i think.

 

[Byron]

It’s weird that the map readings are low because i know that the water in my area is super hard—nevermind those maps are super wrong! The KH is 100 ppm and the GH is 120 ppm, which makes more sense i think.

Are these numbers your source water or tank water? A GH of 120 ppm (= 6-7 dGH) is moderately soft.

 

[kbfish]

It’s the source water of a nearby town bc my water doesn’t specify hardness or anything even close, but let’s just assume i have a moderate hardness bc i’ve searched and searched with very little to show for it.

 

[Byron]

It’s the source water of a nearby town bc my water doesn’t specify hardness or anything even close, but let’s just assume i have a moderate hardness bc i’ve searched and searched with very little to show for it.

Two suggestions, either of which will answer the question.

First suggestion, contact your municipal water authority directly and ask for the general or total hardness. Get the number and their unit of measurement (mg/l, ppm, degrees Clark, etc).

Or, second suggestion, if you have a fish store that will do tests, take a sample of your tap water and ask for a GH test. Again, get the number and the unit.