Tank Ideas for a 60 Litre

[Meader85]

Hey. I've recently started my first tank which is a 60 litre that has the following fish/creatures in it:

• 6 Male Guppies
• 2 Dwarf Gouramis (2 male, yes I got some bad advice here)
• 3 Panda Cories
• 1 Nerite Snail
• 4 Amano Shrimp

I'm wondering what would be best to add to the tank from here. I'd like a small fish with some colour that could be kept in a small group that swims in the middle and maybe a couple of Otos, but not sure how much more I can get in this tank without it being too crowded.

I live in a hard water area, with a pH of about 7.4. Here's a photo of the tank btw...

 

[Essjay]

Ideally the first thing is more cories as they need to be in a bigger shoal than you have. Though strictly speaking, they are soft water fish........

 

[Meader85]

Ideally the first thing is more cories as they need to be in a bigger shoal than you have. Though strictly speaking, they are soft water fish........

Cool, I do like them so am not averse to more. How many should be optimum for a tank of this size?

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Please don't add ottos. They're a soft water species who wouldn't thrive in your water, and they're also a shy but social fish that really needs a group of 6 or more. With the cories you already have, would be an overcrowded bottom layer. Better to add 2-3 more cories, and no ottos. Ottos might also get picked on by the gourami, and need to be in an established tank that's at least six months to a year old for them to find enough food to graze on. They'll take some extra foods like algae wafers usually, but they need to graze all day to remain healthy, hence established and well planted tanks being essential. Too many people buy them as tank cleaners, don't give them a group, and don't feed them extras, then the fish are lonely and eventually starve, or they die from being in water that's too hard for them.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

It is a cute tank and I like the scape though

 

[Meader85]

Please don't add ottos. They're a soft water species who wouldn't thrive in your water, and they're also a shy but social fish that really needs a group of 6 or more. With the cories you already have, would be an overcrowded bottom layer. Better to add 2-3 more cories, and no ottos. Ottos might also get picked on by the gourami, and need to be in an established tank that's at least six months to a year old for them to find enough food to graze on. They'll take some extra foods like algae wafers usually, but they need to graze all day to remain healthy, hence established and well planted tanks being essential. Too many people buy them as tank cleaners, don't give them a group, and don't feed them extras, then the fish are lonely and eventually starve, or they die from being in water that's too hard for them.

Thanks! I'll get some more cories. Do you have any potential suggestions for middle of tank shoaling fish that would be suitable?

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Thanks! I'll get some more cories. Do you have any potential suggestions for middle of tank shoaling fish that would be suitable?

I'm not the best at giving this sort of advice since I've only been in the hobby for a year or so myself. But personally, I wouldn't add any schooling fish to this tank, I'm sorry. I have two tanks the same size, and they aren't large enough for the standard schooling fish that could cope with your current fish, like neons and cardinals. I plan to have some nano species of tetra called ember tetra in one of mine, but the small schooling fish tend to be at risk in community tanks without careful selection. They're small and nervous, and would be at risk from your gourami, or struggle to compete with the guppies and gourami for food, so species that are small enough to work in your size tank, are too small to live with the fish you currently have.

Do you feel as though the tank is missing something, and that's why you'd like to add more? Or is it the kind of new to the hobby urges that many of us started with, where more and more fish of different varieties are so appealing, and we want them all? Usually it's better to resist the urge to keep adding more, and to spend some time focusing on making the tank the best it can be for the fish you have. With your guppies, gourami, and a school of 5-6 panda cories, I'd say that that's a fully stocked tank, and not risk adding anything else for fear of overcrowding and creating unstable water parameters.

Then, once you're used to maintaining this tank, have a good handle on the species you already have, and water conditions like the nitrogen cycle and gH, kH and pH (the hardness and acidity of your water), if you'd still like more, then upgrade to a larger 30 plus gallon tank that could also house a schooling, mid level fish.

 

[Essjay]

Since you have hard water, one possibility is a shoal of Pseudomugils. Some can take harder water than others so it would depend on just how hard your water is. Look on your water company's website - you need a number rather than words - and the unit of measurement as there are several they could use.

But I wouldn't look at anything bigger than these. And if you were to rehome the gouramis.........

Search Results pseudomugil — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

 

[Meader85]

I'm not the best at giving this sort of advice since I've only been in the hobby for a year or so myself. But personally, I wouldn't add any schooling fish to this tank, I'm sorry. I have two tanks the same size, and they aren't large enough for the standard schooling fish that could cope with your current fish, like neons and cardinals. I plan to have some nano species of tetra called ember tetra in one of mine, but the small schooling fish tend to be at risk in community tanks without careful selection. They're small and nervous, and would be at risk from your gourami, or struggle to compete with the guppies and gourami for food, so species that are small enough to work in your size tank, are too small to live with the fish you currently have.

