Is my 29 G fully stocked??

[MickieFish]

Ok.. I read the rule about 1 gallon per inch,, then ya read the disclaimer that says, well, it depends on what fish you have.. it's so ambiguous! I would like to get just a few more fish.. here's what I have now:

3 albino gold tetras 1.5 in
4 painted glass tetras 1/1.5 in 3/1 inch
2 dwarf gouramnis 2 in
2 peppered cory 2 in
1 guppy 1 in
1 dwarf frog 1 in

I would like to get 2 more frogs, and 4 or 5 cardinal tetras maybe? If I got one small angelfish, would it be too aggressive in my peaceful tank?? According to the inch rule.. I could have about 7 more inches of fish?? This is so confusing!! Thanks everybody!!

[Fishyfanatic]

Most of the fish that you listed like to be in schools. Before adding any other type of fish, increase the numbers that you have of the current fish. Add 3 or 4 more cories, and I would choose between either the tetras or the guppies. I wouldn't advise the Angel since the tank would pretty much be already stocked. The 1 inch per gal guideline applies to the adult size of the fish, not the current size.

[MickieFish]

fishy.. I can't buy any more glass tetras.. since I found out how they get those colors.. the school with gold tetras usually.. they all kinna hang out together.. so will they be ok like that?? I have a 10 gallon with 3 guppies in it that I am going to put the male guppy in. The 3 are pretty big, so I was going to wait until he gets a lil bigger b4 I throw (well.. not throw LOL) him in there. I will def get a few more cories.. and if you think those tetras are not happy schooling together then I will get some mre albinos.. Thanks !!!!

[severum mama]

If this is the same tank in which your fish have been dying, IMO you shouldn't add any others until you find out what the problem is and get it under control. You said your ammonia is 0. That's good, but have you tested for nitrite or nitrate yet? It's very possible to have an ammonia reading of 0, but still have nitrite (less lethal to fish but still toxic)- you could be in the second phase of the cycle. In your other post you said your tank was about 6 weeks old. A tank can easily take more than 6 weeks to fully cycle, so IMO it is very important to pick up a test kit that will test for nitrite and nitrate. You also mentioned that your filter is an internal one that came with your tank as part of a kit. My other concern for you is that this filter may not be adequate for your current bioload. I know it sounds weird, but the filters that come in the kits are often not really powerful enough for the setup in which they are included. I personally don't go by the recommendation on the filter packaging, but instead try to shoot for about 10x turnover as far as gph (this doesn't really apply to canisters though). It may help to up your filtration.

That said, I agree with Fishy on the stocking plan. I would suggest getting more of the gold tetras, especially if you are talking about gold pristellas- I have 7 and I love those guys! Do you know about the dyeing/painting process that your painted tetras have been subjected to? If not, check out http://www.deathbydyeing.org/

I hope I am not coming across as rude or anything, I'm really just trying to help. Good luck!

[severum mama]

LOL, never mind, you obviously know about this process.

[Fishyfanatic]

Yeah, I wouldn't get any more of the glass tetras. I made the mistake of buying Blueberry Tetras (lfs told me they were NOT painted). They were returned to the lfs.

Definately increase the cories and the albino tetras. If you plan on moving the guppy to the 10 gal tank, then I'd leave the tank as in after adding the additions. You may be able to pull off another frog, but they are customarily bottom dwellers and with the school of cories, you may be pushing it. But you could give it a shot and maybe upgrade the filter in the new few months as the first start reaching their adult size since you are using a kit filter.

[Fishyfanatic]

I agree with Severum if in fact this is the tank with the internal filter and frequent fish deaths. Do not add any more fish until the tank has completly cycled. Even then, wait a few weeks before adding more.

I am not a fan of internal filters. An Aquaclear or similar hob would be a better alternative with 10x turnover rate.

[MickieFish]

LOL.. yup read all bout it.. the poor things!! Yes.. this is the same tank where the fish have been dying. I wasn't planning on getting them just yet.. probably in a couple of weeks, after I can be sure the tank has cycled all the way. I am picking up the test kit either today or tomorrow.. when I can get to the LFS. What gets me is that, when I buy the fish, say, I get 5 fish. One may die. Then all the others are fine!! As for my filter.. what the heck is gph?? gallons per hour?? Is that written on teh box?? And 10 x what? The recommendation for that size tank? Ahhh! SO much to learn (and buy!!) On the bright side, the last fish I got (2 gouramis and 2 cories) are all doing fine, no deaths YEA!! Eating and swimmin and no signs of stress.. and it has been a week! WOOHOO!!

You are totally not being rude.. I DO want help!! Thanks!!

PS.. what is the difference btwen internal and HOB filters?? The one I have is AquaTech,,, it hangs on the back of the tank and used the carbon inserts, and has the floss-y stuff as an insert, too. Thanks!!

[severum mama]

You are right, gph is gallons per hour (if you roll your mouse over the underlined abbreviations, the words will pop up). It should be written on the box, along with the recommended tank size, which you will then ignore. I really don't trust those manufacturer ratings. And what I mean by turnover is how many times per hour you turn the water over in the tank. For example, on my 55 gallon tank I use an Emperor 400 and an Emperor 280, for a combined flow rate of 680 gph, which of course is more than 10x turnover. Messy cichlids.

In the event that you do decide to upgrade your filter, DO NOT remove the internal one. Run them both on the tank for a couple weeks. I also recommend an Aquaclear. For your tank I would get the Aquaclear 70 (300 gph). If the current is too strong for your guppy the flow rate is adjustable.

[severum mama]

Ooops, I thought I understood what kind of filter you had, turns out you do have a HOB. I had an Aqua Tech that came with my 10 gallon and after a while I was very unimpressed. I switched to Aquaclear and it was much quieter, plus it uses a foam block instead of cartridges. You can rinse the foam out over and over in tankwater and not have to pay for replacement cartridges- a money saver in the long run.

One more piece of advice- don't change your filter cartridge until you get your test kit and find out what is going on. Post results soon!