xXInkedPhoenixX

I'll put my vote in though I've never had one before I've always wanted to try a Bolivian Ram.

This is a very loaded question. If you're using an online calculator the answer would inveritably be yes. (because mine would all but 1 be overstocked according to it). The question to me is: Are the fish able to move about freely and are healthy without disease and brilliantly (for them) colored and everyone getting along (any signs of aggression that is sometimes a sign of overcrowding)? Are the plants happy and growing? Do I have any regular or persistent water parameter issues that would cause either or both of the other things issues (consistently tests 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and a healthy ammount of Nitrate)? Is the maintenance of this (possibly overstocked) tank too much for me to handle or would it quickly go south if it had no maintenance for a day or two? If the answers are all to the postive then, no, your tank is not overstocked.

Very sorry for your loss. Betta fish are a lot harder to keep than the industry admits- as charming and as beautiful as they are they break my heart so I can't keep them. I hope your others thrive for you.

This is what I do for my Otos and it would work for the Cory feedings too. I get a feeding dish of some kind- this helps me to monitor what/how much is being eaten and it keeps the tank cleaner as well as help the Otos not lose too much food. A lot of people use glass shrimp feeding dishes, I've used small food safe pottery bowls- doesn't mattter. Daily I use a turkey baster or coral feeder and suck out the old food from the dish so as not to foul the water, then I cut a piece of Repashy Super Green (or Soilent depending on what I made) and a Hikari Algae Wafer. They get a whole, new wafer and Repashy every day, sometimes it's gone, sometimes there's a little to a lot left. The fish all know where it is. Now that I have all my Otos in one tank I have 2 bowls and 2 English Cucumber slices that get changed every day. When you get your Otos and Cory I'd recommend putting out food for the Cory in the morning and food out for the Otos at night since they're more active then.

1. I have 5 tanks, 2 twenty gallon talls, a 10 gallon (those three are typical Aqueon tanks), a 4.12 Aquatop cube and a Fluval Flex9, I also have a bladder snail vase. 2. Only once. The only exception to that is recent CPD fry got first bites a few times a day. Even my Oto fry when I have them get fed 1x. Every once in a while I'll feed 2x or even have a fasting day but neither of those happen with any regularity. 3. I would target feed if I needed to-- some species are far more active at night and would benefit from it- my Otos definitely do but don't have any competition for food so they get new food when everyone else does. Which is in the morning shortly after the tank lights come on. 4. I rotate foods for my middle dwellers in 3 tanks- My fish (Black Neons, Harlequin Rasboras, Endlers, Guppies, Ember Tetras and CPDs) REALLY seem to like the Fluval Bug Bites flake lines- so Color Flakes, Spirulina Flakes and Tropical Formulas are in regular rotation with Xtreme Krill flakes, frozen bloodworms and frozen baby brine. My Otos (all 72 of them) get Hikari Algae Wafers and mostly Repashy Super Green (sometimes Soilent but they prefer Super) and a couple of slices of English Cucumber in the tank. My Hillstream in the Flex- though I've only ever witnessed the Guppies eating it, gets a small piece of Repashy and a bottom feeder wafer of some kind (I have a few of those in rotation as well). Snails in my tanks including Nerites and Bladders currently occassionally get snail or crab pellets/foods, repashy etc. Food is randomly rotated, there is no reason to it- if I didn't feed it the day before and I happened to grab the food it goes in.

I will speak to the Otos, I'd recommend at least 6-7- what you get at the LFS will 9 of 10 times be wild caught so you will stand to potentially lose some of them in the first month- even if you don't their bioload is so small this number isn't going to make a difference. Cories to me are different as most are tank raised and most of the time what you get is what you'll end up being able to keep- and but for the smaller species they have a bit higher bioload and are messier eaters 🙂 all in a good way. As far as food an Otos- offer them commercial food from the get-go. As others have mentioned they aren't easy to get to eating it but try and get them to start BEFORE they run out of other options. I've personally had the best of luck with Hikari Algae Wafers and Repashy Super Green. Also mine really like English Cucumber which I put in my tank of 72 Otos via veggie clip every day.

