How MANY FISH Can You Put In Your Aquarium? 

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This guy taught me almost everything I know about the fish keeping hobby

Man I love your videos! Husband came in and asked me, "Why are you watching this? You know all this stuff." I simply said, "Because I like him" 😊 You're awesome and hilarious

I just want to say thank you for all the videos you both post and how helpful all the info is. I work at a pet store and we sell many fish. I spend so much of my time trying to help people figure out their fish situations and trust me it’s challenging. Sadly most people don’t have much of a clue when it comes to keeping fish even with all this great info available. Your videos have helped me so much in learning this hobby and how to help others.

I have a 29g with a Tidal 110 filter and it is very heavily planted. In it I have 1 Pearl Gourami, 1 female Bristlenose Pleco, 1 male guppy, 10 Black Skirt Tetra, 7 Harlequin Rasbora, 8 Albino Cory, 4 Oto's, and an unknown number of Assassin Snails (they are breeding like crazy and I have already sold 15 a few months ago). I know my tank is over stocked but I am religious about maintenance and do weekly 60+% water changes. The tank has been running like this for 3 years without issues.

I want to thank y’all for your Betta info. After struggling with a male with fin rot in a 5 gallon for months, I took a chances and upgraded him to a 14 cube with 4 minnows, 4 Cory cats, and 2 Kuhli loaches. He began to thrive! He is so happy and healthy now. We did the same with our next Betta and he is enjoying a 10 gallon with a few various tetra buddies. The color of the other tank mates seemed to matter 🤷🏻‍♀️ and of course each Betta fish was different.

This is a great video. One thing I would add based on my experience is that you should go slow. I’ve stocked a 75 gallon community tank over the last 8 months. I wait at least two weeks and usually more like a month before adding a new batch. This does two things. First, it lets your biological filtration catch up to avoid ammonia spikes. Second, it lets you monitor your parameters (and behavior) to make sure your ecosystem is adapting

Great INTRO!!!!!

Merry Christmas everyone

When I first got into the hobby this was the question I asked the most. Started to get frustrated with people cause everyone says something different. The more I understood about fish keeping the more I realized that this is a complex convoluted question to answer and that there are an incredible amount of variables to take into consideration in order to answer it. I may have figured this stuff out by man what a great video. For anyone new to the hobby this is the best video for this question.

8:53 Tell it like it is, my friend!

Thanks for being a responsible voice in the hobby.

Loving this solution to the stream issues you were facing 🤙 no matter how experienced I become, having a mortality is always a demoralizing event… I can understand how it might motivate someone to leave this wonderful hobby 😭🥲 thank you for helping them keep their fish ALIVE ❤

Merry Christmas John and Lisa...and everyone else for that matter! Thank you for the info (and entertainment) you both provide us thru your channel.

Awesome video lots of important info. I think a good point for beginners is to try and fill all the levels of your tank for a good ecosystem. Get some top feeders mid level ones some scavenges and the mandatory "cleaner fish" your specific set up needs. It makes the whole tank active to look at. Make the fish and plants do the hard work haha.

Son got me a aquarium for Christmas and wanted to do research and came across your channel and had to come to comments to Thank you for putting out all this info so THANKS

I am getting a 10 gallon tank in the new year. I never kept fish before so am relying on expert advice. The plan is to do an initial set up with just plants and no fish. The experts say to get a test kit and monitor the tank chemistry frequently, so this is what I will do. Once the plants are growing well and water parameters are stable (who knows how long that will take) I will think about fish. Because I have no experience with keeping fish I will get a small number of easy fish - platys look promising - and see what happens. Any new hobby is a learning process and I feel lucky to be able to draw on the valuable experience of folks like KGTropicals. To KGT and all the other RU-vid aquarium channels I say "Thank you!" because you give me the confidence to be a fish keeper.

Merry Christmas John, Lisa & fishfam! Nice basic video on a frequently asked question. Here's just a few that really irritate me throughout my years in the hobby. "What should I put in my 20G (any size) tank?" I reply "water". "How many fish can I put in my tank?" I reply "all that it can support". "What do you mean I have to change water and use test kits, no way?" I reply "don't get into the hobby". "My fish had babies a few days ago, what do I do with them and how to feed them?" My reply "should have researched that when you bought the fish". The list goes on...

I find it refreshing to see someone who actually gives an intelligent answer to this question. As an experienced aquariaist, I learned to disregard all other answers I've ever heard. When I answer beginners, it is always a small number of fairly small fish. (I'm experienced in 55 and smaller tanks.) I apologize for thinking you'd give the same old "rules of thumb" as almost every one else. Thank you for this video.

