Stocking!

[mikeyy_lol]

Hello!
I bought a 60l tank and have had it set up for about 2 months but I'm struggling to decide what to stock it with, my ammonia and nitrite levels are both 0ppm and my current stocking is: 2 honey gouramis (fairly sure theyre both male),
2 ADFs
2 Kuhli loaches
I'm hoping to get a new tank by christmas at the earliest if not next summer so I don't think slight over stocking would be too much of an issue but I guess you're the experts

Anyway I made a little cave in the corner of the tank which my kuhlis and frogs like to sit in most of the day, so I'm looking for something a little more active. I'm not a particular fan of shoaling fish or most of the livebearers but I could be persuaded otherwise! And I really like the blue phantom plec (L128) but after a bit of research I've found it's illegal to be imported so they're pretty scarce, I also really like some of the bettas but I've heard this is a bad idea mixing it with my gouramis.

I think I'm going to get some crystal red shrimp but that's all I can decide on. So if anyone could give me any ideas for stocking that would be great .
Also, if anyone could tell me any decent aquatic stores near York that would be fantastic as I've only found 2 P@H, and Paws4Thought is a bit of a treck for me.
Thanks.

 

[Curiosity101]

If you're upgrading then definitely get more kuhli loach. They're soooo much more interesting when in group. They tend to be more confident and more active. This will be why you barely see them. I found mine were nice and active all the time once I got them into a group of 7.

I'd suggest you try cherry shrimp before getting CRS, or get low quality crs. Just to be sure your water is suitable for inverts like shrimp.

What size are you upgrading to? This would definitely help us in suggesting stock.

There is a maidenhead aquatics in york. YO26 6QE.

 

[Wills]

Hi welcome to the forum!

I would stock your 60 liter tank as a 60 liter tank and not over stock it just yet. If the tanks coming at christmas its not that long to wait (or so I keep telling my self haha )

First thing I would do is get more khulli loaches - I would get about 4 more to make a total of 6 - this is more natural for them as all loaches are gregarious creatures and it will also make them more natural in your tank.

The shrimp sound like a good idea as well

To complete this asian biotope a school of 6 or 8 Harlequin Rasbora would work really nice in your tank as well

The honey gourami you have at the moment - if they are both male and start causing problems maybe consider swapping one for a female. The best way to determine their gender is by the dorsal fin the females dorsal fin is quite stubby and just a little dome on the top of the fish where as the males is longer and flows over the end of the fin base.

Wills

 

[mikeyy_lol]

If you're upgrading then definitely get more kuhli loach. They're soooo much more interesting when in group. They tend to be more confident and more active. This will be why you barely see them. I found mine were nice and active all the time once I got them into a group of 7.

I'd suggest you try cherry shrimp before getting CRS, or get low quality crs. Just to be sure your water is suitable for inverts like shrimp.

What size are you upgrading to? This would definitely help us in suggesting stock.

There is a maidenhead aquatics in york. YO26 6QE.

Probably just a 90 to replace this one or set up another 60l along with this one.
And yea, I realised after I bought them they needed to be in larger groups I remember them when I had a tank when I was younger and them being extremely peaceful so I bought them on a bit of an impulse. I do see them quite often they are out most of the evening especially when I'm hand feeding my frogs the tank just looks a bit bare when I come home from university during the day and the Kuhlis are hiding, I was thinking of getting maybe 2 more for now then?

I'm fairly sure my tank is fine with inverts as I haven't used any copper in the tank, which grade CRS would you say is low quality?

Also thanks for the heads up on maidenhead I'll be sure to check it out in the next couple of days

 

[mikeyy_lol]

Hi welcome to the forum!

I would stock your 60 liter tank as a 60 liter tank and not over stock it just yet. If the tanks coming at christmas its not that long to wait (or so I keep telling my self haha )

First thing I would do is get more khulli loaches - I would get about 4 more to make a total of 6 - this is more natural for them as all loaches are gregarious creatures and it will also make them more natural in your tank.

The shrimp sound like a good idea as well

To complete this asian biotope a school of 6 or 8 Harlequin Rasbora would work really nice in your tank as well

The honey gourami you have at the moment - if they are both male and start causing problems maybe consider swapping one for a female. The best way to determine their gender is by the dorsal fin the females dorsal fin is quite stubby and just a little dome on the top of the fish where as the males is longer and flows over the end of the fin base.

