What Fish Is The Best For My Tank?

[sparrow]

iv decided to overhaul my tank. i have rehomed a number of fish where they were small numbers of different species in favour of having more fish of the same species. i have a 60l. 60cml 30 tall and 30 wide. it is a jewel 60. ph 7.2 nitrite 0 nitrate 4 ammonia 0. contains 2 fake plants a chunk of driftwood, 3 real plants and a hollow tube a flat rock. i have 10 black tetras, 3neons and 5 cardinals (they shoal together, 5 fancy guppie males who hover near the surface or pick in the plants. 2 pandas and 2 btistlenoses (male and female-male), one pearl male gourami- hes veryvery very placid. i am about to rehome a little blue female gourami with my sister.
 i use cycle as a stabiliser and aqua plus as a dechlorinator. i feed a mixture of fish flakes and small peices of earthworm sinking tabets or spirulina tablets.
i want to know is there any ideal tank ornaments or plants that my fish will like particularly. any food recommendations? im sick of using three different foods but this is what i was told to use. small amounts of each every day or two.../.
 
also i want to add 4 more cory cats and a moonshine gourami female maybe 5 more guppie males.
 
any advice aside from its too many fish for this size tank? because everywhere in nz says its fine to have this many or more in this size tank and iv not had any issues aside from the occational which i know the causes of. except one of my random fish that died weirdly a few months back. i have been fishkeeping tropicals for 5 years and goldfish for about 10 before this.
so please any advice on the question i asked?
thanks heaps

)

oh i also have 5 rosy tetras. not sure if i will keep them tho. couldnt figure out how to attach a photo of my tank.

 

[sparrow]

ok so i rehomed 10 fish including the rosys and the blue gourami. i have now as follows:
1 pearl gourami male
10 black neons
8 cardinals
5 golden minnows
2 panda cory cats 
2 peppered cory cats
5 male guppies
2 bristlenose 1 male and 1 female.
 
will leave it at that with weekly 25% water change to keep up with the waste. 

 

[Byron]

I'll stay with the fish listed in post #2.  This is way over the limit for a 60 litre/15 gallon tank.
 
Pearl gourami needs more space, there is no way around this I'm afraid.  And please do not add another gourami (the moonlight is also a large gourami and unsuited to this tank regardless).
 
The shoaling fish are too many species.  Even one of these at the numbers given would be all I would do in this small a space.
 
Remember that these fish are juvenile when you acquire them but they need to grow and develop properly.  At their maximum size, if they reach it, they will all be on top of each other.  And they may not reach their maximum size because to do this fish must have adequate space around them; this involves not only the physical space but the water conditions caused by that space and the fish in it.  And while the external physical size may not increase much, the internal organs are still going to develop as they need to, and this will result in stunted fish with so many in this tank.  The fish will be in poor health, susceptible to disease, and I can guarantee they will not live to their normal life expectancy.
 
I would up the water changes to at least half the tank volume weekly, but you really must re-home some of these fish.  Please.
 
Byron.

 

[squidneh]

I agree with Byron, as usual - it's simply too many fish. Now I know you wanted advice EXCEPT for that it's too many fish - but this is a forum full of fish keeping enthusiasts, and we all like to advocate what is best for the fish.  They may seem fine, the water may be fine, but they aren't living life as they should, and you are not witnessing natural behavior from them.  That it is 35 fish in a 15 gallon tank - the broad rule is one inch of fish per gallon. So if you consider it that way, you are over 200% stocked even if all of your fish stayed only 1 inch, which they don't .I don't like to follow that rule as it is very general, but in this case it seems appropriate, since the number of fish is more of a concern before we even delve into compatibility. Now keep in mind that with decorations, gravel, and the fact that the tank is not filled to the very brim, you have less than 15 gallons, probably closer to 12. If you can make peace with yourself about keeping your fish in a crammed and ultimately unhealthy environment, you are stronger than I
 
I don't mean to be harsh or rude in anyway - I am just trying to be the voice of your fish, since they cannot speak.  What you choose to do is of course your decision and your decision only, but I encourage you to have an open mind and not be so set in your ways without educating yourself about different points of view.
 
Personally I would be doing 20% water changes every other day.  Even if your water perams are okay, this will still improve the water quality and keep things from spiraling out of control.

 

[sparrow]

So is anyone going to answer my question please? i will rehome fish as they grow too large.25% water change should be fine as tetras are liw waste but il keep an eye on the ammonia levels etc and Chang as required. So........Plants? food? etc. I notice on this forum people have alot to say but they never seem to answer the question.

 

[Ninjouzata]

This forum puts the fish first so that is why you are being given advice on the stocking and such, plus you did ask questions about adding more fish.
Fish need room to swim and grow, as you've been told here and on your other thread.
 
I agree I'd be doing at least 50% weekly changes with how overstocked the tank is. 
 
As for your other question..fish should like any plants or ornaments you provide, just make sure the ornaments aren't too sharp and that they're big enough for the fish to swim through and not get stuck.
 
For food, I like New Life Spectrum small fish formula and KensFish veggie sticks & catfish pellets. I don't think the kensfish stuff would be available to you but NLS might be.
Frozen food is a good treat for them as well, such as bloodworms and brine shrimp.

 

[the_lock_man]

So is anyone going to answer my question please? i will rehome fish as they grow too large.25% water change should be fine as tetras are liw waste but il keep an eye on the ammonia levels etc and Chang as required. So........Plants? food? etc. I notice on this forum people have alot to say but they never seem to answer the question.

 
Sparrow, I have a really nasty cough that's been going for 6 months, and I smoke 40 a day. I'd like some advice on the best cough medicine to buy at the pharmacy.
 
What advice do you think people are going to give me?

 

[sparrow]

This is a fish forum but For some advice on cough medicine id say go to a doc and ask him. Maybe its a chest infection. Its not my place to judge ur habits. Thanks for sharing tho.

Thanks for the advice on olants and food, i will definatley get somebloodworms and look up the rest.
Ps im looking for a bigger tank currently. I like the ones with the cleaning taps underneath

 

[the_lock_man]

This is a fish forum but For some advice on cough medicine id say go to a doc and ask him. Maybe its a chest infection. Its not my place to judge ur habits. Thanks for sharing tho.

It's an analogy (as it goes I don't have a cough, nor have I ever smoked).
 
You advised me to do the same thing as everyone else has been advising you. Treat the problem, not the symptoms.