Merry Christmas one and all I just love the humour in the videos. Always informative and entertaining. Just for clarity, when you asked why would you want more than one common Pleco, I have more than one because I absolutely love them

Love the videos. Miss my aquarium and seeing the tanks on your videos reminds me of sitting and watching mine like they were TV. I started my biggest tank 125gal around 2000ish? Started with 5 electric yellow labs a common pleco and 2 senodontis cats ( should have looked up the spelling on that one) 10 years later I had to break it down and sell the tank and find a home for the fish due to health. Never lost any of the cats and the pleco was nearly 16 inches. And the 5 yellow labs multiplied into over 100. My local pet store was delighted when I called to see if they ha space for them. I miss the hobby so much and watching videos with good info and clips of amazing fish helps fill the void. Keep it up.

Ive folowed all your advise ive got 50 guppys in a 100liter tank i think 26.5galons and i do a regular water change and ive got a good filtration system i love working on my aquarium it calms me down thankyou for your videos

Question: I love the guppies and lyre tail mollies and swordfish - but do not want an overpopulated tank. Can I just buy males, so that they don't make babies? The males are pretty, but will they fight? Thanks!

I’m coming back to the hobby after taking a break for a number of years. I’m LOVING your videos. The common sense you present is a welcome change. I’m in So Maryland and plan to take a field trip to Glen Bernie to check out fish soon.

I just found your channel and I freaken love it!!! Thanks so much for your help

Your videos are really good and give tons of valid information.

It goes almost without saying but your mileage may vary with all of this, my main display tank at home is slightly overstocked but the filtration can handle it, being a fluval 307 on a 29 gal. I change water when nitrates approach 50 ppm and service the filter every month.

I have a 20 gallon tank with 7 tigerbarbs, 2 platties and 1 peppermint catfish. Is this too much? They are healthy and happy. My aquarium is planted and I have an oversized filter (Seachem 35)

This really came in handy, I'm stocking my 20 gallon tomorrow, so it gave me a good idea of how many fish i'll be able to comfortably stock. Great vid!

How "accurate" is the AqAdvisor stocking calculator? I understand it can't be 100% correct but are the numbers it gives you somewhat in the ballpark?

My angels had babies and I still have 15 in a 37 gallon. They are about 2-3 inches. There’s so many plants carpeting that it keeps my nitrates at zero. Ammonia is watched every 2 days and I’m not an over feeder. There’s a couple random fish in there like a pea puffer and mollies.

I was thinking I could only do 3 orcas in a 5 gallon, but I am pleasantly surprised I could get up to 96!! Orca tank tour coming soon 🎉

Love your videos john help me a lot

Fish are pets treat them well and enjoy them. That being said what make you happy in the tank

Super super informative! Thanks for this type of content

What do you think of my tank? Heavily planted, 2 filters, 40g. 30 ember tetra, 12 pepper cory, 1 female betta, 6 mystery snails. I do a 50% water change and siphon gravel each week. Once a month I clean the filter media (in old tank water ofc). I'm sure the snails are too much bioload but they are my babies and I clean extra thoroughly because of them lol. I also have a planted 10g with 1 male betta and 2 mysteries. At some point I want a 90g or more for a betta sorority (AND SNAILSSS)

I do water changes every 2 days and I have tons of mollies in a 30 gallon. They all seem to be doing fine.

If you overstocked your tank Fish will die off until the Tank gets stabilized The problem is, the ones that Make it are not always your Favorites, there is no way to Tell who will make it and who Will survive. The Tank will Balance itself. They will stop dying and you get what you end up with. Not a good way to tell because it is wasteful and a death sentence to some. Plan out Your tank. Research first.

Hi John good video I have a question about the 5 gallons and 5 orcas lol no that was a joke lol But my question is I have a 125 with 2 large canisters, and one medium I believe the 2 large ones push 350 gph and the medium one 265 GPH for a total of 965gals GPH I have 27 fish in total but my cichlids are breeding like crazy Do you think I can add up to 50 in my tank ?

I enjoyed your video learned a lot been in the fish hobby almost 30 years. Learn something new every day.

Very informative video! Just one more question: Can you house female betta in aquarium with predominantly guppies?

Loved the delivery! People will still get it wrong. Your efforts are much appreciated.

