Update for my fish friends!
My 10g is complete - 6 Kuhli loaches and a betta. Will post pics for you soon, w4r!
My 65g (the one with the oddly-behaving pleco - some weird stuff is going on. I decided against the cichlids, since I've always wanted some larger tropicals but never had the room. So I bought two baby clown loaches and three two-spot gouramis.
Status: One gourami died two days after purchase. Fish store has a good guarantee policy, as long as I bring the body in with my receipt. Unfortunately, the guy died Sunday evening, and the fish store isn't open until Tuesday, and I can't go until after work, so the poor little body has been locked in a tupperware bowl for two days.
The other two seem to be okay for the moment - they kind of hide all the time, but they appear to be eating.
My pleco is feeling a little more at-ease, now that the clowns are in there. He's got a bit of a sore on his forehead - I think from trying so hard to hide under rocks last week. I'll have to keep an eye on it...maybe some extra water conditioner would help?
My two new loaches are attracting the cats big time! I fed them mid afternoon yesterday, and was alarmed because they didn't eat anything for the rest of the day...all they do is swim up and down in the corner of the tank, repeatedly, for hours! It's kind of weird, but the cats are mesmerized. Anyway, I woke up this morning and the shrimp pellets were all gone, so I'm thinking they may eat nocturnally and I should feed them after dark? What do you think?
Also, I think I'm going to replace the light bulbs, if I can. When the lights are on, EVERYONE hides, so I think they may be bad for them, even though I saw them in action with a huge herd of angelfish.
I really want to put my larger loach in there with his future best buddies, but with the death and everything, I just don't know if I should just yet.
Any thoughts?