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i have a 60l tank, 60x35x30, its cycling at the moment im thinking of putting
3 gouramis
5 cherry barbs
7 black neon or cardinal tetras
shrimp
is it overcrowded and which fish would be the most hardiest to be the 1st in
thanks!

What kind of gouramis? If you dropped the gourami down to one, you should be alright given you have great filtration and great water maintenance habits

woops soz i forgot to say
3 honey gouramis, and its a elite stingray internal filter and i would do water changes every week around 20% and cleaning gravel also!

i would really consider a hobfilter, internal filters might be the best thing for that many fish.

Yes it is far more stocking than I would do. Especially with only an internal filter. You need at least an hob or a cannister for such a heavily stocked tank. If it were me I would not only switch to an hob but cut the cherry barbs down to 2-3 since they are not schooling fish and don't really appreciate company anyway and either lower the gourami numbers or completely cut out 1 species. The black neons would take up nearly all the mid swimming space in a tank that size so adding in the barbs and gouramis you're mid level is rather cramped. Getting cardinals would help since they are a bit slimmer in body and smaller than the black neons. The shrimp are fine since they add barely any bioload and stay on the bottom but everything else is all on the same level and about twice what I think would comfortably fit in the midlevel of that size tank.

That is pretty much equivalent to a 20 gallon tank, which is what I have and I don't think that is too many fish. I agree with having species that inhabit various levels of the tank (top, middle, bottom), but at the same time, these fish will adapt to whatever area they have (gouramis and cardinals are top OR middle level swimmers and cherry barbs have no specific swimming level!) Cherry barbs do not school closely like other barbs, no, but anywhere you read still says they should and prefer to be kept in small groups and DO prefer each others' company. Those are also relatively small fish so I think it will be just fine. Just keep to the one inch of fish per gallon rule, which I don't believe you have exceeded yet if your tank is about the size of mine. Cheers!

Also, I have an HOB power filter for my tank and I do recommend you get one as well. I have not had experience with other filters but this one is just wonderful.

This question might sound silly, is it an empty 60lt tank or is it a tank that actually holds 60lt? To give you an idea my 45lt when actually fully aquscaped came down to 32lt. Now that is a big difference. What I am saying is your water capicity could be far less that you think and this will effect you fish load.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

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