How many fish can a 5-gallon carry?
Hey...I been reading around on your site and found it most informative. At the moment, I keep a sapphire blue Betta in a 5-gallon Marineland Tank with Eclipse lighting and filtration [bio-wheel]. Now, through your site, I've learned about the many other types of fish I can opt to include with the Betta. I plan to maybe put some Corydoras catfish in my 5-gallon with my Betta.
<A nice addition>
Yet, I think I've heard/read somewhere that Corys are community fish... but with a 5-gallon, I could only accommodate so many fish at a time.
<A couple of a smaller species will do fine>
Yet, as I've mentioned, I'd like to put some in with my Betta to enhance my aquarium setup. So, if possible, could you please advise me as to exactly the number of fish (Corys, in particular) that I could put in a 5-gallon with my Betta? Thanks in advance for your answer!!!
<Depending on the species of fishes... a handful of smaller types could be added... as long as they're of easygoing temperament. Bob Fenner>

Stocking a 10 Gallon
Hey crew. I just found your site the other day, and I have to say, it's definitely the best! I guess it's a good thing I found it, as my fish started acting rather peculiarly today...I actually have two major issues that I need some help with!  I couldn't find my question on your pages, so my sincerest apologies if these have already been answered. First off, I have a 10 gallon tank that's about 2 months old. It's cycled, ammonia and nitrite is zero, nitrates are about 30ppm (with a partial water change scheduled for tomorrow). Hardness is about 300ppm, total alkalinity is around 200ppm, pH is stable, somewhere between 7.8 to 8.4, and temperature is about 79 degrees F. The tank's original inhabitants (after initial cycling, as the originals didn't survive the break in, unfortunately) were 2 sunset fire platys and 2 tiger barbs.  The barbs never exhibited any aggressive behavior toward the platys, and everybody got along marvelously, so I guess I got lucky in that department from what I've heard could have happened. A few days ago (probably 2 weeks or so after the platys and barbs started calling the tank home) I added 2 neon tetras and 2 Glo-lite (?) tetras.  Everybody's very small at this point, and I'm planning to upsize my tank as soon as I graduate from college and get a job, which should be in a few months if everything goes according to plan :).  Until then, 10-15% water changes at least once a week, and I make sure water quality is good with regular testing.  As long as nobody grows too fast, overcrowding shouldn't be an issue, right?
<As long as water quality stays high you should be OK. But overcrowding also cause stress, something we can not test for>
My first question is this: prior to the addition of the tetras, the barbs were pretty active, and although they were buddies, they were also somewhat independent, swimming around on their own every now and then. At feeding time, they'd rush out and dart around everywhere to eat as much as possible. Now that I've added the tetras, they seem to stick together like glue in the back corner by the heater, never leaving the other's side, and they barely pick around when I put food in the tank (usually regular crushed flakes, occasionally dried bloodworms). Could this be because they're not the dominant group in the tank? If so, should I add one or two more barbs, and keep a closer eye on water quality?  Should I try to return the tetras to the fish shop? I never thought a problem like this would show up, since the barbs and platys got along so well.  I really like all my little guys, but I have neither the space nor the money at this point to invest in a larger tank.
<Adding a few more barbs would be an option in a larger tank, but not in a ten. I'm not sure why your tigers are in the corner, but I doubt it has anything to do with the Neons and tetras. The barbs are pretty aggressive, the tetras very peaceful. I assume the barbs are unaware of these facts right now. Give them a few days.>     
Second question: I can't really tell for sure if my platys are male or female, but I have a suspicion that I've got one of each.  The smaller of the two seems to be getting fatter by the day and has very strong color intensity - could it be a pregnant female?  I don't see any evidence of a gravid spot, however (on a side note, if she is pregnant, my tank obviously can't handle a whole new group of fish, assuming the fry survive. Should I get a breeding net?  Will a
fish shop accept the fry?  I know of nobody that would be able to take them in this situation.)  Anyway, my immediate question is this...as of feeding time this evening, the platy I suspect is a male wouldn't allow the one I suspect is female to eat.  Every time "she" would swim to the top to grab some food, "he" would chase her until she went into hiding.  Also, every time she gets close to him, he begins to chase her around. They've never shown this behavior before, and I don't know what to make of it.  I now know the preferred platy ratio is 1 male to at least 2 females
(thanks to your site!), so would adding another female be a feasible solution, assuming this is the case?  I don't want the one to die of starvation or stress, but I also don't want to overcrowd, so any help would be appreciated!
<Sounds like a pair. To be sure look at the anal fin. Fan shaped in a female, tube-like in a male. The chasing is normal and there is little you can do to stop it except add more females. But again, not in the ten as it is currently stocked. It is quit possible for him to harass her to death. Maybe trade in the barbs for a pair of female platies. Or trade in the platies for a few more barbs. Which, BTW, will torment the Neons and take any fry. I do think you're going to have to forget about raising fry until you can get another tank anyway. Your best chance for fry would be to replace the barbs and tetras with more females platies and a few Corys. Add a lot of plants. Then let nature take it's course. Hopefully some fry will hide away and survive>
Thanks for the help, and sorry for the length of this email!
-Melissa
<No problem. Good luck. Don>

