can i put more fish in my 30 gallon

Question
I have several aquatic darlings. In my 30 gallon I have 1. blue gourami 1. gold algae eater 2. striped panchax 2. apple/ mystery snails 2. platy's and 3. swordtails( 2 males 1 female) and a lot of ghost shrimp. can i put anymore fish in there? and if so what would you suggest to add some color to the tank. i have natural color rocks and decor. as are the fish, white and silver the only real color is the snails and the gourami.

Thanking you in advance for you help!!!!

Answer
Hi Latisha,
You could keep several more small fish in your current aquarium community.

I know you already have Platy's and Swordtails. But livebearing fish (includes platies and swordtails) are some of the most brightly colored fish you can keep! :-)

Platies often come in bright golden-yellows, brilliant crimson oranges, and even metallic blue colorations and sometimes even combinations of these! Swordtails commonly come in similar colorations also. Guppies are some of the flashiest colorful fish around but I worry your Striped Panchax -might- try to eat them for dinner.

Rosy Barbs and Gold barbs would provide some bright color in your community as well. These fish prefer to be in small groups. Tiger barbs are another strinkingly colored option but they are a bit more aggressive than Gold or Rosy Barbs.

At first Rosy barbs can be a bit dull, but like with many fish, they will color up if they are kept in healthy condition and given time to adjust to their new environment.

Neon tetras would also be gorgeous but again I fear your Panchax would eat them since this species is highly predatory.

I hope this helps give you some ideas of new fish to add!
Just make sure to research a little online before bringing new fish home. It helps prevent trouble later on when you can know all about the behavior, care level and size of the fish you are considering.

Best of luck!!
Susan~