New Member Intro

Hi David, welcome to the forum 

It sounds as though you have already succumbed to multiple tank syndrome (commonly called MTS) 

Just to warn you, the three dwarf cories (which includes habrosus) do better in a group of at least 10. They will be less stressed so 10 will add only a tiny bit more bioload than a stressed group of 5 or 6.

The opals are lovely fish, I had some many years ago. They are one of the hardier species of apisto. When you go to buy them try to get a bonded pair. The way to do this is to stand motionless and watch the tank. The fish will eventually forget you are there and start behaving normally. The males will display to each other and maybe make threatening gestures. The females will just potter around. If a male allows a female to stay near him and doesn't chase her away, they are more likely (though not guaranteed) to be bonded. It is better if you take someone with you, then when you have chosen your fish, send the other person to find someone to serve you while you keep your eyes on the chosen fish.

 
Thanks for the warm welcome and tips.  I think I really want the Apisto's at some point.

I knew that the habrosus feel more confident the more of them there are.  Using the "community creator", I was afraid I would overload the 20L bioload, but I'll look at that again more closely.  I would rather not have them at all than have them be unhappy or stressed.

One other option I thought of is to get one of the smaller plecos, like a Clown.  But even they may get too big for a 20 gallon tank.  Do they need a buddy, or are they okay being a solo pleco?

Hi David, and welcome to the forum. 

It's always nice to have another multi tank syndrome sufferer on board, and look forward to hearing about your tanks. 

Looking forward to reading of how your various tanks are doing and how your plans for the 15-gallon one evolve   

Ok, so here's an update.  The 7 WCCM's spawned (without dad's permission  ), and created 7 fry.  I love that minnows do not eat their fry.  These little guys just appeared one day.  Nevertheless, I moved them down to the 15 gallon temporarily, where they still are.  When the 8 purple harlequin rasboras came out of QT, I moved them into the 20L with the 7 adult minnows; both cyprinids, and supposedly would get along.  Initially a couple of the male minnows appeared to be bullying the rasboras; not doing any actual harm, just intimidating them and hearding them into (an apparently) frightened shoal in the corner of the tank.  Eventually they seemed to sort all this out, and they live (and even school together) peacefully.  Nevertheless, it is clear the minnows have established themselves as the alpha-species.  It helped to move some plants around and change up the territory.

I got 10 corydora habrosus but five of them died in QT, unfortunately, due to bad advice I followed about treating them with meds (even though no sign of disease).  I've decided to adjust my tank stocking plans, because only five cory's in the 20L might be intimidated, and because of stocking limits.  I'm planning to move the five minnow teenagers back from the 15 to the 20L to join the seven minnow adults, and move the 8 rasboras and 5 corydoras into the 15 together.  Bioload numbers make more sense that way, the corys will probably be happier, and I'll have a WCCM species-only 20 gallon tank, which I can maintain without a heater, since these guys like colder water.  Then I can eventually get some more rasboras and more corydoras for the 15 gallon.

Finally, I acquired 20 "sundadanio globinis", sometimes called "miniature blue neon rasboras", in a ten gallon tank.  They are really darling little fish, but the water parameters are more tricky.  I describe this adventure in more detail in a post I did to the species-specific Rasbora forum, where there are more details about this.

Thanks again for the warm welcome.

Just a quick 'hello' from me, David. Good to have you on board.

JPC

Looking forward to reading of how your various tanks are doing and how your plans for the 15-gallon one evolve - as well as see some photos of the tanks. 

Here's a temporary link to a video of the minnows and rasboras schooling together:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-C4TGYwnG0FTuCRlYDW-G9qJ_DvKjbZd

Yey, photos and a video  thanks for those!

Are those live plants? Let me know if you need a hand with anything plant related, I seem to have become our resident plant expert after getting in to 'aquascaping' a few years ago.

I'm also intrigued by the sponge in the front centre... are you cycling a filter for a new tank!?

I have been slow to get into live plants with the extra work, but recognize the benefits. The only live plant in the picture is on the far right.  It's my first experiment, a cryptocoryne undulatus "red".  Supposedly to be low maintenance, low light, and really nice.  The others are all plastic or silk.

I do have some sponges floating around getting cycled, but that one is a round filter intake sponge that I took off temporarily to clear out some bigger chunks of stuff floating around the tank after a gravel vacuum.  I need to put it back on.  I will definitely call on you for plant help, if I get more.  We'll see how the cryptocoryne does.

Be aware it might melt but provided the root stock is healthy it should regrow with new leaves more suited to aquatic life. Plants are grown emersed (out of water) in the nurseries as it makes for quicker growth (better access to co2) and more sturdy plants for transport ( no water around them to support then). Just like if the area they were growing in in the wild got flooded, they go through a process of replacing the terrestrial leaves with aquatic variants.

I got this plant from a Danish supplier that grows them in a lab from tissue culture.  They are shipped in a liquid growing media and are quite damp when unpackaged.  The lid is sealed on the cup.
https://tropica.com/en/plants/plantdetails/Cryptocoryneundulatus'Red'(110BTC)/19225

And here's how they grow them:
https://tropica.com/en/articles/about-emerse-production/

Thanks for your comments.

Tropical tissue culture plants are probably the best out there, good choice!! Looks like you've got some good growth there already

Yes, a little spendy, but in beautiful shape, and no snails.  And if they thrive, I shouldn't need to buy anymore; I'm told they spread, and I can create multiple plants out of one.