Do These Sound Like Okay Set-Ups And Stocking?

[kiwifeather]

Hi all!

So I have had my first betta tank up and running (with fish in) for about three weeks. Its going through a bit of diatom bloom at the moment but I am told this is pretty normal for a new tank.
Summary of the tank:
Size: 30 L
Heated, filtered, lighted
Flora: 3x Moneywort, 3x Red Ludgiwa, 3x Eel grass, 1x Unknown (actually all of these are guesses haha, the plant's weren't labelled at the store)
Fauna: 1x Red and blue male crowntail betta (his name is Atlas), 4x cory catfish and 6x Glowlight Tetra (one is albino, as the shop only had five regulars)
Has one log ornament and a post ornament which everybody loves to use. Atlas in particular loves peeking out at me from the top hole in the post.

Now there are a couple of things I should mention. I know that community tanks with bettas are hit and miss, I was aware of this before I bought, and so, just in case, I have a few small tanks (one works out to just over 2 US gallons and the other just under 5) which I use for water-changes. Atlas did community living at the the store (with fancy guppies of all things!), so I think this helped too. Apparently crowntail's are normally more aggressive? Well Atlas is a giant wuss! he follow's the cory cats around sometimes, from a bit of a distance, and then if they start coming towards him he sorta puffs up (doesn't flare just raises his fins a bit) then as they get closer he scarpers! So silly. XD
I am also aware that I am probably overstocked, and I recently discovered that my little glowlights are going to get bigger than they are now, which is why I have bought a 60L tank.
The 60L is also planted (a whole new bunch of plants too, though I think I see some pennywort...), heated, filtered etc. I was planning to transfer the glowlights into this tank once it was fully cycled. I would also love to get another betta (wow these guys are so addicting, I have nearly made several impulse buys already!) and something else. The tank will be very well planted and will have lots of caves/ornaments.

So I was thinking along the lines of

1x male betta
the glowlights (I might get some more albino's and make a bigger school, what do you guys think?)
cory catfish again. They are really great to have and I would love to get more. How many would I be able to have in a 60L?
I was thinking of either neon tetras or harlequin rashboas?

I would love to hear some other suggestions though.
Here are all the fish that my shop sells, the site is updated regularly. Click the blue text to see the species in each category.
http/www.petmart.co.nz/cart_categories-LIVE_FISH.html?Master_Category=AQUARIUM%20(and)%20POND

 

[OldMan47]

Welcome to the forum kiwifeather.
It sounds like you have a fairly nice arrangement so far but you are facing a fish-in cycle situation. I think, my own opinion, that betta people tend to over-emphasize the potential for problems with a betta in a community. All of my bettas have always been in community tanks except when I chose to breed them. Right now I have one in my 45 gallon endler tank. With the fish-in cycle, it would be best if you get up to speed on fish-in cycling for the betta and he rest of your fish. I have a link in my signature area to a thread on fish-in cycling that should answer most questions and guide you in the right direction. Up until now, the plants you have may have spared your fish from some of the adverse effects of fish-in cycling but it would be best for you to read up on it.

 

[kiwifeather]

Welcome to the forum kiwifeather.
It sounds like you have a fairly nice arrangement so far but you are facing a fish-in cycle situation. I think, my own opinion, that betta people tend to over-emphasize the potential for problems with a betta in a community. All of my bettas have always been in community tanks except when I chose to breed them. Right now I have one in my 45 gallon endler tank. With the fish-in cycle, it would be best if you get up to speed on fish-in cycling for the betta and he rest of your fish. I have a link in my signature area to a thread on fish-in cycling that should answer most questions and guide you in the right direction. Up until now, the plants you have may have spared your fish from some of the adverse effects of fish-in cycling but it would be best for you to read up on it.

Ah, thank you for your quick reply and welcome!

