Am I overstocked? Am I insane?

[sarah5775]

Ok...I have a twenty-nine gallon with the following:

4 platys (1 pregnant)
1 molly (pregnant)
5 blackskirt longfin tetras (Three small, two huge- they seem to be getting much bigger than the two inches the store said they'd get- how big do these guys get?
5 little neons
4 ottos (I hope. One seems to be AWOL)
1 ugly snail (rescued from near death- now he's frisky- well, frisky for a snail)
and 4 gold barbs. The pet store told me they were lemon tetras. They are going to get four inches long!!!!

I think that when these fish get full size I am going to be very overstocked.

I also have eleven molly fry. And more platy and molly fry on the way. As soon as they get big enough, I'm going to find a lfs that will take them for credit (to buy fish food, filter media, etc) . But I'm attached...I want to keep a couple....

So there is only one solution. I need to get another tank.

I currently own the 29 gallon and two five gallons with bettas. I am going to use one of the five gallons for a fry grow-out tank and get a smaller temporary tank for the betta.

So...this (including the new betta tank) will bring it up to four.

And a new tank (I want to set up one exculsively for livebearers) of 29 or 20 gallons would bring it up to....5.

I live in a one bedroom apartment.

I have a nice, spacious living room/dining room....and I am filling it with fish tanks! My parents think I'm nuts. My friends think I'm obsessed. I'm wondering if I am certifiable. Do I need medication? Or can anyone relate? Is there anyone out there who has five fish tanks? Most of my living room wall will be covered........yeesh.

 

[drobertson]

You might want to check out this thread.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=84866&highlight=

 

[tropicfishman]

lol I still have abrand new 55 in the box never opened thats 3 months old, a 75 gallon that shalf way full of some raunchy water, a 10 and 29 gallon, welcoem to MTS multiple tank syndrome

 

[DepotFish]

Lemon tetras are a deceiving name. They are actually silver. I'm trying to think if the blackskirts you have could be some other species, but I can't think of anything that could pass for them. Hopefully they stop growing soon. What kind of molly do you have? Most push 5" when fully grown. If you aren't too attached you could get rid of the molly to save space. Currently your stocking isn't too bad. You've just got to so something with the fry, and feeding them to your betta doesn't seem like an option to you.
BTW, I own 12 tanks and I live in a dorm. Granted not many are set up, but when I graduate this spring I'll probably be living in an apartment and have most of the tanks set up.

 

[JustOneMore20]

Black skirts can reach 3 inches...I've seen some 3 inch ones at the LFS and they look really big. I think you will be fine if you setup another tank, 20 long or 29g. If the tank ends up being a 20g I'd move the neons to it and maybe some platies and leave the big barbs, molly, and skirt tetras in the 29g. You could add another school with the neons in the new tank and get some small cories.

I think you will be slightly overstocked when they get full grown. I think you are ok right now though, just be thinking about another tank.

I still live at home (for another couple years until I graduate college) and I have 3 tanks setup, will be setting up a 4th, and still have plans for a couple more. My parents think I'm nuts too. My room is in the basement and there is like a small living room outside my room where 2 of my tanks are....and the others will be there too! That's my current "fish room" until I have my own house.

You are not nuts....I promise!

 

[sarah5775]

I am thinking of moving the platys and the molly into another 29 gallon and leaving the barbs and tetras, and getting a few ottos for the new tank. I'd kind of like to set up a tank that's all livebearers. Is that feasible? Or do I need to move the neons, I can do that. I thought maybe I could keep one of the babies from this batch if I do get the 29 gallon. (it would have to be a female) As for the others (and the offspring of the currently pregnant molly and future offspring of the platys) I am putting them up for adoption. I found two stores that will take them. I could keep a few new platys for the new tank. I could also give up the mollies if I had to and just keep new platys, but I really would like a black one and a silver one, I find them to be such pretty fish.

My friend wants the mollies when they get bigger. She only has a 20 gallon normal tank though, which already has a pleco. Should I give her a few, or is her tank too small for mollies? She is going to have to return the pleco anyway..

 

[JustOneMore20]

An all livebearer tank sounds fine...just don't overstock and remember that if you have males and females they will reproduce. Which, obviously you already know, but should just keep that in mind when stocking the new tank.

I think a 20g would be ok for mollies...just make sure she doesn't overstock it.

Sounds like you have a great plan!

 

[hc8719]

if your lfs or craigslist area sells used aquariums, check them out, you can get some good buys for half the price of a new one