Going to get an 8 gallon fluval, need help with fish amount.

[Loller]

Well, thanks for the luck, but I'm not to worried. The emder tetras barely even get to an inch, guppies dont get much larger, and the gourami is a smaller type of dwarf. The only thing I may have to change out every year or so will be albino algea eater, and I know shrimp dont get big and I can sell the cherries for 50c each easily.

The only extra thing I am thinking about is a small killifish or two. They are pretty, but I may have to replace the guppies for those. I'll hopefully get to start on Saturday.

I know fluval is a great brand, so with shrimps and plants, I'm not worried about any deaths.

[mizzoutank]

gourami's do in fact swim about and are a very active fish.

the reason your is NOT is because you have him in such a small tank.

i had the dwarf you speak of in a 45gallon tank. he was the most active fish i've ever owned. const moving up down, and used all 3 ft of that tank.

you'd be surprised how much better things can get when you provide them with adequate space.

and a killifish does not belong in either tank. it is too small for them, plus your gourami will get aggressive with it. it is not a good idea.

i also implore you to rethink this strategy you are developing with your tank. i think you need to cycle it first before getting involved with fish that don't belong in small tanks

[imma24]

I see. I'll just remove the 2 inch one and keep the small 1 inch one, just in case of any algea on the sides.

Removing a larger fish will only decrease your stock by 1 fish - the other fish will still grow too large for your tank

The gourami, however, I know will be the same, because all gourami I see, even at fish stores, dont move much. Its just their nature.

You can't go by what you see in a store - Fish stores keep their fish in overstocked, small tanks because they don't intend to keep them - once fish are put into an appropriate sized tank, they become more active.

Now, before people get mad at me for the numbers, its the size of them. They are all pretty small, and I'll make changes if they get too big.

Again, all fish start off small - your best bet is to start off with the largest tank you can afford - helps with maintaining good water parameters, helps fish grow to their full size and enables them to swim freely.

Please see my comments above

[Loller]

I know gourami do move, I have a few in my 200g pond and they love it. What I mean is that they dont move as much as the average fish. My little algea eater wont grow another for a long time, there isn't much agea. However, I still have to feed it, but not overfeed.

Oh, and I have a small dwaf, not the full size 6-inch ones. Mines about 1.5 inches.

So, could a few people answer this question please?

Is an 8 gallon planted tank good for the following:
5 ember tetra
1 Albino bristlenose(1 inch big)
2 Guppy
1 Dwarf Gourami

Also, how big of a tank do you recommend for a killifish? (At the least)

[Cliff]

I know gourami do move, I have a few in my 200g pond and they love it. What I mean is that they dont move as much as the average fish. My little algea eater wont grow another for a long time, there isn't much agea. However, I still have to feed it, but not overfeed.

Oh, and I have a small dwaf, not the full size 6-inch ones. Mines about 1.5 inches.

So, could a few people answer this question please?

Is an 8 gallon planted tank good for the following:
5 ember tetra
1 Albino bristlenose(1 inch big)
2 Guppy
1 Dwarf Gourami

Also, how big of a tank do you recommend for a killifish? (At the least)

I would say no. A 8 gallon tank would be too small for those fish

[Loller]

So how big would I need and why is that too small?

[mizzoutank]

So, could a few people answer this question please?

Is an 8 gallon planted tank good for the following:
5 ember tetra
1 Albino bristlenose(1 inch big)
2 Guppy
1 Dwarf Gourami

Also, how big of a tank do you recommend for a killifish? (At the least)

8gallon planted tank is suitable for 5 ember tetra and some red cherry shrimp. nothing more can and should go in that tank. it is way way way too small for anything else.

before you say anything, it doesn't matter the size of other fish and them being small or not. my puppy is small, but doesn't mean he's okay to be locked in his kennel 24/7 with no escape.
people stunt and kill fish with that mindset because their organs will outgrow the stunted body and the fish will die a slow painful death.

so to reiterate: 8gallon tank=5 ember tetra and rcs. nothing more.

you are asking what size should you get:
for all the fish you list i would get a 30gallon tank increase your tetra school to 12 and call it quits


a killifish should get a 15-20gallon tank on a minimum.


it is too small based on the fact that there isn't room for the fish to swim.
please refer to the puppy analogy.

[Cliff]

I would suggest re-reading a lot of the feedback you got here already, and then complete some research on your own. That might make some of the feedback given here make a little more sense to you

Your goal should be to aim for the optimal, not the minimal. I can best make this point by using an analogy. In our modern day society, our prison systems have shown us that a human being can live out most of their natural lives in a 8’ X 8’ room, provided all other basic needs are met. Yet, when you go to find a new place for yourself to live, you don’t pick a 8’ X 8’ room. You pick a place that you can comfortably live in for many different reasons, living conditions being just one of many potential factors that you balance when making that decision. You need to take this same approach when stocking your tank

[Goes to 11!]

So many rep worthy posts in this thread, I will just say this.

My 6g Fluval edge sits empty in my basement because I already have a vase to put my change in & I am not interested in a shrimp tank atm.

In my experience, That or a few micro fish is really all they are suitable for and just wait until you try to clean it

I love their aesthetics and think that they are beautiful glass boxes... My experience owning one is that they are not especially useful or versatile as fish tanks.

[Loller]

Well, I could be ignorant and do what I want, but I came here for advice so I'm gonna do all I can in my power to make a great fish tank. When I go to the Fish Gallery in Houston (Which is a 2 hour ride for me), I'll either get a 8g or a 12g fluval. If I see anything else good that comes with a filter around 16x16, I'll get. At my local petsmart, there is a 15 gallon under 16x16, but It is mainly tall and wouldn't be good.

If I do get the 8g fluval, I'm sorry, but I'm just going to keep the 5 ember tetra, dwarf gourami, and the baby algea eater. If I get the 12g, it would be the perfect size for all the fish, and the tank would work out perfect size-wise. I just don't know what they have in stock right now.

Once done, I'll try to take a picture, but I don't have anything good to upload with currenty except my iPod... Anyways, I'll say once I'm done. But lets look at the big picture if you still think its too small. I'm going from a 6g to a 12g/8g, adding driftwood, plants, and no fake stuff, and removing the main source of amonia (My large algea eater).

Thank you anyways.