Can I fit just two more fish into this tank?

[TeaPea]

Sorry, I know I've asked you guys the "will these fit" question a few times with different fish in mind. I just don't have the feel for what is overstocked or not yet...(give me time I'm still new at this!)

OK, here's what I have:
29 Gallons:

2 Dwarf Gourami's
3 Sun wag Playt's
3 small Cory Cats (one died :( )
1 Bushynose Pleco
2 Gold Ram Cichlids
3 Cherry Barbs.

I would like to add Two Bosemani Rainbow's. That's it I promise ! That's pushing it, isn't it? Or would that be just right? (I trust your judgement guys, and I'm keepin' my fingers crossed because these Rainbow fish were really nice!)

[OrionGirl]

I wouldn't. The rainbows will get big, and all your fish now are still juveniles. The adult size of all the fish in your tank will be pushing it, the rainbows would be too much. Also, rainbows prefer to be in groups of 3 or more, which would be way too much.

[beviking]

Hi TeaPea, I don't know much about rainbows (except they are beautiful!) and it does seem that you're at or near the limit. The only advice I can give is try it and keep a close eye on your water parameters. The tank is currently cycled correct? And you have enough filtration?
Wait for more opinions too...I'm sure you would;) .
Sorry OrionGirl, must have been typing at the same time. Obviously my advice is null and void!!:o

[TeaPea]

Orion Girl: The Rainbow's will get to be about 5", which is "big" compared to the other fish in my tank but still small enough for a 29G--I thought. Did you mean they'll be too big taking into consideration the oher fish in the tank? Also all the fish I have already are pretty much full grown. They're all dwarf fish.

Ps the tank is fully cycled and I change about 7 gallons every week to week and a half.

[carpguy]

This is still a work in progress, but the method I've used to work out my stocking is this: start with the surface area. For a normal 29g that's about 360" sq. Divide by 10 and by 12 to get a range of total fish inches. In this case its between 30 and 36 inches of fish. That is a reasonable range for small slender bodied tropical fish. That should be the adult size, not the current size. Now start to factor in the extras:

Are the fish small and slender bodied?
Add extra for fish that are going to get bigger, or fish that are fuller bodied. My (juvenile) gourami aren't much longer than my rasbora, but have a much greater mass. They are bigger fish -- the rainbows are a similar case.

Are the fish carnivores? Are they notorious waste producers (like plecos)?
The extra waste could overwhelm the tank, even if the numbers work. Add some extra room for fish that are going to produce a lot of waste.

Is there enough room for the fish to turn?
A 55 might be big enough for an Oscar, but is a 10" fish going to be comfortable turning in a 12" wide tank? The tank should be twice as wide as the longest fish.

What are the territorial needs of the fish?
Two male bettas will fit very comfortably in a 5 gallon tank. This is still not a good idea. Bettas may be an extreme example, but other fish also have territorial needs.

My guess is that you're already in the low 30"s (not really sure how big the pleco gets). The corys and the pleco are definitely not slender and the gourami and rams aren't especially slender. The pleco is a notorious waste producer. All totaled up, you're probably effectively in the low 40s or so, so your probably already mildly overstocked. The rams and the gouramis are both territorial and may not be happy about further encroachments on their space. And, what with their mass, you'd really have to count the rainbows as more than 10" -- they would leave you heavily overstocked.

Everybody gets to make their own calls, but I was reading something the other day that made a lot of sense to me on overstocking. It said that by keeping conditions ideal we get to enjoy thriving fish, in full color and behaving "normally". By overstocking we lose those things, and lose the very thing we were looking for in the extra fish.

I'm a little crowded now myself. The new tank is almost finished cycling :D .

[TeaPea]

Thank you Carp guy for taking the time to explain that to me. I understand the whole thing alot better now. I really liked the Bosemani's but they'll have to wait...:(

I told the guy in the lfs last night "I think I need another tank already!". He laughed and said "Yup, that's what happens..."

[redwing]

I'm glad you decided to wait on the bosemani rainbows. IMHE they need a lot of room to swim. My 5 are in a 46 gal. and often use all the space. Make your next tank a 30+ long and you could enjoy a school of rainbows! :)