HELP! I think I may have overstocked my tank...

[atkiel]

Hi,
I recently bought a 22 Litre tank from Pet Land. At the time, I owned only two common goldfish and a fresh water mussel named Morris. All of them subsequently moved into the tank which was soon decorated with a large rock and artificial plants.
I then decided I wanted to add to my tank with some other types of fish.
I now have three giant danios in there and one little sucker fish.
After doing some more research about how many fish should go into a tank this size I am going to move both my gold fish (the largest is approx three inches long) into my fish pond as I don't want my other fish to become lunch when he is larger or die because of his mess - especially my little sucker fish!
This makes me very sad however, as both he and his littler companion bring alot of brightness and light into the tank.
Do you think I could add a couple of guppies or tetras to the tank? Or would that be even worse??
Okay... well I hope someone helps me out - it would be appreciated!

PS. All of the fish are really healthy, they get a change of water every week and only get fed every other day. The water is perfectly neutral (the water here in Canberra is FOUL for fish keeping - you need to add so much acidity into the water, it's ridiculous!). There is also no heater in the tank - but the tank is in a warm position and seeings the danios are all happily zipping around I figured I wouldn't need one.

PPS. My mussel seems pretty well. Does anyone know how to tell if a mussel is sick? / how can you fix them up?

[allaboutfish]

i think you need a 20 gallon long tank to support these fish and in the future bigger bc giant danios get big

[atkiel]

So what should I do? I am going to move the goldfish today. So that leaves three giant danios, a sucker fish and a mussel. The danios aren't very large as yet - they're only an inch long each approx.

[allaboutfish]

either return the danios or get a bigger tank and what kind of sucker fish?

[atkiel]

I can't afford a bigger tank and the chick at the pet shop told me that they were fully grown. I don't condone animal cruelty, especially when I own the animal.
After having a look at the different types of sucker fish he looks the most like a sucking loach...

[allaboutfish]

the danios will get 3 inches. i think the sucker is ok but i dont know how many gallons this is.

[allaboutfish]

as in a borneo sucker

[atkiel]

No - he is definitely a loach. The danios are fine right now I think... When they're too large, later in the year, I'll give them to my friend whose got a really big tank and invest in a male betta and three females.

I've had a Betta boy before and there is a whole heap of foliage in my tank for them all to hide in.
Also pretty sure that the sucker fish would leave them be.

[atkiel]

Oh! And it's a 6 gallon tank.

[allaboutfish]

ok what species is the loach? and never keep male bettas with females. you can keep 6 females in a planted 20 gallon long and then males should not be kept with any other betta.

[bruinsbro1997]

NOTHING is going to be fully happy in that tank if you keep them in there. Six gallons for those fish is the equivalent of putting a cheetah in a jail cell, there's no room for it. All of those fish will outgrow the tank, especially those giant danios, I would say fifty just for them to be happy and thriving with so much room for them to swim. And the loach will get too big. Almost all fish grow out of a six gallon, the only fish you could keep in there are either nano fish or a betta.

[atkiel]

Yeah, my mate is going to take on the danios. Im not sure - I think his a Chinese loach?

[atkiel]

The danios all seem alot happier since the goldfish have gone

[bruinsbro1997]

Could you give us a picture of the loach? It'd be really helpful

[allaboutfish]

if you mean chinese algae eater they get 11 inches so big i might drop mine in the pond