6 Gallon Jbj Nano Cube in Dorm

[chevybowtie77]

Hello,
I am bringing a 6 gallon nano cube to college and I have a couple of questions. In this 6 gallon, I plan to have 3 Neons, 2 Tiger barbs, and 1 dwarf petricola catfish. Right now, all of these fish are approximately 1 inch. It is a 6 gallon tank and I am running the pump at 56 gph so the tank turns over 9 times every hour. The filtration system is three stages. It has a sponge, then carbon and ceramic cylinders for beneficial bacteria, and finally the pump back into the tank. I am aware the catfish may need to be moved in the future but I come back from school May 4th. Would these fish be fine until then?
Thank you!

[Mumma.of.two]

Originally Posted by chevybowtie77

Hello,
I am bringing a 6 gallon nano cube to college and I have a couple of questions. In this 6 gallon, I plan to have 3 Neons, 2 Tiger barbs, and 1 dwarf petricola catfish. Right now, all of these fish are approximately 1 inch. It is a 6 gallon tank and I am running the pump at 56 gph so the tank turns over 9 times every hour. The filtration system is three stages. It has a sponge, then carbon and ceramic cylinders for beneficial bacteria, and finally the pump back into the tank. I am aware the catfish may need to be moved in the future but I come back from school May 4th. Would these fish be fine until then?
Thank you!

Hi and welcome to AA!!

IMO you need to rethink your stock list. A 6 gal tank isn't very big so you are limited to nano fish, a Betta, shrimp or snails.
Neon tetras need schools of their own kind of 6+ and a 10gal + tank. They maybe small but are very active little fish.
Tigar barbs are semi aggressive. They need schools of their own kind of 6+ and a tank of 30gals or more. they are very nippy towards tank mates.
The cat fish I am unsure of its size but I know it is not suitable for a 6gal tank.

Do you know what cycling is?

[chevybowtie77]

Yes. It is where you establish beneficial bacteria to convert ammonia and nitrites to nitrates. All of the fish an inch or less as of now.

[Mumma.of.two]

Originally Posted by chevybowtie77

Yes. It is where you establish beneficial bacteria to convert ammonia and nitrites to nitrates. All of the fish an inch or less as of now.

Are you planning a fishless or a fish in cycle?

When stocking a tank not only do you have to take into consideration the fishes size as if now but their mature size, bioload, aggression, compatibility with tank mates, if they need a school and swimming space in the tank. A 6gal simply doesn't provide a large enough environment for all those fish. The neons may get bullied to death by the barbs and the cat may suffer from stunting.

[chevybowtie77]

I am doing a fish in cycle right now. I used tetra safestart and am going to do water changes when ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates get too high. I was only going to keep these fish in this tank until the 4th of May because that's when my semester ends. I am considering bring the barbs and catfish back and sticking to tetras but I love diversity and that is hard to acquire in a dorm setting.

[Mumma.of.two]

Originally Posted by chevybowtie77

I am doing a fish in cycle right now. I used tetra safestart and am going to do water changes when ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates get too high. I was only going to keep these fish in this tank until the 4th of May because that's when my semester ends. I am considering bring the barbs and catfish back and sticking to tetras but I love diversity and that is hard to acquire in a dorm setting.

I understand. Keep up your water changes and when you can, rehome those barbs and the cat. Small tanks can be hard to stock but fun too. Do some searching on the site for nano stocking threads and 10g threads. They will give you some ideas on fish that would be suitable. Shrimp are always a favorite in smaller tanks. Bettas are a good choice too. Some bettas (depending on their personality) can be kept with shrimp successfully. I'll link the fish in cycle info for you.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articl...now/Page2.html
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums...de-176446.html

[chevybowtie77]

Thanks. I think I might stick with a few tetras and a snail because neither of them produce a large bio-load and I think the tetras would rather have the tank to themselves. Thanks for the cycling info.

[severum mama]

Ember tetras would be a great choice for a 6 gallon, rather than neons. They often look dull and washed out in the stores, but good water quality will bring out their beautiful orange-red coloration.