Another Fish Number Thread - 55 Litre Cube

[JimmyMature]

Hi all, I have a Aquanano 40 and am currently cycling the water.

I think I either want to get a tetra tank, a platty or other live bearing tank or a barb tank. I want to get some Corys too for the bottom. The bottom will be sand.


So my question is if I went for the above how many tetras, live bearers or barbs should/could I stock in the tank.


Cheers,


Jim

 

[sebn]

When you say you are "cycling the water", what exactly do you mean?

 

[garyspence84]

I think he means cycling the tank/filter in general, not the water.

With a 55ltr I think you could be quite restricted to numbers but if your going down the tetra route (which is probably your best option), I would have 2 small shoals of maybe 6-8 of each, depending on their size. And the same with your cory, a good shoal of 6-8 of the same species would be best

 

[sebn]

I know what he meant, i wanted to know if he actually meant what he was saying. In my experience, people who say "cycling the water" arent actually aware of the nitrogen cycle and have been given advice by a bad pet store i.e. being told to go home and cycle the water for 24 hours before putting fish in the tank.

If i am wrong on this occasion then i apologise.

 

[JimmyMature]

I know what he meant, i wanted to know if he actually meant what he was saying. In my experience, people who say "cycling the water" arent actually aware of the nitrogen cycle and have been given advice by a bad pet store i.e. being told to go home and cycle the water for 24 hours before putting fish in the tank.

If i am wrong on this occasion then i apologise.

Thanks for checking but I've read many threads on cycling on here and other forums.


So back to my original question, any advice is appreciated..



Jim

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

A 55l cube (15x15x15 inches) tank limits your stocking enormously...

If you really want Corydoras, a group of 8-10 one miniture species (pygmeus; habrosus; hastatus) will use all levels of the tank and fully stock it quite heavily IMO at ~24-30cm TL (excluding tail fin) as they reach adult size.

Far too small a tank for a Platty, or any barbs I can think of. I'm not sure I would be comfortable keeping adult 3cm TL Neon Tetras in a 15" (38cm) long tank and they are the smallest tetra that springs to mind in my fussy (lurgy) state.

 

[JimmyMature]

A 55l cube (15x15x15 inches) tank limits your stocking enormously...

If you really want Corydoras, a group of 8-10 one miniture species (pygmeus; habrosus; hastatus) will use all levels of the tank and fully stock it quite heavily IMO at ~24-30cm TL (excluding tail fin) as they reach adult size.

Far too small a tank for a Platty, or any barbs I can think of. I'm not sure I would be comfortable keeping adult 3cm TL Neon Tetras in a 15" (38cm) long tank and they are the smallest tetra that springs to mind in my fussy (lurgy) state.

Thanks for the reply mate, I'd rather keep the Corydoras to a smaller number like 4 or so. So if I were to do that how many tetras could I keep in addition?



Thanks again,



Jim

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Cories prefer 6+.

A betta would be awesome in that tank.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

A 55l cube (15x15x15 inches) tank limits your stocking enormously...

If you really want Corydoras, a group of 8-10 one miniture species (pygmeus; habrosus; hastatus) will use all levels of the tank and fully stock it quite heavily IMO at ~24-30cm TL (excluding tail fin) as they reach adult size.

Far too small a tank for a Platty, or any barbs I can think of. I'm not sure I would be comfortable keeping adult 3cm TL Neon Tetras in a 15" (38cm) long tank and they are the smallest tetra that springs to mind in my fussy (lurgy) state.

Thanks for the reply mate, I'd rather keep the Corydoras to a smaller number like 4 or so. So if I were to do that how many tetras could I keep in addition?



Thanks again,



Jim

In that case you should avoid Corydoras, they are highly social fish that school in the thousands (check out Youtube clips for some amazing scenes), four would not be fair on the fish and you will not see the best side of them either (they will be far more skittish and reclusive). I had two groups of Corydoras ~18 months ago in my Rio240, the change in behaviour going from 6 to 11 Emerald Brochis was shocking and when they joined my 10 Sterba, it was an amazing sight seeking a bird-like flock formation of the two groups intermingled on the tank floor.

The only fish I have kept that might just about cope in a 38x38x38cm tank would be a small group of Persian Killifish, Aphanius mento, with 1/3 males with a group of 4-6 females. In a densely furnished layout, the males form temporary zones, while the females usually school between the zones unless tempted to spawn on one of the many spawn mops in the tank. Beautiful temperate fish that must have a cool winter period!

I still cannot come up with a tetra that would thrive in such a squat tank... Other random single species tank possibilities are

[background=rgb(255, 255, 255)]Heterandria formosa; Microdevario spp.; smaller Dario spp.; Yunnanilus sp. "rosy" (although these are quite active for small fish); Danio margaritus (although you would have to ensure you only had one male in such a small tank, found alongside the Y. sp. "rosy" in the wild). You could at a push house upto 10 of any of these fish, but all are social and need at least six (more is better), which rules out two groups in the one tank IMO.[/background]​

 

[JimmyMature]

Been looking at the Corydoras on YouTube and they are certainly more than than a cleaner fish than I thought they were.


If I went for 8, how many or what type of tetras could I keep in the 55 litre tank and how many?



Cheers,


Jim

 

[eaglesaquarium]

8 of which type of corydora? There are basically 3 sizes: small, medium and large (although the large aren't really corydoras).

Small: C. pygmaeus, C. hastatus, C. habrosus, (1 inch) C. panda (1.5 inches)

Medium: C. trilineatus, peppered, bronze, julii, etc. (2-3 inches)

Large: Emerald (bronchis something). (4-5 inches)


You are talking about a 15 gallon tank, basically. So, I'd stick with the smallest species for 8. Then for the tetras, stick again with SMALL varieties to have proper numbers. I'd say: glowlight or neon tetra. There are also some rasboras species that you might like.

 

[Flute]

As N0body of the Goat said, you need to be looking at the dwarf species of corydora, so pygmeus; habrosus; or hastatus

A shoal of 6 ember tetra might work along side a group of dwarf cory, and if you'd be willing to look into other species, then some of the micro rasbora could work nicely too.

 

[JimmyMature]

Thanks for the advice guys.


Jim

 

[JimmyMature]

If I wanted to get a Betta, what would you suggest and also stocking suggestions?


Many thanks,



Jim