please advise me on stocking density

[helen nightingale]

the new tank is getting there but im not sure how many fish i can fit in.

its a 400l tank, and will have eheim externals, and sand on the bottom

i know i need at least 5 of each of b. striata and yoyos (and the birdii) and i will probably stick with rasboras as the dither


id quite like to go for plenty of striatas, but i am wondering whether it would be better to go for a higher number of yoyos to reduce agression among them? i hope they get on ok, but if the yoyos procve too much for the striata, then i have a spare tank, so i can separate them if it doesnt work out. how many do you think would be best of each?

i have several good size bits of bogwood with good caves in, and plants for on top of them, and the plastic caves that they currently have. i had thought about trying some plastic flexible piping, like washing machine piping, to make tunnels for them. has anyone tried this?


Emma if that fish you have for me is a birdii, not some strange colour morph, then do they ever catch any more of them? it would interesting to have a group of them.

thanks!

[Emma Turner]

Emma if that fish you have for me is a birdii, not some strange colour morph, then do they ever catch any more of them? it would interesting to have a group of them.

thanks!

That loach is a special fish. Never seen any others like it in years of working in aquatics. I got a new shipment of Yo-Yo loaches in about 3 weeks ago, but alas, no 'birdii' lookalikes in there. (admittedly I used a different supplier to normal though). I will always be keeping an eye out for these now, so if we get another, he/she's yours, Hels.

Emma

[helen nightingale]

Hey, thanks Emma

he certainly is special, and i had expected it would be virtually impossible to find another one. very occasionaly i get burst of optimism, and you just encountered one i will still peer very closely into your yoyo and striata tanks though. this cheeky one "escaped" your lovely display tank:



i havent had much time to practise, but at least i sort of captured the interesting parts

would you mind giving me your thoughts on this fish too? i bought it as a yoyo, but the other one i bought at the same time now has the normal adult markings, and this one just doesnt look like a yoyo to me. he is the underling.



sorry for the bad picture - its the best one i've got so far.....

thanks

[Emma Turner]

Hi Helen,

I'd guess at that second fish pic being a B. rostrata. Looks like the sort of 'in between' stage when the ladder/twin bar patterning changes into a more reticulated pattern (visible on the head area of this fish). See what everyone else thinks, as it's possible that it could be a juvenile B. kubotai too....

Emma

[helen nightingale]

thanks Emma. i had wondered about rostrata, but i hadnt thought about kubotai. i must work on improving my picture quality! its come out more fuzzy on LOL than when i looked at it on my picture programme

more dilemmas about stocking then should i give up hope of getting a hillstream tank, and have 2 botia species tanks intead? or do i realistically have room for groups of 3 species in my tank? i think its the 5x2' footprint tank, rather than a very tall one. it still doesnt look that big for 15 loaches

[Emma Turner]

I think you'd be fine with at least 10 B. striata and 8 or 9 Yo-yo's, plus the 'birdi'. That would still leave you room for a large amount of dither fish, easily 40 x 1" long fish, for example.

I think your other mystery Botia (in the photo) will be fine in the mix of striata/yo-yos until it gets to a point where it is clear what it is. Then you can always add a few of it's own kind, as there would be room. If that's the case, you could lower the numbers of striata/yo-yo's that you are planning on getting to 7 or 8 each, and then purchase a few of whatever this one turns out to be.

Emma

[helen nightingale]

thats much more fish than i thought i dont want to turn into a monsterfish troll, but that has cheered me up. i had thought i wouldnt get to keep rostrata or kubotai due to no spare space. you have rostrata, dont you?

i am now trying to imagine that many rasbora dorciocellata with the colorful eyes. that would look very nice

thanks for making me happy, Em

[Emma Turner]

No problemo! And, yes, we have B. rostrata......


Emma

[angelfish83]

No problemo! And, yes, we have B. rostrata......


Emma

The quality you guys keep those fish at in that shop is mind blowing...

[Emma Turner]

Thank you.

[helen nightingale]

from just looking at some of your pictures, people wouldnt realise some were taken in a stock tank