Tank Cycled - What Extra Fish To Add?

[friendsnotfood]

Hi

I have a small 28L tank which i cycled with 3 cardinal tetra.
I am aware that i cant get too much in there due to the limited size of the tank, however it would be nice to add some more.

So my question is what shall i add that will work with the tetra and my small tank.
Also, if i only have 3 tetra, will i end up stressing them as there are not enough of them?

Thanks

 

[Electric Warrior]

Sorry to have to tell you this, but you are going to need a bigger tank in all reality. 28L is way too small for cardinals, even if they are a seemingly 'small' fish-I keep 12 in a 200L. They need quite a large, open area to swim, and as they are shoaling fish, you should really not keep any less than 6 together at the minimum (but don't go out and get any more!). Also, you say you have cycled your tank with them in it? I am surprised that they survived tbh. They are really susceptible to poor water conditions or ammonia/nitrite, so the fact that they survived does not guarantee that they will live very long at all, if they have been exposed to any of those things. You could in theory keep a single betta in a tank that size, but there is not much else except maybe some shrimps tbh.

How do you know that you are cycled? Do you have a water testing kit, and what kind? Cycling a tank will take weeks, even a few months, and cycling fish is much harder work as you have to keep doing water changes every day. The fact of the matter is that there isn't a whole lot that you can put into a tank that small, in all honesty.

 

[friendsnotfood]

Hi

It has been about 6 weeks now and yes i had been testing it daily with an API kit and doing daily water changes. I think my cycle was speeded up slightly by the fact that someone gave me some of their media.

I do now regret buying such a small tank, but unfortunately when i went out to buy it i had no clue about fish, and have learnt a massive amount in the couple of weeks before i started actually using it.
Thank goodness i wasnt naive enough to do what the shop told me though (put water in the tank for a week then just put the fish in...eek)!

I had too read somewhere that tetra prefer 6+, which makes me worry about my 3.

Perhaps it would be better to ditch such a tiny tank and look to get a bigger one? I now know im prepared to put the effort in that is required to keep on top of keeping fish, although i have a lot to learn!
Thanks

 

[fluttermoth]

If you want to keep the cardinals, then yes, you want to be looking at a bigger tank. Or you could rehome the cardinals and look at a small (between six and eight, depending on the fish) shoal of one of the 'micro fish'.

Glowlight danios, sparkling gouramis, celestial pearl danios, dwarf emerald rasboras, ember tetras, pygmy corydoras (cute and active, but not very colourful), male Endler's or guppies (but no females; you don't have room for fry as well!); there are a lot of small fish to pick from these days.

What are the dimensions of the tank, and is your water hard or soft? Knowing those might help us help you a bit more

 

[friendsnotfood]

Tank dimensions are w=30cm d=33cm h=38cm

My tap water is very hard and ph is just over 7.

Thanks