Well, my 55 gallon tank caught a raging case of Ich. :shock: Actually, Raging is perhaps too strong a word, but bad enough, since there are loaches in it. I noticed a dead Kuhli. Two days later, I noticed some white spots on some cherry barbs, some harlequins, and a gourami. Not many but enough to know I had Ich. I upped the temp to 88 on the end of the tank with the heater, 82 on the far end of the tank (Ambient is about 65, and it's a long, narrow tank). In any case, I lost one more Kuhli, and my male Pearl Gourami. The 2 week course of treatment ended last week, and I had just rearranged the plants and rockwork this weekend. My female gourami pined away though, and was dead this evening.
So, this tank right now has:
12 Harlequins
8 cherry barbs (2 male)
3 Kuhli Loaches (that I rarely see)
5 Botia Striata
2 Bristlenosed Plecos.
And unknown number (but not incredibly high - they're rarely seen) of MTS and a very few pond snails.
What it lacks is any top water fish or large centerpiece fish.
Now, I know that the stocking level is above the rule of thumb already. It is, however, a heavily planted tank, and it does get a weekly 10% water change and gravel vacuum. With the plants keeping the nitrates down, I expect I could get another 10 to 20 inches of small to medium (6" or less) fish in there without unduly stressing the capacity.
Now - this is in my living room. Part of the gouramis' problem was that they rarely came to the front of the tank, as my miniature chaos elementels unconvincingly diguised as small girls regularly raise a ruckus in there, and the TV gets loud sometimes. So shy fish of a diurnal persuasion are right out. Curious fish are good. Nocturnal fish don't answer the purpose.
So, bottom line - if you do not think I am completely off base on my stocking estimate, what sort of (preferably south Asian) fish would you suggest? (If you do think I am off base, please, tell me so.)
So, this tank right now has:
12 Harlequins
8 cherry barbs (2 male)
3 Kuhli Loaches (that I rarely see)
5 Botia Striata
2 Bristlenosed Plecos.
And unknown number (but not incredibly high - they're rarely seen) of MTS and a very few pond snails.
What it lacks is any top water fish or large centerpiece fish.
Now, I know that the stocking level is above the rule of thumb already. It is, however, a heavily planted tank, and it does get a weekly 10% water change and gravel vacuum. With the plants keeping the nitrates down, I expect I could get another 10 to 20 inches of small to medium (6" or less) fish in there without unduly stressing the capacity.
Now - this is in my living room. Part of the gouramis' problem was that they rarely came to the front of the tank, as my miniature chaos elementels unconvincingly diguised as small girls regularly raise a ruckus in there, and the TV gets loud sometimes. So shy fish of a diurnal persuasion are right out. Curious fish are good. Nocturnal fish don't answer the purpose.
So, bottom line - if you do not think I am completely off base on my stocking estimate, what sort of (preferably south Asian) fish would you suggest? (If you do think I am off base, please, tell me so.)