Overstocked Tank
Started a 10 gal aquarium 8 weeks ago...started out with a tiger barb, catfish, an African frog and a couple other that I can't remember the name of. Everything seemed fine the pH was a little high but started treating right away. Then one morning my catfish seemed to lose his equilibrium...that is he, I don't know it was a he, just assumed I guess, started floating upside down in the tank but was still alive. Would make attempts to swim, but failed, the water from the filter would blast him to the bottom and then the other fish would nudge him around. I remove him from the tank and quarantined him and about 5 hours later he died. Everything has been fine since then, that was about 1 month ago, 10 days ago I added two new fish.  I can't find where I wrote the name of the fish down at but I know it was described as a good fish for a beginner, very hard to kill, but now it is doing the same thing my catfish did. I test the water regularly for nitrate, nitrite, pH, salinity and hardness. Please tell me what is wrong with my fish?
Kimberly
<Hi Kimberly, Don here. Are you testing for ammonia? It sounds like you put all these fish and the frog in all at once when the tank was new. Ammonia will build up to toxic levels very quickly in these conditions. I'm not sure how many or what types of fish you have, but it looks like you have far too many in a 10 gallon. Start doing 20% water changes daily and read up on "cycling". Do not clean the filter. Make sure the pH's and temps match. Which brings me to your changing the pH. Why? What was it? Unless it is very high or low, it is far better to get fish that like the conditions of your source water without tinkering with it. Most fish will adapt and do fine even if the pH is not ideal for that species. It's a sudden swing in pH that causes problems>

Stocking Questions
I did a lot of searching on your website (among others) and found yours very useful. I still couldn't find an answer to my question at all.  Here is my situation: I have a very underdeveloped 10 gallon aquarium with 3 minnows and 2 zebrafish, all of which are between .5-1". I want to know which fish get along with minnows and zebrafish. I also would like to invest in some small frogs. Is there any way that they can coexist in this same aquarium?
Please get back to me if you have the time, thanks!
-Caroline
<Hi Caroline, Don here. If your aquarium is heated there are too many small fish you could keep to list. A few small Corys would work. If you do not have a heater look at White Clouds, also a type of minnow. But be careful of adding too many more fish to this tank. Some minnows can get a too big for a 10 gallon. It is far better to keep only a few fish, but keep them very well and healthy. Overcrowding can kill. And with small fish you really need another tank to keep frogs. Most frogs will eat any fish he can catch>  

