What Next For A Small Tank Please...?

[rjsmith]

Hi,
My girlfriend has a 40L hexagonal tank with a really quiet decent internal filter for the size of it. Water is slightly hard and slightly alkaline (about pH 7.5 to Eight). Temp runs at 26 degrees Celcius. There's a couple of live plants, a small piece of wood and some pebbles. It's been going a few months now and seems to have settled nicely.
The stock is as follow
- 2 small Mollies
- 3 Honey Gouramis
- 1 Otto

They all seem quite happy in there.

Question is, is there room for another fish or two (The community creator site seems to say there is but is this an over-estimate?)?

If so, what would people suggest due to the water conditions and obvious limit on size?

Any advice/comments gratefully received.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

i think you're probably pretty much stocked as it is, however to check if your filter can handle any more capacity test the nitrate of your tap water, do your normal sized weekly water change, then wait a week, test your tank nitrates before the next water change. If it's risen by 40ppm or more then the filter can't handle any more fish, if it's under then yuor filter has spare capacity. BUT this does not nescessarily mean you have room for more fish, you have to take into account swimming space needed. Personally I wouldn't put mollies in a 10g tank, they can get up to 4" long which is really a bit big for that tank so you might want to think abotu returning them or upgrading the tank. The otto would be happier with some friends so maybe swap the 2 mollies for 2 otto's which are a bit smaller so more appropriate for the tank size.

 

[fishwatcher]

I agree... from what I've read mollies will need more room. If you took them back you could get another oto or 2 and possibly a small group (4-6) of a schooling fish. Rummy-nose tetras and cardinals, harlequin rasboras, even 2 trios (1m, 2fm) cherry barbs would work good in there.
I had a 10-gal, planted with some driftwood, set up once that had a trio of honey gouramis, 3 harlequins and 3 cherry barbs. They all were quite happy.
If you like the fuller-bodies fish though you could swap the mollies for some small platies too. Very active and colorful.

 

[rjsmith]

Thanks for the replies so far. Thanks Miss Wiggle for the filter advice - good thinking.
How big would the Mollies have to be before we thought of moving them out?
We like the idea of some peaceful barbs like the the Cherry barbs. Do they eat the plants (I remember maybe reading that some barbs do eat the plants?). Would they be ok in just a trio of them?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

i wouldn't keep anything bigger than 2" in a 10g tank. move them as soon as they start to get to that size, leave it much longer and you risk stunting them.

barbs can also get pretty big 3/4".... i wouldn't have them in that tank either.

 

[rjsmith]

Hmmmm. Harlequins? Endlers?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

endlers are fine, harlequins possibly..... i don't really like putting most of the rasbora/tetra type schooling fish in 10g or smaller tanks

have a look at this excellent topic on fish for 10g tanks

 

[dwarfgourami]

i wouldn't keep anything bigger than 2" in a 10g tank. move them as soon as they start to get to that size, leave it much longer and you risk stunting them.

barbs can also get pretty big 3/4".... i wouldn't have them in that tank either.

Have you ever seen a 4" cherry barb? Or a 3 " for that matter? Are you sure you're not confusing them with rosy barbs? I think cherry barbs should be fine in a 10 gallon, they have the further advantage of not needing to be in a big school, a trio should do fine.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

i wouldn't keep anything bigger than 2" in a 10g tank. move them as soon as they start to get to that size, leave it much longer and you risk stunting them.

barbs can also get pretty big 3/4".... i wouldn't have them in that tank either.

Have you ever seen a 4" cherry barb? Or a 3 " for that matter? Are you sure you're not confusing them with rosy barbs? I think cherry barbs should be fine in a 10 gallon, they have the further advantage of not needing to be in a big school, a trio should do fine.

not sure at all! i probably am getting them muddled, barbs aren't my speciality!



very sorry if i'm wrong and giving out dodgy info...... proves that you should always do your own research and not just take the word of others