29 Gallon Stocking Help

[dirtydan]

So I am a complete newbie and this is my first ever aquarium. I went for a community planted tank with a sand substrate.
My tank is now fully cycled and I've stocked it with 6 serpae tertra and 4 different cory cats in the past two days.
Question number one: Was it a mistake to stock it with that many that fast?
Question number two: Assuming I take good care of the tank, how many fish can I hold in it?
Question three: does having two filters mean I'll be able to have a few more fish as opposed to having just one?

Sent from my HTC One using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[threnjen]

Hi! Welcome!
Did you cycle fishless? If so, you're good to go with your entire stock.

AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor is my favorite tool to plan stocking! You can enter your tank size under "dimension" (this is the only field that must have an entry) and then add fish from the left column to right. Scroll down to see any advisories on your compatibility, size etc and your stocking level.

Question 3 - maybe? But in the end, your bioload produces nitrates, which have to be removed through water changes. The gold standard is 50% water change per week. If that is not keeping your nitrates under control, you're overstocked. Also, be sure to consider actual physical crowding. Just because you CAN handle another fish's bioload doesn't mean you should.

Cories are a social fish by the way, and unless they are very similar looking species, they might not hang out with each other. You really want 4+ of the same rather than 4 different species.

I hope we can help you get the hang of your tank and enjoy the hobby!

 

[dirtydan]

Thanks for the input Jen!

Sent from my HTC One using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[josh7]

I would wait at least 2 weeks before adding anymore fish and see how they all do if everything looks good add a few more cories. Then wait another week before adding more. Patience is key in this hobby!

 

[henningc]

I agree wait a week or two and if all is well add a few fish. You do need to add some additional corys for sure. The Serpaes may be a problem as they are known fin nippers and somewhat aggressive. With that said, you will need fish that can hold their own. A dwarf gourami would work as a center piece or perhaps black neons. There are a ton more, just trying to give you ideas.