Stocking Advice Pls!!

**CosmicStar** · 05-01-2012, 11:28 PM

Hello! I am new to this groovy forum and was hoping to get some advice. I recently bought 3 diamond tetras, 3 bleeding hearts, and 3 glowlight danios for my 16 gallon tank after waiting a couple months to get my aquarium established with the help of a few goldfish. I was told my aquarium is unevenly stocked..suggestions?? Thxx!!

**TheVoldevader** · 05-01-2012, 11:34 PM

Welcome to the forum

All of those fish are schooling fish and should be kept in groups of at least six, however I don't believe you have enough room in your tank for that. Is there anyway you could get rid of one of the species of tetra (put them in another tank/bring them back to the store/give them away)?

Also, do you still have the goldfish?

**ScottishFish** · 05-01-2012, 11:36 PM

Goldfish grow pretty big, approx 10 inches, 16 gallon aint gona happen, fish kept in such instances will have stunted growth and reduced lifespan. Goldfish should if cared for properly exceed 30 years of life.

Also your tetras and danios are tropical warm water fish, so either you have cold water fish in a tropical set up, or tropicals in a cold set up. Easier of the two is tropicals, rehome the goldfish.

Fish such as tetras should only be kept in numbers of 6+ so your best bet is rehome 2 schools and put the numbers of the remaining one upto 6 or 7.

Also read up on cycling, investing in a water test kit is advisable. Other members will chip in but that's certainly a start

**CosmicStar** · 05-01-2012, 11:51 PM

Originally Posted by TheVoldevader

Welcome to the forum

All of those fish are schooling fish and should be kept in groups of at least six, however I don't believe you have enough room in your tank for that. Is there anyway you could get rid of one of the species of tetra (put them in another tank/bring them back to the store/give them away)?

Also, do you still have the goldfish?

Noo, I don't have the goldfish anymore! I started with nine and ended up with 1 after a month. I could get rid of the bleeding hearts.and just add more diamond tetras..so 6 is ideal?
What about the danios?

**CosmicStar** · 05-01-2012, 11:54 PM

Originally Posted by ScottishFish

Goldfish grow pretty big, approx 10 inches, 16 gallon aint gona happen, fish kept in such instances will have stunted growth and reduced lifespan. Goldfish should if cared for properly exceed 30 years of life.

Also your tetras and danios are tropical warm water fish, so either you have cold water fish in a tropical set up, or tropicals in a cold set up. Easier of the two is tropicals, rehome the goldfish.

Fish such as tetras should only be kept in numbers of 6+ so your best bet is rehome 2 schools and put the numbers of the remaining one upto 6 or 7.

Also read up on cycling, investing in a water test kit is advisable. Other members will chip in but that's certainly a start

Hmm..I believe my water is between 75-79 degrees..so it's definitely tropical. What you are saying is that tetras and danios are not? I started off with goldfish to establish the tank and PH..I only added the heater before I got the tetras. I have a water tester that works really good. Wouldnt 12 fish be too many for my 16 gallon tank?

**ScottishFish** · 05-01-2012, 11:54 PM

With your restricted tank size keep to 1 species of schooling fish but with a school of 6-10 depending on what you feel is acceptable. Tetras and danios are most definately tropical fish, I was only asking as it was unclear if you were keeping goldfish in with tropical fish

**PhillipOrigami** · 05-01-2012, 11:58 PM

No, six IMO sucks. A lot. Someone just decided to make 6 the magic number. 10 is mine.
I reccomend to get all fish but the diamond tetras out and put the school up to maybe 15 or so.
What are your tank dimension?
If it's a hex, then it probably have enough lateral space...

**CosmicStar** · 05-02-2012, 12:00 AM

Hmm..okayy..I'm a little disappointed :/ I wanted a lil more of a variety..Is there any way around that?

**CosmicStar** · 05-02-2012, 12:02 AM

Originally Posted by PhillipOrigami

No, six IMO sucks. A lot. Someone just decided to make 6 the magic number. 10 is mine.
I reccomend to get all fish but the diamond tetras out and put the school up to maybe 15 or so.
What are your tank dimension?
If it's a hex, then it probably have enough lateral space...

]
Not too sure of the exact dimensions but it is a bowfront..so you would recommended 10 diamond tetras?

**TheVoldevader** · 05-02-2012, 12:05 AM

Glowlight danios are pretty small, aren't they? IMO one school of tetras and one school of glowlights would be fine, as long as you had good filtering and kept up with weekly waterchanges. But maybe that's just me.

The higher the better with schooling species :) six just tends to be the magic number.

EDIT: I tried the stocking out on Aqadvisor and it said your tank would be at a 103% stocking level with six danios and six tetras. What kind of filter are you using? If you had something for 30g and did about 30% water changes per week, I believe it would be okay.