Stocking - numbers, again

[Beastije]

So I found some old drop tests, so will take the results with a grain of salt.

The "multies" tank has the following parameters (based on the test label) - UT is 7, CT is above 40, I didnt want to do it anymore. Am waiting for the Ph test to stabilize , the drop test exceeded its 7,4 range

I tested the large tank, just to make sure the droptest works, in there UT is 2, CT is 6, PH is 6,4

So I am guessing I am moving the embers to the large tank...

This however brings me to an overstocking issue
At this moment, the 360l has 7 fully grown Harlequin rasboras. Tomorrow I am picking up 3 bamboo shrimp I had ordered and some more snails. In three weeks I have already confirmed my order for 15 marble hatchetfish and 15 sterbai cories.

Wont the tetras overstock the tank?

My only other option would be a 40litr with a betta and I am not risking that, since the betta is super mean

 

[Byron]

I don't know what UT and CT refer to, presumably one is GH and one KH/Alkalinity. ?? If this assumption is correct, then the water is soft. No problem for the fish mentioned (aside from shellies obviously). And yes, no male Betta, this is not a community fish and only asking for trouble.

As for numbers...what you propose is no where close to overstocking. A 360 liter (90 gallon) tank can easily hold literally hundreds of small fish like the rasboras and tetras mentioned. Just make sure any additional species are peaceful...feisty fish like some of the tetras would nip the hatchetfish to death. But there are many characins suited. I have Hyphessobrycon amandae (Ember Tetra), Paracheirodon simulans (false or green neon tetra), Nannostomus eques (a pencilfish) in with my Carnegiella strigata, along with Corydoras pygmaeus. [As it happens, this tank (a 29g/110 liter) is shown in the October tank of the month contest if you want to see it.]

 

[Beastije]

Ah yes, ut is KH and ct is GH. Took some reading up. So i will move the ember tetras, maybe buy 5 more to have a better group in the larger tank. Will check some salts and keep just the three multies i have and try to make them comfortable. Not sure if i have a male at this point and they will be stressed without a dither, but it is what it is. The large tank is less planted but hopefully will do, i need more limnobium for the hatchetfish anyway so will check it tomorrow at the market.
Is strange why they need the dither, but they do, i left them for three weeks and they were super scared of everything like water drops and shadows. Now they are near the surface w the tetras and not scared of even movement close to the glass.

 

[Beastije]

Byron - super nice tank, bravo!

i expect the ember tetras are not causing any issues to the hatchetfish then? Thanks

 

[Byron]

Byron - super nice tank, bravo!

i expect the ember tetras are not causing any issues to the hatchetfish then? Thanks

Thank you. And no, there are no issues in that tank.

The 90g is spacious, and small fish like the Embers will get "lost" unless they are in a large group. And by large, I am thinking close to 20. The 15 for the hatchetfish and cories is fine, you could have more but 15 is OK.

 

[Beastije]

Hi guys, i need your help figuring the best approach.
As luck would have it, my not so local fish store prepared my order for me for upcoming Monday, which is a week sooner. I will pick up the 15 marble hatchetfish and 15 sterbai corydoras.
On Tuesday I am also picking 12 ember tetras to make 20 to move to this tank.
I also have 6 harlequin rasbora's ( i hope there are still six, in past month I lost three already and am on a week vacation).

I was also thinking about moving the rasbora's to a different tank, because they are chasing each other mercilessly, they are vicious feeders and I am worried about the hatchetfish, especially stressed after the transport. I think it is the low numbers and the fact only one remaining rasbora is a female that causes the behavior but I do not want to purchase more, they are there strictly to live the rest of their lives.

Do I move rasbora's away (even temporarily) or risk them bothering the hatchetfish?
Do I move in the 8 ember tetras and add the 12 the next day when I have a scheduled purchase at a breeders or do it at once, as in acclimate the 8 to the breeders water, then acclimate to the large tank.
Not sure what is the best approach

Once I get home I will feed the snails, do a water change, acclimate the new fish, turn off the lights and release.

Thanks

 

[Byron]

Do not have the Harlequin Rasboras in with hatchetfish or green neon tetras, they are not compatible--especially given the issues you mention (which are somewhat more than I would expect, but the much too small a group (whatever the reason) is largely responsible, plus this species after years of commercial breeding is, like most other commercially-raised fish these days, more troublesome than wild fish would ever be.

