stocking a 80L cube tank

[QueenBee]

Hi,
The new tank i got, is a cube - 45cm in all directions. I have 2 other larger tanks (150L with cichlids, and a 160L with community fish - these are regular, rectangle tanks). The idea was to downsize from the 160L to the 80L, moving some of the fish to the new smaller tank, but I think I've made a mistake getting a cube, as it will have less surface area, and mean less fish should be kept in it??

Initialy I had hoped to put in my black phantom tetra's (6-8), 3 x emerald cory's, and perhaps my golden bristlenose and / or starlight bristlenose ... ive realised the emerald cory's will grow too big (up to 9cm?), prob too small for the golden bristlenose .... it's the smaller surface area im concerned about - thoughts?

 

[Fish4dawin]

Hi,
The new tank i got, is a cube - 45cm in all directions. I have 2 other larger tanks (150L with cichlids, and a 160L with community fish - these are regular, rectangle tanks). The idea was to downsize from the 160L to the 80L, moving some of the fish to the new smaller tank, but I think I've made a mistake getting a cube, as it will have less surface area, and mean less fish should be kept in it??

Initialy I had hoped to put in my black phantom tetra's (6-8), 3 x emerald cory's, and perhaps my golden bristlenose and / or starlight bristlenose ... ive realised the emerald cory's will grow too big (up to 9cm?), prob too small for the golden bristlenose .... it's the smaller surface area im concerned about - thoughts?

So the cube measures out 90 litres but it won't be fully filled up I assume. Emerald corys should stay in the 160 as you said above. Bristlenose of all types usually reach a max of 10cm so he'd be fine in the cube. Despite the smaller surface area, the fish would have the same amount of room if it was a 3 foot long 90 litre tank I believe. The black phantoms and the bristlenose would be fine in there, and if you wanted to add some bottom feeders, go with Corydoras panda or Corydoras pygmyus. If you are to get either of these, I'd go for 10 pygmy corys or 6 panda corys. Pygmys get to 2.5 cm and panda corys usually get to about 4-5cm.

 

[seangee]

Yes it is too small for all the fish you mentioned. My bristlenose is around 20cm.
I have a 40x40x40 cube. In theory it has a significantly lower volume but in practice its a very similar size. This is very much in the "nano" range. Mine has celestial pearl danios, cherry shrimp and otos.
On the plus side you now have 3 tanks. Welcome to the MTS (multiple tank syndrome) club

 

[Fish4dawin]

Yes it is too small for all the fish you mentioned. My bristlenose is around 20cm.
I have a 40x40x40 cube. In theory it has a significantly lower volume but in practice its a very similar size. This is very much in the "nano" range. Mine has celestial pearl danios, cherry shrimp and otos.
On the plus side you now have 3 tanks. Welcome to the MTS (multiple tank syndrome) club

How on earth is your BN 20cm lol. I've never heard of one that big!!!!!!!!

 

[QueenBee]

Yes it is too small for all the fish you mentioned. My bristlenose is around 20cm.
I have a 40x40x40 cube. In theory it has a significantly lower volume but in practice its a very similar size. This is very much in the "nano" range. Mine has celestial pearl danios, cherry shrimp and otos.
On the plus side you now have 3 tanks. Welcome to the MTS (multiple tank syndrome) club

techincally i have 4 tanks, as i alsop have a teeny tiny 9L one with goldfish fry from my outdoor pond -= oh and i have 1.5 outdoor ponds ... one being phased out (as soon as any fry left in it can be moved to the new one) ... and the new pond in the corner of my yard ...

i do kinda want just 2 tanks, as my entire house is just 13 steps long and 9 steps wide .... my lounge, where all the tanks are ... is less than half of that

but i also dont want to give up most of the fish i have in the tank i was gettint rid of - am selling 3 odessa, 3 glasfins, 3 pristellas, but im too attached to my black phantoms, my bristlenose (had her 8 months) ... the starlight i never see, i have to activ check s/he is alive every other day. I am going to upsize and get a larger cichlid tank in a few months ... so ideally id like to just have the 80l, nice mangeable size but ....

