Advice please? Newbie here

[Sugar26393]

Hi new member here. I recently got gifted a 24litres tank with the size of 40cm length, 25.5cm width and 28cm height.
I want to get a butterfly Betta, and one nerite snail,

I want to get two kuhli loaches is it possible? I just love their look.
Please be kind it’s my first time getting a fish. I’m planning to cycle my tank first before getting them. I was thinking after the cycling is done I would put the loaches and nerite in first and about a week or two add the Betta?

I do have caves, 4-5 plants, with two little live moss ball

is there any other loach I can add if I can’t add the kuhli one?

 

[WhistlingBadger]

You've come to the right place. There are a lot of different opinions about Bettas and tankmates, and some basics about kuhli loaches. Here's what I think:
Betta splendens is generally best kept alone or with lethargic tankmates that won't bother them. They seem to do OK with amano shrimp; in a 24l tank I probably wouldn't keep them with anything else. I've tried them with dwarf rasboras and, while they left each other alone, the Betta had a short lifespan. Perhaps in a bigger tank it could work better.

Kuhli loaches like to be in bigger groups than just two. 6-12 is better, and that's probably too much for the size of your tank. There's a dwarf kuhli from Sumatra called Pangio cuneovirgata that is probably small enough to keep a good group in a 24l. They're hard to find but really cool fish if you can find them.

But I personally think they're too active to be kept with a Betta in a tank that small anyway, and they'll probably stress it out.

 

[Sugar26393]

Thank you for replying! I appreciate that. They do have them in uk where I live the Pangio cuneovirgata but is it possible just to get two? Or three since they small? Just a curious

What other bottom dwellers I can add?

 

[MattW]

Welcome to the Forum

 

[Sugar26393]

Welcome to the Forum

Thank you

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Kuhlis are social fish. They'll probably survive if there are only two, but you'll hardly ever see them. They naturally occur in big groups and they'll behave more naturally that way. I don't really know of any bottom dwellers (except amano shrimp) that I'd put in a tank that small with bettas. There's Hara jerdoni, but they prefer cooler temps than Bettas.

 

[anewbie]

You've come to the right place. There are a lot of different opinions about Bettas and tankmates, and some basics about kuhli loaches. Here's what I think:
Betta splendens is generally best kept alone or with lethargic tankmates that won't bother them. They seem to do OK with amano shrimp; in a 24l tank I probably wouldn't keep them with anything else. I've tried them with dwarf rasboras and, while they left each other alone, the Betta had a short lifespan. Perhaps in a bigger tank it could work better.

Kuhli loaches like to be in bigger groups than just two. 6-12 is better, and that's probably too much for the size of your tank. There's a dwarf kuhli from Sumatra called Pangio cuneovirgata that is probably small enough to keep a good group in a 24l. They're hard to find but really cool fish if you can find them.

But I personally think they're too active to be kept with a Betta in a tank that small anyway, and they'll probably stress it out.

I actually prefer pangio sheffordi as small pangio go and have kept a large group in a 10 gallon but a 24 liter (6 gallon) is just darn small in terms of swimming area.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I actually prefer pangio sheffordi as small pangio go and have kept a large group in a 10 gallon but a 24 liter (6 gallon) is just darn small in terms of swimming area.

Those look cool. Cuneovirgata are a lot smaller but they're still pretty active. Mine were all over a 36"x10" tank. Yeah, a 24 liter tank really limits your options.