From reading your original post it sounds like you haven't cycled the tank. If you filled it with water, added cycle and fish then your tank isn't cycled and you're going to run into alot of problems. Having compatible fish is important but the ones you have will either die or get very weak if you don't cycle your tank. If you want to cycle your tank with fish get only one and a liquid test kit. Ammonia will spike first, then nitrite and finally your readings will be 0 for each. A & N are highly toxic to the fish. Take all of the fish back and get a test kit and read up on cycling the tank. The cycle you added doesn't work and I guess it was more bad advice from the store you went to. Bacteria needs to be refrigerated to be kept alive and isn't cycle right off the shelf? If you're going to do this with a fish add lots of live plants. Just float them, they'll help to take up the ammonia, nitrites and nitrate. You can remove them later if you choose to not have plants but it will make it easier on the fish.
Choosing the right fish!
- Thread starter ktkt22
- Start date
O.k. just read your second post where you say your tank is cycled. You need ammonia to get the cycle started. The ammonia would have come from a fish, fish food or liquid ammonia which you added during cycling. If you just left the tank sitting there for 3 weeks it hasn't cycled. It sounds like you have a test kit since you say your readings are at 0. Start testing now with the fish in the tank. If you have ammonia I still say take the fish back. Either way you need to start very slowly and not stock the tank all at once. There's not enough beneficial bacteria in there yet to take up the A & N from all of these fish. Another good way to help with the cycle is to get a bit of filter media (sponge etc....) from an established tank and stick it behind the media in your filter.
controlling an MTS population is a bad idea IMO, MTS is one of the best "pest" snails you can find. Even a single loach can wipe out an entire population.
I disagree with Dwarf_Puffers on the loaches. I think loaches make WONDERFUL pets. And they take a long time to get big so size is something you can worry about later. By that time you may even want to upgrade your tank. However, it is very important to keep 2 or more together. They do get lonely and depressed if they have no one to play with. I'd suggest clown loaches or dwarf chains as Puffer said. Other great detritus feeders are Corydoras Catfish. They come in lots of different patterns and make for an adorably active tank. Again, they should be bought in sets of 2 or more.
Clown loaches will reach 5 inches rather quickly, within a few months. Their growth will slow down after that but that is will be too much for this tank.
I think you should always take into account adult size BEFORE adding them to the tank. By the time you worry about it they may already be stunted.
I think the loach should be removed and you should get 5-6 corys instead.
Eventually yes. Two 6" gouramis is what I would be concerned with, along with a loach that gets fairly large and is very social.
I dont think so. The thing with the loach is not completely the size but that they are very social and thrive in groups of at least 3 or 4, and that many is completely out of the question with your tank. Corys are rather small and do not contribute a whole lot to bioload (though they still do like any other fish).
I would also suggest removing one gourami. Eventually the conspecific aggression may become too much until only one is left.
I would also suggest removing one gourami. Eventually the conspecific aggression may become too much until only one is left.
