Thanks for the interest...first image soon.
I have access to only two aquatic shops...Cumbrian Aquapets in Workington and Maidenhead Aquatics, on the northern edge of Carlisle. The latter seemed quite impressive and I was pleased by the knowledge and willingness to engage of the two members of staff I spoke to there. Good selection of both plants and fish and all seemed healthy.
Aquapets also seemed to have healthy fish, although apparently demand in the local town is only for your standard run-of-the-mill fish and when someone who has been in the business believes that endlers and guppies are south east Asian...
My tank will be of a general South American theme...
I'm likely to be getting some Corys for the tank, so I bought some sand and created a small 'Beach' for them to rummage about in. This is what I have so far...
Stocking levels
It's a 30" long tank, so I can have 30" of fish, right?
However, surface area is 360 sq.inch, which also gives me 30" of fish.
All of which fails to take into account decent filtration and aeration and the small detail that the plants and water parameters will be carefully monitored.
I know I was whiffling through the tulgey wood about aquarium stocking recipes, but this link answered a lot of my query well enough;
For lower levels, I'm thinking Corys and Ottos. Possibly Pygmy Corys, which will also move mid-water.
I'm thinking of a pair of dwarf cichlid, such as rams and either two small shoals, or one bigger one, of tetras, (Black Neons and Cardinals?) I've always liked Golden pencils.
According to the Aqadvisor, I have 237% filtration and, with such a stocking level of some 35 fishes, I'd need to change a third of the water every week.
