New Fish

[superbees]

Hi i have recently taken over my sons fish tank who lost interest in it .the tank has been running for about 2 years i have tested the water all good nitrites 0 temp 26 c. I have checked size with volume calcaltor it is 33 gallons 80cm long 35 cm wide 45 cm deep..I would like to add more fish after some research i can confirm ive got 6 black neon tetra 1 cherry barb and 1 dwarf gourami. So i was wondering if i could add some more fish and how many with out overstocking and which fish would be ok with my current fish . I did see some rams at local fish shop which i liked and also i would some type of alge eaters]as tank and gravel was covered in green alge i have cleaned now.I also plan to replace the plastic plants with real ones is it best to replace plants before getting more fish ?.

 

[Luketendo]

Doesn't matter when you add plants. You shoulld get more cherry barbs they are wonderful in groups.

 

[superbees]

Thanks for reply just thought new fish might get stresssed if im putting hands in tank .Yes was hoping to get some more cherry barbs but my fish shop doesnt have any only tiger barbs.Can anyone advice me on what algea eaters to buy.

 

[Davo86]

ottos are probably the best algae eaters for that size tank, they need to be kept in groups though so maybe 3 or 4. or alternatively 1 Bristlenose or Bulldog plec should be fine.

as for other fish
you could look at harlequinns or hatchet fish for the upper level of the tank,
shoals of Glo-lite tetras, lemon tetras or Pristella tetras for the middle
a nice group of corydoras for the bottom.

 

[mark.w.jones]

Real plants are a great option. greenlineaquatics sell very good quality plants mail order and do very cheap multipacks for doing over your whole tank at one. Very good value for money. Stockingwise, Rams are quite sensitive and would do better added last to your tank as they will not cope at all well with nitrite or ammonia spikes which you can get when adding new fish to a tank. I would say your first purchase should be a liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. They are easy to do and tell you a lot about how your tank's filter is coping with your new fish. Keep posting your stocking ideas here and we will continue to advise you.

When stocking new fish to an existing tank you just need to be careful not to add too many too quickly. 5x 1-2" fish at a time then leave for 2 weeks before adding your next group. As soon as you add your new fish check levels of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate at least every other day and if you find ammonia or nitrite above 0.25ppm or nitrate above 50ppm then do a 20% water change. You may find yourself having to do water changes every other day for maybe a week until enough new bacteria grow in your filter to deal with your extra waste.