I’m worried about over crowding!!

[DavieMac]

Hi guys

I currently have 3 fish tanks, a 24 litre I got for the kids. A 54 litre and a 64 litre.

So the 24 litre has 6 platys and 4 cloud mountain minnows in it and 3 Armani shrimp have been struggling with the ammonia a little in this one but I think it’s due to the substrate I recently added.

The 64 litre has 5 Danios, 7 neon tetra and one male guppy. Also 8 Armano shrimp and 2 cherry shrimp. This tank seems good at the moment.

The 54 litre has 3 female guppies and 5 guppy fry in a breeder box. Debating letting the fry grow up in that tank also.

Any advice would be appreciated thanks guys

 

[gwand]

The 24 L tank is over stocked. The adult platys will be around 2 inches in length. So will the cloud mountain minnows. I think in gallons. But the rule of thumb is 1 inch of fish per gallon of tank water taking into account displacement by substrate, ornaments rocks, etc.

 

[Sparx]

Hi Davie, welcome to the forum

As a rule, for small fish, try to keep to one small fish per gallon to prevent overcrowding. Your 24 litre is about 6 gallons, so maybe think about moving the platies to one of the bigger tanks

 

[DavieMac]

The 24 L tank is over stocked. The adult platys will be around 2 inches in length. So will the cloud mountain minnows. I think in gallons. But the rule of thumb is 1 inch of fish per gallon of tank water taking into account displacement by substrate, ornaments rocks, etc.

Thank you for your reply

 

[DavieMac]

Hi Davie, welcome to the forum

As a rule, for small fish, try to keep to one small fish per gallon to prevent overcrowding. Your 24 litre is about 6 gallons, so maybe think about moving the platies to one of the bigger tanks

Thank you for the advice I will be moving them this evening now thank you

 

[AJ356]

There are no fish that should be in a 24 litre in my opinion. That might be a minority view. Well maybe some fish really microscopic, or a holding tank for fry.

Zebra danios should be in a 90 to 100cm long tank and your 64 L is probably not that. I know that reads harsh, but that's me putting the fish first. You seem really thoughtful though, and lots of people will say a 2 foot tank is enough for danios but they are wrong. Not sure if yours is 60cm or 80cm Long your tank

 

[AJ356]

Probably 90% of people keep zebra danios in tanks too small because they look like such small fish, but their nature needs longer tanks. They are too active for small tanks and will be not be living the way they should (ideally).

 

[DavieMac]

There are no fish that should be in a 24 litre in my opinion. That might be a minority view. Well maybe some fish really microscopic, or a holding tank for fry.

Zebra danios should be in a 90 to 100cm long tank and your 64 L is probably not that. I know that reads harsh, but that's me putting the fish first. You seem really thoughtful though, and lots of people will say a 2 foot tank is enough for danios but they are wrong. Not sure if yours is 60cm or 80cm Long your tank

I appreciate any tips or advice given honestly. It’s 80cm long so probably not really big enough. Trust me if I had the room where I am I’d have a much bigger tanks. Some of these places where you buy the fish have awful advice about how many you can keep in tanks and wish I’d researched more ie forums and things before buying certain fish. But will do the best I can with what I have at the moment

 

[MattW]

Welcome to TFF!
It seems members have given great advice already

 

[AJ356]

I appreciate any tips or advice given honestly. It’s 80cm long so probably not really big enough. Trust me if I had the room where I am I’d have a much bigger tanks. Some of these places where you buy the fish have awful advice about how many you can keep in tanks and wish I’d researched more ie forums and things before buying certain fish. But will do the best I can with what I have at the moment

80cm that's much better than if it was 60cm. Sounds like those danios are better with you than they would be with most people who buy them. They seem to get treated like cannon fodder generally. If you were reincarnated as a fish, you probably wouldn't want to be a zebra danio. 80cm they will have a better life with you than they would get if you took them back to the LFS.

 

[DavieMac]

Welcome to TFF!
It seems members have given great advice already

Some really good tips and advice I really appreciate it!! Thanks

 

[MattW]

They seem to get treated like cannon fodder generally

Thats very true sadly. Even I am to blame, my first fish tank was a 36L cube with 4 Zebra Danios fake plants and decor. But that was 2011-12.. Now I never overstock my tanks or keep fish that aren't suitable.

 

[Anam]

Hi guys

I currently have 3 fish tanks, a 24 litre I got for the kids. A 54 litre and a 64 litre.

So the 24 litre has 6 platys and 4 cloud mountain minnows in it and 3 Armani shrimp have been struggling with the ammonia a little in this one but I think it’s due to the substrate I recently added.

The 64 litre has 5 Danios, 7 neon tetra and one male guppy. Also 8 Armano shrimp and 2 cherry shrimp. This tank seems good at the moment.

The 54 litre has 3 female guppies and 5 guppy fry in a breeder box. Debating letting the fry grow up in that tank also.

Any advice would be appreciated thanks guys

Hi! For your 24-litre tank, focus on reducing ammonia by doing regular water changes and checking your filter. The new substrate might be releasing excess ammonia.
In the 64-litre tank, everything seems fine, but consider adding a few more Danios and Tetras to enhance their schooling behavior. For the 54-litre tank, monitor the fry’s growth closely; they might need more space as they grow. Keep up with regular maintenance to ensure all tanks stay healthy!

 

[Essjay]

AJ356 has already alluded to swimming room when talking about danios. Something to research before buying fish is the minimum swimming length they need. The website Seriously Fish lists many requirements in their profiles, from the hardness and temperature they need to the tank size they need.

Knowledge Base — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

For example, white clouds and platies - 60 cm swimming length.