How Many Fish Should You Have In A Tank?

[steveninthematrix]

hello all, im the new guy here , had fish 15 years ago, but my sister one day thought they were getting sunburnt and put suntan cream in the tank, and they all died..

after 15 years, i decided to get a tank again......., my question is, how many fish can u keep...

the largest fish i have are 2 zebra danios, there are also 4 neon tetras, 3 black tetras, 1 siamese/chinese algae eater, few other versions of tetras, i.e. 17 smallish fish, around 2-3 cm in size at the moment, tank is about 6 weeks old, and i added the last 4 fish today..., making it 17 in total..

the tank is 58cm by 30cm by 35cm(30cm is the water level) ... (52 litres),

how many smallish fish can i keep in there? i was planning to keep 25, but ive been reading, and it appears that would be too much...

hope i dont need to buy a bigger tank...

 

[mlawson]

but my sister one day thought they were getting sunburnt and put suntan cream in the tank, and they all died..

That's the strangest and stupidest thing I've ever heard!

Your tank is roughly 10 gallons, if you stick to the inch to gallon rule, that's 10 inches of fish.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[chibi]

Your tank is about 13.7 US gallons, and the rule is generally 1 inch of fish per gallon. You're overstocked as it is, sorry.

 

[steveninthematrix]

but my sister one day thought they were getting sunburnt and put suntan cream in the tank, and they all died..

That's the strangest and stupidest thing I've ever heard!

Your tank is roughly 10 gallons, if you stick to the inch to gallon rule, that's 10 inches of fish.

Cheers,
Mike

overstocked? oops...mmmm... that sucks..., there were still a few species i wanted...,

13 gallons, 13 inches of fish..., = 33 cm , 2cm per fish, 16 fish..., mmm, i am overstocked..., crap!!, i got the last 4 today.., the guy at the fish shop said 25 no problem, but that seemed too many...


there is a 150cm X 30cm X 30cm tank for sale, for $80 in the paper tonight, i think i might have to get it ... (im in south africa...)

thanks for the advice guys... now im wondering how to transfer my , what i believe cycled tank, to a bigger tank ....mmm

(and my sister was like 9 yrs old )

 

[ennbee]

You should always base stocking levels on the adult size of the fish and not the size they are when you aquire them. (i.e Chinese algae eater 4-5 inches/10-12.5 cm)

 

[steveninthematrix]

You should always base stocking levels on the adult size of the fish and not the size they are when you aquire them. (i.e Chinese algae eater 4-5 inches/10-12.5 cm)

yip..

i think im gonna need that bigger tank, buy it asap, and get it setup and let it cycle with some gravel and plants...

urk...the two stores i went too, definately didnt give me the right info!! once said 30 fish, the other 25, and based on all ive read and u guys, its more like 12-15 tops

,,, this other thank is 250% bigger (1.5m X 30cm X 30cm), so, that should give me around 30-35 fish no problem..

 

[Darkehorse]

You should always base stocking levels on the adult size of the fish and not the size they are when you aquire them. (i.e Chinese algae eater 4-5 inches/10-12.5 cm)

Yeah, replace him with 1 or 2 otto catfish. They usually don't get over 2 inches and are more efficient 'cleaners'.
-Darke

 

[steveninthematrix]

You should always base stocking levels on the adult size of the fish and not the size they are when you aquire them. (i.e Chinese algae eater 4-5 inches/10-12.5 cm)

Yeah, replace him with 1 or 2 otto catfish. They usually don't get over 2 inches and are more efficient 'cleaners'.
-Darke

mmm, otto catfish..., ill ask at the store about a swop, didnt really want him,but it had been 6 weeks and i thought it was time and i didnt want a 'plectocomus' , or however u spell that...

thanks for all the advice , its much appreciated..., gonna watch the nitrite and ph levels, till i can get a bigger tank and get it up and running and transfer the fish etc etc...

 

[Tessla]

If the only reason you have the algae eater is to clean up algae, I'd recommend getting a sponge to scrub off excess algae instead of a fish. That way you'll have the space to stock species that you're actually interested in. If that is a chinese algae eater, he will get big and they have a tendency to much on other fish later in life.

When stocking your bigger tank, keep in mind that practically every fish sold is a juvenile and will grow. Stock by adult size and not number of fish. Many species also prefer to be kept in groups of four or more. Tetras will need such a group for every species of tetra you plan to keep. (At least four neons, four black skirts, etc. not four individuals of different species in a group together.) You'll need to do some research before you buy and not trust advice from your fish stores from the sounds of it.

Good luck with your new tanks!

 

[steveninthematrix]

but my sister one day thought they were getting sunburnt and put suntan cream in the tank, and they all died..

That's the strangest and stupidest thing I've ever heard!

Your tank is roughly 10 gallons, if you stick to the inch to gallon rule, that's 10 inches of fish.

Cheers,
Mike

overstocked? oops...mmmm... that sucks..., there were still a few species i wanted...,

13 gallons, 13 inches of fish..., = 33 cm , 2cm per fish, 16 fish..., mmm, i am overstocked..., crap!!, i got the last 4 today.., the guy at the fish shop said 25 no problem, but that seemed too many...


there is a 150cm X 30cm X 30cm tank for sale, for $80 in the paper tonight, i think i might have to get it ... (im in south africa...)

thanks for the advice guys... now im wondering how to transfer my , what i believe cycled tank, to a bigger tank ....mmm

(and my sister was like 9 yrs old )

was thinking about this...

13 inches of fish, the average small grown fish is 2" (black neon tetra for example), so, that means, 7 fish? gee..., thats sooo little!

--

 

[steveninthematrix]

If the only reason you have the algae eater is to clean up algae, I'd recommend getting a sponge to scrub off excess algae instead of a fish. That way you'll have the space to stock species that you're actually interested in. If that is a chinese algae eater, he will get big and they have a tendency to much on other fish later in life.

When stocking your bigger tank, keep in mind that practically every fish sold is a juvenile and will grow. Stock by adult size and not number of fish. Many species also prefer to be kept in groups of four or more. Tetras will need such a group for every species of tetra you plan to keep. (At least four neons, four black skirts, etc. not four individuals of different species in a group together.) You'll need to do some research before you buy and not trust advice from your fish stores from the sounds of it.

Good luck with your new tanks!

thanks tessla

im hoping to get a new tank tomorrow, this has become frustrating, since i got some bogus info, but everyone here has been very helpful..

getting a 150cm X 30cm X 30cm tank (found one in the paper tonight for $60)..., which ill start cycling, , so i can get my fishes in....a bigger tank doesnt take that much longer to maintain than a smaller tank, so, yeah, might as well go bigger, since i want more fish...., i mean, my current 55L tank , seemingly only can take 12 fish..., lots of effort for 12 fish, rather get this other tank, which is 135L , and keep 30-35 fish .