A few questions

[PostalPenguin]

I have a 10 gallon that is almost done cycling. I have 4 platys and am wondering what I can add to fully stock it. I was thinking of adding 2 or 3 otos for a clean up crew. I was also thinking of adding a 5th female platy to round out the bunch. My platys keep the decorations and plants spotless but never seem to munch on the algae on the glass. So my questions are would the 3 otos and one more platy, a total of 5 platys and 3 otos, be overstocking? They will be added after my cycle is complete.

My 2nd question is: I have two 15W CF bulbs @ 950 lumens each in my tank. Would this be considered high, medium or low lighting? I have anacharis and two brazillian sword plants that are doing great but am wondering what my level is for future purchases.

And my final question is: I am treating my tank for ich, that hitch hiked on my anacharis I think, with Rid-Ich. The fish seem to be clean of symptoms so I will be treating until Friday to ensure that its all gone. However, after that how long is it recommended I use activated carbon to remove the treatment? Or would my regular water changes, daily until the tank is cycled, be enough?

Thanks!

[Heliwyr]

My 2nd question is: I have two 15W CF bulbs @ 950 lumens each in my tank. Would this be considered high, medium or low lighting? I have anacharis and two brazillian sword plants that are doing great but am wondering what my level is for future purchases.

Odds are, the fixture in your 10g won't be able to handle anything for than a 15w bulb (if you got one that's like a kit or a basic hood). If your bulbs are 5500-6700k colour temp, there shouldn't be any issue and that's about as high as you can go with a 10g as far as wattage goes. With 2, that's 30 watts, so 3 watts per gallon. Since the tank is small, that'll probably put you at medium (maybe medium-high) lighting. With small tank something odd happens and even if you have 3 wpg, it's actually less. I forget why.

[Mvjnz]

A couple of things: Most medications will kill the bacteria in your filter, so make sure the tank really is cycled before adding anything else. It might not be.

Secondly, ottos are rather sensitive and should only be put in established tanks, say tank that have been cycled for at least 6 months.

The algae on your glass is not likely to keep growing forever. Until the tank reaches a balance, which takes at least a few months, you will get algae, and espexcially brown algae is very common. After a few months this should clear up on its own, so there's no reason to buy fish now when they might not be needed in 3 months time.

If you just want the ottos because they are cute, then that's a different matter:) But they do need an established tank, as they are usually not well cared for during transport and tend to die off. When you do get them, they need a constant supply of algae and veggies the first few weeks. If they make it throught the first month they should be fine.