Is My 30 Litre Tank Overcrowded?

[Wintermute]

Hi, this is my first post so sorry if it's in the wrong section!
I was told at the pet store (which claimed to be a specialist fish store) that  a 30 litre tank could hold up to 15 guppies. I bought 12 - 3 males, 9 females. One of my friends who keeps fish told my I have too many... The filter is very good, and they seem to be happy.
[SIZE=x-large]Should I leave it, or return some of them?[/SIZE]

 

[Wintermute]

Please someone answer, there is only a short window of time in which I can return them.

 

[Lillefishy]

Yes, your tank is overstocked.
I'd keep only the males & return the females as every one of those females can have 30+ fry every month overstocking you even more.

 

[Alasse]

Yep you are overstocked. As Lillefishy suggested, an all male tank would be far preferable

 

[Ninjouzata]

I would keep just the males in there like said above. I personally don't like the idea of guppies in anything less than 40l though.

 

[Byron]

I agree with others.
 
Byron.

 

[GoldenRoses]

Maybe someone could explain to the OP why their tank is considered overstocked?

Every time a fish exhales or produces waste, they excrete a toxin called ammonia. Ammonia is almost like carbon dioxide, in a sense. Although the it comes from the fish, it can be lethal, even in small quantities. The amount of ammonia a fish creates differs from species to species. This Is what we refer to as a fish's bioload. Guppies have a very large bioload comparative to their size, meaning they produce quite a bit of ammonia.

In am established, correctly stocked tank, a special type of bacteria consumes ammonia and It's byproducts, changing them to less harmful substances. These bacterial colonies live on all solid surfaces In the tank, but mainly in the filter. When a tank Is overstocked, the bacteria cannot consume all the ammonia being produced, leading to a build up of deadly toxins.

Because guppies produce so much waste, are very active swimmers, and reproduce at an alarming rate, they shouldn't be kept in a tank less than 15 gallons. Your tank is approximately 7 gallons.

If you've become attached to the guppies, the males will be okay living in the tank, but certainly not breeding females. If you are okay with returning all the guppies, we can help you choose more suitable fish for your tank. Endlers, the guppies cousin, are petite little livebearers that would would do great in a trio of males. Or even a colorful betta!

I hope this all makes sense. Please let us know If you need any fit her assistance.

 

[sparrow]

Thats a good explanation above. Definatley return the females. Guppies breed like mad. Have an all male tank. Personally i would keep no more than 10 in a 30 litre as guppies can get quite big. Even then its not ideal. Make sure you add cycle or stability accordingly when cleaning and adding fish to help keep ammonia and nitrite down. Also adding so many fish at once is not recommended as it can overload the filter bacterias capabilities. Rather add some oneday and more a little later. If you keep up the water changes frequently you can hold maybe a couple more than recommended. Also an air pump help add more oxygen to the water annd good surface disruption so this would help to. or some neons instead as they are smaller than guppies and produce much less waste as another option. this is just my experience so do whatever you feel comfortable with. Sorry my text is small as im using my phone to write this. Hope this helps.

 

[the_lock_man]

Personally i would keep no more than 10 in a 30 litre as guppies can get quite big.

 
5 or 6 male guppies in a 30 litre tank is more of a max that I would be comfortable with.

 

[sparrow]

Personally i would keep no more than 10 in a 30 litre as guppies can get quite big.

 
5 or 6 male guppies in a 30 litre tank is more of a max that I would be comfortable with.

Follow this guys advice. He knows some stuff.