180 Litre ideas

[Trixlock]

Hi guys I have a 180 litre tank.

It's been running for just over 2 months now and it is all doing fine bar a slight algae infestation.

It's fairly well planted and has a large piece of driftwood in. Also it has a cave made of various rocks. So a bit of everything.

I just wanted some ideas on what I could stock to make it a community tank. Possibly with the thought of a couple.of fish thst eat algae too.

Currently I have
X5 Panda Corys
X10 Neon Netras
X1 Electric Blue Ram
X1 Bamboo Shrimp
X3 Assasin Snails

I like the idea of getting 5 more corys or loaches of some description, nothing big though. 2 Dwarf Gouramis as I love the beautiful colours.

Would this be ok? Also what ideas so you guys have for my set-up?

Thankyou.

 

[techen]

Hi Trix, With a 180l tank you can do quite a fair bit better with stocking in numbers :3

X5 Panda Corys I'd rise this to around 10, Though I know they arent cheap. The more there are the less shy they get.

X10 Neon Netras, Common fish. Personally I don't like them, Prone to Neon tetra disease though very pretty fish.

Might I suggest Rummynose tetras or Harlequins are very nice too. You could get around 12-15 of a shoal.

X1 Electric Blue Ram

Rams are stunning, However can be very picky with water. Prefer the softer side of things. Normally hang out at the bottom of the tank, Its easier to get a pair (Male and Felame) Ask the local fish store if they have a pair of rams.

X1 Bamboo Shrimp - Prefer mature tanks, Very picky eaters however not impossible to keep. Might be best to wait alittle while longer to get shrimps, Let it mature more.

X3 Assasin Snails - Snails are fine, Go for those if you want :>

For the Gouramis, I suggest getting rams or Gouramis as they both share the same spot in the tank. Normally hang around the bottom of it and they will normally fight. Rams get really mean and Gouramis just pick on each other. Something to think about.

You could get Rams or Gouramis then added a BN pleco if you'd like one, These guys do sometimes uproot plants however.

 

[Byron]

I'm along the same lines. I would suggest that as you have one blue ram now, leave it on its own. It will establish a territory which will be the tank substrate completely, and finding a partner that will be accepted is very difficult. Two males will fight, and male/female must accept each other and bond, and the chances of any two fish doing this if thrown together are rare.

I agree to forget gourami with cichlids. And upping the cories; I tend to avoid combining cories and loaches, not for any problematic reasons but more just because loaches are territorial (some very much so) and tend to do best on their own (with respect to substrate fish). Some get quite large too, and some have issues with upper fish.

On the algae eating fish...is there a need, or just precaution? Most of these will only eat certain types, and never the problem algae (except for a couple fish that have other issues like size and temperament). And algae is often an issue in new tanks, as the water chemistry is changing; once it establishes after a few months, algae should be controllable by balancing the light and nutrients (assuming live plants are present).

Knowing the water parameters of your source water will help us suggest species. The GH/KH/pH of the tap water, which you should be able to find out from the water authority if you are on municipal water.

Byron.

 

[Trixlock]

Thanks for your reply guys.

I am not sure exactly what GH and OH are but the OH is around 7-7.5.

I will definitely get another 5 Panda Corys to go with my original 5. They don't seem shy at all to be honest. They go off on there own alot and then regroup at times, they are always at the front of the tank alot so not shy atall. They seem to be doing really well.

I did contemplate getting a place to deal with some of the algae as it definitely is a problem on my 2 small pieces of drift wood. I decided against a place because I know they do sometimes cause problems with plants by uprooting them. I don't want it causing mayhem so I will leave a place off unless you guys know of anything small enough not to damage my plants but will help out with my algae outbreak.

Thanks agsin

 

[Byron]

You need to ascertain the GH and KH from your water supply people, check for their website,or call them tomorrow. This is important, and not just for what we are discussing.

Byron.

 

[TwistedHelix]

I would strongly reccomend against neon tetras.

Get Cardinal Tetras.

I had Neon Tetra Disease destroy my entire stock despite rigorous removal of any infected fish and huge daily water changes attempting to remove any trace of it.

Cardinals are very similar colouration.