Aww @Torrey I'm sorry you lost your cats that is terrible and one of my worst nightmares. Every day I leave them at home I pet them both and tell them to "watch the house". My cats are well trained but not to a service level- just to a good manners level- would never raise a claw to anything they are not allowed to (they are patient with the claw trims), they understand the word no, they are allowed on counters but not when I'm cooking (and they know it), and never wake me up until after the alarm clock has sounded. Of their own volition they meet me at the door when I come home and always remind me when it's play time and feeding time. When I went to look at cats again it was between the smallest and the largest of the cat breeds I was very close to getting a Maine Coon- but I'm glad I went the direction I went- I love my tiny boys.

@Its Hutch until these 2 boys I've only ever had female cats and Saloli sounds like most of the girls I've had- independent- which is one of the things I really liked about them since I'm not home all the time. You've got a rare personality in Lauretta. 🙂

😄 they are both super sweet boys @Its Hutch but only like me (since we live alone) therefore hide when others are around. Epic is a Singapura and Quantum is a Burmese- both have unreal eyes and are very well trained. Since their breeds are naturally small (2 of the smallest cat breeds) they are each only around 8lbs and soft as bunnies. Silk covered bricks!

Lol! I totally get it. Thankfully I know nothing about Kim AT ALL so I save space for my random facts that serve no purpose other than varied reactions from different people I meet.

I have nothing to add but lol @ "explain it like I'm 5" love it.

I agree with @DaveO, it shouldn't be an issue- but it is something to think about isn't it? I live in an old neighborhood and power can go out easily. When I built my tanks I'm a worst case scenario kind of planner so all my tanks run 2 filters one of which is a sponge run by a lithum battery backed pump (had them before ACO had their version). Power goes out, that sponge keeps going. I also have several small power banks just in case I need to keep one going and I have a regular battery powered portable air bubbler.

This is my cat Epic. He thinks he needs to sit on top of the Flex9 for security reasons, I took this last night, clearly in the dark. This is him in the light of day: This is my other cat Quantum aka Q:

Good, I wish you much luck with the set up! There are lots of good sites about Bettas around, and plenty of Betta keepers here. They're very difficult fish to keep despite what the industry likes to present but very lovely little fish so I'm always rooting for success!

Perfect. Not necessarily calmer no, but there are some beautiful female specimens nowadays- some say you have a lesser chance of aggression. Adding more Endlers would likely help because if you were to get an aggressive Betta I've seen having more "targets" makes them less likely to chase anyone in particular. I'd add the Endlers first. Then later when you add the Betta I'd float them in a breeder box for a few hours for an "introduction" it will help all settle in better and give you an idea of what to expect when they're released. Shorter finned specimens too, have less trouble with fin rot I've noticed- but since it's a bacterial infection having the IAL should help avoid that.

From what I've learned about Betta fish I wouldn't keep a Betta in anything less than 80f degree water- which is fine for Endlers. I would also add IAL for the tannins. Bettas need high humidity and higher temps to give them the best chance of longevity, the IAL tannins will be naturally antibacterial- Bettas are very prone to illness (unless you're going for wild types which are not likely to be overbred). That being said, it is possible and since the Endlers are already there they have a better chance of the Betta not being territorial- of course as you seem to already know- every Betta has a different personality so it's always a gamble- even if you went with a female.

I have used a lot of Amazon Compacta in my tanks and some of them are the light green you see here.

Very nice DIY there, keep us updated, hope it helps the shrimp!

They will be fine together. Cory catfish aren't really algae eaters but Otos are- make sure theres enough algae/biofilm for them and if they get supplemental foods feed them at night as they move more around that time (and cory tend to be total pigs). A group of 6 is generally sufficient for a shoaling fish like Otos. That is if you are talkinig about the common Otos found in fish stores (like Vittatus).

A lot of mosquito abatement agencies give away fish (usually goldfish) for ponds/fountains etc. I know of multiple in my area.

Looks nice! Hope it works out for you!

Unless they make one for the tank it's going to be hard other than building one yourself. I would say the closest you're going to get to a square stand is looking for a sturdy wood square pantry or end table!

I've never kept them but I think they're just as small as CPDs. You could try, but as I said before I'd have a back up plan for them.

OTOCINCLUS VITTATUS: The Accidental Oto Tank Spiral poops make me proud! 🤩 Today it was from the smaller of two 2 baby Otos. Other one doing good as well!

Welcome to the forum @Eric T