Overstocked?

[shingler]

I have a 54 litre (12GAL) aquarium, set up about a month ago with substrate and filter media from a previous 54L. I started with 6 platys, 3 male, 3 female, after a week these were doing fine, one female is pregnant and should be giving birth any time soon =] . Anyway i decided to get some more fish. so i got another 2 female platys, cos these males are verrry horny and i also got a male dwarf gourami.

The new platys are doing fine, mixing with the other platys nd all that. However the gourami looks abit sorry for himself..moping about under the filter and around all the plants (i forgot to mention its heavily planted with swords n grasses n java moss/fern n all that) and i hardly see him, so basiclly im wandering if thers room for two females? or should i just get one and hope the male doesnt harass her too much and she can escape amongst the plants.. or am i overstocked all ready an thers no chance for the gourami to get his end away XD

Any suggestions much appreciated
Shingler

 

[MHunt]

I have a 54 litre (12GAL) aquarium, set up about a month ago with substrate and filter media from a previous 54L. I started with 6 platys, 3 male, 3 female, after a week these were doing fine, one female is pregnant and should be giving birth any time soon =] . Anyway i decided to get some more fish. so i got another 2 female platys, cos these males are verrry horny and i also got a male dwarf gourami.

The new platys are doing fine, mixing with the other platys nd all that. However the gourami looks abit sorry for himself..moping about under the filter and around all the plants (i forgot to mention its heavily planted with swords n grasses n java moss/fern n all that) and i hardly see him, so basiclly im wandering if thers room for two females? or should i just get one and hope the male doesnt harass her too much and she can escape amongst the plants.. or am i overstocked all ready an thers no chance for the gourami to get his end away XD

Any suggestions much appreciated
Shingler

I think iut's a bit early for the tank to add any more fish, you're just over the inch per gallon at the moment, but should be ok with what you've got. Dwarf gourami's tend to fall into three categories, timid, normal, or nutter. You seem to have a timid one, just make sure it's feeding ok and he should be ok. You could perhaps add a couple of females in a month or so's time, just give the tank time to mature first. But that said you'll be overrun with platy fry so thet'll keep you busy!

 

[shingler]

I have a 54 litre (12GAL) aquarium, set up about a month ago with substrate and filter media from a previous 54L. I started with 6 platys, 3 male, 3 female, after a week these were doing fine, one female is pregnant and should be giving birth any time soon =] . Anyway i decided to get some more fish. so i got another 2 female platys, cos these males are verrry horny and i also got a male dwarf gourami.

The new platys are doing fine, mixing with the other platys nd all that. However the gourami looks abit sorry for himself..moping about under the filter and around all the plants (i forgot to mention its heavily planted with swords n grasses n java moss/fern n all that) and i hardly see him, so basiclly im wandering if thers room for two females? or should i just get one and hope the male doesnt harass her too much and she can escape amongst the plants.. or am i overstocked all ready an thers no chance for the gourami to get his end away XD

Any suggestions much appreciated
Shingler

I think iut's a bit early for the tank to add any more fish, you're just over the inch per gallon at the moment, but should be ok with what you've got. Dwarf gourami's tend to fall into three categories, timid, normal, or nutter. You seem to have a timid one, just make sure it's feeding ok and he should be ok. You could perhaps add a couple of females in a month or so's time, just give the tank time to mature first. But that said you'll be overrun with platy fry so thet'll keep you busy!

Yeah.. ill leave the platy fry to be eaten, cant be bothered with it frankly... bred them a few years back, along with angel fish but didnt have the room to keep them all! Parents went mad wen they walked into ma room n tripped over aquarium after aquarium (being only 16 i cant get the 250gal i dream of ) Yeah...fed them some brine shrimp earlier and he picked at it but wasnt going mental like the platys do. Ill just have to see how he goes, and in a few months add two girlies for him to play with!