Stocking Question For A 30 Gallon Tank

[dan1224]

I currently have a 30 gallon tank with 3 giant danios, 2 baby green tiger barbs, 1 ruby black barb, 2 baby pictus cats, and 1 bushy nose pleco. They are all healthy and getting along great and I would like to add a few more fish. Here's what I had in mind (over the course of 2 stockings 2 weeks apart): 3 zebra danios, 3 tiger barbs (regular), 1 green tiger bard, 2 ruby black barbs, and 2 clown loaches. This would bring my aquarium to 20 fish. Is this too many and/or the wrong species to add? Or is my aquarium already at maximum capacity? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Squid31]

For a 30 gallon that would be too overstocked. The rule of thumb is an inch of fish per gallon, so with a 30 gallon your looking at 30 inches of total fish. When you put a fish in assume its full grown size, tiger barbs usually get around 3 inches the pleco 6 inches at full size so that's 12 gallons of use with just those 3 fish. Pictus Cats get to be around 5 inches so that's another 10 gallons for them 2. You really don't have a ton of room left as it is.

Id also like to warn you about barbs and their habit of nipping. They may very well go after the pictus cats feelers which would harm them so I'd keep a close eye on that.

 

[Ninjouzata]

Absolutely no clown loaches, these guys get 12"+, much too large for this size tank. And your other fish like to be kept in groups of 6+, except maybe the pictus, I don't know anything about those
Sorry I couldn't be of more help, I'm terrible at stocking numbers.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Clown Loaches: Likes to be in a school of 6+, needs a tank of at least 100G - NO.
Giant Danios: Likes to be in a school of 6+ - up the school number.
Tiger Barbs: Likes to be in a school of 6+ - up the school number.
Ruby Black Barb: Likes to be in a school of 6+ - up the school number.
Pictus Catfish: Likes to be in a school of 6+, needs a bigger tank - No, rehome.
Zebra Danio: Likes to be in a school of 6+, needs a 4 foot tank - No.
 
If you add all of the fish you want to, our tank will be majorly overstocked!
I would up the school numbers to 6+ of your current fish, and rehome your Pictus. Then come back here and we will guide from there

 

[dan1224]

Thanks for the advice! I didn't realize clown loaches got that large or needed that much room, but i hadn't done much research on them. The pictus cats I did research before buying and the general consensus seemed that a couple could be kept in a 30 gallon... I don't have a larger tank currently but they're each less than an inch so hopefully they'll be alright for a little while. As for the danios and barbs do they need to be in schools of 6+ of a specific species? or would say 3 giant danios and 3 zebra danios do well? Or 3 tiger barbs and 3 ruby blacks? Thanks again!

 

[DerpPH]

no they need to be in a group of at least 6 and for tigers I recommend them in a species only

 

[dan1224]

Well I found a new home for my single black ruby barb with a friend. So I think I'm gonna add 3 giant danios and 6 tiger barbs, in which case my finished tank would have 6 giant danios, 8 tiger barbs, the 2 pictus cats and the pleco. Still too much for a 30 gallon? If so would it be good without the pictus cats?

 

[DerpPH]

Well I found a new home for my single black ruby barb with a friend. So I think I'm gonna add 3 giant danios and 6 tiger barbs, in which case my finished tank would have 6 giant danios, 8 tiger barbs, the 2 pictus cats and the pleco. Still too much for a 30 gallon? If so would it be good without the pictus cats?

 
 
Better without the pictus cats.. Why? They grow very fast and need a 6 foot tank when full grown. And you cant keep on upgrading your tank every month can you?

 

[Blondielovesfish]

If you rehome the pictus, you could have a few more giant danios and tiger barbs.
 
Your stocking could be like...
 
7-8x giant danios
10x tiger barbs
1x bristlenose pleco.
 
Your tank would be fully stocked then