Do you feel as though the tank is missing something, and that's why you'd like to add more? Or is it the kind of new to the hobby urges that many of us started with, where more and more fish of different varieties are so appealing, and we want them all? Usually it's better to resist the urge to keep adding more, and to spend some time focusing on making the tank the best it can be for the fish you have. With your guppies, gourami, and a school of 5-6 panda cories, I'd say that that's a fully stocked tank, and not risk adding anything else for fear of overcrowding and creating unstable water parameters.

Then, once you're used to maintaining this tank, have a good handle on the species you already have, and water conditions like the nitrogen cycle and gH, kH and pH (the hardness and acidity of your water), if you'd still like more, then upgrade to a larger 30 plus gallon tank that could also house a schooling, mid level fish.

Thanks for the thorough reply. Yeah I think what I'm missing is more fish that swim in the middle of the tank. The guppies tend to stick closer to the top so at a glance from a distance it can appear as if there isn't anything in there.

 

[utahfish]

Hey. I've recently started my first tank which is a 60 litre that has the following fish/creatures in it:

• 6 Male Guppies
• 2 Dwarf Gouramis (2 male, yes I got some bad advice here)
• 3 Panda Cories
• 1 Nerite Snail
• 4 Amano Shrimp

I'm wondering what would be best to add to the tank from here. I'd like a small fish with some colour that could be kept in a small group that swims in the middle and maybe a couple of Otos, but not sure how much more I can get in this tank without it being too crowded.

I live in a hard water area, with a pH of about 7.4. Here's a photo of the tank btw...

View attachment 111588

You are pretty close to if not overstocked already.
Id rehome or take back one of the gourami then fill out your corydora pack. They do better in larger groups.
Then thats it.
Good looking scape!

 

[LostBear]

Hey. I've recently started my first tank which is a 60 litre that has the following fish/creatures in it:

• 6 Male Guppies
• 2 Dwarf Gouramis (2 male, yes I got some bad advice here)
• 3 Panda Cories
• 1 Nerite Snail
• 4 Amano Shrimp

I'm wondering what would be best to add to the tank from here. I'd like a small fish with some colour that could be kept in a small group that swims in the middle and maybe a couple of Otos, but not sure how much more I can get in this tank without it being too crowded.

I live in a hard water area, with a pH of about 7.4. Here's a photo of the tank btw...

View attachment 111588

Forget the ottos - they need to be in a shoal of 5-6 minimum, and I think they prefer softer water, too. What about a couple more cories? TBH, that's not a big tank (mine is a similar size) and I don't think you should put much more in it, especially if you are looking at small, brightly coloured fish (eg tetras) - most fish of this type need to be in a shoal to flourish, and you haven't got room for them.

You also need to remember that if you stock to maximum capacity, then there is no room for error if (say) your filter or aerator dies on you. You could end up losing fish. Always give yourself a little bit of wiggle room - the fish will thank you for it, too. They will be much healthier the less crowded they are.

Your tank looks good, though - kudos for that.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Thanks for the thorough reply. Yeah I think what I'm missing is more fish that swim in the middle of the tank. The guppies tend to stick closer to the top so at a glance from a distance it can appear as if there isn't anything in there.

What are your usual water test results for ammonia/nitrites/nitrates? How frequently do you need to do water changes at the moment?

 

[Meader85]

What are your usual water test results for ammonia/nitrites/nitrates? How frequently do you need to do water changes at the moment?

I've been testing pretty frequently and have had zero ammonia and nitrites for a while even after adding the fish (have only had fish in the tank for just over 2 weeks). Nitrates have been lower than 20ppm so far, and I'm doing weekly water changes just to keep on top of it.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I've been testing pretty frequently and have had zero ammonia and nitrites for a while even after adding the fish (have only had fish in the tank for just over 2 weeks). Nitrates have been lower than 20ppm so far, and I'm doing weekly water changes just to keep on top of it.

It sounds as though you're already at max capacity for your tank then, although without knowing the nitrate levels in your tapwater and with it being a new tank, it's hard to say. But more fish means more waste, higher nitrates, and frequent and larger water changes to keep the levels in check. You don't want to add more cories and a school of some mid-level fish, only to find you need to do 2-3 water changes a week just to keep on top of it and avoid poisoning them. That's an aquarium on a knife edge, ya know? And as lostbear mentioned, having some wiggle room in case things go wrong (which they inevitably do at some point), can make the difference between losing fish or even the whole tank.
Better to wait until the tank has stablised a while before adding anything else, then add 2-3 more panda cories (and it needs to be pandas, not another species). Then keep up with testing an maintenance, and see how it goes.