Stocking a 15 gal fluval flex questions.

[Smoltanks]

I have a 15 gal fluval flex with 6 pygmy corys and 2 nerite snails.

I took a sad bunch of fish from someone who didn't know what they were doing... 1 african dwarf frog, 2 glow danios, and 1 red wag platy and a freaking 5 inch pleco that were all in a 5 gal at some woman's house. She was going to flush them. I immediately rehomed the pleco to my lfs because he's obviously outside my tanks abilities lol. My question is, can I put the adf and the two glow danios in my 15 gal? I'm not sure if the platy will make it but if he does I probably do not want another, last time I kept platy in a 20 gal they bred like crazy and ended up with several generations in the tank when I started with 4.

And could I add two or 3 more glow danios to cut aggression or is that too much bioload for this size tank?

I'm quarantining the platy, two danios, and adf for at least two weeks in the 5 gal. They've perked up with new water and seachem prime and stability. If they're not compatible with the corys I don't want to mess up a good thing in 3 weeks by adding these guys.

 

[Essjay]

The danios and platy are OK in the 15 gallon, though strictly speaking the danios need a bigger group and bigger tank, but they are better off in your tank than where they've been up to now.

I would keep the frogs in the 5 gallon though as they are best kept in a species-only tank. They are hard to feed when kept with fish as they find their food by smell and by the time they've found it the fish have eaten it all. Also they are very sensitive to chemicals and if you ever need to medicate sick fish it could kill the frogs.

 

[Smoltanks]

The danios and platy are OK in the 15 gallon, though strictly speaking the danios need a bigger group and bigger tank, but they are better off in your tank than where they've been up to now.

I would keep the frogs in the 5 gallon though as they are best kept in a species-only tank. They are hard to feed when kept with fish as they find their food by smell and by the time they've found it the fish have eaten it all. Also they are very sensitive to chemicals and if you ever need to medicate sick fish it could kill the frogs.

Could I get 2-3 more danios for the 15 gal and keep the frog in the 5 gal? Would that make the danios happier? They are doing OK health wise but seem lonely since i know they school. If my 15 gal and pygmy corys could handle each other and the bio load I'd get up to 4 more danios when the quarantine period is over.

I can't put them in my 20 gal it's already fully stocked with a good size school of tetra.

 

[Essjay]

Sorry, I didn't explain properly

Yes, move the danios and platy to the 15 gallon and leave the frog in the 5 gallon. The danios would be happier with more of them.

 

[Byron]

What is the species of what you are calling "glow danio?" If it is Danio choprae, (photos below) it is a very small cyprinid and a group of 10-12 is as few as you should have, and they would be fine in this 15g tank which presumably is 24 inches/60 cm in length. The pygmy cories will be fine with this fish, but you need to enlarge the group to 10-12. Shoaling fish need numbers to be less stressed.

[I concur with @Essjay to keep the frog on its own.]

 

[Essjay]

I assumed they were GloFish zebra danios?

According to the thread title, the 15 gallon tank is a Fluval Flex which is virtually a cube with a footprint of 16 x 15 inches/41 x 39 cm.

 

[Byron]

Another example of why the scientific name should be used when asking questions--something we have all learned over the years.

If the species is as @Essjay suggested, they are not going to work in this tank, there is not enough swimming space for any form of the zebra danio, Danio rerio (Hamilton 1822).

 

[Smoltanks]

Another example of why the scientific name should be used when asking questions--something we have all learned over the years.

If the species is as @Essjay suggested, they are not going to work in this tank, there is not enough swimming space for any form of the zebra danio, Danio rerio (Hamilton 1822).

They are danio rerio. Thanks. Online it says they can be kept in 10-20gals but that might be without the corys. I've kept corys in groups of 6-8 and they've bred and lived 2+ years and not been stressed. I'm sure the more the merrier though!

 

[Byron]

They are danio rerio. Thanks. Online it says they can be kept in 10-20gals but that might be without the corys. I've kept corys in groups of 6-8 and they've bred and lived 2+ years and not been stressed. I'm sure the more the merrier though!

This is a problem in this hobby, the number of misleading "experts" one can find online. Any site that says this species is OK in 20 gallons or less is false and not to be trusted. Having said that a 20g long which is 30 inches in length is OK, but not a standard 20g at 24 inches.

 

[Smoltanks]

They are danio rerio. Thanks.

This is a problem in this hobby, the number of misleading "experts" one can find online. Any site that says this species is OK in 20 gallons or less is false and not to be trusted. Having said that a 20g long which is 30 inches in length is OK, but not a standard 20g at 24 inches.

I honestly don't know what to do with them then they are doing better than when i took them from her though. My local petsmart doesn't want them back and they're the only place with the glow ones. My lfs definitely doesn't want them.

 

[Byron]

I honestly don't know what to do with them then they are doing better than when i took them from her though. My local petsmart doesn't want them back and they're the only place with the glow ones. My lfs definitely doesn't want them.

This is a situation where one has to do what is not in the best interests of the fish normally, but might be the kindest thing under the abnormal circumstances. Leave them together (no new ones) in the 15g tank for the remainder of their days. They are probably "messed up" from what they were forced to endure, and might not even take kindly to more of their own, that is common.

 

[speakerman3]

They are better with you in the 15 than they were before in the 5, and they will be better with you than if they go back to Petsmart. If you can get a better tank for them in the future, that would be great, but in the meantime, thank you for giving them more attention and better conditions.

 

[Smoltanks]

This is a situation where one has to do what is not in the best interests of the fish normally, but might be the kindest thing under the abnormal circumstances. Leave them together (no new ones) in the 15g tank for the remainder of their days. They are probably "messed up" from what they were forced to endure, and might not even take kindly to more of their own, that is common.

Ok. I'll definitely keep this in mind. I might attempt giving them two or 3 more friends, because I've had a few folks on another forum suggest it. I can always return the new ones if it doesn't pan out. I don't have the heart to euthanize them tbh.

 

[Byron]

Ok. I'll definitely keep this in mind. I might attempt giving them two or 3 more friends, because I've had a few folks on another forum suggest it. I can always return the new ones if it doesn't pan out. I don't have the heart to euthanize them tbh.

Two or three more is only asking for trouble. This is a shoaling species and it needs 10+. The two now in the tank may well have been affected by the lack of what they consider normal, namely a decent-sized group. This causes increased aggression, stress, a latency to feed sometimes...serious problems for any fish. Placing them in a suitably-sized tank with at the very least a group of 9-10 more might go down well or it might not. Adding two or three or four certainly will not, and it will stress the new fish too. Numbers matter.