We have just re-started fish keeping after about 30 years. Our new tank is 64l and approx 60cm x 35cm x 40cm (height). We set it up and cycled it four months ago, and when it was comfortably established introduced 6 rather sick-looking glowlights from Pets@home (I know, I know - we had a coupon). Last week we put in half a dozen neons. All the fish are doing very well. The glowlights, which were very dull two nd a half months ago, have developed really lovely red stripes, and have grown a lot - I'd say they are about 2cm, which I think is adult size. The neons are still small, obviously, but already their colour is improving.
We would like to add more neons (keeping it as a tetra tank), and I would like something to clean up the algae (the plants are suffering) and maybe tidy the tank bottom. Previously we had a little shoal of otocinclus, which are a delight, and a two corydoras, but the old tank was a 4 foot one and much bigger than the current one (we are already regretting getting such a small tank - we didn't realise we'd get sucked back in to the obsession so easily).
Can anyone suggest what would be best to do? I don't want a loach because they can be aggressive (and grow big). Is there any other general fishy cleaner that would be non-aggressive, but content to live singly? Would I be better with a couple of prawns? (Never had these, but they look very sweet). And how many more neons could we add, to keep not just safely, but healthily and with a decent quality of life for the fish? I'm not keen on stocking to the "max", but would like more if possible. Also - though we were intending just neons, I did wonder if a sort of "show point" fish would be nice to draw the attention among the little ones. Are there any you could recommend?
P@H tanks come with a "fish points" recommendation, but I
a) have no idea what they really mean (and nor do the staff at P@H)
b) I can't remember how many "fish points" the tank was supposed to support.
c) I don't have any faith in P@H advice anyway
I suspect that this tank will ultimately become a quarantine one for new fish, or a show tank for a betta, and that we'll get a bigger one, but at the moment we haven't a space for a larger aquarium.
Any suggestions will be much appreciated. Thank you.
We would like to add more neons (keeping it as a tetra tank), and I would like something to clean up the algae (the plants are suffering) and maybe tidy the tank bottom. Previously we had a little shoal of otocinclus, which are a delight, and a two corydoras, but the old tank was a 4 foot one and much bigger than the current one (we are already regretting getting such a small tank - we didn't realise we'd get sucked back in to the obsession so easily).
Can anyone suggest what would be best to do? I don't want a loach because they can be aggressive (and grow big). Is there any other general fishy cleaner that would be non-aggressive, but content to live singly? Would I be better with a couple of prawns? (Never had these, but they look very sweet). And how many more neons could we add, to keep not just safely, but healthily and with a decent quality of life for the fish? I'm not keen on stocking to the "max", but would like more if possible. Also - though we were intending just neons, I did wonder if a sort of "show point" fish would be nice to draw the attention among the little ones. Are there any you could recommend?
P@H tanks come with a "fish points" recommendation, but I
a) have no idea what they really mean (and nor do the staff at P@H)
b) I can't remember how many "fish points" the tank was supposed to support.
c) I don't have any faith in P@H advice anyway
I suspect that this tank will ultimately become a quarantine one for new fish, or a show tank for a betta, and that we'll get a bigger one, but at the moment we haven't a space for a larger aquarium.
Any suggestions will be much appreciated. Thank you.