Love this guy best fish youtuber

I'm always worried about my tank being overstocked and by consequence have a planted 29 gallon with good filtration that holds 2 honey gouramis, 8 ember tetras, and a clown pleco that petco sold my sister as an "algae eater" for her 5 gallon. Needless to say it often looks completely empty.

Genuine question from someone who constantly worries about their tank, i have a 75 gallon with 15African peacock/Mbuna cichlids, 2 Demasoni cichlids, 1 Golden Chinese Algae eater, 1 regular Chinese algae eater, 1 Striped rafael catfish, 1 sailfin Plecostomus and 1 Dragon Bashir. From this video i understand my tank is most liekly too small and am currently working on getting a 125 gallon. i have Moss in the bottom of the tank as well as a fluval filter made for up to a 125 gallon tank. just curious of any tips you might have besides upgrading my tank?

I'm almost positive I heard you say 1 inch per gallon as a general rule in an old video, but I believe it was specifically about small community fish. And even then you still said it varies wildly depending on filtration, plants, and such. I could be mistaken and thinking of someone else but I can't think of who it could have been.

This is the guy that kept my dream alive of owning aquarium

Thanks nice video

Also if you have great filtration and lots of maintenance you can get a lot more in. I had about about 60 cichlids in my rift valley 100 gallon.

Love these vids! Merry Christmas John and Lisa!

I had the exact opposite reaction to getting everything cool I saw. I tend to get really nervous/have some anxiety and I was super adamant about that “1 gallon / inch” rule and I think our aquarium might’ve been a bit empty.

I wanna do a planted tank it’s 18.7G I wanna let the plants get grown out and nice for like a month then add some shrimp and snails, let the shrimp get comfy then get a lil school of neon tetras, a hillstream loach and maybe a honey gourami. Is that over crowded?

Merry Christmas. How often do you feed fish and how often do you do a water change? I have 5 angels and about 10 silver tip tetras in a 75 gal.

I recently tried to help a guy in my lfs , because he said that his fishes were dying . But when I started asking him questions about his tank size , filters , how many and what types of fishes he have , he gets annoyed , then I stopped asking him questions and did not helped him ...

3:57 😂 I have a 55 gallon with a family of guppies, an african frontosa, 3 bala sharks(didnt how big they got when i bought them they are still small lol), corydoras, ruhas, one pleco, and a betta. They all get along good 😅🎉

I like to keep my 50-gallons understocked - A school of small fish (Tetras, Barbs or other small Caraciformes/Cypriniformes), one or two Bristlenoses, sometimes one or two "centerpiece" fish (some years ago was the last time, and I had a pair of Pearl Gourami), but just if the other fish being present are very small (in that case, there also were ten Cardinal Tetras). I now am hosting eight Congo Tetras with one Bristlenose and I have to say the result is very good, also on an aesthetic point of view: fish are more free to move, and with a tank all for them, with no potentially more aggressive fish from whose they might have to guard themselves, they can show even brighter colours than they usually do. I think when possible best option is a mid- or large-size tank (at least 40 gallons) with a prudent, sparse stocking: a group of small, colourful schooling fish might be enough to make for a spectacular view.

I’ve got a 14g with 12 danios and 6 Corys, and dozens of shrimp. But it’s incredibly densely planted and I check water parameters frequently, and feed small small amounts daily. It’s a lot of work

I have a question, how much maple syrup does it take until I can feel the blood pumping through my veins? My bad wrong video 😂😂😂😂

To further complicate things: ok, you have a 55gal tank, but you also have a 40gal sump, so you actually have 95gal, so you can technically house more fish provided you have the space for them.

How do you get your tank clear Are wave makers good for fish tank

Your videos have evolved over the years. I love the added personality. It keeps me coming back even for the beginner topics. The hardest question for me to answer or get answered is cohabitation. Whether it is how many blank with blank, or Can blank live with blank? I have been doing this awhile and have the question often due to the endless variables, and those variables are what make it so hard to answer. We need people like you and a handful of other creators who provide the foundational knowledge to not try something too ridiculous, but the confidence to try and push it to gain the experience for ourselves. Also go Nats. Looks like they are heading your way.

75 gallon tank, 2-50 gallon filters, decently planted.. 4 angels, 6-8 cherry barbs, 4 corys, 6-8 harlequin rasboras, clown pleco. Maybe a couple rainbows? Too much?

