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Stocking plan

Plan a freshwater tank stocking

Set volume, add species with the numbers you actually plan to keep, and get a conservative verdict for the whole stocking — bioload, group size, zone crowding, and multi-species conflicts, not a single pair in isolation. Use the editor first; the planning notes below explain why a pairwise match still needs a tank-level check.

Shared plan · RISKY

Tank volume is below published minima for at least one species — shop size is not adult swimming space. Review supporting points next, then re-run the check.

Primary issue: Tank volume is below published minima for at least one species — shop size is not adult swimming space. Hard conflicts on file (water, pairing, size, or bettas) — resolve red items before fine-tuning decor or food. 4 fish across 3 species in 200L. Shared temperature 24–28°C. Stocking: balanced (load index 180 vs ref 200). 2 high-severity pairing flag(s).

Ropefish / reed fishBala / silver sharkPictus catfish

Tank preview200L · 4 fish
2× Ropefish / reed fish1× Bala / silver shark1× Pictus catfish

Your stock

Ropefish / reed fish
Ropefish / reed fish
30cm · peaceful · 200L min
2
Bala / silver shark
Bala / silver shark
35cm · peaceful · 500L min
1
Pictus catfish
Pictus catfish
14cm · peaceful · 250L min
1
VerdictRISKY

Tank volume is below published minima for at least one species — shop size is not adult swimming space. Review supporting points next, then re-run the check.

Primary issue: Tank volume is below published minima for at least one species — shop size is not adult swimming space. Hard conflicts on file (water, pairing, size, or bettas) — resolve red items before fine-tuning decor or food. 4 fish across 3 species in 200L. Shared temperature 24–28°C. Stocking: balanced (load index 180 vs ref 200). 2 high-severity pairing flag(s).
Score 0/100·Confidence low·Hard conflicts (size, water, pairing)

One or more species profiles are only partially verified or need verification — treat numbers as planning guidance, not guarantees. Elevated risk verdict — we bias toward safety; your reading of specialist sources still matters.

Pair compatibility for any two species · Fish library

Critical problems

  • Bala / silver shark needs about 500L minimum for adult size (~35cm) and normal swimming space — your 200L tank is below that. Shop size is not adult size.
  • Pictus catfish needs about 250L minimum for adult size (~14cm) and normal swimming space — your 200L tank is below that. Shop size is not adult size.
  • Ropefish / reed fish + Bala / silver shark: Ropefish / reed fish + Bala / silver shark: Tank may be too small. Ropefish / reed fish and Bala / silver shark together need at least 500 litres. Your tank is 200 litres. Real tanks add variables Fishori cannot model; treat this as a high-risk read, not certainty.
  • Bala / silver shark + Pictus catfish: Bala / silver shark + Pictus catfish: Tank may be too small. Bala / silver shark and Pictus catfish together need at least 500 litres. Your tank is 200 litres. Real tanks add variables Fishori cannot model; treat this as a high-risk read, not certainty.

Warnings

  • Bala / silver shark does best in groups of 5+; you have 1.
  • Pictus catfish does best in groups of 5+; you have 1.

Water overlap

What every fish can share at the same time

Shared temperature: 2428°C

Shared pH: 6.07.2

Shared temperature range for all species: 24–28°C.

Shared pH window: 6.0–7.2.

Stocking pressure

balanced

Load index 180 vs conservative reference 200 for 200L (adult cm × quantity × bioload weight × territory factor).

Swim-zone distribution

Fish-weighted zone use — top 0.5, middle 2.0, bottom 1.5 (relative biomass per level).

top 1
middle 2
bottom 2

Compatibility summary

Species pairing: avoid

critical· other
  • Ropefish / reed fish + Bala / silver shark: Ropefish / reed fish + Bala / silver shark: Tank may be too small. Ropefish / reed fish and Bala / silver shark together need at least 500 litres. Your tank is 200 litres. Real tanks add variables Fishori cannot model; treat this as a high-risk read, not certainty.
  • Bala / silver shark + Pictus catfish: Bala / silver shark + Pictus catfish: Tank may be too small. Bala / silver shark and Pictus catfish together need at least 500 litres. Your tank is 200 litres. Real tanks add variables Fishori cannot model; treat this as a high-risk read, not certainty.

Species pairing: needs care

warning· other
  • Ropefish / reed fish + Pictus catfish: Ropefish / reed fish + Pictus catfish: Tank may be too small. Ropefish / reed fish and Pictus catfish together need at least 250 litres. Your tank is 200 litres. Outcomes still depend on your tank shape, maintenance routine, and individual fish.

Pairs checked: 3 · RISKY pair flags: 2 · CAUTION: 1

Fix this setup

Grouped by scenario — work through each block in order

Volume & minimum tank

  • 1.Increase tank size to at least 500L, or remove Bala / silver shark from this stocking plan.
  • 2.Increase tank size to at least 250L, or remove Pictus catfish from this stocking plan.

Schooling & group sizes

  • 1.Add more Bala / silver shark to reach at least 5 individuals, or remove the species.
  • 2.Add more Pictus catfish to reach at least 5 individuals, or remove the species.

Species pairing & temperament

  • 1.Clear each unsafe species pair by removing or replacing one side — do not stock while red compatibility flags remain.

Suggested swaps

  • Single-biome community: e.g. soft-water South Americans together (tetras + corydoras + small gourami) — run the pair tool for every add-on.
  • Species or centrepiece tank: one main species (or one compatible pair group) in a right-sized aquarium with dither fish from the same water profile — not random continent mixing.
  • Where a pleco is the volume problem, consider bristlenose pleco instead of common pleco for sub-200L plans.

Beginner difficulty

advanced

  • Includes advanced-care species.
  • Serious compatibility or tank-size issues — not a beginner layout until resolved.

Schooling / group size

  • Bala / silver shark does best in groups of 5+; you have 1.
  • Pictus catfish does best in groups of 5+; you have 1.

Fish behaviour varies. Fishori gives conservative planning guidance based on adult size, temperament, tank size and common aquarium care sources.