Is My 10 Gallon Tank Overstocked?

[goldfish98]

I have one swordtail, One hifin Platy (which doesnt really look like a hifin) and two green lantern platys. I would love to add more fish, but I dont want to overstock. 

 

[fluttermoth]

Are your fish males, females or a mix?

 

[goldfish98]

I have no idea. How can I tell?

 

[fluttermoth]

Look at the anal fin (that's the one on the stomach, just in front of the tail).
 
Females will have a normal, fan shaped fin, while males have the fin modified into a rod-like structure called a gonopodium, which they use like a penis.
 
If you have a mixture of sexes you'll be getting a lot of fry; platies and swordtails can interbreed, and often females are already pregnant when you buy them. They can also store 'packets' of sperm from previous matings, so can have fry even if there are no males present.

 

[goldfish98]

I can't really tell, because the fish keep moving around. They do appear to have normal fins.One of the green lanterns also has a larger belly. 

 

[fluttermoth]

Ok; you're not overstocked right now, but you probably will be in a month or two down the line once your females start producing fry!

 

[goldfish98]

I already had them for about a month and a half. Im not sure, but I think the hifin is getting a larger belly to. What should I do with the fry? I have a small half gallon box that the carnival gave us when I won the deceased goldfish, could I put one or two in there so they don't become lunch?

 

[snork6]

if you have a 10G tank a good stopping point is 6 but some fish need more space so i would say 4

 

[fluttermoth]

I would leave them in the main tank. A half gallon is really too small for the fry to grow properly.
 
You will almost certainly get some fry survive anyway; add plenty of live plants to the main tank if you want to help them find hiding places.

 

[goldfish98]

Let's just say that they don't have fry. What would be the best fish to add? They would need to be pretty hardy.

 

[fluttermoth]

What are the dimensions of the tank, is your water hard or soft and from how far away do you mostly view the tank?

 

[goldfish98]

It's just a standard 10 gallon tank. I'm pretty sure the water is soft. It sits about 6 feet from my couch, but I usually get close once in awhile to watch. 

I use treated tap water.

 

[fluttermoth]

I'm in the UK; I don't know what size a standard, ten US gallon, tank would be! That's about 40l though, so really, with the swordtails and platies, your already fully stocked, tbh.
 
You could look at shrimps and/or snails though.

 

[goldfish98]

Fully stocked? The tank looks so empty!

 

[l_l_l]

If the tank looks empty, try filling it up with plants instead of fish, because if you add fish, well, in a few weeksm the tank will truly be empty.