Room for more?

Question
QUESTION: I got a little carried away last night and wound up with 2 powder blue gouramis.  I have a 28 gal tank with 2 angelfish, 2 gouramis, 3 cory cats and 2 zebra loaches. I think I'm okay at the moment (so long as I keep up with my maintenance) but I had originally planned to add a couple more cory cats for a total of 5.  Now I'm worried that this would over tax the tank.  Could I get your opinion please?

ANSWER: Hi Cynthia,

To answer you better, I need to know what kind of filter you run, and its make/model#.  I need to know if food hits the bottom when you feed them and how often you change water.

But, the usual formula for fish-keeping is 1, one inch long fish, per gallon.  This means if your fish is 2 inches long, he gets 2 gallons.

Modify this for angelfish, cichlids of varying types, goldfish and plecos.

They require 5 gallons each at small sizes and can go high as 50 gallons each as adults.

My answer depends on your filtration, because that plays a factor as well as feeding rituals and water change rituals.

:)

Renee

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


Machiavelli   QUESTION: Oh goody, I've been wondering about filtration. :)

My tank came as part of a 'beginner set' that I got around Xmas time.  I've had the fish for about 3 weeks - they went in too soon because I have no patience and I wound up moving two angelfish and 3 corys to a temporary 10 galleon tank while the bigger one cycled and then put in some Nutrafin Cycle and the water readings are now good with just a bit of color for the Nitrate on the test strip.  I test the strips about every other day right now because it is still a new start up and was 'chemically' cycled and I want to make sure it sticks.

I can't find the paper work for the filter system that came with the tank but I know its Aqueon and I'm figuring it has to be the 30 rather than 20 because of the size of the tank.  I do about a 30% water change every week.  I have both flake and pellets to feed.  I feed three times a day with two times being flakes and 1 time pellets.  The flake food pretty much gets completely eaten within 3 - 4 mins.  I don't do it for a long period of time because I'm feeding 3 times a day.  The sinking pellet food does often get to the bottom where the corys are happily wigging and eating.  But I'm getting better at dropping it so that less of it hits the bottom.

Please be very clear on any instructions or comments.  I'm disabled and on high dosages of medications and often my mind is not very clear - hence the screw up with putting the fish in too early a few weeks ago.  I have no real plants in the aquarium. I'm attaching a picture of Machiavelli my dark Angelfish as I think he's beautiful.  His pal Borgia is a smaller silver Angelfish.

Answer
Hi Cynthia,

On a personal note, first, I am physically disabled as well and my other passion, besides fish, is working with assistance dogs, and advocacy in that area.  

I will try to be very concise in my descriptions for your better understanding. :o)

Because of the type of filtration that you are using, I recommend you do not add anymore fish.  

Usually, you can add 1" of fish per gallon.  But, in your tank's case, the 30 filter is too small.  You only have a 28 gallon tank, but filters are under-rated.  That means if it says it filters 30 gallons, it usually can only handle about 15.

Another reason I advise not adding more fish after this, is because of the feeding ritual.  As women, we tend to be very "maternal" and want to feed everything to help it feel loved and secure, however with fish, that is a bad thing, because the waste they make in the water is unhealthy for them to breathe and also, fat fish live shorter lives.

Healthy fish live long lives.  Healthy means not obese.

So, my advice about feeding is to cut way back.  Feeding fish once a day is sufficient.  They should be given only enough food to eat within 1 minute.  Corydoras get the few that slip past, and they will live find on that.  They do not need any on the bottom of the tank, in fact, if food is hitting the bottom, then it is going to become waste and can harm water quality.

So, even if you decide to still drop pellets in for the corys, drop only as much as they can consume in 2 minutes.  

If you must feed them twice a day, then be certain that the second feeding is very tiny.  Just a pinch to hold them over til the real meal in the morning.

Much like in the wild, fish eat at dawn.  At dusk, they peck a bit, but their main meals are at dawn.

Because there is a tad of color on your nitrate test strip, this tells me there is still waste in the water.  I wouldn't worry  as long as it is below .10ppm (parts per mil), and if it gets higher, then there are serious issues going to occur, such as an ammonia spike or nitrites.  Both, which can burn and kill the fish.  So, it is very important to keep up the new feeding ritual.

I'm so glad to hear you change water out weekly.  Your fish will thank you for it.

I hope I answered all the questions, and if anything at ALL is unclear to you, please write back and I will gladly go through it again.  It's absolutely not a problem and I hope my answers have helped you out.

I do this because I love people, animals and fish, and this is a good way to help them out, and to save some fish along the way, so that is why I volunteer here.  I do like to remind people to please rate my answers in return for my time.  I'd be very greatful.

Thankyou and happy fish-keeping Cynthia.

Renee