I think you misunderstood something in that my 30L tank was already cycled using this method: http/www.rexgrigg.com/cycle.htm (although I did leave it longer to put the fish in than that and I had some mature water from a friends tank as well) when I added my fish. That's why I said I have had the tank set up with three weeks (with fish in), because it had been running before that when I got the fish. Sorry about that I should of been more clear!

As for the glowlights and the 60L I am not sure whether to add them now or wait for the tank to sort itself out a bit first (again, using the same method and some friends water) and then add them. It has only been up and running about two days. Will they be okay to stick it out in the 30L for another week or so?

I will certainly read up on fish-in cycling as well, just in case the method I have been using is complete bunk! Haha. It seems to all be going well though, and I know there probably would of been problems with at least the tetra's by now if it wasn't working to some extent.

Yes, I have noticed some people are very anti putting betta's in communities. From what I read, it can work perfectly fine, as long as you don't have them in with anything ridiculously unsuitable and your betta isn't a complete psychopath. But it never hurts to have a smaller tank on back-up like I do. I personally think Glowlights are a perfect choice, as long as the the tank is big enough (whoops!) I have never heard of anybody having problems with them and bettas, they don't seem to be at all nippy. Cory cats are also excellent, great little tank cleaners and my betta loves them. I mean, just look at him.

What a stalker! XD

 

[Fishball7]

i wouldnt put two mid or upper tier schools in a 60 litres. I feel one school ie 6 to 8 is pushing 60 litres in terms of space. You can add corys in addition to the glowlights or some other school, but keep in mind corys love big schools too, so at least 3 to 4 for comfort. In that case, betta, cory and school would be fully stocked for that tank. I recommend a school that likes soft acidic water to go with the betta. Or at least not livebearers which prefer hard and alkaline and dont school.

 

[kiwifeather]

i wouldnt put two mid or upper tier schools in a 60 litres. I feel one school ie 6 to 8 is pushing 60 litres in terms of space. You can add corys in addition to the glowlights or some other school, but keep in mind corys love big schools too, so at least 3 to 4 for comfort. In that case, betta, cory and school would be fully stocked for that tank. I recommend a school that likes soft acidic water to go with the betta. Or at least not livebearers which prefer hard and alkaline and dont school.

Thank you so much for this info, this it the sort of thing I need to know! I think I will bring my glowlight school up to eight using albinos and have the betta and cory's with them then. I wouldn't get live-bearers anyway, I hate to have babies all over the place!
I got the tank second-hand, and they said it was 60+ litres. I am just not sure how much more than 60 it is! It certainly is at least twice the size of my 30L.

 

[pablothebetta]

I think a group of 6 cories (what type are they?), 6 glowlights and a betta is enough in a 60L.

I got the tank second-hand, and they said it was 60+ litres. I am just not sure how much more than 60 it is! It certainly is at least twice the size of my 30L.

If you aren't sure of its exact volume, just measure the height, width and depth of the tank

I wouldn't get live-bearers anyway, I hate to have babies all over the place!

If you got all males or all females, you wouldn't have any issues with breeding

 

[kiwifeather]

I think a group of 6 cories (what type are they?), 6 glowlights and a betta is enough in a 60L.

I got the tank second-hand, and they said it was 60+ litres. I am just not sure how much more than 60 it is! It certainly is at least twice the size of my 30L.

If you aren't sure of its exact volume, just measure the height, width and depth of the tank

I wouldn't get live-bearers anyway, I hate to have babies all over the place!

If you got all males or all females, you wouldn't have any issues with breeding

I was looking at getting albino cories for the 60L, as my substrate is black, and the back of the tank is black too. Yep, I agree, but I wonder if bringing my glowlight school up to eight will be okay? I just want to add a couple more albino's because my current one sorta hangs back from the others and I think it might want some of its own kind for company, I could be wrong of course. You know, I really wish the pet store didn't tell fibs about stocking! When I was getting my 30L one guy said to me "Oh, you can have 4 cherry barbs in there too." I am really glad I said no, after researching and finding out that 1.Barbs are nippy little sods and 2. My tank is already over-stocked as it is.
So after I do all this I will have

30L:
1x Male crowntail Betta
3x Bronze Cories
1x Peppered Cory (at least, I think this is what he is... pet store had a whole bunch of different ones all in together and I said I wanted four and it didn't matter what kind as long as they can live together.)

