Does my tank seem ok?

Question

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/cclsjc/photo/294928804336179761/1
I tried to include as many fish in the pics as I could. Everybody seems happy except the Australian Rainbow. He just kinda hangs around. Any suggestions for my tank? It's a 30 gal. I have 4 tetras, 3 rosey barbs, 2 dwarf gouramis (males), 1 rainbow, 1 angelfish, 3 Mickey Mouse platys. I feed them a frozen bloodworm cube 3 times a week. Am I doing ok?

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/cclsjc/photo/294928804336170970/0

Water is 78F, 7.2 ph, 0 amonia, 0 nitrites, forgot number on nitrates but is like medium on my color scale.

Answer 1

Nice looking tank and as others have said it doesn't look over crowded at all to me. One thing I haven't seen addressed is the shells in the tank. If those are real shells they aren't a good idea for a freshwater aquarium as they will cause your pH to rise and except for the rainbow none of them would like that very much. If they are fake shells just disregard the rambling and carry on lol

MM

Answer 2

I wouldn't say your tank was overstocked but it is full. As mentioned, the rainbow would prefer company of it's own species but you really don't have room to add 4 or 5 more.

Most fish love bloodworms but they are high in protein and can cause constipation and swim bladder problems so they should not be their only source of food.

As for the 1" per gallon "rule", it isn't a rule but simply a guideline to go by. it definitely doesn't apply to all fish as some are much larger waste producers than others and it is more like 1" per 3 gallon of water for them. It is very accurate though if you have average filtration in a community tank.

Answer 3

Your tank looks nice: no clean problems that i can see straight away. Im sorry that i cannot help with the Australian Rainbow as i have never owned this type of fish. The bloodworm three times per week is a good idea as it helps to vary their diet and keep them eating well. Hope you enjoy keeping your fish. :)

Answer 4

First of all, you have too many fish. The rule of thumb is 1 gallon of water per 1 inch of fish. You must take into count the size each fish will grow to, not the size they are now. There may be just enough space for them now, but they may become crowded as they grow bigger. That angelfish is going to take up a lot of space. You need to be prepared to move them to AT LEAST a 40 gallon tank.
Second, you can continue the bloodworm cube as you are, but you need to feed a little flake food every day. They need variety to get the necessary nutrients, and all fish are not carnivorous.
Third, you need to be diligent about doing your water changes and monitoring your water chemistry. In such a crowded space, waste is going to build up quickly. Your pH and NO2 levels will spike, and some fish are very sensitive to even the slightest changes. You will be opening the door to a lot of illness if you aren't careful.

Answer 5

Your tank sounds nice, just keep in mind a couple of things:

Rainbowfish are schoolers - you'll never see him at his best alone. Since your tank is too small and full for a group of them, the best thing you can do is take him back.

As for food - bloodworms are a great supplement, but does not contain everything they need. A quality prepared food should still be the staple of their diet.

If it were my tank I would add more plants, since most of your fish enjoy a planted environment, and I'd take away some of the clutter at the bottom - but that's just me.

Good luck, it is a continuous learning experience.

Answer 6

do not use the 1 inch of fish per gallon of water rule, its annoying how many people think that is valid, first off... most people dont use the length of the fish AS AN ADULT... your tank doesn't have too many fish.. its fine in that sense.