Filter media/cartridges

[Dutchz]

More bb is in your filter media than your substrate, and using a gravel vac won't disturb your bb enough to notice. Also, if you're adding juvenile Cory's or small Cory's you should be fine adding six at once, but as always just watch your parameters.

I totally agree with you just rinse you mechanical sponges often. And test water. What are you using to test?

 

[New2me]

Using master test kit ( think that's what it's called?) not the strips anyway! Water is great so far...sooooo don't want to mess it up. It will b small cory's 1.5 inches each...I only have 2 platty's at the moment... R u sure a jump of adding 6 fish at once won't b too much at once??? If so that is great, super excited to get them together ta. X

 

[Dutchz]

Well it's a lot of fish how big is your tank. And how long it's been setup?

 

[New2me]

It's only been running 6 weeks with 2 platty's, 60litres/ think that's about 16 G?! That's why I thought only 3 cory's at first?? Cycle has been complete for a couple of weeks. Thanks

 

[Zimmanski]

It's only been running 6 weeks with 2 platty's, 60litres/ think that's about 16 G?! That's why I thought only 3 cory's at first?? Cycle has been complete for a couple of weeks. Thanks

Hmm, 16g isn't a whole lot of water. What else were you thinking about putting in the tank?

 

[New2me]

Fully stocked I thought my 2 current platty's + 4-6 cory's and a pair of dwarf gourami's

What do u think? The pet shop suggested more but I thought this would b plenty?

 

[New2me]

I'm v open to suggestion though...this is my first time doing this. My PH is neutral and temp is 24 at the moment.... I realised many fish would be or get get too big for this tank but not very keen on danios, tetras etc. Have seen some nice guppy's but not keen on having fry to deal with and had read guppy's can be aggressive with each other?? (my platty's are both female)

 

[Dutchz]

Well how about you get just male or female guppies. Males can be very pretty.

 

[Horsegirlmaddy]

Platies are so much easier than guppies IMO. I had a Mickey mouse Platy I my tank for YEARS! He has been in dozens of different tanks with different tank mates, moving around constantly as I figured out what I wanted in each tank. He's still trucking around! The longest I've kept guppies alive was like a month...they just seem to die with no reason at all. I've never seen platies get aggressive or nippy (just my experiences of course)

 

[New2me]

Thanks for input guys...I'm a little distracted as one of my girls is behaving strangely?! Clamped top fin and erratic swimming against decor...eating etc all fine but she is being v grumpy with her companion too! Water params say all perfect, did weekly water change 2 days ago and gave a couple of my filter cartridges a rinse in a bucket of used tank water...have I done something wrong or is this a disease?? Please help, thanks again.

 

[Dutchz]

I will say guppies and platies are both hardy. If you go platies do gold twin bar platies check out the thread I wrote on it. Well its more or less thoughts or options on them. But you could also go the way of guppies which I also very good. Get the cheap pretty ones to start off and get more advanced as you keep going on. I would go 1-2 of both but sounds like you stay with one gender so the do not have fry. I recommend both of these they are both very hardy but still need good water. I would recommend going this route. Just test nitrates weekly. And stay below 20-40 ppm. (Parts per million). You should have no issue just quick test tap and post results depending on results we will choose a route to go.