Hi everyone,

This might be a "duh" question, but do guppies count as one fish? They are so small that I've been wondering if I can fit more in my aquarium. I know there is that one-fish-per-gallon recommendation.

I have a 10-gallon. Currently I have two cory catfish, one albino cory catfish, one bleeding heart tetra, one black fin tetra and one clown pleco. I guess that means that technically I can fit four more fish in the aquarium, but since guppies are so small would it do any harm to get more, and if not, how many would be OK? I would only get male guppies, so there would be no breeding. (Guppies are so color and beautiful!)

One last question - would this combination of fish create any problems? Would there be any kind of aggressiveness?

Thanks!

-Stacey

Clown Pleco will outgrow your tank and it needs driftwood.

Both the tetra's need to school, so you need 5 or more.

The Corys prefer sand and need to be in groups.

I suggest you don't add any guppies at all, they will overstock your tank.

You should invest in a 20 gallon long tank if you can. It will be enough space for your Pleco and more fish.

If you get a 20 gallon long tank, you can fit your Pleco, 4 Albino Corys 4 of the other corys (not sure which genus they are) 5 Bleeding Heart Tetras and 4 Black Fin Tetras and the 3 male guppies.

But I suggest getting a filter than can handle 30 gallons and using live plants, especially low-light/low-tech plants like Anacharis, Anubias, Java Ferns and Java Moss. None of those need to be planted. Cryptocorynes need to be planted but they are easy to take care of.

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The one inch rule is basically just a guide line. If you have live plants in the tank and do regular water changes its possible to add more fish. But what I can see is you have 2 fish that can turn into fin nippers as you don't have enough of one to make a school. The tetras are a schooling fish and tend to be fin nippers. You could add 6 male guppies to the tank but the fins will be nipped. I would return the tetras and you could have 8 male guppies, or increase one of the tetras to 4 more and get rid of the other.

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Pigeonfish, the clown pleco won't outgrow the tank, they are smaller than most of my bns.

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They probably won't outgrow it, but since they make more waste than your average fish, I wouldn't keep them in a ten gallon with that many fish. Just my opinion, I think it will be better if the OP just got a 20 gallon long. That way she can keep all her fish and add the ones she wants.

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The "rule" you often hear is one INCH per gallon, not one fish. You're probably at or above the stocking limit of your tank already.

The rule I am familiar with is one inch of fish per gallon. Under this rule one large remale guppy would represent two fish. A large Pleco would represent at least 3 fish. It's alway better to to understock a new tank. This gives your fish room as they grow and prevents nitrates from accumulating too quickly.

Thanks to all for taking the time to respond.

Sometime soon I will be moving so I will wait to get anymore fish. Also, when I get to where I'm going I think I will go ahead and get that 20-gallon tank. I've been wanting a bigger tank anyway so the temp and stuff wouldn't fluctuate as easily, but now I have an even better reason to get it.

-Stacey

Sorry if I'm tardy to the party, but the one inch of fish per gallon rule is one of my biggest aquarism pet peeves. It's a decent rule of thumb occasionally, but it really shouldn't be a guiding force for stocking a tank - two one-inch neon tetras don't produce nearly as much of detritus as one two-inch goldfish, and the goldfish, even at two inches, needs much more than a two gallon tank to be healthy. What you really need to keep in mind how much the fish moves (sometimes small, highly active fish need more room than larger, more sluggish fish because they just swim around more), how big it gets, and how much detritus it produces.

But I think everyone's already pretty much tackled the issues with your current bioload, Stacey, so I won't bother. xD

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You are overstocked with what fish you have already

I agree with what you're saying when it is used as a rule but I think it is still useful as a guide. It gives people somewhere to start from. Some fish need much more space and some could have less but it at least stops people from trying to keep 3 oscars in a 10 gallon!