 

[QueenBee]

So the cube measures out 90 litres but it won't be fully filled up I assume. Emerald corys should stay in the 160 as you said above. Bristlenose of all types usually reach a max of 10cm so he'd be fine in the cube. Despite the smaller surface area, the fish would have the same amount of room if it was a 3 foot long 90 litre tank I believe. The black phantoms and the bristlenose would be fine in there, and if you wanted to add some bottom feeders, go with Corydoras panda or Corydoras pygmyus. If you are to get either of these, I'd go for 10 pygmy corys or 6 panda corys. Pygmys get to 2.5 cm and panda corys usually get to about 4-5cm.

Yeah, bummed out about the emeralds, i had thought i woudl be able to put them in it ... but once i set it up, i knew it probably wasn't going to work... ive read mixed reports about whether or not cories and BNs can go in with cichlids, i dont want to take the risk ... buuuuuut i cant see myself giving them up, so ...

ill prob end up keeping the 160 tank, even though i dont want it!!

I think there is less surface area becasue this tank is proportionally taller, rather than a shorter tank, where there woudl be more surface area for teh same square litres?

 

[Fish4dawin]

Yeah, bummed out about the emeralds, i had thought i woudl be able to put them in it ... but once i set it up, i knew it probably wasn't going to work... ive read mixed reports about whether or not cories and BNs can go in with cichlids, i dont want to take the risk ... buuuuuut i cant see myself giving them up, so ...

ill prob end up keeping the 160 tank, even though i dont want it!!

I think there is less surface area becasue this tank is proportionally taller, rather than a shorter tank, where there woudl be more surface area for teh same square litres?

I think what @seangee said about it being a "nano" tank is correct. Whilst it holds 90 litres, it has a smaller surface area than any other tank you own. If you intend on getting any fish for the cube go with Corydoras pygmyus, and a large school of neon or green neon tetras. Both stay small and won't pass over the 4cm mark. What's really cool (if you decide to go with this idea) is that if you have a big enough school of pygmy corys, they will school with other small fish. For numbers of fish, go with 10 pygmy corys and around 15 neon/green neon tetras. This is an idea, I'm not forcing you into this.

 

[seangee]

How on earth is your BN 20cm lol. I've never heard of one that big!!!!!!!!

He arrived through my letterbox in 2004
Seriously fish says he will get to 125 mm but from tip to tail he is 8" (200mm)

 

[Fish4dawin]

He arrived through my letterbox in 2004
Seriously fish says he will get to 125 mm but from tip to tail he is 8" (200mm)

Can I see a picture? I'm flabbergasted by that lol.

 

[seangee]

Don't have anything to indicate scale accurately but the c.sterabai and c.paleatus are both full grown at around 2.5"

 

[seangee]

Coconut shell in the front has a diameter of 5"

 

[Fish4dawin]

Don't have anything to indicate scale accurately but the c.sterabai and c.paleatus are both full grown at around 2.5"
View attachment 125933


View attachment 125934

That is insane. You'd almost think he was an alien.

What other fish live with him? Judging by your video I can see there are a lot of species which is super cool!!

 

[seangee]

Cardinal tetra
Pencilfish (nannostomus marginatus)
Glowlight tetras (video is from a while ago - I no longer have these, but have added more cardinals)
Sterbai and pepper corys
Otos - who did not come out for the video

Not actually that many species - I prefer larger groups.

 

[Fish4dawin]

Cardinal tetra
Pencilfish (nannostomus marginatus)
Glowlight tetras (video is from a while ago - I no longer have these, but have added more cardinals)
Sterbai and pepper corys
Otos - who did not come out for the video

Not actually that many species - I prefer larger groups.

I noticed the cory army the most lol. I jusst hit Fishaholic as well.

 

[mrsjoannh13]

Coconut shell in the front has a diameter of 5"

That was the 3 minutes of awesomeness I needed on this post-holiday back-to-work Monday. Thank you!