60L:
1x Male Betta
6-8x Glowlight Tetras (regular and albino)
6x Albino Cories


Right, does this sound good? Anything I could add (what can I say I am a sucker for variety) or need to move/take away?
Thanks for all your help guys it's really great to get all this correct information!

Ah, okay. I wouldn't trust the pet shop employees to get that right though. Besides the point is probably moot anyway, as I am not getting another tank for a looooonnnng time.... (I can't afford it, jeez those things are expensive and I got the 60L second hand.)

P.S: Just measured tank (which is bowed at the front and has an arch at the top, so I measured from those highest points), its 45cm wide, 47cm high, 44cm long. So, that means its 93L's?! What, that can not be right.....

 

[pablothebetta]

Yep, I agree, but I wonder if bringing my glowlight school up to eight will be okay? I just want to add a couple more albino's because my current one sorta hangs back from the others and I think it might want some of its own kind for company, I could be wrong of course.

I think 8 should be fine in the larger tank

You know, I really wish the pet store didn't tell fibs about stocking! When I was getting my 30L one guy said to me "Oh, you can have 4 cherry barbs in there too." I am really glad I said no, after researching and finding out that 1.Barbs are nippy little sods and 2. My tank is already over-stocked as it is.

Don't we all! In the past I've been sold 9 neon tetras for a 15L BiOrb - what a huge mistake! Good to hear you said no and did some research - so many just wouldn't bother and believe the LPS/LFS guy

So after I do all this I will have

30L:
1x Male crowntail Betta
3x Bronze Cories
1x Peppered Cory (at least, I think this is what he is... pet store had a whole bunch of different ones all in together and I said I wanted four and it didn't matter what kind as long as they can live together.)

60L:
1x Male Betta
6-8x Glowlight Tetras (regular and albino)
6x Albino Cories


Right, does this sound good? Anything I could add (what can I say I am a sucker for variety) or need to move/take away?
Thanks for all your help guys it's really great to get all this correct information!

Sounds fine for the larger tank, but too much for the 30L IMHO. Even pygmy cories (which can't be too far from half of the size of the bronze/peppered cories at only 2-3cm) ideally need at least 10 US gallons (30L being around 8 US gallons).The bronze and peppered cories need larger tanks - no cory can really excel in a 30L space.
The bronze and peppered cories would be more suited to the larger tank that you have, so if you haven't already bought the albinos for it, I would consider putting those in there instead. One thing to add though, is that cories should be in groups of at least 4-5 of their own species (absolute minimum and the more the better, 6+ is a better number) - I imagine your peppered cory will be by himself with the bronzes as the probably won't school together.

I would add little more than a group of endlers or perhaps, at the max, some microrasbora to the 30L - shrimp would be a good option too (or at least to start with)

P.S: Just measured tank (which is bowed at the front and has an arch at the top, so I measured from those highest points), its 45cm wide, 47cm high, 44cm long. So, that means its 93L's?! What, that can not be right.....

I also get 93L - some 60L tank, eh? The bowed front would probably take away some of the volume that the measurements gave, and similarly for the arch at the top, but I wouldn't have thought those things would take away that much space. It may not be exactly 93L, but it surely can't be too far off.

 

[Fishball7]

wouldnt add a school, not even microrasbora, to the 30 litres. Just too small imo. If it were planted well, yeah, though i have a very different definition of planted to folks here, but i would still just go with shrimps betta and cory. Cory is as said above. They can go biggish compared to betta. Generally wont eat adult shrimps too. Though ive seen peppered school with bronze, probably cos he was desperately lonely! in my very limited experience i found albino not as hardy as bronze or peppered. Im really not a cory person so take that with a grain of salt.

