Can I fit more fish?

[MagicMan]

I've got the 8g Fluval EBi w/3 cardinal tetras & 3 cherry barbs. Would I be pushing it if I added a couple more fish?

 

[tyspot1000]

I would say so, an 8 gallon is not much space for many fish. If you wanted, you could replace the 2 schools of cardinals and cherries with smaller fish like Sparkling gouramis, Endlers Livebearers, Celestial Pearl Danios, or Pygmy Corydora.

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

If you have enough filtertation, do enough water changes a week, and have enough hiding spots for everyone, everyone is fed enough, you should be able to fit quite a few more smaller fish.

I say get some small bottom dwellers to even out the fish scape, since you have some mid-top level swimmers right now. A small trio of dwarf cories or some otos would be a nice contribution.

Or possible a dwarf pleco and a dwarf gouarmi as a combo to enter the scape.

 

[MagicMan]

If you have enough filtertation, do enough water changes a week, and have enough hiding spots for everyone, everyone is fed enough, you should be able to fit quite a few more smaller fish.

I say get some small bottom dwellers to even out the fish scape, since you have some mid-top level swimmers right now. A small trio of dwarf cories or some otos would be a nice contribution.

Or possible a dwarf pleco and a dwarf gouarmi as a combo to enter the scape.

I know the Otos would be fine, but would the rest eat my shrimp?

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

Oh I was unaware of the shrimp.

General the fish that would fit in a 8G size tank wouldn't be able to eat the shrimp. If you got a dwarf gouarmi I would just watch him and make sure he doesn't eat them, but i'm pretty positive he wouldn't. I've had them together, i've had shrimp with bettas as well with no problems.

 

[Tropical boy]

I wouldn't add anything else and I would say you are already at the point of being overstocked purely as the cherry barbs shouldn't be in this tank and adding more fish will lead to poor water quality

 

[Andrey]

Oh I was unaware of the shrimp.

General the fish that would fit in a 8G size tank wouldn't be able to eat the shrimp. If you got a dwarf gouarmi I would just watch him and make sure he doesn't eat them, but i'm pretty positive he wouldn't. I've had them together, i've had shrimp with bettas as well with no problems.

Good news, thanks! I have two couples of Microgeophagus ramirezi with lots of cherry shrimp. Sometimes fish successfully hunt for shrimps children and I thought that Betta is strong enought to hunt down all the adult shrimps.

 

[MagicMan]

I wouldn't add anything else and I would say you are already at the point of being overstocked purely as the cherry barbs shouldn't be in this tank and adding more fish will lead to poor water quality

Why shouldn't they?

 

[jenatron]

IMO, an Ebi is appropriate for less active fish, typically non-schooling fish because of the small footprint.

 

[Tropical boy]

Cherry barbs need open swimming space and require a minimum 20 gal tank and that is fact not just my opinion

 

[kholton]

But it IS your opinion that the tank is overstocked and that it would lead to poor water quality... Because being overstocked DOESN'T lead to poor water quality (contrary to popular belief). Not doing frequent enough water changes DOES lead to poor water quality however. If you do frequent enough water changes and there is enough oxygen in the water, then there won't be any problems...

 

[kholton]

If you have enough filtertation, do enough water changes a week, and have enough hiding spots for everyone, everyone is fed enough, you should be able to fit quite a few more smaller fish.

I say get some small bottom dwellers to even out the fish scape, since you have some mid-top level swimmers right now. A small trio of dwarf cories or some otos would be a nice contribution.

Or possible a dwarf pleco and a dwarf gouarmi as a combo to enter the scape.

 

[Andrey]

Ideal aquarium is a model of nature reservoir so if you love your fish, you would not let them be like canned herring.

 

[jenatron]

The point is they're still too active for the size of tank they're in, water quality aside.
Just something to consider.

 

[MagicMan]

So I added a dwarf gourami & 3 sunkist shrimp today. The sunkist shrimp are too big for anyone's mouth, but my RCS are still babies. Watched the gourami for the first few minutes & he just stared at a couple shrimp, but did not attack & the shrimp just darted away too fast for him. Well, as I am sitting down for dinner I notice he has half a RCS in his mouth. If he eats anymore of them I will have to get him out of there...

 

[Trout11B]

I'm sorry about your RCS but I think its ironic that you were sitting down to dinner and your Gourami is also "sitting down to dinner"