Decisions, Decisions, ==== Help!

[Bigman]

Hi every one,
 
So my Marina Style 60 planted tank is now in week one of 'fishless cycling'. It's going to be my first 'tropical' tank even though it's only 60 litres capacity (12 gallons).
The problem I have now is 'What fish do I put in it'?
 
I know its down to individual choice, but I'm an absolute beginner even though I'm 60 years young....so I would like your advice please....
 
What I'm trying to achieve (although after doing some light reading recently I'm fully aware of the many restrictions with different species) is an attractive, colourful and interesting aquarium. I'm not setting out to breed, but I know there will be some fishy business going on if I get both males and females. I also appreciate the 1" of fish to 1 gallon rule and the restriction in numbers of fish that brings with my size of tank..Add to this the fact that it would be nice to have a 'cleaning crew' I think you can start to see why I'm getting all hot and bothered.
 
Finally, I've just seen 7 tiny snails on the glass - bugger, missed those when I was washing the plants... Can I get anything to kill those off before I stock the tank?
 
Wasn't this hard with goldy the goldfish....lol
 
Any advice would be most appreciated....
 
Regards
Tony (Bigman)... 
 
 
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[ech0o]

12 gallons would be perfect for one of the AquaBid dwarf pufferfish packages.  I think they come with 3 dwarf puffers, 1 ottocats, and one stone cat.   I take you you are retired and probably have a lot of time to watch your tank, so would suggest very active and fun fish, and puffer fish are quite the characters!!
 
With that small of a size, there are only a number of other fish that would work.  Some include Guppies, the smaller tetra breeds, dwarf corycats, minnows.   
 
Anyways here is a link for the DP package, check all the fish included out on google to get a little character description!
http/www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fw&1373253006

 

[dgwebster]

Hi Tony, and welcome!

Depending on your filtration, experience & what fish you use, the "rule" can be different. Also depends on who you ask and what documentation you read.

For you size of tank, you are likely to stick to smaller, slender fish, no more than 2-3" in size maximum. With this in mind I would personally recommend the "/(surface area/12) as potentially being more appropriate. If your tank is 24"x12", then really 24" tops of these kind of small slender fish.

With this in mind, I would personally opt for something like 6x zebra danios, 8xneon tetra (dont knock these guys for bright colours in a small tank, but other 1" slender fish could be used) and a zebra loach for the floor.

Id be tempted to add some cherry shrimp for the bottom.

[I would not put 3 dwarf puffers into a 60L tank.]

Editing for the above. Scrap that, my brain leapt to freshwater puffer, not dwarf puffer! With lots of caves n hidey holes you could put a trio in there.

 

[laurac94]

For the snails I would recommend assassin snails, they won't eat your plants and breed quite slowly, when the pest snails run out they will eat left over fish food. I think the puffers suggested eat them too if you were going with those ;-) they are very cute characters, and not your standard fish like guppies, neons etc..

Or how about harlequin rasboras? They school tightly and stay small.

 

[ech0o]

Certainly tetras would be much easier to keep, instead of 1 zebra loach you could do several dwarf loaches, they are very tiny and fun little guys to watch.
 
The ease of keeping said, 60L is certainly not too small for 3 dwarf puffers, they barely get to an inch and their aggression is overstated, they get along quite well with members of their own brood.  I just figured someone 60 years old wanted something more of a challenge than keeping a few danios!

 

[Bigman]

Guys, thank you for all your suggestions, most welcome. I like the sound of dwarf puffers and even the Zebra Loach. Would they be ok with cherry shrimp? If so, how many shrimp would you say, 3, 4?
 
Thanks
Tony
 
PS, yes I am retired, lots of time on my hands now so looking forward to getting into this hobby. Already ask the mrs if I could have another tank...lol.  Bit more work to do on that one!

 

[DerpPH]

Guys, thank you for all your suggestions, most welcome. I like the sound of dwarf puffers and even the Zebra Loach. Would they be ok with cherry shrimp? If so, how many shrimp would you say, 3, 4?
 
Thanks
Tony
 
PS, yes I am retired, lots of time on my hands now so looking forward to getting into this hobby. Already ask the mrs if I could have another tank...lol.  Bit more work to do on that one!

 
 
no shrimp. They are natural prey of any puffer species. :3

 

[Bigman]

OK noted that Fish Crazy, thank you.
 
Have been reading up again today (since 10:00 am - anyone know a good divorce lawyer

). and have produced this list....
 
Coral Red Pencilfish x4
Zebra Danios x6
Dwarf Corycats x4
[SIZE=10.5pt]Swords or Harlequin Rasboras x8[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Zebra loach x1[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Cherry or Crystal Red shrimp x3[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Assasin snail x1[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=10.5pt]I know it's pushing the top limit for my tank, but what do you think guys and gals?[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=10.5pt]Regards[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Tony[/SIZE]

 

[ech0o]

Yes the puffers are not compatible with much of anything besides the otto catfish, they like to much on other species of EVERYTHING.
 
That is quite a colorful list!!!  The species choices seem to be in good order, you certainly did at least a little research to aggression, although someone else will have to answer about the size of the tank to number of fish, it seems like a quite a lot but I have no experience with many of those fish.

Also, check out crystal red shrimp, not sure if you stumbled into those yet but they are quite pretty IMO

 

[Bigman]

Hi Fish Fanatic,  Yes I have seen these......quite stunning little creachers aren't they?  Could well get theses instead of the Cherry shrimps.....
 
Thanks for your help
 
Tony

 

[Noahsfish]

A zebra loach(s) really isn't appropriate for your tank. They get too big and need schools..I have a dwarf puffer in a 5 gallon. They're super messy, and with 3 in a 12 I'd do 30% changes every other day. Not to mention in my experience they won't eat anything besides miniature snails, live brine shrimp, and frozen bloodworms. Zebra danios and harlequin rasboras are much too active for a tank that size IMHO. Crystal red shrimp are very sensitive to nitrates, be careful if you go down that road. (they can be expensive meals/mistakes). Can't say much about the pencil fish, never owned them myself. Why not a stocking like this

X4 dwarf corydoras
X6 ember tetra
X10 shrimp (to start, you could easily stock 50-75 in a tank your size)
An assassin snail, more if you want a colony..

 

[dgwebster]

A zebra loach is pushing the size boundary but I disagree about schooling: they can live in groups, but its not necessary.

 

[Bigman]

Hi Fishaholic, thanks for your reply..... I've read that the Zebra Loach is a max of 3" long. Is that really too big for my tank? I do like the look of them and they are said to be a good clean-up fish. I was only going for one of these little guys....  Is there a danger to the other smaller species or shrimp?
 
Regards
Tomy 

 

[Noahsfish]

It's not so much size as swimming room and water quality..you can keep 1, but don't be surprised if it hides all day and won't eat much. Also, I wouldn't keep corycats with one as they can be territorial. Many fish stores give people the misinformation that bottom feeders will actually eat fish waste/debris...this is not true. Unless you're getting the loach/corycats for their appeal to the eye, I'd stay away from them. The only "clean up" they do is eating fish food that falls to the bottom. With that said no fish food should fall to the bottom as you should only feed a small amount. I don't think the loach would be agressive towards shrimp.

 

[Bigman]

Thank Fishaholic, most appreciated.
 
Best Regards to you and yours...
 
Tony