Newbie.. Is my tank too busy?

Good Morning
I'd like to ask a bit of information on tank activity. One of my kids got a small tank as a present so I've set it up for everyone in the household to enjoy.. (I have 5 kids)

But I have concerns about the set-up.
1. Water flow in the tank... (Did I put too big a pump and filter in the tank? The water flow seems excessive with relative to no "still water" holding areas in the tank. Is this a problem?
2. Aeration in the tank.. Not sure if the air pump is too big as it seems like excessive aeration which is also compounding the water flow issue
3. Quantity fish that I've stocked... Not sure if I have stocked too many for the tank size. (Apart from the neons, I don't even know the names of the others.... There are 22 fish in total..
4. I've cycled the tank for 7 days with the filter on before I introduced the fish. The water clarity is exceptional but I've noticed some particles after introducing the fish (I hope this won't be an issue)
5. I've put LED lights in. Will Fluorescent be a better option? I did buy a ballast and lamp but the LED's were easier to fit..
6. My last question is how many times per day or per week do I need to feed them. The feed container states 3 times per day but the petshop owner where I got the fish from stated twice a week? (Thats a bit confusing)

Here is a pic of the set-up


Thanks for any help in advance

How big is the tank exactly? That is a lot of fish for what looks like a pretty small tank. I fear that soon the ammonia will start to build up. If you can get closer up pics, we can hopefully help identify some of the species.

It is important to know exactly what kind of fish they are, since some fish are sold at 1 inch, but can grow to 6+ inches.

If at all possible, do you know the hardness (GH and PH) of your water? This will tell you what kind of fish will do best and thrive in your water conditions.

Just from a casual look, it seems you have glo tetras (aka whiteskirt tetra) and glo danios (aka zebra danio), to go along with your neon tetra. I suspect that the striped fish are also some kind of tetra, but not sure.

Too small a tank.

@Jasper said:

• Good Morning

I'd like to ask a bit of information on tank activity. One of my kids got a small tank as a present so I've set it up for everyone in the household to enjoy.. (I have 5 kids)

But I have concerns about the set-up.
1. Water flow in the tank... (Did I put too big a pump and filter in the tank? The water flow seems excessive with relative to no "still water" holding areas in the tank. Is this a problem?
2. Aeration in the tank.. Not sure if the air pump is too big as it seems like excessive aeration which is also compounding the water flow issue
3. Quantity fish that I've stocked... Not sure if I have stocked too many for the tank size. (Apart from the neons, I don't even know the names of the others.... There are 22 fish in total..
4. I've cycled the tank for 7 days with the filter on before I introduced the fish. The water clarity is exceptional but I've noticed some particles after introducing the fish (I hope this won't be an issue)
5. I've put LED lights in. Will Fluorescent be a better option? I did buy a ballast and lamp but the LED's were easier to fit..
6. My last question is how many times per day or per week do I need to feed them. The feed container states 3 times per day but the petshop owner where I got the fish from stated twice a week? (Thats a bit confusing)

Here is a pic of the set-up
View attachment 133321

Thanks for any help in advance

Click to expand...

1) The filter doesn't appear too big but it's not sold where I am. Is it possible to post a video (on YouTube and put the link on here) so that we can see the flow?
2) Same as above, but an air stone is not needed if the surface of the water is moved by the filter ( you may need your filter higher to achieve this).
3) Yes there are too many fish for the tank size but they are also all shoaling fish so need 6+ of each type, and those species need a bigger tank to allow swimming room. I'll link to Seriouslyfish.com for their species profiles and requirements. The single best thing you could do is get a (much) bigger tank.
4) A tank cannot cycle in 7 days, it is a process which takes several weeks and needs an ammonia source. See the links in the beginner forum here.
5) LEDs are fine
6) Normally people feed their fish once or twice a day but as the tank is not cycled, only twice a week is good.

The white gravel is unnatural and stresses fish ( and will look dirty). Replace it with a darker substrate to help reduce the stress on the fish.

The biggest problem is the lack of cycling. With careful management some of your fish could survive.
You will need to
- change water daily, at least 50-75%. Dechlorinate the new water and match the temperature.
- reduce feeding to twice a week
- Do not get more fish for at least two months
Things that will help
- a testing kit that measures ammonia and nitrite levels in the water
- live plants
- a bacteria supplement such as SafeStart or Dr. Tim's One and Only.