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. 7 fish across 3 species in 250L. Shared temperature 23–28°C. Stocking: balanced (load index 181 vs ref 250). 2 high-severity pairing flag(s).
Your stock
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.
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 250L tank is below that. Shop size is not adult size.
- Congo Tetra is a schooling/shoaling species — keeping only 1 is a serious welfare risk; aim for at least 8.
- Pictus catfish + Bala / silver shark: Pictus catfish + Bala / silver shark: Tank may be too small. Pictus catfish and Bala / silver shark together need at least 500 litres. Your tank is 250 litres. Real tanks add variables Fishori cannot model; treat this as a high-risk read, not certainty.
- Bala / silver shark + Congo Tetra: Bala / silver shark + Congo Tetra: Tank may be too small. Bala / silver shark and Congo Tetra together need at least 500 litres. Your tank is 250 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.
Water overlap
What every fish can share at the same time
Shared temperature: 23–28°C
Shared pH: 6.0–7.5
Shared temperature range for all species: 23–28°C.
Shared pH window: 6.0–7.5.
Stocking pressure
balanced
Load index 181 vs conservative reference 250 for 250L (adult cm × quantity × bioload weight × territory factor).
Swim-zone distribution
Fish-weighted zone use — top 1.0, middle 3.5, bottom 2.5 (relative biomass per level).
Fish are spread across top, middle, and bottom zones reasonably for a community layout.
Compatibility summary
Species pairing: avoid
critical· other- Pictus catfish + Bala / silver shark: Pictus catfish + Bala / silver shark: Tank may be too small. Pictus catfish and Bala / silver shark together need at least 500 litres. Your tank is 250 litres. Real tanks add variables Fishori cannot model; treat this as a high-risk read, not certainty.
- Bala / silver shark + Congo Tetra: Bala / silver shark + Congo Tetra: Tank may be too small. Bala / silver shark and Congo Tetra together need at least 500 litres. Your tank is 250 litres. Real tanks add variables Fishori cannot model; treat this as a high-risk read, not certainty.
Pairs checked: 3 · RISKY pair flags: 2 · CAUTION: 0
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.
Schooling & group sizes
- 1.Add more Bala / silver shark to reach at least 5 individuals, or remove the species.
- 2.Add more Congo Tetra to reach at least 8 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 intermediate species — stable parameters matter.
- 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.
- Congo Tetra is a schooling/shoaling species — keeping only 1 is a serious welfare risk; aim for at least 8.
Fish behaviour varies. Fishori gives conservative planning guidance based on adult size, temperament, tank size and common aquarium care sources.