I have 78 gallons worth on fish in a 55, going by the 1 inch of fish per gallon rule of thumb. With 2 filters that would cover 170 gallon tank in total. With driftwood and well planted. Largest fish reaching 6 inches. Most fish at 3-4 inches. All South American cichlids. And they do wonderfully. I feed heavy and partially change the water 2x per week. I am obsessed!

Just to add - I have 2 filters - a sponge one plus the hang-on-the-back one with sponge, ceramics and active coal one - both cleaned once every 2weeks. Water chnges every 2 weeks.

Merry Christmas John and Lisa.Thank you for your channel. Very much enjoy you both and the information you provide

I never do water change in my 75g discus tank [why wasting precious resource: water] . However, I put in a capful of Seachem Prime on a daily basis and add more water due to evaporation. My discus [6] went from 2.5" to 5" and 5.5" after about 12 months. I do not use filters but only one air pump.

I am running a 10 gallon tower style tank that has plants in it, some of which are still alive somehow. I used an UGF and an internal cartridge filter, both running off the same overpowered air pump. I have 7 glowlight tetras and an unknown number - at least 5 adult - bladder snails. The tank featured a powder blue dwarf gourami as a centerpiece, but she only lived 6 months. Everything else seems to be doing fine. I do regular maintanence and keep an eye on the various parameters. I have a test kit and I'm not afraid to USE it! 🙃 This is where I joke and ask how many alligator gar I should add as a centerpiece. I am instead considering a honey gourami or a betta as a new centerpiece, or trying my luck with another dwarf gourami...

At 4:16, what type of fish are those? They’re beautiful.

I have two Albino Red Oscars and one of them always attacks the other, I've tried doing everything right from a bigger tank to more hiding space to separating them for a while but nothing worked, the agression is less now but it's still there

Houseplants are also excellent filtration. Grow a few pothos or monstera in the top and that will do wonders once they establish roots.

Great idea for a new series! I often see mixed information about minimum tanks sizes. For example, some say a rainbowshark can go in a 29g, others say a 55g. I guess that this is also because it depends on multiple factors. What are some tips to improve your chances of succes with a species when minimum tank size is unclear? Merry Christmas!

Ok so I have a 37 gal (33gal of water when you account for substrate, plants, decor and not filling to the very top) I would say decently planted *8-10 bacopa, 2 bucephalandra, small African fern, asain water fern with one steam that has 3 really big leaves, a small anubias congensis, anubias nana, anubias Barteri, decently sized anubias nancon, decent size java moss, 2 smaller java moss, and a java moss ball with a java fern growing out of it. I was going to stock it with 6 corys, 4 platies, 1 betta, 1 Snowball pleco, I simese algea eater, 1 mystery snail and 2 nerite snails. I'm on a weekly schedule of liquid fert dosing and sunday as my water change Day. Am I at my limit or can I add more?

I have a 10G running a Fluval AquaClear for up to 30G tank. I also have a few live plants. I have 5 red eye tetras, 3 albino cory catfish, 2 flame dwarf gourami, 2 platy and 3 guppy. I do 20% water change weekly. So far so good.

I actually have a couple of questions. 1- Is it safe to put a male betta in a tank with male fancy tail guppies? 2 - Do you allow emails for highly specific questions? I have an aquarium project I want to set up within the next year (as soon as I figure out where I can put it!) and I would like to pick your and Lisa's brains for the set up I want to make.

If I put different color mollies in a tank, will they school together or do they specifically have to be the same exact ones? e.g. golden lyretail & dalmations

I'm relatively new and made sure that I gave the guy at the fish store the relevant information about my skill level, planting, and tank size when asking for the number of fish I could get as well as fish compatibility

Thank you so much 🙏👏 its shch a pain in the ass explaning this to new fish keepers. I hope lot of them see this

A MILLION thank-yous for not repeating "one inch per gallon." A 10 inch Oscar is about a pound, but 10 neons are less than an ounce. I have a 10 gallon which is perfect for the room it's in. Because I'm lazy, I only keep 6 Serpae Tetras with 3 Ottos cleaning up the algae. I've got extra sponges added to the HOB that came in the kit, and LOTS of plants because they keep spawning themselves all over the place in there. I only vac and change 25% water about once a month, and probably don't need to do it that often.

*talk about rosy reds please*

I have a 10G , 2minos 3 small gold fish , 3 cherry barbs. 2 allgy eater.

