i have a 3 gal tank with 2 small platys, and 1 GloFish. i love watching them swim around in the tank. i was thinking about getting 1 or 2 more platys, or GloFish, or even a guppie. i do not want to overcrowd my tank though! ive been told i could put 2,4,5,6 fish in my tank by many different people at many different pet stores and websites. I do not have enough space to get a larger tank! i really wish someone would give me the right answer!! please help!!
Tank question
- Thread starter daisygirlmhb
- Start date
I agree completely with OrangeCones. Pet stores are in the business of making a sale, not necessarily in having their customers provide the best care possible for the fish they purchase.
As long as the tank is HEATED and FILTERED a single male OR female betta would be fine in there. Also, a small group of ghost shrimp (like 3-4) might look cool if you do driftwood and moss in there for them to play in. I got 4 ghost shrimp for one of my 5gal betta tanks and they are a riot to watch.
As long as the tank is HEATED and FILTERED a single male OR female betta would be fine in there. Also, a small group of ghost shrimp (like 3-4) might look cool if you do driftwood and moss in there for them to play in. I got 4 ghost shrimp for one of my 5gal betta tanks and they are a riot to watch.
hey i have a 215 litre tank just wondering if i have to many fish they seem ok all happy i im just learning and brought a whole lot
I have ....
1 platy
2 bristle nose plecs
15 neons
5 zebra
5 rummy noses
10 orange barbs
2 cherry barbs
2 angels
1 red fin shark
and 3 catfish 1 albino 1 panda 1 zebra
thanks guys appreciate comments
tank doesnt look over crowded
I have ....
1 platy
2 bristle nose plecs
15 neons
5 zebra
5 rummy noses
10 orange barbs
2 cherry barbs
2 angels
1 red fin shark
and 3 catfish 1 albino 1 panda 1 zebra
thanks guys appreciate comments
tank doesnt look over crowded
Hi, welcome to the forum!
A great site to determine whether your tank stocking is appropriate is aqadvisor: AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor
And did you add all those fish right away? Is your tank cycled?
A great site to determine whether your tank stocking is appropriate is aqadvisor: AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor
And did you add all those fish right away? Is your tank cycled?
@ cheesy1000...you're tank is definitely overstocked. Even without the "orange barbs" (which I have no clue what they are and neither did AqAdvisor), you're at 121% stocking. I also put two panda cories 'cuz I have no idea what a "zebra catfish" is, but since it was kind of listed with the other two cories, I figured it was another smaller cory. Check it out: AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor You've also got a lot of compatibility issues.
well, the tank stays really clear and my fish get along very well, so i think ill be ok for now. but if they get to big i'll find a new home for them.
The so-called "rule" of "one inch of fully grown fish per gallon" only applies to small, slim-bodied fish, and is obsolete in the small aquarium.
@daisy, is your tank filtered and heated? Did you cycle the tank properly before you added fish? If you're not familiar with the terms cycling, what did you do before you added fish and how long after set-up was this? Do you test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate in the water?
Honestly, your tank is very overstocked, even if it doesn't look overcrowded. The volume of water simply cannot handle that much fish waste. As others have suggested, I'd only keep a single male betta in there (unlike the fish you have in there atm, bettas quite like small volumes of water) and perhaps, at a push, a few shrimp. I'm currently setting up a 9 gallon and I'm not putting anything more than a betta and shrimp in.
Last edited:
well, the tank stays really clear and my fish get along very well, so i think ill be ok for now. but if they get to big i'll find a new home for them.
water staying "really clear" is no indication of water quality or health, water can be very clear and have nitrites and nitrates etc can be at lethal levels. Everyone has given very good advice please take it into consideration and if possible buy a bigger tank.
Just like Brian said, nitrate, nitrite and ammonia are silent, deadly killers. There's no way of knowing if your water is "good" just by looking at it and seeing it's "clear". You need a liquid test kit. There's a chance they won't get any bigger in such a small tank. When fish are cramped in a small tank, their bodies release a hormone that stunts the growth of their skeleton. Their organ growth is not stunted and continues to grow. This shortens their life spans greatly and often the fish die of organ failure, if they don't die of ammonia poisoning first. Please, purchase a new tank or return your fish to the store.