40litre tank .. how many fish?

[Something Fishy]

Hi I am just wondering the max number of fish that can be in a 40 litre tank. I currently have 2 danio, one platy, 2 tiny little bumblebee fish and a guppy oh yeah nearly forgot Whizz my albino sucking loach!
I am hearing that I should probably have more danios (5 ideal) and more platies (another 2) but i dont want to overstock my tank and obviously if I start getting more they may have babies etc.
I just want to know roughly how many it will hold before I get in a pickle with having too many. My LFS tell me all different things!
Any advice gratefully recieved!

 

[alabaster]

Hi Something Fishy! Let me first point out that you don't necessarily want to have the maximum nuber of fish in an aquarium, especially if you're a beginner. Second, a 40 liter tank is a very difficult tank to keep healthy for a beginner, since ammonia, nitrites, and other toxons accumulate very fast--even faster is the tank is stocked to the maximum.

As for your fish:

Danios are schooling fish, and as you've discovered, they should be kept in groups of no less than five. However, they are also active fish, and a 40 liter is not the ideal size tank to keep them in. Bumblebee gobies, Brachygobius xanthozona which are probably the "bumblebee fish" you have, are brackish (salinity between freshwater and saltwater) fish, and will not be healthy in fresh water aquariums. Also, they should be fed live foods, and often will refuse anything but live foods. Your sucking loach, which is probably Gyrinocheilus aymonieri has the potential to grow to ten inches, and has a tendency to become aggressive when older. Platies, while not schooling fish, may feel more comfortable in groups. I would make your first priority the aquisition of a larger tank (around 80 liters). You will also need to return the gobies to the store, since they are brackish water fish.

 

[Something Fishy]

Thanks for all your help. I'm not sure I can get a bigger tank because I will obviously still want to keep the other aswell!so I shall have to think on what way to progress.
But interesting to know that a 40litre tank is hard to keep healthy because I have had troubles in the past but it seems fine now.

 

[Suricate]

HI there,

I too started with no idea as to the stocking capacity of my tank (20L). I started with 1 pleco, 2 Danio, 4 neon tetra. I waited a few weeks and when it seemed as if everything had settled i added 3 further danios and 3 more tetra oh and 2 platies. Anyway at this stage things went alittle off teh track and i had some die back. NOw i have 4 danio, 1 pleco and 1 platie (which in the interum had babies - 4 of which i managed to save and have put into a breeder tank).

In my nieve experience, I have read (i can not remember where) but someone suggests 1 inch of fish per liter of tank - now not sure how solid this equation is, but i decided when i started the fish keeping thing (and believe me i knew nothing) to watch the fish and 1 plant that i have in the tank and they will tell me what conditions are like on the inside and togetehr wtih regular 25% water changes at least once every 2 weeks (sometimes once every 1,5 weeks), they seem to be doing just fine.

What i'm trying to say is, talk and read and try to find out, but remember to enjoy the hobby and observe, its a system filled with natural creatures and they in their own way can best let you know what is happening.

Enjoy it and cheers

 

[rdd1952]

In my nieve experience, I have read (i can not remember where) but someone suggests 1 inch of fish per liter of tank - now not sure how solid this equation is,

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The general rule of thumb is 1" of adult fish per US GALLON of water not liter. There are a lot of limitations on what you can put in a 40 liter/10 gallon tank. More than 3 or maybe 4 danios will be overstocked and that's not counting the other fish that are being listed. Also, the pleco is definitely too big for a 10 gallon. He needs to be in a 55 gallon minimum. They are huge waste producers.

 

[b.c.f.c]

i would of thought 5 danios would be fine in a 10 gal.i mean danios can only get to an inch maybe a bit more and the rule is inch of fish to 1 gal which would leave you with about 4 or 5 inches wouldnt it?or maybe im completely wrong.

 

[GSD]

no danios need a larger tank because they need alot of space.They are extremly active fish and if they are in a small space they can become agressive and terrorise eachother and other fish

 

[Something Fishy]

Yeah I have already had my danios seeing off some of my fish, not sure if i needed more or if that will now increase the problem if the tank is too small. I have seen this big tank I love but thought it would be harder to keep than a smaller one? and better to get the little one settled before trying a larger one? I have had quite a few problems getting my smaller one settled and didnt want to progress to a large one too soon!

By the way is a pleco the sucking loach?

 

[b.c.f.c]

o ye ive been told that befor cant belive i forgot that.told you i was wrong.lol

 

[rdd1952]

i would of thought 5 danios would be fine in a 10 gal.i mean danios can only get to an inch maybe a bit more and the rule is inch of fish to 1 gal which would leave you with about 4 or 5 inches wouldnt it?or maybe im completely wrong.

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Actually danios get to 3 or 4 inches so 5 would be 15 to 20 inches of fish plus danios are very high energy and need a LOT of room to swim.

 

[OohFeeshy]

I'm sure most danios only get to 2 inches, mine were bought at that size about 6 months ago and haven't grown a jot. Yep, very high energy though, who needs corys to clear the bottom when you have danios?

 

[b.c.f.c]

can zebera danios get to 5 inches then or is it other types of danios that can?

 

[rdd1952]

can zebera danios get to 5 inches then or is it other types of danios that can?

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According to this they grow to about 3".

 

[b.c.f.c]

lets just say 3 inches,its in the middle of 1 and 5,so it makes every 1 happy. lol

 

[Something Fishy]

aww .. how sweet they stick to one mate!