How Many Tropical Fish

[orion57]

hi i have a 48lte tank fitted with fluval 105 filter, i have 4 neon tetre, 1swordtail, 1guppy, 1black widdow, 1corrie, but i have been told i can put at least 16 fish in the tank as long as there small sounds a bit too many can anyone advise me please.

 

[OldMan47]

I would go along with 16 inches of body length of small fish like those. The neons count as an inch each, the guppy is probably an inch and a half, the black widow I would count as 2 inches based on body shape more than length, deep bodied fish are a bigger bioload than slender fish, a cory will be 2 inches or more depending on the particular species, the swordtail is a full 2 inches and is too fast to be kept easily in such a small tank. It would be better off in a longer tank. I have you at about 12 inches of fish and would suggest the rest of your space be used for 3 more cories of the same species you already have. They are schooling fish much like the neons. At that point you could call the tank fully stocked until at least 6 months goes by. If you are not having any trouble with water quality issues and have gotten into the habit of regular water changes by then, you could add in a few more neons and cories and be all done again. I am guessing that a 48 litre tank is only about 20 inches long or a bit more which is why I would be steering clear of the swordtail. A male swordtail can swim faster backward than many fish can swim forward. They really need the space that will let them do that.

 

[orion57]

I would go along with 16 inches of body length of small fish like those. The neons count as an inch each, the guppy is probably an inch and a half, the black widow I would count as 2 inches based on body shape more than length, deep bodied fish are a bigger bioload than slender fish, a cory will be 2 inches or more depending on the particular species, the swordtail is a full 2 inches and is too fast to be kept easily in such a small tank. It would be better off in a longer tank. I have you at about 12 inches of fish and would suggest the rest of your space be used for 3 more cories of the same species you already have. They are schooling fish much like the neons. At that point you could call the tank fully stocked until at least 6 months goes by. If you are not having any trouble with water quality issues and have gotten into the habit of regular water changes by then, you could add in a few more neons and cories and be all done again. I am guessing that a 48 litre tank is only about 20 inches long or a bit more which is why I would be steering clear of the swordtail. A male swordtail can swim faster backward than many fish can swim forward. They really need the space that will let them do that.

hi. thanks for your advise the swordtail is female i was thinking of adding one more corry and 4 more neons the water is know excellent because of the fluval 105 filter at the moment i havent set up bigger tank so i would prosume taking the swordtail back to the pet shop thing is my 11 year old daughter loves it lol

 

[OldMan47]

You can get away with keeping the female swordtail but don't forget that she may provide all the added fish that you would ever want. Your plan of 4 more neons and another cory would work OK for the neons but you have not really seen the potential character of cories until you have watched them in a group setting.

 

[orion57]

You can get away with keeping the female swordtail but don't forget that she may provide all the added fish that you would ever want. Your plan of 4 more neons and another cory would work OK for the neons but you have not really seen the potential character of cories until you have watched them in a group setting.

thanks for your help im going to buy another 3 cories, then add the neon's at a later
date can i just ask i have a lot of snails in my tank so i was told to get some assasin
snails they eat them but as far as i can see they dont seem to be doing much two of then
died but i think that was just before my water was getting better is there an easy way to
get rid of them.

 

[OldMan47]

Common pond snails are easy to deal with. I simply crush a few each day when I am feeding a tank and let the fish eat them.

 

[orion57]

Common pond snails are easy to deal with. I simply crush a few each day when I am feeding a tank and let the fish eat them.

thanks for all your help, just one last question with the fish i have in my tank
what water temp do you think my tank should be set at its on 26 at the moment.