Disastrous 1st Tank!  8/10/04
To make a long background story short, the local pet store approved and sent me home with a disaster of a first fish tank.  They gave me a thumbs-up on putting two sunset platys, two silver mollies, and a green spotted puffer in a new 10 gallon tank.  On their recommendation, I did cycle the water 48 hours before putting the fish in using Cycle and some water conditioner.  
<This will not cycle a tank.  that product is a total waste of $$$ & will actually harm the cycling of your tank.  there is dead bacteria that adds to the waste in your tank that the fish are producing.  Read: http://www.piranha-fury.com/information/default.php?id=cycling>
A molly gave birth the first night though, and we now have 8 fish in only 10 gallons.  We are about a week into the tank's life and the adult mollies have become VERY active and the puffer has lost a lot of color.  We feed the mollies and platys tropical fish flakes and give the puffer either snails or brine shrimp.  Saline levels are currently around 1.008.  The ammonia level was around 2.0, but after a 35% water change its down to around .75.  The puffer seems slightly healthier now but is still grayish.  We want to let the water reach an established level, but the high ammonia seems dangerous.  What direction should I go now to save these fish?  
<I would highly recommend returning the puffer.  They are definitely not community fish & they are not good fish to cycle a tank with (personally, I prefer fishless cycling).  Read this on your puffer: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm>
Thanks in advance.
<I really would take any advice you get from a fish store with a grain of salt.  Do as much research here in our FAQs as you can.  This is a great website full of good info here.  ~PP>

Breeding Fish
Dear WWM Crew,
I have been to your website many times and was just recently on there looking for some information on breeding fish.
I was just wondering if any of you guys can make a short list of the easiest freshwater fish to breed. I have bred livebearers and Convict Cichlids before, but I just want to know what else is out there that I might be able to breed. Also if its helpful at all I plan on using a 5 1/2 or 10 gallon tank to breed them in. Thanks for any help, I really appreciate it.
< David it all depends on what you like and if you want to raise the fry. Livebearers are easy as you have already found out. The cichlids like convicts are very easy substrate spawning cichlids. If you are looking for fish that have different methods of reproduction then you may want to try dwarf Gouramis which are bubble nest builders. Mouth brooding cichlids like Egyptian mouth brooders would also be very easy. Some species of killifish scatter their eggs in floating plants while others dive into the soil to lay their eggs and then die in anticipation of their water drying up. After a few months you put the soil in water and the eggs hatch and you have baby fish. Lots of fish out there to choose from.-Chuck>
Yours Truly,
David

Choosing the Right Fish
I have a ten gallon tank and need a type(s) of fish that fits my tank just right...and easy to take care of...any ideas?
<<Hello. Is the tank heated? It might be a good idea to go to your local fish store, and see what they have available for you. Tell the salesperson that you have a ten gallon, it's a new set up, and whether there is a heater or not. Species you can keep in an unheated tank include white cloud minnows, Danios, a Betta <<Mmm, should have a heater IMO. RMF>>, or one small fantail goldfish. In a heated ten gallon, you can keep some of the hardy, small tetras, like Pristellas, glowlights, black Neons, black phantoms, also cherry barbs, flame Gouramis, etc etc...just don't overstock the tank, and start slow, add TWO fish for the first couple of weeks, and get your water tested often to prevent ammonia problems while cycling. And so some reading! -Gwen>>

Tank Stock questions
Hey Everyone!  First and foremost, the site has been wonderfully informative!  Thank you :)  
<No Thank you!  we are glad to help.>
I currently have a 5.5 gallon tank that is stocked with three platies ( 1 male, 2 female).  I won't be adding any more fish to the tank, because if I do my math right... for a tank this size, three is already pushing it.  
<You are correct.  I wouldn't add any more fish to the tank either.>
I want to upgrade to a larger tank, either a 10 or 15 gallon tank (I live in a one bedroom apt, so room is an issue, but leaning towards a 15 gallon hexagon tank).
<They are quite nice and will work well for platies.  Adding plants for cover seem to spur these fish to spawn more frequently.>
The water where I live tends to be horribly alkaline (that's why I went with platies... besides, they're cute and mine have great personalities).
<I agree, they are very fun fish, I often wish I kept my large tropical tank going.>
I try to keep the pH at around 7.2 but it tends to average somewhere between 7.2 and 7.6 no matter what I do.  Now, my question is, when I upgrade, what kind of bottom feeders are compatible with the water parameters I have?  I'm not worried about looks.  I just want a 'janitor' of sorts that can get the job done :) I also don't want to get something that schools (I've read that the Oto's tend to prefer groups) because if the Platies breed, I need some room for the fry.
<Otos are great fish, but if you have ever seen a "school" of Otos you would see a handful of inch long fish somewhat hanging around together.  having a couple Otos in the tank are rarely even noticed.  But, my suggest for you to get are apple or ram's horn snails.  These are great animals, not only clean the gravel but do a great job on the glass itself.  They don't add much to a bioload, and my tanks look spotless all the time thanks to my snails.>
Thanks in advance!
Megan
<Hope that helps.  good luck with the platies. -Magnus>

