Stocking advice

I have two tanks, so can move some fish out if t seems over stocked.

I have 47L double filtered (one tiny internal stand alone and one build in drop style filter) tank with many plants and wood hiding places.

Currently it has:
3 Harlequins fully grown
4 7cm fully grown Buenos Aires terras
1 cory (non Emerald).

Planning to:
Get one more Cory to keep company of the first Cory.

Do you think the tank is correctly stocked, or could more fish fit in? Or, should I take the harlequins out? It’s rectanular.

If this tank is 47 liters (12 gallons), you do have a problem now. Can you confirm the volume, and give us the dimensions please?

It was falsely advertised as sixty litre but I calculate it as 47L, it’s 26cm width x 48cm length x 38cm height, water only, not including the lid

Irkrts said:

It was falsely advertised as sixty litre but I calculate it as 47L, it’s 26cm width x 48cm length x 38cm height, water only, not including the lid

Click to expand...

Those dimensions do result in a 47 liter (12 gallon) tank. That being the case, this tank is not large enough for a group of Buenos Aires Tetras; they should be in a 3-foot (90 cm) length tank. And a larger group than four, but that is secondary.

The Harlequin should have a larger group, but there is no space for that. And the cory should be in a group of at least five.

The reason the numbers should all be increased is that these species are shoaling fish that live in very large groups and they have problems when they are not. I don't really know what to advise...the cory is probably the most in need of more. If you removed the Buenos Aires Tetras and increased the cories and kept the rasbora or even got a couple more, that would be better.

Thanks for all the advice Byron. I have a bit of an issue as I bought the 135L second hand and the Buenos Aires were eating the plants a lot and would be incompatible with other fish I’d like to put there. Have been thinking of getting rid of them but no fish keeping friends are keen as they either have live bearers or lots of plants.

Ultimate goal was to have the small tank as a guppy plus shrimp tank. My large tank is already a bit full with bottom feeders (one 12cm clown loach, two 10cn algae eaters and one 10cm striped loach) so I moved out the cory.

Do you think 2x Cory plus shrimps are compatible for the small tank (+ guppy’s if I can find an owner for the Buenos, and harlequins can go back in big tank)?

Cories need to be in a group of at least 6, with more being better, so not 2 cories. Guppies and shrimps should be OK.

But the bigger tank also has issues. Clown loaches need to be in a group and need huge tanks as they can grow over 30 cm long. The striped loach also needs to be in a group of its own species and may also outgrow the tank. The algae eaters - depending on what they are could also be a problem. Could you post photos of the striped loach and the algae eaters so they can be ID'd?

I understand all of these solutions are sub optimal, I am in a situation where I have inherited all these fish and the 135L tank so trying to work out the best arrangement with the situation, and have got the smaller one to have more options. The Cory and clown loach are my favourites so definitely want them in the setup somehow between the two tanks.

Keen for advice for best pragmatic solutions for short term, I’m contemplating getting a 350L in January but unsure. Have attached a photo of each tank as of yesterday.

I have only seen the striped loach once as it hides all the time, it is the same as the attached photo with these thin stripes in this pattern. Photo 2 is the most I normally see. Have added two photos of the algae loach (prob the same fish).

Thanks again for all the advice.

I do realise that you are left with fish not of your choice. In order to help you decide on the best course of action, here are details on some of the fish you 'inherited'.

The striped loach is Botia striata https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/botia-striata/
Clown loach https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/chromobotia-macracanthus/

As for the algae eater, I was concerned they might be Chinese algae eaters aka sucking loaches but the photo doesn't look quite right. The fins are too big. Does this look anything like them? https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/gyrinocheilus-aymonieri/
To be honest I have no idea what they are. Hopefully someone else will recognise them.

Thanks for info re Chinese algae eaters - I would say that they do actually look a lot like them. They definitely have no barbels if that helps.

Sounds like I should try and rehome several of these fish! Chinese algae eaters sound like not good tank mates. Do you think this could contribute to the striped loach never ever ever coming out?

If I do I can get lots of Corys (hurray!!)

When shoaling fish are kept in insufficient numbers their behaviour deviates from normal for that species. Some individuals become aggressive, others become timid and reclusive - this sounds like your loach.

Just FWIW I have kept BA tetras in the past and they are very heavy on plant life.

There are fish here that should be re-homed. I realize this was not your doing, but the fact remains that they are suffering from insufficient numbers (the paleness and behaviour of the Zebra Loach is exactly due to severe stress).

Clown loaches are much too large for anything under a 8-foot tank (240 cm length), and they need five in the group. Same holds for the Zebra Loach (five) but this fish will be OK in a tank of 4-feet (120 cm) length, and could manage in a 3-foot (90 cm). The "algae eaters" I recognize but cannot place so I won't say more, other than they are not the dreaded Chinese Algae Eater (but they might be nearly as bad, I just can't place them). You could do a search at Loaches Online and might spot them.

The Buenos Aires Tetra need a larger tank and more in the group. They are plant eaters (often) so it may bee best to re-home them.

The cories could be increased, and the rasboras, once the problems are gone.

Fish are living creatures. They have evolved to "expect" specific environmental things including numbers of their species, and when denied they simply cannot bee healthy. The green citation in my signature block is good advice from a leading ichthyologist.