too many fish?

Question
QUESTION: hi
i currently have a 21 litre tank set up and i was just wondering if i have too many fish or if it is possible to get a couple more.
i own a fantailed guppy, 2 glowlight danios and 2 peppered catfish. is this ok? and also how much 'floor space' does a peppered catfish need on average per fish?
thank you.

ANSWER: Hi Dom

That's really too many fish for your 21 liters. 21 liters is 5.5 gallons. I keep 1 Betta in that size of a tank. You may want to consider purchasing a larger tank. A larger tank will not only provide more room, but better filtration as well.

Another reason you'll need a larger tank is Peppered Cory Cats prefer to be in groups of at least 3. Peppered Cats will adjust to most tank setups, but to give you a guideline, I have Cory Cats in all of my tanks. My tanks are setup with rocks and plants from one side to the other with open spaces in between and in front of the tank. About half of the floor open and the other half covered. Make sure to provide plenty of rocks and caves for hiding places for your Corys.

Hope this helps you, good luck!

Richard

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

QUESTION: after sending this message i went out to look at new tanks and am settled on a juwel 110 litre tank which i will be getting next month for my birthday, so after setting it up (with sand for the cats) i plan to get 5 cats along with my guppy and 2 danios i currently have.
could you reccomend what to stock up with these so that i get a variety of sizes and fish occupying each level (e.g. not all at bottom)

also just a quick question on water changes. i treat the replacement water in a bucket but how long should i leave the conditioner to work before adding the lot?

thank you.

ANSWER: Hi Dom

Danios like to swim in schools of 5 or more and are very active and often get into playful games of chase. They may be a little too hyper for a Guppy tank. However they won't harm other fish, they are just very hyper.

In my Guppy tank which is 29 gallons, I have the following just to give you a guideline:

6 Guppies
5 Neon Tetras
5 Redeye Tetras
3 Harlequin Rasboras
1 Dwarf Blue Gourami
4 Spotted Cory Cats

It's a very colorful and peaceful aquarium. Be sure you give your fish plenty of plants and rocks for hiding places.

As far as your water changes, I put the water in 5 gallon buckets, add the water conditioner and let it sit beside the aquarium for an hour to equalize the temperature.

To answer your question, if you're using a water conditioner like StressCoat or AquaSafe, the water is ready for the fish as soon as it's added. However, I recommend letting it sit at least 30 minutes and preferably an hour to let the water temperature stabilize.

Hope this helps you, good luck!


Richard



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

QUESTION: thank you again for your help.
just one more thing (sorry)

i was just wondering if you could take me through how to set the new tank up properly as my first one i did not cycle because the pet shop i used (bad decision i know) gave me no advice - luckily the fish survived somehow. also i am just concerned with things i have been reading about new tank syndrome etc and so was wondering what i should look out for for the first month after adding fish. i would just like to get this right and not lose any fish so any help would be greatly appreciated.

thank you.


Answer
Hi Dom

To properly cycle a new aquarium, follow these steps....

Make sure your power filter is the correct size for your tank. In my larger tanks, 30-55 gallons, I use 2 power filters on both sides. In my larger tanks, 55 gallon tanks and larger, I use 3...2 large ones on both ends and a smaller one in the middle. Most of my tanks also have an undergravel filter.

Let the tank run for 24-48 hours. A good rule to follow is when the air bubbles inside the tank disappear, your tank is ready for fish. Then add 2-3 small, hardy fish per 10 gallons of water. This really depends on the type of fish you want to keep. For a tank of community fish, White Clouds or Zebra Danios are a hardy, excellent cycling fish.

Let these fish cycle the tank for 4-6 weeks. During the first 3 weeks, every couple of days do a 10-15% water change. Check your parameters each time. (make sure you add the water conditioner to the new water before adding it to the tank, not after) After 3 weeks, a weekly 20% water change twice a week.

After 4-6 weeks, check your ammonia/nitrate/nitrite levels which all should be in acceptable range. Then add one fish a week until you reach capacity in your tank...generally 1 inch of fish per gallon of water. Make sure you do a 25% water change and check all of your levels before adding new fish to the tank.

While the tank is cycling, feed the fish sparingly to prevent excess food from falling to the bottom and decaying and fouling the water.

Hope this helps you, good luck!

Richard