# Will this work?



## MaelStrom (Jun 24, 2007)

Ok well after some research , talking to people, I have come up with an awaurium set up/ stock. Im going to get a 20 Gallon long and I will probally get an oversized filter( a 40 gallon)
3 -Killis( NO clue on species.. maybe Fundulopanchax gardneri )
3 -Kuhlii Loaches
1 -Albino( long finned if possible) Bristlenose Pleco
2 Scarlet Badis (_Dario Dario_)
3-4 -Harlequinn Rasbora
2 - Apistogramma

Im not sure if the tank will be over stocked, and the apistogramma is a maybe as most sites say they are hard to keep so maybe later. Do you think this will work?

I was thinkink about getting a rainbow dartfish but I couldnt find much info on them...


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## judya (Jan 23, 2005)

I'll take this individually - Kuhlii loaches - interesting, but you really won't see them very often - they hide in the substrate area.
Badis Badis - IMO a less hardy fish. They and the apistogrammas will occupy the same bottom area of the tank.
Bristlenose pleco - nice fish - make sure you have some driftwood in the tank for it 
Harlequin - easy fish - you may want a little bigger school
Apistogramma - a bit harder to keep- you might also consider a pair of kribensis instead - if you get lucky on the Apistos you might get a pair and they will breed - same with the kribensis, which are usually sexable, even in the store - the female krib has red on the belly, the male longer and leaner, with longer fins
Killies - fine - make sure there is a tight cover - many top swimming fish jump out of tanks.

The tankmates you are describing are heavy on fish that are more bottom area - the badis, the bristlenose, the apistos, the kuhlii
Also this is going to be overcrowded
If you want the apistos, wait until the tank is well-established - several months - before adding them, as they are more sensitive to ammonia, and nitrite. They also prefer a lower pH. You may want to test your water and see what you have
I'd recommend starting with the bristlenose, the harlequin, and perhaps the killies, and holding off on the other three species until you give the tank (and your fishkeeping skills) plenty of time to settle and get over the cycling.


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## Zoe (Feb 26, 2006)

The species he wants is Dario Dario, which is perfectly hardy. The females are much less hardy, mind you, and in my experience, 1 out of 3 will die within a month. I have no yet experienced a death among the males.

I would skip the kuhli's... they get pretty big and while you could probably pull it off, it's a shame to lose so much bioload to something you will rarely see.

Same goes for the pleco, IMO... you won't see your bristle nose very much, and a pleco in a 20 gallon tank is pushing it. They are very high waste animals - but if you like plecos particularly, go for it. I'd recommend you get a few cories instead.

I'd recommend going with something like this:

2 apistos
4 dario dario 
6 harlequin rasboras
4 top-dwelling killis
a dozen red cherry shrimp

That's bringing your numbers down a bit, but if you have two apistos, they can get awfully cranky while spawning, so you need to leave them with enough room.


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## MaelStrom (Jun 24, 2007)

Thanks! Zoe, you list sounds great! I just saw some cherry reds in a fish magazine and I thought they look awesome! The cherry red shrimp will clean up the tank right? I know they eat algae so should I get like a cory also or will the shrimp eat up the extra food also?


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## Zoe (Feb 26, 2006)

I wouldn't expect the shrimp to do too much cleaning... they will pick at algae and detritus, but my shrimp always rush out when I feed my fish. They like a variety of foods but they seem to prefer sinking pellets.
Cories will not eat algae, and if you have apistos and dario dario (both bottom-dwelling fishies), you wouldn't have room for cories.

You could defintely get a couple cories if you really like them, but I wouldn't bother with them.

If you have serious algae issues, a bristlenose pleco or an SAE will help, but IMO they aren't worth the bio-load and waste they produce... Nothing replaces regular water changes and a good algae brush


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## Guest (Jul 5, 2007)

corries and apistos may eat cherry shrimp IME


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## Apotheosis (Jul 2, 2007)

Yea, I'd be wary about the shrimp being eaten in that combo. Cherry shrimp are beautiful, but I don't know if I would risk it if I were you. I like Zoe's list, but maybe consider a bristlenose pleco instead of shrimp.


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## Guest (Jul 7, 2007)

yeah i breed LF albino BN plecos


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## Guest (Jul 7, 2007)

if you really want shrimp, try it with some ghost shrimp first. they are aboiut the sme size a cherry shrimp and are alot cheaper. the nost expensive i have aver seen them was 59 cents each. if these live in your tank and aren't getting eaten, i say go for the cherry shrimp but always ecpect some to be eaten.


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