I would measure the tank as close to a rectangular as possible. Whatever is excess is just bonus. That way would give you the minimum size it is.

 

[kiwifeather]

Hi again guys! I double checked my measurements, still the same! Didn't I get bang for my buck!? I pay for a second-hand 60+L and come home with just over a 90L!!! Insane! The tank is all set up now (I added my ornaments and re-arranged the plants) and man it looks awesome! Can't wait to have some fish in there!
So guys... stocking a 90L......?

Also, in regard to the 30L (and yes I checked to make sure it definitely WAS a 30L haha!) shrimp are out because they are not sold in any of the stores here, and neither are endlers or microrashboas as far as I have seen, they do sell something called mosquito rashboas though. I am also going to add some more plants to it as well.

Ahhh, I had a feeling that the cories were out too... My ones are still pretty small but I just about wanted to strangle the shopkeeper when I read that, because when I was in the store and saw some large bronzes I asked if they were the same kind as my guys and he said no they were a giant version!Also told me peppered and bronzes would school together (which mine do to some extent but not properly.) Urgh, can you see why I have changed stores? The new one is so much better (the link I put in my first post is to the good shop). Speaking of which, can you knowledgeable people have a scan of their available fish and tell me some of the options I have? The 60L turning out to be a 90L and the cory thing have really thrown a spanner in the works, so to speak.

I am really glad I came on here XD I would of ended up with a total disaster!

EDIT: Also, the filter current in the big tank it very strong, its blowing all my floating plants around quite a bit and has uprooted some the others in certain spots. Is there anyway to soften the flow? It didn't come with anyway to do this, unlike the filter for the 30L.

 

[Fishball7]

i wouldnt put very fast fish with a betta, eg danios. Id go with neon tetras or rasboras. I like their look, school, small, and soft acidic water. Look at what their preferred water parameters are and water flow rate, if they are compatible with what a betta wants.

You can add a sponge to the intake tube ie in the tank, which should reduce flow but may clog up pretty fast depending on your setup. There are other ways to reduce flow too if you look around; not sure off the top of my head.

 

[pablothebetta]

Also, in regard to the 30L (and yes I checked to make sure it definitely WAS a 30L haha!) shrimp are out because they are not sold in any of the stores here, and neither are endlers or microrashboas as far as I have seen, they do sell something called mosquito rashboas though. I am also going to add some more plants to it as well.

You could see if you are able to buy endlers or shrimp online - I would hope there is at least one place somewhere on the web that you could get some from

Ahhh, I had a feeling that the cories were out too... My ones are still pretty small but I just about wanted to strangle the shopkeeper when I read that, because when I was in the store and saw some large bronzes I asked if they were the same kind as my guys and he said no they were a giant version!Also told me peppered and bronzes would school together (which mine do to some extent but not properly.) Urgh, can you see why I have changed stores? The new one is so much better (the link I put in my first post is to the good shop). Speaking of which, can you knowledgeable people have a scan of their available fish and tell me some of the options I have? The 60L turning out to be a 90L and the cory thing have really thrown a spanner in the works, so to speak.

Giant bronze cories? Never heard of those before. Got a feeling they might have got that wrong, though I don't know very much about cory species on the whole, really.

EDIT: Also, the filter current in the big tank it very strong, its blowing all my floating plants around quite a bit and has uprooted some the others in certain spots. Is there anyway to soften the flow? It didn't come with anyway to do this, unlike the filter for the 30L.

Perhaps getting a new filter would be a good idea if you don't know how you could baffle it. Maybe post a thread in a different section with pictures/name & model of it about how you could baffle it?

 

[kiwifeather]

Also, in regard to the 30L (and yes I checked to make sure it definitely WAS a 30L haha!) shrimp are out because they are not sold in any of the stores here, and neither are endlers or microrashboas as far as I have seen, they do sell something called mosquito rashboas though. I am also going to add some more plants to it as well.

