Can I Add More Fish To My Tank

[vintage3]

I have a 7 month established 55 gallon planted tank running a fluval 4+ filter and an external on which I dont know the name off.

My current stocking is :

9 neon tetras
5 tiger barbs
2 green barbs
5 peppered cory catfish
2 zebra danios
3 bamboo shrimp

All my water stats are spot on amonia 0.0 nitaites 0.0 nitrates 20 - 30 (probably less havent done my weekley water change yet.


I was thinking of adding :

5 more tiger barbs
10 more neon tetras
10 more zebra danios and
10 cherry shrimp

Do you think that adding the new fish will be too much or would it be just fine

 

[Scott MacAdam]

I don't think adding more would be such a huge problem with that size tank. All of your fish are of the small variety, but I'd make sure that you sure up the stock on the lower numbered fish (such as the danios or green barbs) to make sure that they have enough to group in with (at least 5 or 6?)

other than that, I'd make sure that you don't add them all on the same day, as you may run into a problem there.

 

[rdd1952]

You definitely have room to add more fish. How many would depend on your filtration. If you have adaquate filtration then the quantities probably wouldn't be an issue. I agree with Scott that you need to up the numbers on the green barbs and danios. Don't add too many at once though. You don't want to throw your tank into a cycle.

 

[vintage3]

I thought green barbs were just tiger barbs with a diffrent colour they all stick in one group.
I might be getting my dads old enhiem external filter so that would leave me with 3 filters.
I was planning to add them all at once as I am ordering them online and delevery is £19 and dont really want to keep paying that every time I add 5 or 6 fish

 

[rdd1952]

You would maybe be ok adding them all at once. It would probably be a little more than doubling your current bio-load so you would need to keep a close eye on ammonia and nitrite for a few days afterward.

Are you planning to quarantine them first before adding to the tank? Unless you are extremely confident in the online seller, I would be very careful adding fish to an existing tank without quarantining them. You could end up with a full tank of sick fish. And some medications wipe out your bacteria colony which would mean you have a tank full of sick fish in an uncycled tank which is a disaster.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Your new listing looks good.

I would definitely get more tiger barbs like you stated, as they like to be in groups of at least 8-10 minimum.

Just make sure you keep an eye on your water parameters, as your "bio-load" is going to increase.

-FHM

 

[Loony Fish]

Go For it

 

[vintage3]

You would maybe be ok adding them all at once. It would probably be a little more than doubling your current bio-load so you would need to keep a close eye on ammonia and nitrite for a few days afterward.

Are you planning to quarantine them first before adding to the tank? Unless you are extremely confident in the online seller, I would be very careful adding fish to an existing tank without quarantining them. You could end up with a full tank of sick fish. And some medications wipe out your bacteria colony which would mean you have a tank full of sick fish in an uncycled tank which is a disaster.

All my current stock minus the bamboo shrimp are from this seller and I have only lost fish which I bought from my local fish shops.




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One thing though I have never had an amonia or nitrite spike do you think that is because of the fact that my tank was very heavly planted (ive since got rid of alot of plants as they were taking up all the room)
I know that my tank is cycled though because I always get nitrates.

Either that or I have enough bacteria in my filters and its done its thing before I test the water

 

[rdd1952]

Plants will definitely help control ammonia as they use it before it an be processed into nitrite. With plants removed, you could see a small spike. Just do water changes to keep it down. Nitrifying bacteria can usually double in about 24 hours so at worst you should only have some ammonia and nitrite for a couple days.

 

[vinylman]

Probably just me, but I'd add each new group separately, a couple of weeks apart, even though the filter is cycled.