Stocking, planting and dreaming new 55g tank
- Thread starter ParisWill
- Start date
That's a good thought on skipping mollies.
Be careful reading too much into stocking calculators, they often tend to encourage dense "maximum" stocking. Less fish & more plants means less maintenance, that's a plus
You want happy compatible fish in enough numbers of each that their social needs are met.
You can always add more species or more of a species...but keep in mind every time you add fish you can risk the health of ALL the other fish if you can't quarantine them in a separate tank. I find it's better to get all of 1 species at 1 time...but I am able to QT them, lol, I'm old & have many tanks...I realize not everyone can do that...
I think you need to prioritize you fish choices by both the 1s you want most & the hardiest of those to decide how best to go forward.
Be careful reading too much into stocking calculators, they often tend to encourage dense "maximum" stocking. Less fish & more plants means less maintenance, that's a plus
You want happy compatible fish in enough numbers of each that their social needs are met.You can always add more species or more of a species...but keep in mind every time you add fish you can risk the health of ALL the other fish if you can't quarantine them in a separate tank. I find it's better to get all of 1 species at 1 time...but I am able to QT them, lol, I'm old & have many tanks...I realize not everyone can do that...
I think you need to prioritize you fish choices by both the 1s you want most & the hardiest of those to decide how best to go forward.
Makes sense. I think I’ll do that, I want to set the tank up VERY heavily planted right from the get go, using seed material from my current 60L tank.
Add a snail or two and two Amano shrimp once it’s cycled a bit.
but I hadn’t thought of building from the bottom up, so small pleco, Khuli’s and Otos next in stages.
Add a snail or two and two Amano shrimp once it’s cycled a bit.
but I hadn’t thought of building from the bottom up, so small pleco, Khuli’s and Otos next in stages.
I have no idea what a Heavy planted tank looks like at all. This picture does not do its justice. This is my Endler tank. I have 7 females to 1 male. 2 albino Cories and I have no idea how many Amano are in there.. i know there they are there. I know i have bought about 10 for this 20 and 2 mystery snails. Oh and this has a Paintball CO2 Tank attached to it. with Beam works light.
I'm going to disagree trickster a little bit. Bottom fish like corys, BN & most cichlids can uproot newly planted plants even by accident. You want the plants to get established & grow nice roots before they are introduced.
Otos need a well established tank of several months & a nice biofilm to do well. Almost all are still wild caught & are likely starved by the time they get to your lfs. They often don't recognize algae wafers, veggies or any other foods we offer. Good questions before you buy them "How long have you had them", "What are they eating (not what "can" they eat)? & ask to see them fed. Beware thin or emaciated otos...or any other fish...
Otos need a well established tank of several months & a nice biofilm to do well. Almost all are still wild caught & are likely starved by the time they get to your lfs. They often don't recognize algae wafers, veggies or any other foods we offer. Good questions before you buy them "How long have you had them", "What are they eating (not what "can" they eat)? & ask to see them fed. Beware thin or emaciated otos...or any other fish...
