My newest community tank - stocking enquiry

[BetterWithBettas]

There has been a lot of change in our fish fam lately! Originally having 7 tanks, idling between 3 & 4 tanks and now down to 2. One of these tanks is our cycled 60Litre which has been converted to a community tank - a mix of previous tank inhabitants we had kept and new ones:
- 6 endlers
- 5 celestial pearl danios
- Cherry shrimp
- 3 oto cat fish
- 1 hill stream loach
- 3 pygmy corydoras

Admittedly, a lot of these fish a new to me and I am completely inexperienced in keeping them. I was advised by lfs that they would all live well together and I know I should have done some research first but got caught up in the excitment of keeping fish that I have always wanted to keep but until now were not in stock/not able to find.. can anyone please advise if this stocking is okay? I have the tank heated to 24 degrees Celsius, it has a filter with medium flow, heavily planted, driftwood, lava rock and sand substrate.

I had hoped of turning this tank into a black water tank (different original stocking ideas) and was wondering if this could still work with the stocking I ended up going with? Each of these fish, particularly the hill stream loach, CPD and PC were on my wishlist for some time so I may have jumped the gun when I saw they were available.

Thanks for reading and all advice welcome!

Edit: I will also add that I was advised that the quantity of each fish was sufficient but fear this may be incorrect on doing more research after purchase. Don't mind at all not having a black water tank but thought I would ask people with more experience! If needed, I will return or change stocking around as I am not intending to give these guys a bad or unsuitable home!

 

[seangee]

What is your water hardness? We need a number and unit for GH. Endlers need hard water while most of the other species prefer softer water, CPD are ok with either (but better with soft).

The odd one out is the hillstream loach. This should be in a group of at least 6 and requires a high water flow and very well oxygenated water. None of the others would cope with ideal conditions for this - so I would suggest an alternative home for it.

CPDs do much better in large groups - I have 30+ in a 15G tank. The pygmy corys also do best in a group of 10-12.

 

[BetterWithBettas]

What is your water hardness? We need a number and unit for GH. Endlers need hard water while most of the other species prefer softer water, CPD are ok with either (but better with soft).

The odd one out is the hillstream loach. This should be in a group of at least 6 and requires a high water flow and very well oxygenated water. None of the others would cope with ideal conditions for this - so I would suggest an alternative home for it.

CPDs do much better in large groups - I have 30+ in a 15G tank. The pygmy corys also do best in a group of 10-12.

The lfs guy told me hillstream loaches were great by themselves. Water hardness is 8.

Edit - I will have to sort out the stocking asap

 

[seangee]

If you mean 8 degrees hardness I'm afraid that is too soft for endlers, they need around 15dGH . If you are set on keeping these they would be best in another tank with added minerals.

CPD do naturally occur in clear water but they would be just fine in a blackwater setup. The do need a lot of plants (without these they will spend most of their time hiding. Here are some of mine - along with cherry shrimp

FWIW I do also have otos in this tank along with malaysian trumpet snails and a nerite. I would love to add some pygmy cories but I fear this tank is too small for a decent sized group

 

[Byron]

I concur with seangee's posts.

The Hillstream Loach must have cooler water and a stronger current than any of the other fish here will tolerate. Its own species tank is best so you can lower the heat (20-24C/68-75F is the acceptable range, with optimum being mid-range) and provide a strong flow from a filter. This is where an internal filter like the Aqueon Quiet Flow is ideal. A basic 20g tank would be adequate for a small group [If this set-up is not feasible, see if you can return the loach, as it simply cannot be healthy in differing conditions]. In its habitat it lives in large groups; males will "defend" their territory (selected on the basis of available food) by "topping:" when a second male invades another's territory, one fish tries to cover the other in a test of strength, termed "topping." There is rarely any damage inflicted, and one fish eventually retreats. The dominant males claim the best algae areas as their territory, while females tend to congregate in other areas. This fish must be in groups of at least six, or it can be very withdrawn and inactive.

Their unique flattened body with horizontal fins allowing them to hold on to rocks in a strong current is indicative of the proper environment in the aquarium. A tank with sand or gravel as substrate and smooth rocks coated with algae make a suitable environment for them. Plants are recommended to ensure excellent water quality as this fish actually prefers very clean water as evident in their habitat. Provide powerful currents and surface movements to ensure very high oxygen supply and continuing comfort in their home. They will not last long if the oxygen is depleted or if any of their requirements are not met. Tankmates are difficult to select due to the requirements this species demands with respect to bright lighting (to encourage algae), cooler water and a stronger flow from the filter.

 

[BetterWithBettas]

Thanks for your advice guys. I feel like the worst fish owner for putting all these fish together in the first place.. but here's an update: returned the hill stream loach, endlers, pygmy Corydoras and rehomed the otos to someone that has a school of 8 already (I already knew that they needed larger schools and over time my school of 6 had become 3) and now just have cherry shrimp and CPD in the tank with a plan of increasing the CPD school more thanks! Advise noted and much appreciated