Thinkfish Yay, Other Guidlines Nay

[DanS]

I'm currently setting up a 60l community planted tank. I have 3 x Platys and 3 x guppys in at the moment.

I have two options for the fully stocked tank (its likely to be option one as I don't know where to get the marbled hatchetfish from)

Option 1
3 Platys
3 Guppys
6 Corys
2 Dwarf Gouramis (1 male, 1 female)

Option 2
3 Platys
3 Guppys
6 Corys
5 Marbled Hatchet fish

Using the Thinkfish community creator, both of these options are fine, giving at least 10cm remaining stocking space (I wouldn't put any more in anyway)

Yet using the 1" per gallon rule, I can have 16" of fish... so just taking option 1 as an example (using measurements from books): -

3 Platys (6")
3 Guppys (4")
6 Corys (12")
2 Dwarf Gouramis (4")

Total 26" - so well overstocked. I know there is other methods that would probably give a different result as well, but the difference seems huge here. With the Thinkfish creator I put another 4-5 small fish in!!

So any suggestions on which i should follow? Or if the options above are feasible?

Thanks

Dan

 

[pinkdolphin_113]

out of the two, i'd probably go for option one because option 2 has a male and female dwarf gourami together. aren't you meant to have like 2 females to one male or something? if not, option 1 lol

and thats only because im not too keen on hatchet fish. they dont move much and are quite boring (in my opinion)

also, concerning the dwarf gourami's, you have live bearers that will probably end up having lots of fry. the gourami's may eat too much fry and die. i had a swordtail that did that once.

 

[DanS]

Thanks for the quick reply. I've never actually seen a hatchetfish, so didn't know how active they'd be - just sounded interesting and suitable from what I've read in books.

Re the Gouramis - The shops i've been in them only sell in pairs (male and female) so it seems i'd end up with an equal ratio of males to females whatever i do!

 

[three-fingers]

Thinkfish option is fine, see this post I just made 'over stocking'.
Just obviously don't add them all at the same time .

Marbled hatchet fish are pretty active in my experience, more so than most other tetras - a great addition to the community tank.
One point is that I have yet to see them thrive in alkaline water, so if you have guppies and platies they are probably best left out.

And pinkdolphin_113's point about the gouramis really needs to be taken into consideration too.
Though if you provide enough hiding places like plants the fry eating thing shouldent be a problem, and the gouramis will prevent the tank from getting really overstocked .

 

[dwarfgourami]

The way I see it, apart from the considerations mentioned by three-fingers in the other post (personal space and filter capacity), the third consideration is that of leeway in case of disaster. The inch/gallon guideline rep resents a low level stocking and the cm/cm square (or however it goes) that thinkfish use represents a higher level of stocking. As long as you build up slowly and have good filter capacity, there is no reason you can't have high level stocking- but you do need to know that this gives you much less leeway in the case of disaster- i.e. if the filter pump blows when you are out, or you fall ill and can't cope with water changes, or something happens to the filter bacteria. This is why higher stocking levels might be a better option for more experienced fishkeepers who are more likely to spot problems and know what to do with them straightaway. I prefer to have my tanks lightly stocked, partly because I think this gives a more natural look, but also because I go away quite a lot, so I feel safer if I know they could cope for a while with a less than perfectly functioning tank.

 

[timmystood]

Ignore to 1" per gallon rule.. it's a load of tiddle. The thinkfish community creator is a useful tool (helps that I work with the webmaster!)
I believe both your options are fesable, option 1 is the best though.

 

[cheesy feet]

1 inch per gallon rule only works on very very small aquariums...If it works atall.

 

[vinylman]

I'd stay away from the Dwarf Gouramis, though, due to the fatal disease afflicting them at the moment.

 

[timmystood]

I'd stay away from the Dwarf Gouramis, though, due to the fatal disease afflicting them at the moment.

Males are general ok. I would go for two males

 

[prankster705]

the 1" per 1 gallon is crud imo... my tank is a dissaster looking at it (something like 30" in a 20 gallon) ... but than again the fish are active, I've had no deaths in a year (and the last death was from old age) and my nitrates are under 5ppm... but than again I do 30% weekly water changes, it's overfiltered and heavily planted... Also, don't take 1" per gallon as a solid rule... apparently silver aros can be housed in 40 gallons (inch per gallon)...

 

[DanS]

I'd stay away from the Dwarf Gouramis, though, due to the fatal disease afflicting them at the moment.

Thanks for all the replies, haven't been on in a few days and this forum has a super high turnover

Any suggestions to some "feature" fish instead of the gouramis? I'm pretty much completely set on the rest of the stocking, but keep changing my mind on that remaining type of fish. I was hoping for something that is almost the tank "centrepiece" if you know what i mean.

Cheers

Dan

 

[-germ-]

Wild dwarf gouramis, not as colourful but i personally prefer the more natural subdued colouration and theres less risk of disease, or so i've read elsewhere (please confirm someone with more experience)
Although they wouldn't make the perfect 'feature' fish as they tend to be a little shy compared to their bred counterparts. With good care i'm sure they'd settle in after a while.
You'd be able to talk any LFS into letting you take two females and one male; provided you use a bit of charm!
You could always lose a group of livebearers from your plan and get a couple of thick-lipped gourami (3 and a half inch top size) truly peaceful gourami ideally suited to a community.