It is good just takes away our discussionsAqAdvisor is simpler, just in my opinion
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Need stocking advice for 30 Litre Tank
- Thread starter meezazee
- Start date
Well, this site is so busy, I was just trying to cull a bit, lolIt is good just takes away our discussions
Besides looking at 'the number of inches per volume' type of ways of stocking we also have to consider the minimum tank size suitable for any species. The site https://www.seriouslyfish.com/knowledge-base/ is useful for this, giving minimum tank size in just about all its fish profiles.
It gives the minimum tank size for platies as 60 cm long and 30 cm wide. While it is possible for a 30 litre tank to have this footprint, it is unlikely.
Another point about platies is that if you have both males and females there will be fry. A lot of them. Even with just females, if they've ever been in a tank with a male they will probably be carrying sperm and can have fry for several months.
It gives the minimum tank size for platies as 60 cm long and 30 cm wide. While it is possible for a 30 litre tank to have this footprint, it is unlikely.
Another point about platies is that if you have both males and females there will be fry. A lot of them. Even with just females, if they've ever been in a tank with a male they will probably be carrying sperm and can have fry for several months.
Test strips do not contain a test for ammonia and this is just as important as nitrite - both need to be zero.
Ahhh okay, is there anything I can get to test the ammonia?
30 Liters is like 8 gallons depending on the temperament of the fish you could have a betta or a live bearer tank
Yes, an ammonia tester
Strips are not the most accurate type of tester. Liquid reagent testers are better. Most of them come as sets which contain test for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.
How long have you had the tank? Did you cycle it before getting the platies - that is, did you add ammonia to the tank to grow the beneficial bacteria before putting the fish in? If you didn't, you are doing what we call a fish-in cycle.
Briefly - fish excrete ammonia, but this is poisonous to fish. In a cycled tank there are bacteria which eat this ammonia and turn it into nitrite which is also poisonous to fish. In a cycled tank, there are more bacteria which eat nitrite and turn it into nitrate - this is less toxic than the others and is removed by water changes.
A brand new tank does not have these bacteria. The water contains a tiny amount of them but not nearly enough so more have to grow. And it takes a few weeks to grow enough of them.
If fish are put in a brand new tank the fish keeper needs to test for ammonia and nitrite every day and do a water change every time one or both read above zero.
Can you let us know how you set the tank up, please, and if you are doing a fish-in cycle we can help you keep the fish safe.
Thanks so much for being so informative! I really appreciate all the help I can get, I'm very new to it all. I put the ammonia in and dechlorinated the water, and after about 2 weeks the man at the store told me its probably not fully cycled, but to add 2 fish that day, and I guess do a fish-in cycle? Sorry, forgive my ignorance on the subject hehe. I will definitely look into reagent testers if they are more accurate than the strips!Yes, an ammonia tester
Strips are not the most accurate type of tester. Liquid reagent testers are better. Most of them come as sets which contain test for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.
How long have you had the tank? Did you cycle it before getting the platies - that is, did you add ammonia to the tank to grow the beneficial bacteria before putting the fish in? If you didn't, you are doing what we call a fish-in cycle.
Briefly - fish excrete ammonia, but this is poisonous to fish. In a cycled tank there are bacteria which eat this ammonia and turn it into nitrite which is also poisonous to fish. In a cycled tank, there are more bacteria which eat nitrite and turn it into nitrate - this is less toxic than the others and is removed by water changes.
A brand new tank does not have these bacteria. The water contains a tiny amount of them but not nearly enough so more have to grow. And it takes a few weeks to grow enough of them.
If fish are put in a brand new tank the fish keeper needs to test for ammonia and nitrite every day and do a water change every time one or both read above zero.
Can you let us know how you set the tank up, please, and if you are doing a fish-in cycle we can help you keep the fish safe.
As soon as you can, test the tank for ammonia and nitrite and post the results here.
First lesson of fishkeeping - never believe anything a shop worker says. There are some good ones but the majority haven't a clue. Ask on here instead - we aren't trying to sell you anything!
First lesson of fishkeeping - never believe anything a shop worker says. There are some good ones but the majority haven't a clue. Ask on here instead - we aren't trying to sell you anything!