Novice Help
Hi guys. I am a novice and have just started keeping fish. I bought a bio-orb to start and intend to move upwards in terms of tank. I have recently had a bit of a scare. I have 2 Honey Gourami (did have 3 but one
passed away) 5 zebra danio, 2 leopard danio and a Siamese fighter. I recently looked into my tank and noticed what looked to be some sort of insect larvae. One of my Danios (please excuse the graphic nature of this) was floundering and had no fins or eyes left. I removed him from the tank and he went on his merry way to his maker. I did a thorough water change (if in doubt get the old water out) and this seemed to get rid of the larvae.
However, i think that someone or something is nipping my Danios fins. My fighter and Gourami are unaffected. All fish seem healthy and my water is fine. Anyone have any ideas??? Thanks Smidge
> Hello Smidge, yes you do need help :P First, I need to ask you some questions, what is the size, in gallons, of this Bio-Orb? I am unfamiliar with this. I looked it up on Google, and found a goldfish bowl. Is this it?
It looks like it holds around 2-3 gallons of water. From what you mention, you have overstocked this bowl. I would not be worried about larvae, I would instead be worried about two more important things: one, you have too many fish in a new tank/bowl, and your ammonia readings will be high enough to kill them all pretty soon, if you do not remove some fish and take them back to the store, and do daily partial water changes to keep the rest alive..
You should buy yourself some test kits for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates, or have the store test these for you. It's better to buy your own, as test kits are easy to use and will save many fish lives. You have 12 fish in there! You SHOULD start with two or three, and eventually you could keep 5-6 small Danios in there. OR one Betta and two Danios, it depends on the size of the bowl and what your test kits tell you. The second problem you have is aggression. You are keeping fish together that should NOT be kept together
at all. The Danios will shred your bettas fins, your Betta will fight with your gouramis, and they will all succumb to ammonia poisoning soon, so please do a water change, and decide which fish you want to part with. You should also tell the store you bought all these at, that they have sold you too many fish for a new tank, and they have sold you incompatible fish, in short, they have given you some pretty bad advice! -Gwen<<
Dear Gwen, Thanks for your really prompt and detailed response. My tank holds 32 litres which (if my math is good enough) is approx 8.5 gallons of water. My fish have been living together in relative harmony since November when i bought the final addition (the Betta). It is only over the last few days that i have had these problems. They seem to have sorted themselves out and the only thing i am concerned about now is the fact that i have one or two Danios swimming around with chunks out of their tails. It was Pets at home
who sold me the fish and they said that i could have up to 9-10 fish in this tank. Obviously they were wrong. I have had my water tested and the ammonia levels are ok (as is the nitrite and ph). The only time my Betta has ever shown any aggression was when he was first put in the tank. I thought he might be a problem but he has since settled in nicely and there seems to be a nice community there now. I have heard that a Betta would be sensitive to the water condition so i watch him carefully. What might this larvae thing have been? Why do you think i ended up with a danio with missing eyes and fins? Thanks again for your support.
>>Hello again :) You're welcome. I am happy to hear this has worked so far. I would recommend one more thing in terms of water testing, though, and that is nitrates. You mention you tested for ammonia and nitrites, which, in an established tank like yours, should be at zero. The "good" bacteria will turn the ammonia the fish produce into nitrite, and in turn, nitrite into nitrate. So, in order to see the levels these are now at, you must test for nitrates. This will tell you how much "converted" ammonia and nitrites there are in the tank, and basically, how often to do water changes. Your tank is 8.5 gallons, minus displacement for decorations, let's say 8 gallons (I'm being generous :P) then you are allowed around 8 inch long, slim fish, which is considered "fully stocked". This would require around a 50% water change PER WEEK in order to prevent long term problems. As I mentioned, your nitrate test kit will help determine how often to change it. By the way, your Danios that are missing pieces of fin are being aggressive. As I mentioned before, Danios WILL chew the fins off other fish. In  normal circumstances, they will not harm each other, but in your overstocked tank, the aggression level will be higher, therefore the fact that they are chewing on each other is not surprising. And no, I am not dismissing the larvae, but in general, larvae do not attack Danios. Usually we feed larvae to our fish to eat. If it is not larvae, it could be hydra, or perhaps something else, I cannot tell without seeing it. But even hydra will only bother fry, baby fish, and adults are not harmed by it. Given the nature of Danios, I would blame them long before blaming any larvae. Perhaps you can take a pic of your larvae and send it along to us, maybe it will help if we identify the little beastie. -Gwen<<

