how many fish is too many??

Question
QUESTION: HI...WE FINALLY HAVE GREAT READINGS IN OUR TANK AND HAVE FOR 2 MONTHS.  I WANT TO KNOW WHAT MY MAXIMUM NUMBER OF FISH IS FOR MY TANK.  ALSO DO I NEED TO DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT IF I HAVE A FULL TANK.  HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CHANGE THE FILTER AND DO A WATER CHANGE?

  HERE IS WHAT WE HAVE..28 GALLON TANK WITH 1 PLATY, 2 MICKEY MOUSE PLATYS, 1 GUPPY, 1 RAINBOW FISH, 1 ALGAE EATER AND 4 ZEBRA DANIOS.  WE ADDED 7 OF THESE LAST WEEK.  WHEN WOULD IT BE OK TO ADD MORE AND DO YOU RECOMMEND ANYTHING SPECIFIC TO GO WITH WHAT WE HAVE?  ANY INFO WOULD BE APPRECIATED.  THANKS!!! STEPHANIE

ANSWER: Hi Stephanie,
There really is no strict rule for stocking your aquarium. I would say about 10-15 more small fish about the size of platies would be OK..These could be consisted of two schools of . Now if you are adding larger fish then lessen the number to about 5-6. It really depends upon the species of fish you are adding. The smaller the fish, the more you can have. But make sure to be careful even then of course.

You should rinse the filter when it gets dirty. Only in a bucket of tank water. And when it becomes too worn out, then you can replace it.

Water changes are best done at least once a week. The more the better of course. Twice a week would be even better. About 1/3 of the water to 1/2 of the water taken out at a time would be best. Always remember to use water conditioner and try to get the temp as close to the original tank water as you can with the new water. Slightly warmer is always better if you can't get it exact.

I would give your tank at least a week in intervals between adding more fish. As long as your test results show 0 for ammonia and nitrite then you will be perfectly fine to add more fish. It's usually safe to add a small school of small fish like tetra size species because they do not produce much bioload.

Just make sure to keep on top of your maintenance schedule and do plenty of water changes and be careful with feedings.

Best wishes and I really hope this helps!
Karen~

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

QUESTION: Thanks so much...what do you mean about being careful with feedings?  Also, should I be feeding my pleco different food? Is he okay by himself or does he need a friend?Thanks!

Answer
Hi,
All I meant by being careful with feedings. Is simply being careful not to overfeed at your feeding times. Just make sure your fish clean up all their food and there is no leftovers laying around.

Make sure your pleco has 'algae wafers' dropped in at least every other day at night. These fish are primarily nocturnal feeders. So its best to drop in an algae wafer at night when you turn all the lights out. This also helps keep other fish from getting their food. Algae wafers made by  Hikari are good. But most brands work fine. You should also try to supplement their food with romaine lettuce, spinach, and Zucchini which they love. Your other fish will appreciate nibbling on it as well.

Most plecos are loners and they prefer being on their own. Your pleco is happy by himself.

Best wishes!
Karen~