30 Gallon Tank - How many Fish ?

[Weeds]

Hi I am new here and have a few a questions about my tank setup.

I currently have a 30 Gallon Tank housing 4 feeder goldfish, 10-20 feeder guppies, 1-2 inch Jack Dempsey and 1 - 2.5 inch Firemouth both males as far as I Can tell.

I have a few live plants some moss.


Can I add one female Jack Dempsey and 1 Female Firemouth to the mix?

Would a JD mate with a Firemouth?

Thanks!

[Lady Hobbs]

I've re-read your post twice now trying to figure out if you are serious or kidding.

Goldfish are cold water fish and do not go in tanks with the warm water fish. The feeders are generally bought just for that reason, to feed other fish, or to cycle a fish tank.

Dempseys and Firemouths would think guppies are lunch. Dempseys can get very large, up to a foot, and none belong in your tank much less a pair. Pairs have babies, hundreds of them.

Two firemouths would be OK in your tank if the goldfish, Dempsey and guppies are gone.

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You need to do a bit more research before buying fish and you've come to a place that will help. Also the link will help give ideas, sizes, etc.

[Weeds]

Well I wasn't kidding, The goldfish are food for the cichlids they are small and the feeder guppies are even smaller some 6mm in size, my fish eat good.
I also feed them bloodworm's and flake food they are not interested in the pellets.

My tank is around 70 - 74F

I need it kinda cold at the moment for my moss to take hold to some driftwood.

Well all in all I might just get another tank going, 55Gallon hopefully to house some Texas cichlids and if not I will get another Jack Dempsey, the firemouth is kinda lame.

[Lady Hobbs]

Your Dempsey is too small to eat the goldfish and will be for some time. The firemouth won't eat them at all. They will both eat the guppies, however, when they are a bit larger.

Are you checking the ammonia levels in your tank? If you haven't a test kit, take some water to the fish store to be checked.

Sorry, but the Dempsey is even too large for a 55 gallon and certainly not enough room for two.

If your tank has not yet cycled, it will take a long time at those temps. Your fish need it warmer, as well. 74-78.

[nano cichlids]

few things cichlids dont really like feeder fish, try frozen foods... next your jack is to small to sex and buying another one at that age to try and get a pair out of is pointless.... first remove everything in your 30 gallon, redo it then place 2 firemouths in there our someting smaller try red points, next rehome the jack and when it hits 4in sex it and buy him or her a mate

[gm72]

This is kind of a mess here. Lowering the temperature to help moss take hold doesn't make sense. By lowering the temperature you are actually slowing the growth. The stocking, as already discussed, is not appropriate. The plan to perhaps get another Jack is not good.

A little research goes a long way indeed.

EDIT: I'd like to add that though it may sound as though we are being negative, we are just trying to drive home the point that this tank is in a bad situation.

[Weeds]

Well I had purchased the two fish with a dozen feeder minnows and they ate them all, I had purchased 12 feeder fish smaller type they have eaten 8 of them they are not dissapearing :) I also feed them frozen bloodworms and cichlid flake food, and recently bought about 40 guppies they are eating them too?

I read about the Jack his Water Temperature can be between Approx 70-78°F (21-25 Celcius). I keep my PH around 7.0-7.5
I do realize the Firemouth likes it around 75–86 °F but I had placed some moss I purchased online (xmas moss-and Fissidens splachnobryoides) and with the water being colder it will take hold of the driftwood faster then I am planning on raising the temperature to about 77°F 26 Celcius.

I also read that Tank makes for these guys would be other medium sized medium aggressive cichlids like firemouths, convicts, green terrors etc. as long as the tank is large enough mine seem to be happy with each other they even sit together sometimes under my driftwood.

Can the jack live alone comfortably in a 10 Gallon?

[xximanoobxx]

Can the jack live alone comfortably in a 10 Gallon?
Nope, they need bigger tanks... at least 40 gallon.... But 55g would be better...

[gm72]

Wait a minute--now you suddenly have 40 guppies in a 30 gallon tank????? Along with the other fish????

[Weeds]

I had 40 friday, 40 baby guppies I should say, wanna see some pics?

[Weeds]

click the pictures to view a larger image.

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[dustinpedley]

also feeder fish really are not suitable to feed fish, most of the time they are housed in deplorable conditions and tend to carry diseases. they are fed very little if any, and they hold almost no nutritional value. plus your feeders are half the size of your cichlids.

That JD will get huge!

One of the biggest mistake of novice fish keepers is not gathering information on the species that they want, and not gathering the right equipment to handle the fish that they have bought.

edit now that i look at your pics i dont see a firemouth there, to me it looks like a rainbow cichlid herotilapia multispinosa to me, but who knows the pic is kinda fuzy

[Weeds]

I was thinking he didn't look like a firemouth myself and my aquarium store sold me it to me and when I asked are you sure thats a firemouth he stated no it is a firemouth, but his belly isn't red I will get my tripod and take some more pics my camera is old and holding it my hands does no justic, I will be removing him from the mix along with the feeders that are growing out of control :)

I read some more info on the fish and I might just leave the dempsey alone in there for awhile add some Texas holey rock and let it grow.