10G Bioload - check please!

[Chevko]

Edit:Er. I think I put this in the right board. Feel free to move if not really =\

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Okay, so I've got a ten gallon, I've got some money finally and am going to get the rest of some basic necessities. I wanted to check with you guys on bioloads.

I know at least two of these are good with your guys' blessing, but I wanted to check on a full setup. I know this is super crowded but I wanted to run it by you guys for a bioload check. I'm thinking about doing an NPT but I've also got a sponge filter I can put in as well to try and keep ammonia down.

3-4 banded loaches
1 betta fish
3? panda cories
1-2 otos for algae cleanup

I've finally found someone that can get me loaches so they are definitely going in the tank. I've read that the loaches will munch on snails and shrimp alike if they're hungry and find them so I'm nervous about that. I mean, I could go with a few ghost shrimp if the loaches have poor eyesight like bettas, but 3-4 banded loaches? They're liable to find them and have lunch. Snail-wise, I've read that Apples/Mysteries can get pretty big so I was more interested in Nerites... Or is there something else one would suggest for algae cleanup?

Yeah, there's a few questions in there, but... I'm going to try and get my airpump ordered as well as a heater online through PetCo due to online pricing, so those will come in in maybe a week. I'm going to try and get the hose, sand and a few other things hopefully tomorrow since I get paid tonight and I'm off tomorrow.

lol, I'm sorry I keep asking about cories, the panda markings are just too adorable and I'm determined to get some at some point here. I know that a 29 would be utterly perfect, but I don't have the money for it plus the stuff I need and we did just get that 10gal.

[PaulO]

http://aqadvisor.com/

This is what I use to check if a bio load is okay for a "dream" set up. Its a useful tool and I keep it in my bookmarks. You can also Google "aquarium calculator" and you'll get a bunch more.

[aokashi]

The bioload a NPT can take is much much more than a regular cycled non-planted tank. We nee to know how heavily your tank is planted...
(a photo will help)
and with what plants

also I wont recommend 7 bottom dwellers of two different species, especially in a planted tank where floor space is limited.

if you want to stock a little heavier find three species one occupying the bottom, one the middle and maybe the betta wi take the top... otos are fine also as they occupy walls....


another important thing is to not throw all these things in at once instead do one group at a time, so the plants can absorb the ammonia in a timely fashion..

usually the question about stocking NPT is not bioload but rather, what is still considered ethically ok? maybethe tank can take the bioload of 60 fish, but it's unlikely that any one of those fish will be confortable and have enough space to swim in without entering another fish's territory or movement space.

[Bombalurina]

+1. If you don't have room for a full school of cories (min. 5) and a full school of otos (min. 5) then I wouldn't get either. Sorry! How about adding another set of mid-top swimmers? Depending on your water hardness/pH a group of Endlers or Embers (not that I'm biased about these species at all!) would be lovely. :) I reckon a planted tank could cope with the bioload of 5 embers/3 male Endlers, a betta and some loaches, and you wouldn't be crowding up one level.

[Chevko]

@PaulO
Thank you so much! I will definitely keep this in mind!

@aokashi
I don't have it planted yet, I'm going to be going to PetCo tomorrow (fingers crossed) to pick up some more supplies. I'm wanting to get lots and lots of Cabomba, Hornwort and maybe Wisteria. I'm thinking Microsword, too.

As far as stocking it goes, I'm going to do it bit by bit, leaving the betta for last so it's not flipping out about these strange fish entering it's territory. I don't particularly want the loaches to be the first, but the betta needs to be last. I don't know what else to put in the tank. Would... I know these are/can be a bad idea depending on type, but could I potentially do a bristlenose since otos are so sensitive to water due to capture methods to start things off? Forego the corys and go with a bristlenose or a butterfly/stingray/borneo pleco? (They're all the same on that last one) I just can't find any info on the latter pleco there.

[Chevko]

Augh, the edit option closed for me.

So, I had another question here... Since I'm wanting to an NPT or at least attempt to, how much dirt and what kind of dirt should I use? I also want the loaches to be able to burrow at least a little bit. I'm thinking about using something like hamster tubes so they can have a tunnel or two under the dirt. Is this a good idea? Or should I leave the tubing above the dirt for them to play in?