I have a 5 gal. tank how many fish can i hold?

Question

i have a 5 gal. tank and already have 2 mollies (1 is pregnant) 2 pleco algea eaters which dont take up any room at all, so barly counts) and 1 tetra, how many more fish can i fit? (it is not crowded at all, not even close) if so what fish do you recommend? cuz i want a pretty molly or platty....please help!

Answer 1

This may not what you want to hear but that tank is screamingly overstocked. Both of your algae eaters could get as long as 2 feet long! They won't live long in your 5 gallon. Also your mollies can get from 2-4 inches depending on species and that's not bad until one gets pregnant which yours is. The pregnant one needs a tank at least 10 gallons to be comfortable and for the babies to have room of which you will have to remove the mom once she gives birth. All in all you have to return these fish. You could get a betta, one non-pregnant molly, a school of neons (5+), or a platy or two. But you can only choose one of those choices.

Answer 2

tetras need to school in groups of 6 plus and plecos grow over a foot

Answer 3

It isn't crowded now - but the mollie will need a net at the top to keep her babies safe.  I am assuming that you are keeping this as a tropical tank and running at min. a charcoal filtration system?  In this case you are pretty free to add to your collection - you can even add ONE (only) beta - don't do barbs as they are fin and tail nippers - Guppies/neon tetras etc are a great way to add to your population and colour.  Also consider plants to add to the beauty, color and healthy atmosphere.  

Answer 4

Your tank can hold a lot more fish, but none of them will live very long. You are already way overstocked, and none of those fish belong in a 5-gallon tank.

Here's a run down of the fish you have: (FG= full grown size.)

2 Mollies- FG 4" each. Require 29-gallons minimum.

2 Plecos- FG 5" minimum, depending on what kind it is. Common Plecos are over 15" FG.

1 Tetra- Lets assume it's a Neon Tetra, or one of the other small Tetras. FG 1.5". Plus all Tetras need to be kept in groups of 6 or more. The smallest tank any Tetra should live in is 15-gallons.

Let's assume the 1" of fish per gallon were actually a valid rule, which it's not, especially in small tanks. One Molly would completely stock the tank.

For the amount of fish you have NOW you will need at least a 30-gallon tank. 55-gallons if you've got Common Plecos. So yes, it is crowded. WAY over crowded.

If you are not able to upgrade to a larger tank, return your fish from whence they came, and get yourself a Betta, which is the only fish your tank is big enough to house.

Fish profiles/requirements/info

http://www.aquariumlife.net/fishsearch.a...

and

http://www.peteducation.com:80/category_...

Answer 5

I wouldn't get any more.....here is my reason you said your mollie is pregnat..well when you have the babies you will most likely want to keep a few and then if you do your tank won't be overcrowded!

Answer 6

When it comes to community fish, the rule tends to be a fish per gallon. If you get aggressive fish the most you cold add would be two. Good luck with the tank.

Answer 7

Hi.  Actually, your tank is pretty much full.  You already have five fish.  And the pleco's do count.  Just because they do not swim around in the open, they still give off waste, and they will get big.  Personally, I do not think you need two pleco's in that small tank.  If you want to exchange the pleco for another tetra, I think it would be pretty good.  Hope this helps.  -Adam

Answer 8

Where to start?

This is a loaded question, but I will attempt to help you.

You have 5 fish in there? 5 gallons? Are you kidding me?

one is pregnant so in a couple more weeks your going to add at least 15 more fish...

Pleco's grow very large and if you keep them in that tiny sealed room it will cause death.http://www.associatedcontent.com/article...

Mollies prefer salt. Tetra's and Pleco's do not.

You already have like four times what you should in there. you have NO room for anymore fish.

Please upgrade your tank to no less than a 55 gallon, and probably still you'll have to take one pleco back to the store. One pleco can survive off the algae growth in a tank. Two should not be necessary.

The mollies will continue to breed, and breed and breed......

your fish will not survive in that tank. I'm telling you.

Answer 9

when you say pleco algae eaters, I can only assume that you mean the plecostomus, they might be small now, but can grow to be 10-12" in a few years. If this is what you have, take them back to the pet store NOW, or you had better plan on having at least a 55g tank in the very near future.  Tetras are a schooling fish and should probably be kept in groups of 5 or more.  I would get rid of the plecos and the mollies, and get 5 tetras and maybe a couple platys.  Not all at one time though. Cramming a bunch of fish in there all at once is going to create a bioload that your tank cant keep up with.  All of your fish might be small now, but you have to keep in mind that they need room to grow. They say 1" of fish per gallon of water, which really isnt always a good example to go by.  If you do go by this, keep in mind the adult size of the fish when calculating, not that cute little fish that has barely begun to grow.