New member, first 60l tank stocking ideas?

[Cromid]

Hey guys, new member here from the UK and have recently set up my first tank.
It is a 60l shallow tank. Dimensions: 80cm length, 30cm width, and 25cm height

Initially set up as my first planted aquascape, but with the plan to add fish once is has been cycled and more mature.

Has two large driftwood pieces, plenty of stones/pebbles and plants including, bacopa, eleocharis, sagittaria and lilaeopsis.
Since it's still a new tank it's finding its balance but pH currently at 6.5. temp at a steady 75. And is well lit with leds. Currently not using co2, but adding boosters and the plants seem to be thriving already.

I've seen alot of posts asking about stocking ideas for a community tank, but since this is a lengthy tank and more shallow in comparison to many I was looking for advice on what you'd reccomend.
Ideally I'd like a school of corys, a school or tetras and a centrepiece fish/mated pair.

Any advice would be great!

 

[Essjay]

Nice looking tank

The first thing we need to ask is - what is the hardness of your water? With a pH of 6.5 it is probably soft but we need to confirm that. Look on your water provider's website for hardness. if they give it, we need a number and the unit of measurement rather than some vague words.
The reason we like to know hardness before suggesting fish is that we need to keep fish which come from water of the same hardness as our tap water.

 

[Cromid]

Oh sorry! I live in Scotland so I'm in a soft water area, 47.56ppm is the figure for my area.

Hope that helps

 

[Essjay]

Yes it does, thank you.

Cories will be fine in that hardness. As for tetras, there are so many I don't know where to start. I think the simplest thng would be for you to visit your local shops and see what they stock. Make a note of all the fish that catch your eye (with latin names if possible as shops often invent common names) then post them here.
Don't let the shop persuade you to get fish before you are ready

 

[Cromid]

Thanks for the help! Il head down and see what they stock, I'm assuming they'll have neon tetras at the very least as they seem to be the most common type here in UK pet stores.
As for a centrepiece fish, would dwarf gouramis/blue rams be suitable in a tank this shape?

 

[Essjay]

There is a problem with dwarf gouramis - many of them are infected with an incurable disease and die shortly after purchase. If you like honey gouramis, they are a better option. Do you mean blue dwarf gouramis or the blue variant of three spot gouramis? The latter grow too big for your tank, if they are the ones you mean.
While you are shop visiting, look at dwarf cichlids. The most common in shops are cockatoo cichlids and agassizzi's cichlids. They can be used as centrepiece fish.

Yes, virtually all shops sell neon tetras, and the similar cardinal tetras. But there are many more tetra species. There are also fish like harlequin rasboras.

 

[Cromid]

Ah right! I hadn't read that anywhere so thanks so much I appreciate the help! I doubt the pet store would tell me that either haha, it was the neon blue ones I was checking out.
Awesome I will head down and see what they have and make a note of any types that take my eye

 

[seangee]

Looks like you are covered on your questions.

Where did you get the tank - or what brand is it? Sounds like a great size to have.

 

[Retired Viking]

Welcome to the forum. Very nice looking tank, it would be great for a shoal or two of tetras

 

[Byron]

This is a 60 liter (15 gallon) "long" tank, so more options but you do want to stay with quite small fish. You can have more of them, and most find this a more interesting aquarium because of the variety and activity. "Nano" fish like Ember Tetras, Chilli rasboras (the dwarf rasboras) are ideal, and the species like essjay suggested which although larger are still suited here. Quiet fish, no active swimmers.

The open top is a risk however, and you might want to consider some form of cover (I realize the emergent wood would have to change). You mighty be surprised at how many fish will jump out at night especially. Cories for example, which are nocturnal and if startled by something have been known to jump. There is also the evaporation issue (not just losing water, but where it is going into the room), and dust settling on the water surface to affect the normal necessary gas exchange.

I agree, nice aquarium. And welcome to TFF.

 

[Cromid]

Looks like you are covered on your questions.

Where did you get the tank - or what brand is it? Sounds like a great size to have.

I got it on online at https://www.completeaquatics.co.uk/ciano-tartarium-80-white it is designed as a turtle tank but I loved the shape for the aquascape I wanted to create. It's brilliant quality n cheap too!

 

[Cromid]

Welcome to the forum. Very nice looking tank, it would be great for a shoal or two of tetras

Thanks so much! I think that might end up being my choice! I'd like it to be a busy tank full of colour and tetras are definitely colourful

 

[Cromid]

This is a 60 liter (15 gallon) "long" tank, so more options but you do want to stay with quite small fish. You can have more of them, and most find this a more interesting aquarium because of the variety and activity. "Nano" fish like Ember Tetras, Chilli rasboras (the dwarf rasboras) are ideal, and the species like essjay suggested which although larger are still suited here. Quiet fish, no active swimmers.

The open top is a risk however, and you might want to consider some form of cover (I realize the emergent wood would have to change). You mighty be surprised at how many fish will jump out at night especially. Cories for example, which are nocturnal and if startled by something have been known to jump. There is also the evaporation issue (not just losing water, but where it is going into the room), and dust settling on the water surface to affect the normal necessary gas exchange.

I agree, nice aquarium. And welcome to TFF.

Thanks for your advice! Yeah I wanted to create a river environment so definitely want fish that will be happier in this kind of territory. Generally dust hasn't been an issue but I've been doing weekly topups of water to combat any evaporation. I will definitely keep that in mind though, because the last thing I want is to lose any due to them jumping out.

Thanks so much and glad you like my tank! Can't wait to see it mature, so will definitely be adding updated images as I go along

 

[Essjay]

When you top up the water you need to use some sort of pure water such as RO. The water evaporates but the stuff dissolved in it doesn't. If you top up with tap water you add more 'stuff' so the concentration of everything dissolved in the water gradually increases. This includes hardness. Even with regular weekly water changes removing half of the water together with dissolved 'stuff', half remains in the tank so all those dissolved things will still increase, albeit a bit slower than if you never did water changes.

 

[vanalisa]

Welcome, will be exciting to see what you choose!