Problem solving before there's a problem! (02/26/04)
Hello!
<Hi! Ananda here this afternoon....>
First off may I quickly state that since Christmas of this year I have been re-educating myself in the proper maintaining of aquatic life (man, things sure have changed since I was 15 & kept fish!)
<My goodness, I can only imagine.>
and your site has been invaluable to me!
<Yay!>
I have found in fishkeeping that every source of info (net, books, friends, LFS etc.) all have a way to do things, all seem to think THEIR way is the right and ONLY way, and all opinions are different! LOL!! It really makes it difficult to figure out what IS the right way!
<Read, read, read, and make your own decisions.>
Now on to the point of this email ... On Christmas I was gifted with a 10 gallon aquarium setup which was just enough to jump start my (years previous) fish obsession! I quickly outgrew it (meaning I *wanted* a bigger tank the 10 gallon stays as is, its perfect!) & added a nifty new 55 gallon. I equipped it with an Emperor 400 filter, live plants, gravel, one large piece of driftwood, various rocks forming caves as well as a heater. I filled it with conditioned water (Aquasafe) seeded it with a few handfuls of gravel from my established
tank and headed to my LFS for advise on what to do next. I was advised to add Biospira (which I did) wait 24 hours (which I did) then add fish. To the tank I then added 4 Cory Cats, 3 Blue Rams (1 male, 2 Females) 1 Angelfish, and 1 Gold Severum. All fish are Juveniles at this point and getting along swimmingly!
<Keep an eye on those blue rams. Once a pair forms, they are likely to pick on the remaining female.>
The Severum & the Angel although respecting one anothers comfort zone pal around together the majority of the time. The male Ram divides his attentions equally between the lady Rams.
<Sounds like he's still trying to make up his mind!>
The Cories of course pal around all the time. I would like to add some sort of colorful (no fin nippers!) shoaling/schooling type fish that would enjoy occupying the upper portion of my tank in perhaps a month or 2 as well. Is this possible? Any suggestions (pretty please)?
<Well, they may not win the schooling/shoaling contest, but platies or perhaps swordtails (*not* both; they will hybridize) would work well. Normally, the numbers of fry they produce would be a concern, but you already have other fish that will take care of that issue.>
Could you please let me know what I have done wrong so far? (lol)
<Not much, as far as I can tell. Putting the more aggressive fish in before adding the colorful/schooling/shoaling fish may not have been the best idea, so you may want to add any new fish after lights out to avoid some problems. (After you QT the new fish, that is.)>
As much as I try to research things properly beforehand, one will still heed the wrong
advise & make a mistake, right?
<Entirely possible.>
My first and foremost intentions are to have a clean, healthy, SPACIOUS environment, where I can enjoy watching my fish interact & not just exist ... but thrive.
<A laudable goal!>
Thank you in advance for sharing your knowledge & experience with a "trying to get it right" semi-newbie! :-)
Sandy
<Sounds like you would really enjoy the gang who frequent the freshwater forums at http://wetwebfotos.com/talk !! --Ananda>