You could see if you are able to buy endlers or shrimp online - I would hope there is at least one place somewhere on the web that you could get some from

Ahhh, I had a feeling that the cories were out too... My ones are still pretty small but I just about wanted to strangle the shopkeeper when I read that, because when I was in the store and saw some large bronzes I asked if they were the same kind as my guys and he said no they were a giant version!Also told me peppered and bronzes would school together (which mine do to some extent but not properly.) Urgh, can you see why I have changed stores? The new one is so much better (the link I put in my first post is to the good shop). Speaking of which, can you knowledgeable people have a scan of their available fish and tell me some of the options I have? The 60L turning out to be a 90L and the cory thing have really thrown a spanner in the works, so to speak.

Giant bronze cories? Never heard of those before. Got a feeling they might have got that wrong, though I don't know very much about cory species on the whole, really.

EDIT: Also, the filter current in the big tank it very strong, its blowing all my floating plants around quite a bit and has uprooted some the others in certain spots. Is there anyway to soften the flow? It didn't come with anyway to do this, unlike the filter for the 30L.

Perhaps getting a new filter would be a good idea if you don't know how you could baffle it. Maybe post a thread in a different section with pictures/name & model of it about how you could baffle it?

Welp, I have looked and can't find them anywhere online. The only shimp I could find where feeder brine shrimp. I live in New Zealand, so many things that are available in other countries are not present here... It's a real pain.

Giant bronze cories don't exist! It was just the guy making sure I bought the fish. >:I

I looked it up and discovered that pantihose can work well to buffer the current. I tried it last night and so far so good, the current is much weaker.

I am really not sure what to do about these cories. I know I have to move them and add more to the school, but there isn't enough room in the new tank for two schools of 6 cories, but nor is there room for even one school of six in the smaller tank! Ahhhhh, what can I do here? Can I just get two more peppereds (so I total six cories altogether) and hope they school? My current peppered does school with the bronzes.

I am looking into ember tetras to go in the 30L, they are very small (even smaller than neons and glowlights!) and I have heard of a few people keeping them with a betta in a tank of this size.

 

[pablothebetta]

With those ember tetras - I have seen that too, it's why I put them on my suggestions at the start. Haven't tried it myself though. Glad you seem to have got the filter sorted
What cories have you got atm?

 

[kiwifeather]

With those ember tetras - I have seen that too, it's why I put them on my suggestions at the start. Haven't tried it myself though. Glad you seem to have got the filter sorted
What cories have you got atm?

Yeah, I think I am going to give the Ember's a go. I have done a bit of re-arranging though. I decided to put everything from my 30L into the big tank, including Atlas my betta. I thought about it and since I know he gets on with those fish, it would be better to plop him over into the big tank with them.
So currently for the big tank I have;
My betta
5x Glowlight Tetra (will be staying the same)
1x Albino Glowlight Tetra (will be bringing this up to five)
3x Bronze Cories
1x Peppered Cory (will be adding two more, bring total cories up to six)
Will also be adding some more plants in there, as well as in the 30L.

I would prefer to have full schools of both cory species, but there just isn't room in there for both plus the tetra schools and I want to leave a bit of space for the ember's in case there are problems with them in the 30L, besides, the peppered and bronze do seem to school together, so I hope this will work out, otherwise I will have to pick one lot to sell.

For the 30L
New Betta
and 5-6 Ember Tetra
OR
4-5 Dwarf Cories??

The way I figure it I can always move the Ember Tetra into the big tank if the betta turn's out to be too aggressive or they nip his fins, as there should be room as long as I don't add too much in there now.
As for having dwarf cories in there... well I just really like cories, I love watching them and they are so cute (this tank is in my bedroom, while the other is in the lounge) and they are so helpful to have in the tank since they eat algae. Plus they seem just about foolproof with bettas.
Aghfgfgfgdf, I really like the cories and the ember's.... which one is a better choice?

Who knew having fish would be more difficult than having a dog?! XD