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The lady at petstore has givin me some bad advice or so im told! I've got a 20 hex tank with a penguin 150 filter good up to 30gal. I've got
2- bolivian rams
1-golden killi
2-silver tipped tetra
2-neon tetra
2- glo-light tetra
I am told i need atleast 6 of each tetra, and the pet store told me they'd be ok with just pairs? 6 of each would over load my filter and give me a huge bioload wouldn't it? And make tank hard to care for???????? I was also told tetras only put out about half the waste of other fishys? WHAT SHOULD I DO ????????

I would take all but one species of the tetras (probably the neons or glo-lights you would want to keep) to the store. They might give you store credit for them. Then get more of whichever one you kept to make a proper school.

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Tetras really need to be in a group of 6+ which means only 1 school of small tetras like the neons would fit in your tank. Hex tanks also have less useable swimming space than standard or long tanks.

If you got them from a privately owned store then they may take them back for store credit. The chain stores like petco, petsmart, petland usually all have a policy against accepting fish. Unless it's within their gurantee period they will not take fish even for free and even if they sold those fish from their own store. You'll have to find somewhere else to take them if that's the case. The small privately owned fish stores, especially fish only stores, will usually take fish for at least free and sometimes give you store credit. All you can do is try to find somewhere to trade them in unless your willing to get another tank or 2 for them.

I am quite familiar with the penguin filter, i run a 17 gallon bowfront tank with one, Its got that "Bio-wheel" thing in it right? Its a good filter, you dont have to worry about your tetras crapping all over the place, Its true what they are telling you, any small fish like your tetras will produce siginifigantly less waste, it all depends on how big the fish are and how much they need to eat, but if your worried about waste problems, throw in some bottom feeders like some cories and a crayfish, they should keep your tank nice and clean (crayfish are coprophagic, meaning they will eat poop)and the cories will pick up any extra food that falls to the bottom.
cories will also eat poop(I think),and clean the algae off gravel and ornaments. as for tetras, they are definately schooling fish and need to be kept in groups of 6+, I suggest to get 2 groups of five tetras(5 silver tipped, 5 glo light for example)that way theres not too many, and not too little. the balance is just right(to me at least). pet stores are wierd, most of them dont know anything, that is why its your job as the true fish enthusiast, to care for the fish. most pet stores just dont care, they just want to sell you something. keep in mind.....to those fish....you are god!!!!!

~He who dares not grasp the thorns, should never crave the rose~

As sham said your gonna need to chose a tetra and up the group to at least 6. As for the cories you'll need at least 6, some say more so they wont work. I only had one experience with the golden killis' and he was a terror he managed to take out a school of 6 neon tetras in a day an a half(Friday night in the tank Sunday morning out of the tank) I know that he was probably the exception and not the rule. He was a very yellow very large male and for all i know could have been ready to breed. hence the aggression. Why not ottos for tank maintenance

Remember you can save your self and the fishes from many headaches by doing your research before you buy the fish rather than after


"No whammy, No whammy, No whammy, STOP!!"

1984-Michael Larsen On Press Your Luck

I never knew you needed that many cories, I used to have 3 albinos in a 17 gallon and they cleaned up niceley, I suggested cories because they are omnivorous, as compared to ottos which are herbivores and would only clean the algae mostly, although they are a good idea because they don't need to be in a group so much. how about loaches? like the high fin loach for example. they eat most anything(for general cleaning purposes), and dont have to be kept in groups.are they a good idea? I dont know how they would get along with tetras though.

~He who dares not grasp the thorns, should never crave the rose~

Thanks guys!!! Well I've got 4 neon tetras and 4 glo light. they seem to school together nicely!!!!!! I do still have the killi to as the pet store wouldn't take him back. It is still prolly 2.5-3" so we will see what happens.