I have a 20 gallon high, with canister filter, sponge filter, and live plants. I have a Betta, 3 guppies, 3 Molly's, 5 danios, one algae eater (don't know what kind) shrimp, snails, and fry (no clue who had fry, but there are about 8 I can see) my question is two of my Mollys are pregnant and 2 of my guppies are pregnant, will this tank be ok after the fry come? I know some will not survive but I don't want it to be over stocked either.

To everyone that celebrates: Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Happy Holidays to you and Lisa. That’s a question I always want to ask but figure it’s always best to have a small number of fish to be on the safe side.

OMG Thank You, Thank You, Thank You. I now have a video to point people to because I get this hated statement before your hated question. "I am thinking about getting an aquarium. So...." Then people get mead at me because I have about 15 typical questions and they have thought no further then "Glass box cool." I do offer to help them plan out a tank though. I have been taken up on that offer about once per decade.

I have a 55 gallon tank with boesmani, New Guinea, and yellow rainbow fish 3 of each 1 panda Garry and 5 cory cats do you think I have room for a few more Cory’s I do 25 percent water changes weekly and have very good filtration

I have a 250 gallon tank with a 125 gallon sump with 2 14 inch filter socks. All the fish I want get up to 3 feet. How many fish are recommended?

I want to set up a 125 gallon with 2 Oscars. I want them to be the main focus but what else could I add to this tank? I was thinking something that could stay in the lower region of the tank - I love plecos but not sure if Oscars would leave a bristle nose alone. What safe options are there that won't overstock the tank?

Hey from cyprus new to the hobby 😅 I have 200 ltr aquarium and i purchase tidal 55 for my filtration system. Is that enough or should i add more? Thanks🙏

So I got a 29 gallon tank with 2 koi angelfish. I was thinking about getting rummynose tetras or swordtails with it as a community tank and have the angels as a center piece fish. I clean my tank about every week to a week and a half.

Great content! 💯 Love the cabinet of the discus aquarium in the back. Would love to see it in full. 🙃

It may be your least favorite question, but you gave me the best answer I have ever heard. Merry Christmas everyone.

What is the best filter and cleaning regimen for a 60 gallon tank? Thank you!

i go by the old rule of thumb which is 1" of adult size fish per gallon, double if heavy filtration and cleaning ... i.e. 4 - 4" angelfish could fit in a 20 gal easily tho i'd recommend larger tank to get the full beauty of the fish. or say in a 20 gal with platy & swordtail 10 -12 fish would be plenty, especially with the way they breed. all in all the 1"/gal seems to work fine

I have a 75 gallon tank with 2 large filters on it I keep the water at 82°F I change the water once a week and keep the water clean. In the tank I have common pleco that's about I have one baby albino bristlenose pleco 2 terra 4 other small fish that only gets to be able 1.5 inches and 4 aquatic frogs I am getting some plants so I don't have to change the water so often. So my question is what plants would work best in this tank and if I wanted to add more fish what fish would you recommend and how many

@KGttopicals: I have a freshwater, live planted tank, recently set, and I added 3 guppies, 2 harlequin rasboras, 2 neon tetra and one platy. I have been told that that’s too many, and I need 1 fish per 2 gallon. They also advised I should not make 25% water change more than I once a month. I am happy to do more frequent maintenance if needed, and bought all small fish on purpose. Should I be worried? Many thanks for your super informational videos!

If someone wanted to start a community tank, with Angels as the 'feature" fish what advice would you give them? I'd like to avoid the pit falls while also having a diverse and happy live tank. I've looked into different fish mates but have no idea what size tank to get.

Hi I have a 200 liter (50 gallon approx) planted tank with two hang on back filters. can I keep 1 beta fish 6 danios and 6 neon tetras, 1 hill stream loach, 3cories and 4 kulhi loach and some shrimps. Also I want a low maintenance tank, That doesn't require too many water changes as I sometimes travel for 20 days. I have auto feeder and auto light. Is this a good combination? Please help advise, your feedback will be very useful.

I’m thinking about getting angelfish and adding it to my Molly fish collection in a 20 gallon tank

I would think your filtration system would matter as well. I have a 10 gallon aquarium with 1 Betta, 5 Neon Tetras and 2 Cory cats. I'm running a Fluval 107 canister with one compartment filled with Fluval Biomax as well as many plants. Great video thanks. Merry Christmas!

My tank might be overstocked but I can't help but seeing different types of fish and it looking lively. I currently have 3 guppies, 2 platties and 2 Cory's in a 10g. I know a ten gallon is small but it was a gift and it looks nice. It's somewhat planted and have a sponge filter