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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. 5 fish across 3 species in 40L. Shared temperature 20–26°C. Stocking: balanced (load index 26 vs ref 40). 3 high-severity pairing flag(s).

Amano ShrimpCorydoras CatfishOtocinclus

Tank preview40L · 5 fish
3× Amano Shrimp1× Corydoras Catfish1× Otocinclus

Your stock

Amano Shrimp
Amano Shrimp
5cm · peaceful · 40L min
3
Corydoras Catfish
Corydoras Catfish
6cm · peaceful · 60L min
1
Otocinclus
Otocinclus
5cm · peaceful · 60L 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. 5 fish across 3 species in 40L. Shared temperature 20–26°C. Stocking: balanced (load index 26 vs ref 40). 3 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. At least one species has ID or trade-name ambiguity on file — plan for a typical trade example, not every shop label. Elevated risk verdict — we bias toward safety; your reading of specialist sources still matters.

Pair compatibility for any two species · Fish library

Critical problems

  • Corydoras Catfish needs about 60L minimum for adult size (~6cm) and normal swimming space — your 40L tank is below that. Shop size is not adult size.
  • Otocinclus needs about 60L minimum for adult size (~5cm) and normal swimming space — your 40L tank is below that. Shop size is not adult size.
  • Corydoras Catfish is a schooling/shoaling species — keeping only 1 is a serious welfare risk; aim for at least 6.
  • Otocinclus is a schooling/shoaling species — keeping only 1 is a serious welfare risk; aim for at least 6.
  • Amano Shrimp + Corydoras Catfish: Amano Shrimp + Corydoras Catfish: Tank may be too small. Amano Shrimp and Corydoras Catfish together need at least 60 litres. Your tank is 40 litres. Real tanks add variables Fishori cannot model; treat this as a high-risk read, not certainty.
  • Amano Shrimp + Otocinclus: Amano Shrimp + Otocinclus: Tank may be too small. Amano Shrimp and Otocinclus together need at least 60 litres. Your tank is 40 litres. Real tanks add variables Fishori cannot model; treat this as a high-risk read, not certainty.
  • Corydoras Catfish + Otocinclus: Corydoras Catfish + Otocinclus: Tank may be too small. Corydoras Catfish and Otocinclus together need at least 60 litres. Your tank is 40 litres. Real tanks add variables Fishori cannot model; treat this as a high-risk read, not certainty.

Water overlap

What every fish can share at the same time

Shared temperature: 2026°C

Shared pH: 6.57.5

Shared temperature range for all species: 20–26°C.

Shared pH window: 6.5–7.5.

Stocking pressure

balanced

Load index 26 vs conservative reference 40 for 40L (adult cm × quantity × bioload weight × territory factor).

Swim-zone distribution

Fish-weighted zone use — top 0.0, middle 2.0, bottom 3.0 (relative biomass per level).

top 0
middle 2
bottom 3

Compatibility summary

Species pairing: avoid

critical· other
  • Amano Shrimp + Corydoras Catfish: Amano Shrimp + Corydoras Catfish: Tank may be too small. Amano Shrimp and Corydoras Catfish together need at least 60 litres. Your tank is 40 litres. Real tanks add variables Fishori cannot model; treat this as a high-risk read, not certainty.
  • Amano Shrimp + Otocinclus: Amano Shrimp + Otocinclus: Tank may be too small. Amano Shrimp and Otocinclus together need at least 60 litres. Your tank is 40 litres. Real tanks add variables Fishori cannot model; treat this as a high-risk read, not certainty.
  • Corydoras Catfish + Otocinclus: Corydoras Catfish + Otocinclus: Tank may be too small. Corydoras Catfish and Otocinclus together need at least 60 litres. Your tank is 40 litres. Real tanks add variables Fishori cannot model; treat this as a high-risk read, not certainty.

Pairs checked: 3 · RISKY pair flags: 3 · CAUTION: 0

Fix this setup

Grouped by scenario — work through each block in order

Volume & minimum tank

  • 1.Increase tank size to at least 60L, or remove Corydoras Catfish from this stocking plan.
  • 2.Increase tank size to at least 60L, or remove Otocinclus from this stocking plan.

Schooling & group sizes

  • 1.Add more Corydoras Catfish to reach at least 6 individuals, or remove the species.
  • 2.Add more Otocinclus to reach at least 6 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

  • Corydoras Catfish is a schooling/shoaling species — keeping only 1 is a serious welfare risk; aim for at least 6.
  • Otocinclus is a schooling/shoaling species — keeping only 1 is a serious welfare risk; aim for at least 6.

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