Wills

On closer inspection actually one of them could be a female but it's hard to tell without a picture of a female and I don't have a camera here so I can't upload any if it does become a problem though they're a pretty common stock so it's easily swapped =).
Would the bottom of my tank not start to get crowded if I get 6 kuhlis overall, or would they just sit ontop of each other like my 2 seem to enjoy doing? What do you think about the L128 if I get 6 kuhlis?

 

[Curiosity101]

I think 6 kuhlis would be very happy together as even when I had 7 in my 125l tank they still always sat on top of eachother the majority of the time.

I do agree with Wills that overstocking for the sake of it with christmas being so close does seem silly. Especially if you're not sure if you're upgrading or just getting a second tank.

 

[mikeyy_lol]

I think 6 kuhlis would be very happy together as even when I had 7 in my 125l tank they still always sat on top of eachother the majority of the time.

I do agree with Wills that overstocking for the sake of it with christmas being so close does seem silly. Especially if you're not sure if you're upgrading or just getting a second tank.

Okay I think I'll get an extra 4 kuhlis then, if I got the kuhlis would I still be able to get some shrimp/L128/both or would the bottom start to get a bit crowded with the frogs / kuhlis? What would you recommend for the middle/top? I've seen the harlequins and I'm not sold on most of the middle schooling fish but I'll give them another look when I go

And thank you for taking the time to reply

 

[Wills]

I would leave the L128 for now wait till you have a larger tank a 60 liter is not really suitable for any species of plec.

Wills

 

[mikeyy_lol]

I would leave the L128 for now wait till you have a larger tank a 60 liter is not really suitable for any species of plec.

Wills

Ahh, the shrimp would be okay with 6 kuhlis though right?

 

[Wills]

Yeah definitely

 

[Twinklecaz]

Are they red Honeys, yellow or natural? In the natural/yellowish (not the bright yellow) the females have a brown stripe running horizontally down their middle. That's how I'm sure my 2 are female. It's not that prominent but it's there!

They are hard to sex though. I had what I thought were 2 females first of all and it turned out one (or indeed both I'm never sure) was male

 

[mikeyy_lol]

Are they red Honeys, yellow or natural? In the natural/yellowish (not the bright yellow) the females have a brown stripe running horizontally down their middle. That's how I'm sure my 2 are female. It's not that prominent but it's there!

They are hard to sex though. I had what I thought were 2 females first of all and it turned out one (or indeed both I'm never sure) was male

I have 1 red and 1 yellow, I'm almost certain the red one is a female and the yellow is a male now I've had a proper inspection , they are still very small though (1 inchish)

 

[Twinklecaz]

You should hopefully be ok with them then. My male started on my female when he was mature but I was very unlucky, usually they don't do that. You got any pics? I've only ever seen pics of the bright yellow ones in like official specimin photos. I've never seen one in a shop or anyone's pics who actually has one.

 

[mikeyy_lol]

If you're upgrading then definitely get more kuhli loach. They're soooo much more interesting when in group. They tend to be more confident and more active. This will be why you barely see them. I found mine were nice and active all the time once I got them into a group of 7.

I'd suggest you try cherry shrimp before getting CRS, or get low quality crs. Just to be sure your water is suitable for inverts like shrimp.

What size are you upgrading to? This would definitely help us in suggesting stock.

There is a maidenhead aquatics in york. YO26 6QE.

I checked out maidenhead aquatics today and it seems great, they didn't have crystal red shrimps or kuhli loaches, which I'm suprised at since they had every other shrimp and every other loach etc going! I nearly bought some guppys aswell since the colours were beautiful but I couldnt decide between 3 males or 1 male and 2 females so I resisted buying any

You should hopefully be ok with them then. My male started on my female when he was mature but I was very unlucky, usually they don't do that. You got any pics? I've only ever seen pics of the bright yellow ones in like official specimin photos. I've never seen one in a shop or anyone's pics who actually has one.

I actually don't I'll try get a camera from somewhere though and upload some, they had almost a whole tank of small yellow/red honeys in paws 4 thought in leeds .

 

[Twinklecaz]

Bum, that's what I originally wanted - 1 red and one 1 bright yellow!