Stocking rate

[Jharvey]

Hi folks - I traded in my 10-gallon tank for a 29-gallon. Yahoo! I'm wondering how many fish to add at once and how much time to give the biofilter to adapt in between additions.

Ultimately I'd like:
3-4 Mollies
4-6 danios
4-5 guppies or platys
1 dwarf gourami/dwarf angel fish or similarly-sized non-schooling fish
1 mystery snail


Current Parameters:
Started with 5 gallons, all of the gravel, biofilter media, a piece of the mechanical filter media and 3 plants from my established (6 months) 10-gallon tank. Added my current stock: 1 24k-Molly, 3 zebra danios, 1 mystery snail.

Now it has been a week and I just added another zebra danio yesterday.

Current stats:
high pH - 7.8
ammonia - 0
nitrites - 0
nitrates <5ppm
temp - 80 deg. F

When can I add more and how many should I add at once?

 

[Watsonja4]

I would say 4-7 days between additions depending on how safe you want to play it. I would add the guppies followed by the gourami last because they are probably the least hardy on your list and the gourami will probably claim a little area as his territory after being in the tank a few days.

 

[Jharvey]

The guppies are the least hardy?

Should I be introducing them one at a time? From setting up a small tank for a friend it seems like guppies don't like to be alone so I'm wondering if I should add them 2 or 3 at a time.

 

[Watsonja4]

Sorry for the late reply, I would say go by inch of fish for deciding how many to add at once.I would try 5 inches at first, so for example if the guppies are 1 inch long add 5 at once. This is all up to you though, and slower will be safer. I just went from around a 50% stock to 100% at once in my 45 but I was prepared and actually expecting a mini cycle but after day 3 my ammonia and nitrite are 0.

 

[Jharvey]

Thanks - I'll probably try something in-between. Maybe 3 inches at a time.

Did you quarantine your new fish before adding them?

 

[Watsonja4]

No I did not quarantine, yes I know I should but I buy from a local store with a good rep and they keep their tanks clean and do not use a shared filtration system for all their tanks. This is really no excuse and will probably bite me one of these days.

 

[platylover26]

I have one tip. Add the danios first, because they are the hardiest on the list. Also, I think you could avoid aggression issues if you got all the schools at the correct numbers first. So three danios wouldn't have to live with guppies or another fish, because I feel like that might prompt aggression if they have inadequate numbers..
I agree with the idea of guppies and gourami last. good luck!