Upgrade filter for more fish?

[Thebigcorycat]

I have a 20 gallon tank with about 10 small fish in it (3 danios, 4 skirts, 3 small cory cats). All the fish seem healthy and water tests are all good. I have a Marineland penguin 150 with the bio wheel filter. My wife wants to add like 3 more fish (little tetras), but I'm worried it'll start to overload the water balance. If I got a "better" filter like a Fluval c3, could I safely add a few more fish? I would transfer old filter material to the new filter or run the filters together for awhile. Any thoughts?

 

[tigerbarb1171]

I think that's fine you should follow the rules "it's a gallon per inch(size of the fish) but u also want to have three extra gallons so if they grow you still have space"

 

[Luananeko]

The filter you have should be sufficient for the extra fish. Danios and tetras prefer schools of at least 5, and cories like at least 4, so before adding new species I'd round off your existing schools. You can safely have 5 danios (I assume they're Zebra Danios?), 5 skirts, and 4 cories without overloading your filter or tank size.

You can always double check your filtration levels by plugging in your tank stats at aqadvisor.com. It's not perfect, but it does give you a ballpark sanity check that you can fine tune with experience and research.

 

[Thebigcorycat]

Okay that sounds good. I'll have to go home and estimate the fishes lengths.

 

[Thebigcorycat]

I had more danios originally, but they were "starter" fish and a few died along the way. They only cost $1 at the pet shop. I like the danios too because they hover at the top, the skirts in the middle, and the cories at the bottom.

 

[BBradbury]

Adding Fish

I have a 20 gallon tank with about 10 small fish in it (3 danios, 4 skirts, 3 small cory cats). All the fish seem healthy and water tests are all good. I have a Marineland penguin 150 with the bio wheel filter. My wife wants to add like 3 more fish (little tetras), but I'm worried it'll start to overload the water balance. If I got a "better" filter like a Fluval c3, could I safely add a few more fish? I would transfer old filter material to the new filter or run the filters together for awhile. Any thoughts?

Hello The...

You can certainly add a few small fish. You don't have to increase the filtration, though. Just increase the amount that you remove when you perform a water change. What a lot of water keepers don't realize is that the filter system does very little to maintain clean tank water. The filter just takes in toxic water and returns the same water that's a little less toxic. The old water has to be removed and replaced with pure, treated tap water.

So, add the fish. Just change out more water whenever you do your scheduled water change.

Pretty simple.

B

 

[Thebigcorycat]

That sounds good. I'm doing about 20% wc a week. I suppose I can monitor the water levels and adjust accordingly if problems arise. I just assumed I might need a fancier filter.
Thanks for all the help. This blog has been very helpful for me.

 

[fishyfriends3]

I think that's fine you should follow the rules "it's a gallon per inch(size of the fish) but u also want to have three extra gallons so if they grow you still have space"

This rule doesn't work, please ignore it completely.

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Luananeko]

This rule doesn't work, please ignore it completely.

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Ditto. 1" of fish per gallon is how you end up with people putting oscars in 15 gallon tanks (in case you're unfamiliar with oscars, thats a 12" long VERY messy fish that normally needs a 50 gallon to themselves).

 

[Thebigcorycat]

Oh okay, I wouldn't do anything like that. I only want little fish anyway.

 

[Brookster123]

That sounds good. I'm doing about 20% wc a week. I suppose I can monitor the water levels and adjust accordingly if problems arise. I just assumed I might need a fancier filter. Thanks for all the help. This blog has been very helpful for me.

if you're up for the task, a 50% weekly wc will set you up for a successful run with this tank! Keep in mind over feeding can trash a tank too

 

[Thebigcorycat]

50% sounds like a lot of work LOL, but I'll do it if necessary. Can't have my cories dying on me.

 

[Brookster123]

50% sounds like a lot of work LOL, but I'll do it if necessary. Can't have my cories dying on me.

it's pretty much the standard, tell me about it, 3 tanks in my apt, actually 4 with hospital running, I'm doing like 20-25 gallons a week.. With buckets.. I get tired just thinking if it!

 

[Luananeko]

I do 50% changes on my 75 gallon tank and my 56 gallon system (36g bowfront display, dual 10g sump/refugiums) every week, it's really not so bad If you're not using a water changer like the Aqueon or Python ones, I recommend them. They make water changes much easier without having to lug jugs and buckets of water around!

 

[Thebigcorycat]

Sounds awful LOL

 

[fishyfriends3]

I really enjoy doing my tank maintenance and water changes, but I am a bit crazy.

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Thebigcorycat]

Yeah it's not that bad really.

 

[Mattyfelts]

+1 dont use 1 inch per gallon, imagine a 10 inch koi in a ten gallon...

use live aquaria for rough estimates.

 

[BBradbury]

Water Changes

That sounds good. I'm doing about 20% wc a week. I suppose I can monitor the water levels and adjust accordingly if problems arise. I just assumed I might need a fancier filter.
Thanks for all the help. This blog has been very helpful for me.

Hello again The...

Small water changes do very little to maintain stable water conditions. The more water you remove and replace, the healthier the fish and plants too. A 50 percent water change done at least every 2 weeks will go so much farther to guarantee a healthy tank.

Most, if not all tank problems are the result of less than pure water conditions. So, by flushing a lot pure, treated tap water through your tank there's no time for toxins, like fish waste to build up before they're removed by changing the water. So, if you're going to the trouble of getting out the gear needed for a water change, make it worth the effort. It really doesn't take much more time to remove a bit more water. Your tank inhabitants will appreciate it.

B

 

[Luananeko]

Sounds awful LOL

Like I said, water changer makes it easy You just stick the head in, bury it under something so the fish can't swim in, and then keep an eye on it while doing something nearby. Swap from siphon to return water once enough water has been pulled and you've dosed dechlorinator in the tank, match temps of the water in the tank and the water coming out of the tap, then leave it alone until the tank is full. Turn off changer, coil up hose, you're done. Easy peasy