Stocking Tank

[richardsonval]

I have a 5 gallon tank which currently has 2 african dwarf frogs, 3 cardinal tetras and 1 dwarf platy. I have had several other dwarf platys, but they all seem to die within a month. My water parameters, nitrates, ammonia, etc. have all tested fine. I've given up on platys. The one that is left seems a little lonely, but I got it and another to cheer up the one that was left from the batch before and they've died. The last batch came in and showed up with ick. That was successfully treated and none of my other fish became infected.

The african dwarf frogs will be moving back to my 30 gallon aquarium that I keep in my classroom at school and I am looking for something else to put in the tank.

I have several live plants in there, which appear to be doing just fine. I added live plants after deciding that maybe I was lacking in oxygen for my fish. That didn't help, but I do like the appearance.

The tank is in my daughter's room and I am looking for something with a little personality for her that will be a good fit for a small tank. The tetras are doing terrific so I've decided that dwarf platys must not be a very hardy fish. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I stock my tank at school with larger tetras but I'm just not sure what would do well in the small one. I do a 25 percent water change weekly. *twirlysmi

 

[Fish Friend]

hmmm maybe the tank is slightly over stocked.. ?

 

[accordztech]

hehe maybe simply a betta will do. its hard to stock small tanks, but i love them cause they can be put anywhere.

put a crab! hehe

 

[fishbrain]

hmmmm, perhaps some Panda cories. ?

 

[Fish Friend]

hey good idea

 

[richardsonval]

I thought about the overstocking, but with the weekly water changes my water has tested fine every time. The frogs will be coming out next month which will leave me with the platy (which I think is biting the dust just like the others) and the three cardinal tetras. All are small, I've had them since May and the biggest isn't even an inch long yet. They are supposed to stay small which was what I was looking for since it was a small tank.

How big to the panda coreys get? Are they easy to find?

The tetras like to hang out in the middle of the tank, so I guess I'm looking for something that likes either the top or bottom. The tank is a hex. Do the coreys like to be in a group or can I get one and it be happy. I hate to get a fish that likes to be in a group and put it in as a single, it just doesn't seem right.

 

[Fish Friend]

yeah but when you overstock isnt that when its a lil bit cruel on this fish and they dont have much room to move in and get stressed and die ??

 

[FroggyFox]

Yeah...there's two sides to overstocking. The chemical kind where your filtration and tank just can't keep up with the bioload and stays dirty and you get ammonia/nitrite/nitrate spikes....and then the stressful/territorial side. Reason you dont put a 10 inch fish in a 10G tank. Even though it might fit...it wouldnt' even be able to turn around.

That being said I dont think 3 cardinals would be overstocking a tank. I think with the platy and the adf's you're getting up there...but its not overstocked. If I had a 5G with 3 cardinals in it...I'd get an apple snail and a betta to put in there I think. Maybe a couple of ghost shrimp. Apple snails have amazing little personalities...as do bettas. (I never thought so before I got them)

 

[fishbrain]

I believe Panda cories max out at 2", it's preferable to keep them in a group/shoal of at least 3, & they are bottom feeders. They are kind of hard to find (& sometimes pricey too... upto $6) but really cute! They're easier to find than pygmy cories which max out at less than 1".

Personally, I don't think 3 cardinals & 3 pandas would be a major overstock but it doesn't go with the inch per gallon rule. I think platies add more waste than cardinals or cories (but I don't own cardinal though so.....). Good luck

 

[richardsonval]

The cardinals don't seem to add the waste of the platys. They don't go up to the top to eat but wait for the food to drift down. I was really concerned when I first got them because the platys are voracious eaters. As soon as I would open the lid they were up and waiting. The cardinals just hang out and wait for something to sink.

Would the cardinals be fin nippers to the betta? They really are kinda mellow in my tank. Just swim lazily around and hang out together. My platy seems to be getting a little more aggressive since it doesn't have anyone to hang out with, but as I said, I give up on dwarf platys, they just don't seem hardy.

I've got snails in the tank at school. Unfortunately, didn't know what the white things at the top of my tank were and ended up with way too many. Finally found homes for them and everything is good now. The ones that stayed moved to the large tank for the summer and I'll grab a couple of them when the tank in the room gets set up again. My classroom is moving and everything had to be dismantled for the summer. Getting ready to set the tank back up and allow it to start cycling. After the cycle is complete I'll move the frogs and be ready to add to the 5g.

Thank you for all the wonderful suggestions. I'll update you on how it goes after I make the move and then the additions.

 

[discus4everGrl]

cardinals and neons are pretty colors, but they don't tend to display alot of the schooling behavior that so many people are fond of when kept in a small tank because they can swim to one side or the other without losing sight of their friends.