 

[Beastije]

Do not have the Harlequin Rasboras in with hatchetfish or green neon tetras, they are not compatible--especially given the issues you mention (which are somewhat more than I would expect, but the much too small a group (whatever the reason) is largely responsible, plus this species after years of commercial breeding is, like most other commercially-raised fish these days, more troublesome than wild fish would ever be.

I had my suspicion especially since I have been closely watching them for past six months. Overall they are pretty peaceful and keep to themselves, but as previous experience showed me in other fish, give them too much room and suddenly the fish grows bold and uncharacteristic like. I know many people will call it a bullshit but once I removed the multies and had only nine rasbora's in 360litres, they would split, roam the bottom!! And display uncharacteristic behavior and aggression toward one another (though the small number of females is the culprit too, they used to spawn every few weeks and suddenly no more females to spawn with i presume)

Had similar issue when I had the neolamprologus multifasciatus in the 360l alone in the beginning, they didn't stick to their 20cm of water column like they were supposed to, no no, up to the surface, and this behavior took forever to disappear when new fish were added.

Will move them away then.
What about the ember tetras do you think?

 

[Byron]

What about the ember tetras do you think?

A group of 20 as mentioned is fine. Just stay with other small fish...hatchets are OK, green neons (think these were mentioned) OK, and anything similar. The Harlequins are the problem, due to past lives, numbers and the species.

 

[Beastije]

A group of 20 as mentioned is fine. Just stay with other small fish...hatchets are OK, green neons (think these were mentioned) OK, and anything similar. The Harlequins are the problem, due to past lives, numbers and the species.

No neons for me, no, i dont like those. The embers are my first ever tetra, am curious about them and their behavior. Hoping to breed them maybe to increase the shoal size. Will see what life brings

 

[threecharacters]

Why is the hardness in the two tanks so different? Are you adding anything to the water?

I kept Blue Eyes and Neolamprologus brevis together and the brevis just ended up slowly destroying the Blue Eyes. It wasn't an overnight thing, I never observed that much aggression, but the fins of the Blue Eyes just slowly got worse and worse and their health degraded further and further. Maybe your Multies are more reticent because they're so old, but I personally wouldn't recommend putting a small peaceful shoaling species with shelldwellers.

A Male Betta could work, but it also might not. I have a plakat male betta that does fine in a community.

 

[Beastije]

Why is the hardness in the two tanks so different? Are you adding anything to the water?

I kept Blue Eyes and Neolamprologus brevis together and the brevis just ended up slowly destroying the Blue Eyes. It wasn't an overnight thing, I never observed that much aggression, but the fins of the Blue Eyes just slowly got worse and worse and their health degraded further and further. Maybe your Multies are more reticent because they're so old, but I personally wouldn't recommend putting a small peaceful shoaling species with shelldwellers.

A Male Betta could work, but it also might not. I have a plakat male betta that does fine in a community.

Well I have several 'coral' stones in the tank and I did add bicarbona twice in the initial water changes.
There is also only anubias and riccia which are too slow to lower the ph. I do too frequent water changes for such a smallish understocked tank (9l every week)

In the second tank, there are way more plants including frogbit that reaches out the water quicker and a lot of branches which I see lowering the ph quite drastically. So could be that. Once I switch the embers w rasboras that used to be with them anyway, will recheck the hardness and levels.

Multies are the least aggressive ones, they chase away but don't actively hurt or stalk. More of a postering sort of fish.

 

[Beastije]

A Male Betta could work, but it also might not. I have a plakat male betta that does fine in a community.

Also I don't think so w the betta. Betta same as guppy sleeps on the ground and likes to hide in the lower leaves of plants which betta adores. Multies don't like plants and hate things that come close to them even at night, even smaller snails get moved away quickly.

 

[threecharacters]

Also I don't think so w the betta. Betta same as guppy sleeps on the ground and likes to hide in the lower leaves of plants which betta adores. Multies don't like plants and hate things that come close to them even at night, even smaller snails get moved away quickly.

I meant for the tank without the multies. I actually think most of the damage was done to the blue eyes by the brevis was done at night, so that makes sense.

 

[Beastije]

I meant for the tank without the multies. I actually think most of the damage was done to the blue eyes by the brevis was done at night, so that makes sense.

I already have a betta and let me tell you, never again ))