tetras and tank capacity

Question
Hi Karen.  I hope you can help me.  I have a 37 gallon planted tank.  I have an emporer 280 (for up to 50 gallon tank) and I have 2 filters in it.  I do 25% water changes every 10 to 14 days.  I have 5 neons, 3 glowlights, 1 peppered cory, 1 german blue ram, 2 platies, 3 ornate tetras and 3 black phantoms.  The tank is very well balanced (I "seeded" it with a filter from my other tank when I set it up.) I don't want to overload it, but I am concerned that I don't have enough of the ornate tetras to keep them happy.  I read there should be at least 6 in a tank.  I got the phantoms hoping they would school, but I can't tell if they are.  Also, I want to be sure that the glowlights are happy.  I thought they would school with the neons, but they only school together occasionally.

Is this okay?  Should I get a few more of the glowlights and the ornates?  If I do, can my set up handle it?  How do you tell if they are schooling?

Can you please help me?  I just want the "kids" to be one big happy family.

Thanks!

Carolyn  

Answer
Hi Carolyn,
Sounds like you have a beautiful tank!
You could probably add 3 glowlights and 3 ornate tetras. I would add 3 glowlights and wait at least a week and then add 3 ornates. The reason I would space it out is just to allow your system to adjust to the added bio load each time you add fish.  
If you are concerned about your water quality, from adding extra fish, you could buy a water test kit and check your water parameters to be sure they remain in the safe zones for your fish.  If there is any problem you can usually correct it by doing more frequent water changes. Your plants should also help keep your water cleaner.
You seem to be taking very good care of your fish and I don't see that you would really have any problem adding more to make a school.  They may school together some of the time and then go wherever they want to go at other times.  Mine will stay somewhat together in one area of the tank and then at times they do just whatever they want my themselves. It never really looks like it does when you see the fish in the small tanks in the fish stores.  I think they always look like they are schooling more since they are so overcrowded and in a small tank.
Best of luck with your fish.
Hope this helps,
Karen