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My son just got a Red Cap Oranda Goldfish. I put him in my 20 gallon tank with the following;

4 Black Skirt Tetras
5 Neon Tetras
2 Dwarf frongs
5 Silvertip Tetras
4 Brick Red Swordtails
2 Leopard Corys
1 Plecostomus

I do a 20% water change 2 times a week and test the water weekly. My water temp is at 78 deg F.

None of the fish are acting aggressive.

A few questions from two new enthusist (me and my 5 yo son).

1. If I understand from my lurking, I am at the capacity (or a little over) for my 20 gal tank, regardless of my dilligent maintenance. What is the formula? I just got a 39 gal hand-me-down tank. Should I slowly migrate the fish or are they okay if I take good care of the water and tank?

2. My tank heater in my new 39g tank is unplugged and the water is stable at 78 deg F. The recommendation for the Orlanda is 18 - 65 deg F. How do you make water COLDER? Will he be okay in 78 deg water?

Actually, your twenty gallon is overstocked big time. A pleco will grow very large, at least eight inches, and up to almost two feet. The tetras and cories that you have really prefer to be kept in schools of at least six, and the oranda will get very large as well.

I would recommend returning the two frogs, moving the cories and neons to the larger tank, upgrading all your schools of fish to six, and returning the oranda. It sounds like I'm going overboard here, but trust me. Your fish will be much happier.[/font]

[span class="edited"][Edited by sirbooks 2004-09-09 16:58][/span]

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Except for the goldfish, the picture says it all, if you set up both tanks you could keep all the fish and bring each school up to six. Also I'd trade the pleco for one that stays small.

Once you get the other tank set up and the schools where you want them post again, you'll probaly have some extra room.

Have fun, Mike

4 Black Skirt Tetras
5 Neon Tetras
2 Dwarf frongs
5 Silvertip Tetras
4 Brick Red Swordtails
2 Leopard Corys
1 Plecostomus

WOAH THERE. Okay, firstly, leopards are territorial and need space once fully grown. Two in a twenty is fine, but not with that common in there, who will grow past 10 inches in length, depending on the species. With all those tets, you wont have any room for the swordies, either. At a maximum of 5", they will occupy too much space--either lose them or your tets. Also, I'd take out one of the tetra species and bringing the other two schools up to about 7. On another note, fancies need, at a bare, bare minimum, about 30 gallons a piece. A 55 or so would be much better.

[span class="edited"][Edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles 2004-09-10 15:44][/span]

1. The formula for stocking a tank depends on too many factors to make a blanket statement, despite the 1 inch/gallon rule they tell you at the pet store. Those factors include the temperments of your fish (territorial, schooling, etc.), their individual bioload, there adult size, etc.

Generally speaking, I think in a 20g you can usually handle two schools of small fish and some sort of "center piece" fish, especially if you keep up with that maintainence schedule.

A bristlenose or rubbernose pleco that should be fine in a 20g or 39g.

Also, don't forget to make sure the 39g is cycled before you put fish in there. If there aren't any fish in there right now then it will likely have to go through the cycle process again even if there were fish in it in the past.