A MUST read, for all newbie FW fishkeepers: https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/
Six fish in less than eight gallons of water...
Not even nano fish, since female platies can get quite large, and they're good swimmers as well..
Blows my mind that people are willing to not only keep fish in glorified vases, but advise cramming as many as possible in there. Even if six platies managed to survive in eight gallons, and the inevitable ammonia spikes in a new set up, what kind of quality of life could they possibly have?
It truly depresses me how people will advocate for these stupid nano vases as being proper aquariums. Nano tanks are a thing, but they're usually appropriately planted and stocked, not people shoving any old fish into a tiny plastic tub and calling it good.
Dang....missed THAT post, for some reason...and not to mention the fry, which are inevitable...
@meezazee You may have gathered from the last few posts that 30 litres is pretty small for platies, and definitely for mixed sex platies as all the females will have a lot of fry every month.
I know that you already have 2 platies, but please don't be discouraged. You do have some options.
The most expensive one is to get a bigger tank. But I do realise this may not be an option for various reasons.
You could return the platies to the shop, then do a fishless cycle and buy fish more suited to the tank when it's complete.
Or you could keep the tank with just the platies you have now. But in this case you need to know what sex they are as a male and female = babies. Look at the anal fin; that's the one underneath the fish just in front of the tail. If it's shaped like a fan (like all the other fins) it's a female. If the anal fin is rod shaped, it's a male.
And get that test kit asap
I know that you already have 2 platies, but please don't be discouraged. You do have some options.
The most expensive one is to get a bigger tank. But I do realise this may not be an option for various reasons.
You could return the platies to the shop, then do a fishless cycle and buy fish more suited to the tank when it's complete.
Or you could keep the tank with just the platies you have now. But in this case you need to know what sex they are as a male and female = babies. Look at the anal fin; that's the one underneath the fish just in front of the tail. If it's shaped like a fan (like all the other fins) it's a female. If the anal fin is rod shaped, it's a male.
And get that test kit asap
Hi, yes I have gathered hehe.. I am tempted to take them back to the store. Yes I do want to upgrade my tank! But was hoping this would not be necessary for a while. I am more than happy to simply keep the 2 Platies and have nothing else, as long as that is fair and okay! They are definitely 2 females... I asked for females and I checked they definitely have the fan shape.@meezazee You may have gathered from the last few posts that 30 litres is pretty small for platies, and definitely for mixed sex platies as all the females will have a lot of fry every month.
I know that you already have 2 platies, but please don't be discouraged. You do have some options.
The most expensive one is to get a bigger tank. But I do realise this may not be an option for various reasons.
You could return the platies to the shop, then do a fishless cycle and buy fish more suited to the tank when it's complete.
Or you could keep the tank with just the platies you have now. But in this case you need to know what sex they are as a male and female = babies. Look at the anal fin; that's the one underneath the fish just in front of the tail. If it's shaped like a fan (like all the other fins) it's a female. If the anal fin is rod shaped, it's a male.
And get that test kit asap
Yes im getting the testing kit today
Just to warn you, if the females were in a mixed sex tank at the shop you may well still have fry as female platies can store sperm and use it to produce fry for several months.
Keeping just the two platies is not ideal but it is do-able especially if you do upgrade and move them over.
The main thing is to keep on top of the water conditions. This means doing water changes at first to keep ammonia and nitrite as low as possible, then going forwards doing big water chnages at least once a week to keep nitrate under control.
Keeping just the two platies is not ideal but it is do-able especially if you do upgrade and move them over.
The main thing is to keep on top of the water conditions. This means doing water changes at first to keep ammonia and nitrite as low as possible, then going forwards doing big water chnages at least once a week to keep nitrate under control.
Ok thank you so much for all your help. I have been testing every day and everything is at 0.
If I buy a 10 gallon tank (or larger) for these fish to be upgraded into, do I cycle that for a few weeks before putting them in the upgraded tank? Would they be okay in the meantime?
I'm not sure how to go about this process as a few sites I have looked at have varying info and I don't want the fish to die in transit.
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