Stocking A Juwel Rekord 60.

[Spookymuffin]

I have a Juwel Rekord 60 which is 54litres/14gallons. The tank is nearly finished cycling, all of the plants are settling in well (the tank is very heavilly planted) and while I've more or less decided on what fish species I want, some input on numbers and other things are appreciated.

4x female Bettas.
6x White Cloud Mountain Minnows.
2x Otos (will be added to the tank after three months)

Should I be decreasing or increasing the numbers here? Does anyone have any ideas regarding any small fish/invertebrates that will help clean the substrate but wont harm or be harmed by the other fish in the tank?

 

[OldMan47]

4 bettas is about the minimum that you can get away with for a sorority. Any less and aggression would be a problem. The 6 white clouds takes you to fully stocked if my math hasn't failed me. The idea of waiting on the otocinclus is a good one. Unless you have a serious algae problem, the otos will soon run out of food in a small tank like that. As an example, I put 4 otos into a very badly overgrown 29 gallon tank about 2 weeks ago, tonight my wife commented that the tank had started to sparkle. 3 days ago I started to supplement the otos with algae wafers because I was concerned that they were running out of food. My wife just expressed it differently.
Your heavy planting should help you avoid any serious algae problems since the plants will remove the nutrients from the water and end up blocking the algae having a surplus of nutrients to multiply with.

 

[BigC]

Yeah hold off with the Otocinclus for at least 8-12 month until the tank fully matures. WCMM like a little less heat in their aquarium and the bettas need tio come to the surface every now and again. I've tried tokeep bettas is deeper tanks and I personally think it doesen't work. (I dont believe Bettas ar a community based fish) So that said I would steer you down the route that I have taken soo many times in the past, which makes for a nice peaceful tank with minimum of problems compatibility wise and all the water layers are filled.

6 Marble Hatchetfish
4-6 Black Phantom Tetras
10 Cardinal Tetras
4-6 Small Corydoras sp (Habrosus)
You can add a coulpe of Ottos later and some Amano Shrimp if you so please.

Here is a pic of my tank, admittidly a little bit dated. but should look similar to yours.

Hope your tank turns out to be everything you want it to be. Remember research your fish species before you go out and buy them. Refrain from impulse purchasing. Dont buy something as a substitute for something else on your preference list. Walk away you'll always get a chance to complete you list at another LFS another day.
Regards
BigC

 

[Spookymuffin]

Well, the Bettas are the only variable in the equation that can't be changed since I bought this tank specifically for them. My friend has had them in a 10gallon together for six months (they're sisters and have been together since birth) but she wants to turn that 10gallon into a home for her tortoise now so I agreed to take the Bettas off her hands.

As for substrate cleaners; would a dwarf crayfish work in the tank? Or will they try to eat my fish?

Maybe I should replace the Otos with Zebra Nerite snails? Would that give me room for more fish?

 

[BigC]

Of course you can keep bettas in your tank,
Crayfish I'd expect would cause a nuisance, Just go for the shrimp. Snails eat plant matter, so you plants would be a nice meal.

 

[Spookymuffin]

I was considering shrimp but I read somewhere that Bettas eat them. Is this true?

Nerite snails are supposed to leave your plants alone unless they have no other food available. Zebra Nerite Snail.

 

[lilfishie]

if the bettas are siblings you might be alright with 4, WCMM prefer cooler water, how about cories?

 

[Mauricia]

I would try cories, a lot of people have success with those and bettas. If your tank is fully cycles, then I would add cories first and then the bettas, that way the bettas are less likely to be agressive towards them. Also, I would be careful adding any more girls since the girls you have are quite used to each other, they may gang up on any new female bettas you tried to add.