Can Someone Just Clarify For Me?

[BlueDragon]

Can someone just clarify for me how many gallons my tank is? It's only small: 24 inches long, 12 inches deep and 15 inches high. I know that's a really small tank but it's all I have room for and with me having M.E. and consiquently joint probs it's all I can handle right now. So how many gallons is that? It took 68 litres to fill it up first time, that was with the gravel and plants already in there. But I'm dyslexic and all that is to me is a number... I have no idea how to convert it. Google says my tank is 17 gallons. The charts I get with my water treaters say it's 13 gallons (15 without gravel etc). And looking up on the internet some people recon it a 20 gallon tank? I can't imagine it's that many, although it would be lovely if it was.

How many is it really? I'm confused : /

I'm just having a new lookie-see at the smaller Fish I could evetually have as part of my little underwater-world. Obviously I can't have any new Fish for a little while (still re-cycleing the tank) but I thought I could still get a rough idea. Originally I wasn't even going to have Guppies. Having read that their nick-name was millions Fish I was kinda put off them! But once I started to read up on them more (learning how you can control baby numbers) I desided I would still like to have some. So then I was going to have my Guppies and Platies (one more to make three) and then I wanted either Rosy or Golden Barbs. But since then I've learned they can fin nip and I don't think my Guppies would apreciate that, so I've desided against them. I also liked the look of the Black-skirt tetras. And I really wanted a Plec 'cause I think they look properly prehistoric!... but seeing the size they get to I'm pretty sure that's a no-no : (
I was told I should consider some of the smaller Tetra species too, but there're so many! I do like them though, especially in larger shoals.

What might be the best Fish to be thinking about to go with my Guppies and Platies?

 

[DJH584]

Can't help you regarding stocking the tank but as it took 68 litres to fill it, then your tank is holding just under 15 gallons of water (14.957 gallons according to a calculator I have used.)

HTH

David

 

[Wills]

Hi your tank is 71 liters or 19 US gallons. When stocking a tank use that figure rather than the total amount after gravel, filter, heater and plants etc.

Just so you know for future, there is a calculator tool at the top of this site in the bar under the header. In there, there are a couple of tools to help you along.

In smallish tanks like this for me the best way to get the most out of them is to find fish you like then find a good alternative to them, there are so many options. There are more fish that share similarities than dont. When I say small alternatives I mean smaller than most small fish out there. So for example rather than Neon Tetras go for Green Neon Tetras. Instead of Dwarf Gourami go for Pygmy Gourami (a bit different but simalarish) and instead of most Cory species go for Pygmy Cories or Panda Cories in this kind of tank.

Do you have any fish at the moment? Since you mentioned Platies at the end there I think perhaps you have some of them? But you dont have the Guppies yet? If you dont have the Guppies there is a smaller alternative to them called Endlers which I think would be a good idea.

Then instead of the Rosy Barbs or Gold Barbs what about Cherry Barbs? Or if you fancy going even smaller what about Chilli Rasbora?

Skirt Tetras are a tough one as there are no really small disk tetras but Green Neons or Ember Tetras are always nice.

For the bottom Panda or Pygmy Cories are pretty nice. Or Hara Hara catfish are good or you could consider Rosy Loaches. Cherry Shrimp are always fun

For me I would perhaps consider

3 Male Platies
5 Male Endlers
10 Chilli Rasboras
8 Pygmy Cories
5 Cherry Shrimp

Wills

 

[BlueDragon]

Thanks peoples : )

I already have Guppies. I have one male and three females. I also have two female Platies. But that's it. I did have two other male Guppies and another female and another Platy who was a male, but with everything going bits-up for my tank recently I lost them.

I'll have a look at the calculator here... I never spotted it : /

Some of your sugestions sound nice Wills. I've never heard of Ember Tetras and I don't know anything about Rasbora at the minuet, so I'll have a lookie-see about them : ) I'll have another look at Cories too. Panda and Pygmy. They sound pretty.

I wasn't sure about Shrimps 'cause I wasn't sure if my Fish would try and eat them? I'd love to have some though.

Thanks both : )

 

[OldMan47]

You have what we would call a 20 gallon in the US. It really holds a bit less than 20 gallons but we always round things off to higher numbers in our tank ratings. My 55 gallon tank only really holds about 52 gallons of water, even if it had no substrate.

 

[BlueDragon]

Thanks OM : )

Wow, I'm really glad it's a 20 gallon. I've dissmissed a few species based on me thinking it was smaller than that, so now I can put them back on the list.

So when thinking of which Fish would be best suited to my tank I should still think of it as a 20 gallon, even with gravel, plants etc in as well?

I'm really lovin' those Hara Hara Catfish! I've never seen them around anywhere though, are they hard to come by? I've still desided that my Fishie world is definatly in need of some Hara Haras *nods seriously*.

 

[OldMan47]

A typical 20 gallon is plenty big enough for a nice assortment of small fish. I would stock it based more on the tap water available than on any desire for a particular fish. If you have hard high pH water, stick to African rift lake fish or common livebearers. If you have somewhat soft water with a pH of 7.0 or a bit less, consider using South American fish instead. They will adapt far better to water that is low in minerals.

 

[BlueDragon]

I have a PH of 6.4, so I think that makes the water 'soft'?

I already have my Guppies and Platies but the care info I printed off all said they don't really mind what the PH is, so I thought they would be fine? They seem to be fine now. Full of colour and lively.

What Fish do you think would be a good match for my tank and water?