New Hobbyist, Stocking Plan - 02/02/2004
Ok, so my daughter got a 10gal for Christmas (from her uncle).  Now I'm hooked!  In doing my research on this COMPLETELY NEW hobby, I have a question concerning clams and crustaceans.  This is what I'm planning as far as population...
5 Danios
6 Black Phantom Tetras
6 Green fire Tetras
1 Tiger Pleco
1 Redtail Shark
<This one may become very aggressive with age; for a slightly friendlier substitute, you might want to consider a "rainbow" shark, Epalzeorhynchus munense or E. frenatum.  You may still have to remove the fish due to aggression later on in life.>
1 Cobalt Blue Lobster
<Creatures sold under this name are almost invariably crayfish, but there are a couple blue Macrobrachium shrimps I've seen under the name "lobster".  Either way, this animal is best left in a tank of its own, as it can and will eat fish.  I know it's not a great substitute, but if you like the large inverts like this, perhaps a few Singapore/wood/flower/bamboo shrimp (all common names for Atyopsis moluccensis) would tickle your fancy?>
3 Freshwater clams
<These often fare poorly in aquaria.... our tanks are simply too clean for these filter feeders to obtain food.  You might be able to make it work by removing the clam on a daily or every other day basis into a small cup of Greenwater algae.>
My question :  Is a 55 gal tank going to be large enough for this array of aquatic life?  
<I believe so, yes; with the concerns mentioned above.>
Do the lobster/clam inches-to-gallons guide apply here?  If so then the numbers say it's all good.  
<Mm, the "inches per gallon" rule is bunk anyway.  Things to take into consideration are waste output, swimming space needed, and any other special needs of the animal; for example, one ten-inch Oscar can *not* survive properly in a ten gallon tank.... even a 50 gallon tank would be pushing it.  But ten one-inch tetras would have a far better chance.  The fishes you have selected will make excellent inhabitants for your tank.>
Suggestions?
<Just as above.>
Thanks for your help...Rick
<Any time.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

New Fish And Quieter Filter  - 02/20/06
Hi Crew! I have a 10 gallon tank which is really empty (well, seemingly to me). It  contains 2 Cory catfish -1 peppered and 1 bronze- and a Bolivian ram (so said at the pet shop). I was wondering what other fish could be compatible for these fish without overloading the tank.
< Almost any community fish would work well in your tank. Small tetras, livebearers small barbs etc...>
Also, over the past year my filter has been  growing louder and louder, and I was wondering why this is (the noise is driving  me mad since the tank is located in my bedroom near my bed...)? I clean the  filter regularly, and can't seem to find the problem...
Thanks for all of your help, love the  website! Christine
< Disassemble the filter and wash everything well with a garden hose with a aggressive spray attachment, especially around the impeller. Sometime small grains off sand or carbon get between the impeller and the sides of the filter causing the grinding sound.-Chuck>

Am I overcrowding my tank?  02/12/06
Hello,
  I'm kinda new to the whole fish keeping experience, and would like your help. I have a 2 1/2 gallon tank with two female balloon mollies and 4 ghost shrimp. My question is are my fish safe from over-crowding?
<Mmm, not really... small volumes are very easy to "get away" with pollution, vacillating water quality...>
and if possible is it okay for me to have one more balloon molly?
<I would not>
I've been doing a bit of research and what I can gather the general rule is a fish of one inch for every gallon,
<Better one cubic inch per every 3-5 gallons>
but I've read cases where people had more fishes in their tank than they had gallons and they were having no problems. I would also like to know if I can feed my mollies any vegetables like say: lettuce or cucumber. Any suggestions you can give me will be much appreciated.
  Thank you,
  Marissa
<Good question... but your chances of trouble increase tremendously with adding more life to small tanks. Bob Fenner>

