Stocking - can I add more?

[Noviceafter2yea]

20 gallon tank
3 bleeding heart tetras (gender unknown)
3 platys (2 females and apparently 1 male)
2 Cory (don't know gender)
1 dalmation Mollie
1 guppy (male)
1 snail

I know guppies and cories are schooling fish.


Can I, should I add more?
Can I avoid breeding by getting only male guppies or will that create too much aggression?
Since I can't tell gender on Cories, I would get whatever.

I would not do so until my readings are under control.
Tank established since late February.

I am buying a second filter because mine is only a 20 and my current stock needs a higher one anyway.

I have a lot of fake plants, a piece of fake hollow wood, and an abandoned house ornament. Either these could be great hiding places or too much to add more fish.

I've thought about upgrading to a 40 gallon tank with the petco dollar sale, but I think with the cost of the additional hood and light, it may be more cost-effective to buy a a starter kit instead.

Thanks.

 

[jaketetra28]

Guppies aren't schooling fish more of shoaling fish , so if you have room and aren't 100% stocked *could someone chime in* I'd get more bleeding heart tetras because a basic tetra school is 5+ IME

If you upgrade to the 40g you'll have plenty of room for them

 

[emilygupps]

I think the reason they say to have a "school" of guppies is because of the 1 male to three female rule. And also because they can be fin nippers but in a good size group they usually keep the nipping amongst them selves.

That being said I have two male guppies who live with 7 rasboras and two male gourami and every one does fine. I hear the gourami might fight eventually but That's just an other excuse to buy a tank

 

[Pandicorn]

You need:
More tetras

More cories (what species??)

Guppies do NOT need a school

 

[Noviceafter2yea]

You need:
More tetras

More cories (what species??)

Guppies do NOT need a school

I didn't even know there were different types. Catfish cories was my assumption.

Do the tetras all have to be bleeding heart?

 

[jaketetra28]

I didn't even know there were different types. Catfish cories was my assumption.

Do the tetras all have to be bleeding heart?

If you want them to school like you said yes they should be all bleeding heart tetras.

I have a 7 rich school of black neon tetras, and 3 diamond tetras (can't find any anywhere :/ ) the diamonds try to school but it never works out

 

[emilygupps]

My black rasbora will school with the harlequins.

 

[Noviceafter2yea]

If you want them to school like you said yes they should be all bleeding heart tetras.

I have a 7 rich school of black neon tetras, and 3 diamond tetras (can't find any anywhere :/ ) the diamonds try to school but it never works out

Gosh, the bleeding hearts seem to be fine,but I will take your word for it. How many more do I get for my 20 gallon kit with the aforementioned current stock. 2 for a total of 5?

On top of that, should I also get more catfish? 1 or 3?

That would mean adding 3 to 5 fish to the 10 I have already and the snail. 20 gallon.

Thoughts?

 

[jaketetra28]

Ok I'm just telling you what I've experienced with tetras but if yours are fine that's great! and I guess you're good and it just depends on the different stock

 

[Noviceafter2yea]

Ok I'm just telling you what I've experienced with tetras but if yours are fine that's great! and I guess you're good and it just depends on the different stock

Oh, I'm sorry if I came across as defensive. Wasn't at all my intention, just an observation. So, what do you think about adding then a total of 5 more fish?

 

[jaketetra28]

Oh nvm then that's fine! but yeah I've just found that 5 is a nice number with my tetras when they started to really school together and the more I added (reasonably for my tank size) they seemed more I guess you could say confident and less skittish

 

[jaketetra28]

I'm not sure about five because of the bio load. Have you tried aqadvisor? You shouldn't rely on it 100% but it is a really good guide.

But seeing that you'd only have 15 fish in 20g, with the right filtration you should be fine IMO

 

[Plecolover18]

get three more of the cories and the bleeding hearts then your good!

 

[Noviceafter2yea]

get three more of the cories and the bleeding hearts then your good!

2 bleeding hearts then?

 

[jaketetra28]

2 bleeding hearts then?

Yeah that sounds good!