New tank new fish keeper!

[Outoftheblue2]

I have just bought my first tank 64 litres and I have 4 mollies and four tetras, I am thinking of adding more, what would be maximum capacity for this tank and what fish would anyone suggest?

 

[Colin_T]

The tank is probably full due to the mollies that can reach 4+ inches and if they breed, you will have babies to get rid of.

The other issue is with the water chemistry. Mollies come from water with lots of minerals in and tetras come from water with very few minerals in. If you keep mollies in soft water they tend to die prematurely.

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

Depending on what the GH of your water is, will determine what fish you should keep.

Angelfish, most tetras, barbs, Bettas, gouramis, rasbora, Corydoras and small species of suckermouth catfish all occur in soft water (GH below 150ppm) and a pH below 7.0.

Livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), rainbowfish and goldfish occur in medium hard water with a GH around 200-250ppm and a pH above 7.0.

If you have very hard water (GH above 300ppm) then look at African Rift Lake cichlids, or use distilled or reverse osmosis water to reduce the GH and keep fishes from softer water.

 

[Outoftheblue2]

The tank is probably full due to the mollies that can reach 4+ inches and if they breed, you will have babies to get rid of.

The other issue is with the water chemistry. Mollies come from water with lots of minerals in and tetras come from water with very few minerals in. If you keep mollies in soft water they tend to die prematurely.

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

Depending on what the GH of your water is, will determine what fish you should keep.

Angelfish, most tetras, barbs, Bettas, gouramis, rasbora, Corydoras and small species of suckermouth catfish all occur in soft water (GH below 150ppm) and a pH below 7.0.

Livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), rainbowfish and goldfish occur in medium hard water with a GH around 200-250ppm and a pH above 7.0.

If you have very hard water (GH above 300ppm) then look at African Rift Lake cichlids, or use distilled or reverse osmosis water to reduce the GH and keep fishes from softer water.

Thank you, I do live in a hard water area and the next time I visit the shop I will get a test done.

 

[emeraldking]

Hi and welcome to TFF. A photo of your tank would be appreciated...