Stocking a 25 litre aquarium   2/9/06
Hi Crew,
I have a small aquarium (25 litres). I have just finished cycling (fishless of course) and I am currently planning on stocking it. I think that I should stick to small sized fish, probably Cardinals and Zebra Danios. I must note here that I have calibrated the biological filter to a high ammonia value. It is now able to completely convert 3mg/L of ammonia to nitrite and nitrate in a few hours. This means that I could go for a relatively higher bioload. Do you think that a school of 15 fish (Tetras mixed with some Danios) would be fine for my tank ?
<... only if they were very small species. Apart from physiological consequences of crowding (e.g. the ammonia you mention) there are psychological...>
Would you suggest that I keep a smaller school of Tetras (around 5) and add a couple of Colisa Lalias?
<A good choice>
I am looking forward to your suggestions. Thanks in advance.
Spyros
<Add a small school (three individuals) of a species along with the Gouramis and see how you like this. Perhaps a couple of Corydoras sp. catfish... Bob Fenner>

Coldwater Fish Tank Stocking  11/15/05
Hello, I am very impressed with your site, it is very useful.
<Thanks>
I am 15 years old and in my bedroom I have a 6.6 gallon coldwater aquarium with a filter but no heater. The tanks dimensions are 24 inches x 8 inches x 8 inches. At the moment I have six white cloud mountain minnows and two Garra garra taeniata. 
I am interested in either getting rosy red minnows - will they school with the white cloud mountain minnow or will they create two separate groups? Or a trio of guppies for breeding (two males and one female) or zebra Danios (are the long finned or short finned species better? what is the minimum number of these I can have in my tank to keep them content?) What would be the best mix or either guppies, red minnows or zebra Danios to go with the fish I have at present? How many would you suggest? Thank-you very much for your advice, Joe
< Go with the Danios. If they are all the same size they will probably school together. The fins of the male guppies may get picked on by the other fish. Get about 6 of each for a schooling effect and to make them feel more comfortable. Check the nitrates and do your water changes often to keep the nitrate levels down.-Chuck> 
<<Mm, I think Chuck mis-read the size of this aquarium - this is far too small for six of each of these groups....  -SCF>>

Guppies with Danios and White Clouds  11/16/05
Thank-you. Would 5 zebra Danios (would long finned or short finned be better?)
< Your own personal preference.>
with a trio of guppies (1 male and 2 females) the 2 Garra garra taeniata and the 6 white cloud mountain minnows be ok for my tank if did regular water changes?
<The long flowing fins of the male guppy are tempting for many fish to nip at. Other wise the stocking rate would be just about right if you did regular water changes. Check the nitrates. If they get above 25 ppm then you will have to change more water or change it more often.>
Its just I like the idea of guppies and possible breeding. If I get enough Danios I am hoping and have been told that they will not nip the male guppies fins (especially if I get a small-finned male?)
< Try it out and see.-Chuck> 
<<If I recall correctly, this is in reference to a six gallon aquarium.  I, personally, feel that this stocking suggestion is far too much fish in far too little space, but may be accomplished by employing an aggressive maintenance schedule....  But that's just me.  -Sabrina>>

Stocking a 6.6 Gallon Tank  11/18/05
I sent the below email and on the website it said chuck misread the size of the tank and '6 of each of the below type of fish is too many'. 
< Go with six of only one type.>
At the moment I have six white cloud mountain minnows and two small Garra garra taeniata. I want to get either/and guppies and zebra Danios. How many zebras could I have? How many guppies could I have? Could I have both? What, in your opinion, would be the best mix of these 3/4 fish?
< I would go with six Danios and six white clouds. The guppies will be picked on by the faster fish. Make sure you have a filter that pumps at least 2o gallons per hour and clean it once a week.-Chuck>