Newbie Here!

I have a 160L cold water fish tank with 2 external filters and 2 air pumps, how many fish could i keep. At the moment i have 3 small fish that Pets at home said be good to start with and one small carp that i had bought for me.

Can i have more fish? i like the carp but other small fish bit blllaaaa and boring and may end up in the pond lol

is it a carp of a goldfish, by the looks of it it looks like a common goldfish, unfortunately, that fish is not suitable for you tank, may i recommend 2 to 3 Fancy Goldfish, instead of the fish you have in their now

you should be able to add a lot more fish depending on size.

one thing that may be a problem even for cold water fish. you have 2 external filters which is a lot of filtration it may be to much for your fish as they need water with a bit of healthy bacteria in to be happy and healthy fish so i suggest using one. the idea of a filter is to remove the large bad parts of the water not to make 100% pure.

you also said you have 2 air pumps this may also be a problem as it may be putting to much oxygen in the water and may be drowning your fish in air. i suggest using just one air pump designed for a 160 litre tank and hook it up to an air wall as that gives a gentle air flow which fish find relaxing apparently.

wellbeloved747 said:

you should be able to add a lot more fish depending on size.

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i do not agree at all

i have one big fish which i think a carp that i had bought me for, you cant really see in the pictures which il take now, the small fish i think are fantail,yellow and shub, person hard writing shocking, then i have i think a carp in there. i went for a tank that look as much as bottem of a lake i could. i like things natual

TBH the only one sutible for your tank is the fantail

what fish can i buy that suitable for my tank and how many?? i love my big fish though. can i make the tank suitable for him. he been in there few months now

You could get 2 to 3 more fancy goldfish like fantails, orandas and lion heads. And I'm sorry to say but carp belong on ponds, not tanks..... Unless the tank is atleast 1,000 gallons

even if you can put a big fish in your tank it is better to put more small fish in. but if you want really big fish get a pond

Dont have ago guys, this my 1st ever fish tank ive had and someone bought me the fish and we all make mistakes, it only gold fish i can have?

You can have various tropical fish too.... If you have a heater and no more cold water fish

im more into cold water fish and easier to keep im told. There seem to be alot videos of carp being kept in tanks and even smaller tanks than mine, what the reson they cant be kept in there?? how about roach,rudd.bream ect can they be kept in a tank?

they cant be kept in there because they get to 3 feet long,

U can keep that kind pf carp in ther itself for about a year and a half that kind will only get to be about 15 inch to 20

That is a mirror carp and they do grow very large but over many years, the other members are right you will eventually have to find him a new home in a large pond or lake so you might want to make some arrangements for the future so you dont struggle when it comes to it. You can have tropical fish with a heater and no goldfish but for coldwater fish look at something like tench or if you particularly like the carp look then buy a crucian carp which only grow to about 20 cms in lakes so a little smaller in aquariums or roach and rudd would be a good coldwater choice, or as others have suggested goldfish! You will find that most Native british species are available to buy and many would be suitable for your aquarium, if you cannot find a retaile that stocks this kind of fish if your a in the UK i can probably lend a hand in doing so...


I disagree with the other members comment about the air pumps, water generally holds 10-15 mg of oxygen per litre and this is why fish have to work particulalry hard to respire, air contains between 200-250 mg per litre and so all your doing with your air pumps is making life a little easier but you can over aerate like whirl pool style but other than that i think your fine, Test your water, if your parameters are ok then dnt change your filters, they are open air contact filters so encourage bacteria growth in the media, bacteria dont grow in the water they need a filter surface to cling to and so your filters are percfect for that, they are better than external canisters in terms of bio filtration as they provide aerobic conditions compared to anaerobic conditions ( read this topic I have linked for more info on wht im talking about : http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/391747-a-question-i-have-been-wondering-for-a-while/page__p__3291082__fromsearch__1#entry3291082 You will be ok with that goldfish aswell but as he gets bigger he may need rehoming to a pond but usually in aquariums they dont grow huge! Yes to the bream and that as I said about the native species, but to specify which ones exactly I would need the spec of your tank and filters...

Good Luck Though

boabmac63 said:

U can keep that kind pf carp in ther itself for about a year and a half that kind will only get to be about 15 inch to 20

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