Stock

[darrenoneill1973]

Hi,

I have a 65ltr tank with 4 harlequins, 1 otto, 1 siamese fighter, 2 amato shrimp, about 8 assassins and a load of malaysian snails.

I'm told and have read that the snails and invertebrates don't count. That said I know I should have more harlequins so want to get a few more of them. I want to get a few pepper corys, 2 zebra snails and a few more shrimp to work on algae eating.

I was thinking siamese algae eaters but I've read that they don't do well with the fighters.

Water quality is good, well established bio media and gravel with daily tests looking good with 20% water changes weekly.

Any thoughts?

[ScottishFish]

Peppered cories can get pretty big, and they need a school, so minimum 6. If i were you I would forget them.

Siamese algae eaters can get big and nasty, with your tank you are better upping your school to minimum of 8. If you have a problem with algae perhaps move the tank to a darker room?

Also to be on the safe side up your water changes to 50-75% a week

[darrenoneill1973]

So you are saying up the Harlequins to eight and leave it there? Don't get anything else.

[MLBfan]

You should up the harlequins and the otos. To which extent though partly depends on tank size( dimensions). What are they?

For the betta (Siamese fighting fish), what is it's temperament like? If it is generally nice, then I think you can keep it, but if it can be mean and territorial, I recommend re-homing it.

Also, for otos, I'd up the school after quarantining them and making sure you have lots of algae. This is also why I don't recommend anything else that weill eat much algae. I recommend growing some. Read:

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GREEN ALGAE

Equipment
A container. Large and low is best
A group of inert, rounded stones; river cobbles is best
An ammonia source
corse sand paper
Sea salt for marine.
Sponge filter, air pump, airline and air stone.
Sunlight

I use kiddy pools on my back deck, but you can use what you like, as long as its low and wide like that. I use fist-sized river cobbles. I sand the 'top' of the stones with coarse sandpaper to rough the stones up a bit so the algae will stick better. I spread them all over the bottom of the pool in one level, except for a corner where I place the sponge filter. I fill the pool with regular, dechlorinated water.
In freshwater you'll need a ammonia source. I use guppies for this. Get good guppies, not the feeder kinds, as you don't want to introduce disease. I use guppies because of their great temperature range: 60 to 90 degrees. I start the air pump. My pools get about six hours of sunlight a day, and indirect the rest of the day.
For marine, I use brackish water, about 1.005 to 1.010, as regular 1.025 sea water just turns green. You don't need an ammonia source, and it'll take you a while to tweak the salt level where the water stays pretty clear and the algae is on the stones.
It takes about three to five weeks to get a good growth on the stones. You could add phosphate and or nitrate to speed things up, but there's no need. I feed the guppies two or three times a day.
The stones are perfect for feeding freshwater fish like Otocinclus and other sucker-mouthed catfish, silver dollars, pacus; lots of herbivore fish. In marine, the algae-covered stones are a natural food source for Tangs, some blennies, some snails; all kinds of creatures in marine and marine reef tanks.
After the stones are picked clean, I replace them in the the pools. In about two weeks they are 'full' again.
Obviously, the bright spring and summer are the best time to culture on stones, though if you have an enclosed porch or sunroom, you can put your cultures there. If a room gets below 70, use a heater for the guppies' sake.
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[darrenoneill1973]

Thanks for that.

I intend to add another 4 harlequins to get the school up to a decent size.

I do have a good supply of algae though, tank isn't in direct sunlight but does get good light so I have plenty of food for the algae eaters.

The betta is pretty passive, active but passive, he occasionally has a little chase but it's rare, he tends to just casually swim around investigating nooks and crannies and enjoys his daphnia.

Tank is only 14 gallons so can't put too much more in there, I thought small was the way to go when starting but it seems big is better!!

[imma24]

Tank is only 14 gallons so can't put too much more in there, I thought small was the way to go when starting but it seems big is better!!

Absolutely - when starting out, people are always advised to get the largest tank you can afford - more stocking options & easier to maintain good water parameters.

[ScottishFish]

+1 to andrea

Any toxins take longer to build up in a larger body of water, 14g isn't bad for a starting tank

[darrenoneill1973]

Thanks all,

I added another 4 harlequins yesterday and so far they are doing fine so the school is now 8 strong and they are all getting along fine. Nobody is hiding and they are in the middle of the tank, good stuff.

Betta is leaving them alone and the shrimp are being shrimp! Funny little guys!!