[kisame1235]

So i currently have a 30 gallon fish tank . In this tank their are 2 gourami of opposite sex . 6 cherry barbs 2 clown loaches and 2 of those little pencil shaped algae eaters . The plan of this tank is that everything will remain clean and maintainence (sp) will be minimal . The idea was to go for an asian theme which so far i've succesfuly done . The loaches get the bottom , the barbs have the middle , those pencil guys the sides , and the gourami the top . However i've recently found out that apparently barbs can be fin nippers towards gourami . I've yet to see any of this or any signs of it but I'd like to be safe . Also I'd like to know if my tank is overstocked and what fish could be swapped out for the ones I currently have . Thanks.

 

[captain_bu]

Clown loaches can grow to 16", they are not appropriate for a tank this size and should go back to the LFS. Try either a smaller type of loach of a small school of cories. Barbs tend to be less nippy if kept in a school, I am not sure if 6 is enough to prevent aggression but you may be okay and six is certainly better than if you had only one or two. Keep an eye on them.

 

[bluetik]

I have 6 cherry barbs in my 46 gallon, and they have never bothered anyone. I also have a gold Gourami. I think it is Tiger Barbs that tend to be a bit more nippy.

Also, if you are looking for a really cool loach to substitute in for those Clown Loaches, try a few Kuhli Loaches. They stay small and are really sweet fish -- my favorites in my tank, actually.

Hope this helps!

 

[Jmecalo]

Greetings

The fish you have are actually fine.

The clown loaches grow about one inch a year so you have a long time before you need to worry about getting them out of your new tank. I have seen many five to six inch clown loaches living in a 30 gallon tank. Once I saw a really big one in a pet shop in Saint Louis, but it was supposed to be like twenty years old. (Yours may get that big someday, but someday is a long time from now for you.) Clown Loaches are very easy going fish and will not bother the others, except snails, they eat snails!

Your gouramis must be small if Cherry barbs are bothering them. Give them a few months and and they will be four times the size of the cheery's and they will be the boss's of the tank. My four adult gouramis are in a 30 gallon tank with a big red tail shark that likes to wrestle and they do just fine with him.

The chinese algea eaters will grow quickly and as they grow they will begin to eat less algea and just eat fish food. Then they will start bothering the other fish. I'd worry about these guys before i'd worry about the clown loaches. I wouldn't worry about any of them too much.

 

[lauraleellbp]

My LSF had a 13" clown loach in the store last year that was only 2 years old. It's very easy to stunt loach growth.

Also- if your "pencil shaped" algae eaters are Chinese Algae Eaters, those grow to about 12" too, and also tend to get aggressive and stop eating algae once they get a little bigger.

 

[kisame1235]

I think they were called siamese algae eaters .

 

[wendyjo]

My LSF had a 13" clown loach in the store last year that was only 2 years old. It's very easy to stunt loach growth.

Also- if your "pencil shaped" algae eaters are Chinese Algae Eaters, those grow to about 12" too, and also tend to get aggressive and stop eating algae once they get a little bigger.

A foot long CAE?

 

[kisame1235]

Alright well the entire tank got flipped around and I think I may have messed it up . Their in a 55 gallon tank now . The contents are 2 gourami , 2 ostinuculus ( the pencil guys were labeled that ) 6 rosy barbs , 9 cherry barbs , 9 harlequin rasboras , 2 kuhli loaches , and I think that's it . Now with the addition of new barbs I'll look for signs of hostility towards the gourami . But the gourami are big and the barbs are small so I haven't seen any troubles yet .

 

[lauraleellbp]

A foot long CAE?

Yup.

Most people get rid of them long before they get that size, though, since they get ugly and extremely aggressive.

 

[lauraleellbp]

Alright well the entire tank got flipped around and I think I may have messed it up . Their in a 55 gallon tank now . The contents are 2 gourami , 2 ostinuculus ( the pencil guys were labeled that ) 6 rosy barbs , 9 cherry barbs , 9 harlequin rasboras , 2 kuhli loaches , and I think that's it . Now with the addition of new barbs I'll look for signs of hostility towards the gourami . But the gourami are big and the barbs are small so I haven't seen any troubles yet .

Otocinclus stay tiny and are great algae eaters. In fact, they're so good that you really should supplement their feeding since there's probably not enough algae for them in a new tank. They love fresh veggies. www.Otocinclus.com is a great reasource for caring for Otos.

Sounds like you've got a good mix in the tank now. IME Rosy and Cherry barbs aren't nearly as nippy as Tiger barbs can be, and the only thing I'd do is add a few more Khuli loaches (like most loaches, they're social critters and prefer to be in schools) and add a few more scavengers to help keep the bottom clean; perhaps some of the 4-6" loaches or some Cory cats.

 

[roadmaster]

I would also suggest more kuhlii loaches. Have kept them for a while now, and found that they don't compete very well with corys or other bottom feeders and are easily intimidated. but if kept as only bottom dwellers, they are much more active during the daylight hours and tend to hide a lot if other bottom dwellers are present.
Rosy barbs can get to six inches and though relatively peaceful,may crowd the gourami when adult size.

 

[kisame1235]

I added in 4 khuli loaches . I would add in corydoras but their a southern american breed and i'm only using fish from sri lanka and parts of asia near it .

 

[lauraleellbp]

(I hate to tell you this, but Otocinclus catfish are native to the Amazon.)

Amano shrimp would be a good choice for your tank as scavengers/algae eaters. They'd fit in your Asian theme, and also are large enough to be safe from all the fish.

 

[FSM]

If clown loaches grew that fast they wouldn't cost well over $100 each for big ones.

They don't get 16" in aquariums

They do better in groups though

 

[CichlidFL.]

this is Marge, go to www,loaches.com

 

[kisame1235]

Well I would try those shrimp out but I can't find them at a lfs . So I'll try those big filter shrimp that just chill all day and filter feed , or maybe a dragon goby I feel like I heard that they filter feed

 

[CichlidFL.]

dragon gobies aka violet gobies are brackish water fish, they usualy die within one or two months in freshwater.

 

[kisame1235]

Aahhh thats gay stuff right there :/ . Ok any suggestions on something thats very good at like filter feeding

 

[lauraleellbp]

Bamboo shrimp