How Many Fish Can I Put In a 15Gallon Tank?

Question

I was thinking of Getting 11 Fish.. like;
3 Neon Tetra
3 Black Molly
3 Silver Sailfin Molly
2 Black Skirt Tetra ...
Do you guys think its ok in my 15 Gallon Fish Tank??

(24x12x12)<-Tank Measurement .

I used this site to help me to findout how many gallons my fish tank is..

http://www.aquariumfish.net/information/aquarium_arithmetic.htm

this is how big my fish tank looks like, i found a pic of how it looks like on the net..

http://img.yessy.com/774582943-18267b.jpg

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Answer 1

Too many fish! BTW, your tank (if your measurements are correct) is only a 10 gallon tank....the size of your tank is LxWxH/321. A rule of thumb for tanks is 1 gallon of water for every inch of fish (some fish require up to 5 gallons of water per inch). With that in mind, Neons stay rather small (roughly 3/4") and most mollys don't get much bigger than an inch or two in size. Black skirts can get quite large - I had one that was 5" and can be rather aggressive so they shouldn't really go in a community tank with their smaller cousins or you won't have any neons left in the morning. Also keep in mind that Neons are a schooling fish and you should have at least 3 at all times so they can school. So I'd say maybe get 3-4 neons and a couple of mollys....but offer alot of ground cover (plants and hollow ornaments) for the neons to hide - molly's can sometimes get aggressive as well and may feed off your tetras.

Answer 2

You've had some really good answers - 'specially from Gary D & Gorfette! Personally I would get the tetras first as they are a bit hardier, then after 2/3 weeks add 1 or 2 mollies. If you want them to breed have 3 female to 1 male - or pick nice fat ones that are already pregnant!!. Don't add more than 2 at a time as it will upset the balance in the tank - if you can, keep any new fish in a separate tank for a couple of weeks "quarantine" just in case of infection. I wouldn't put 11 fish in the tank at all as it is too many - stones, plants, filters, heaters and the space you leave at the top of the tank all reduce the amount of "water space" you can use.

Answer 3

The rule is usually 1 inch fish to 1 gallon water, but you can have more if you are willing to do more water changes. Change water (20-25 per cent) each week. Check tank balance regularly.

I have a 20 gallon tank with
2 mollies
4 barbs
3 platties
1 dwarf gourami
8 neon's
1 red tail shark
4 red eye tetra
They have been living together peacefully for about 6 months.

Answer 4

I would not put the Black skirt tetras in there b/c they are a schooling fish and need 3+ fish together (really 5+ I have found personally) or they will stress very badly. Also with the amount of room you have in a 15 gal I would cut 2 of the mollys out as well and add another neon or 2 to help with small school stress. Another piece of advice. Dont add all the fish at once when you get the tank set up. I would put the 3 mollys in first and then a week later add the neons. Good Luck!

Answer 5

It should be OK, but you may have to ensure you have adequate oxygenation in the tank. A 15 gal tank will actually hold about 10 gallons of water after the gravel and other stuff is placed into it. On average, you can put about 1 to 1.5 inches of fish per gallon into a freshwater tank. The more fish, the more oxygenation and filtration you will need to keep the tank healthy.

As a start, I recommend keeping only about 1/2 of the fish you mentioned, then a month later, add a few more. Let the tank stabilize first.

Answer 6

I come up with around 12 gallon, however sounds like a good mix, but I will warn you, Mollies are prolithic breeders and will quickly out breed your tank. A single female mollie can have up to 25 little ones. Fish stores generally won't take fry so you may be stuck.

I would go with only two of each mollie, and be sure if you don't want little ones, they are all males of both types. even buying all females will not ensure they aren't already prego.

Everything else sounds good. Remember to cycle your tank prior to getting your fish, get a water test kit and only add 2 fish at a time no more than one week apart.

Good luck with your new tank.

Answer 7

the guideline is in lots of cases one fish according to gallon of water. None of your listed fish are enormous, so as that they could in good shape properly with room to spare. For greater fish there is a few style of formula you're meant to apply...

Answer 8

I think you should replace the 2 black skirt tetras for 2 glow light tetras so the neons have some company. The sailfin and black mollies grow REAL big! Black mollies grow up to 2.5" and sailfin mollies grow up to be about 6"! Take out the 6 mollies and get 3 more neons and 4 more glow lights. You should get fancy guppies! They are really colorful and pretty to watch but be careful because they breed very often!

hope this helps! :-)

Lilyoung

Answer 9

One inch of fish per gallon...You should have a good tank there...that is a good combination of fish.

Answer 10

I would get a bigger tank like a twenty gallon or a twenty long. you can keep this tank but you will have to do more water changes and make shore the gravel is clean.