How Many Fish in 54L Tank?

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conorod

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I bought a 54L tank approx. 2 months ago, and currently have 7 Neon Tetra and 3 Bronze Corys. Just wondering if this is fully stocked or do you think I could add some more of either/both of these? According to the Aqadvisor.com calculator I am only 62% stocked, but I'm not sure how accurate it is.
 
Hi and welcome to the forum :)

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?
How often do you do water changes and how much water do you change?
Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do water changes?
Has the filter cycled (developed the colonies of beneficial bacteria that keep the ammonia and nitrite levels at 0?
How often do you feed the fish?
Are there any live plants in the tank?
 
Thanks for the reply & welcome, and sorry for the lack of detail in my post!

- Dimensions of the tank are 60cm X 30cm X 30cm (L*W*H)

- I change 20% of the water once per week, and I also vacuum clean the substrate when doing this. I'm happy to change the % or frequency if needed to put a few more fish in the tank.

- Filter has cycled according to pet shop who tested the water.

- I feed them twice per day, as much as they will eat in a few mins. Not sure if this is optimal so again am happy to change this if it isn't.

- There are 3 live plants in the tank - 2X anubias nana and 1X java fern (all attached to wood/rocks).
 
Aqadvisor.com calculator I am only 62% stocked, but I'm not sure how accurate it is.

I tend to use it as a guide if I am looking into fish that I have no experience in. But as with most models it has it's flaws, use it by all means but don't take it's word as law.
 
You could add another 6-10 neon tetras and 3 more bronze cories.

I would do a bigger water change, 50-75% each week, along with your gravel clean. The bigger water change will help dilute nutrients and disease organisms better than a small water change.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

Your feeding is fine as long as all the food is eaten.

Assuming you have a light unit on the tank, I would add some more plants. Some good plants to try include Ambulia, Hygrophila polysperma, H. ruba/ rubra, narrow Vallis and Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta).

The water sprite floats on the surface but can also be planted in the substrate. The other plants should be planted in the gravel. Floating plants are good for tetras and cories.

Have the tank light on for about 12 hours a day. If you get lots of green algae growing on the glass, then reduce the lighting period by an hour a day and see how it goes over the next week.

If you don't get any algae growing you can increase the lighting time a bit.

If you get a bit of green algae but not too much, then it is about right.
 
Thanks for the replies! I'll try some of those plants and add a few more fish during the week.

Do those plants do OK planted in normal gravel or would I need a special substrate?
 
The plants listed are fine in normal gravel. Give them a bit of light and they should be good to go. If you want to help them grow faster, you can add some liquid iron based aquarium plant fertiliser. I use Sera Florena but there are other brands too. But you don't need to add anything special for them.
 
Just a follow-up question on this: for this 54L tank, especially if I am aiming to add more fish per the previous posts, is a 300L/H filter sufficient? I have read varying numbers - some sources say it should filter the aquarium volume 4 times per hour (in which case I am fine), others say 10X in which case I should get a bigger filter.
 
Just a follow-up question on this: for this 54L tank, especially if I am aiming to add more fish per the previous posts, is a 300L/H filter sufficient? I have read varying numbers - some sources say it should filter the aquarium volume 4 times per hour (in which case I am fine), others say 10X in which case I should get a bigger filter.

There is a fair bit of misunderstanding in this hobby about filters/filtration. The nitrifying bacteria will do their job with or without a filter, and too fast a flow through it will in fact be detrimental. Filters should be selected on the basis of the water current they produce, as this directly affects fish (and plants to a lesser degree). Fish should not be subjected to a strong current that they canot get completely out of when they want to rest; filters run 24/7. You also want a bit of surface disturbance to ensure a good gas exchange, especially at night in a planted tank. But slow-growing plants like Anubias and Java Fern are not going to be respirating as much as fast growers, so you have less of an issue. Floating plants would help you a lot, on all fronts.

I would increase your water change volume as has already been advised. I would also reduce feeding to once a day, and then miss one or even two days a week. Fry need more feedings but not after that. Fish will overeat if food is offered because their natural instinct tells them to eat when food is available.
 

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