Willis

I curently Have a 5 gal. tank with a black skirt tetra, sunset platy, yellow twin bar platy, and 2 marble mollies the employee at the store there would be enough room in the tank is this to small of a tank and if so would a 10 gal. tank be big enough.

prairielilly

Hi Willis, welcome to FishLore It's really great that you're questioning what the LFS told you. Many times they will tell you that it's ok to fit far more fish in a tank than it can support. In this case, yes the tank is too small. The biofilter won't be able to support that amount of fish, and they will also be very crowded in that small a tank. Black skirt tetras, like all tetras, are schooling fish as well and may become nippy if they aren't in a group, usually at least six of the same fish is what's recommended. I'd advise to return all the fish except the two platys.

A starting point, a general 'rule of thumb', is to find out how big the fish you've got will be when full grown, and see how that compared to the amount of water in your tank in gallons. The suggested starting point is one inch per gallon, although there's many things that influence stocking beyond size (such as tetras needing to be in groups) that you learn as you go, people here can help you out with that. For what you currently have:

1 black skirt tetra = 2.5"
2 platys = 2 x 3" = 6"
2 mollies = 2 x 4" = 8"
Total = 16.5"

Your tank can't really support this many fish. You could probably be alright with the two platys though, or you could return all the fish and go with a single betta

If you have any more questions, just ask.

Lucy

Hi welcome to Fish Lore
Looks to me to be overstocked. 5g's doesn't give much swim room and your black skirt is a schooling fish who would do better with friends.
I'd say go for the 10g.
Good luck

Willis

Thanks for the help I will retern the two Mollies but the Black Skirt Tetra I've had for 3 years but will that still be to many fish for the biofilter to support

Willis

Is a five gallon tank to small for a black skirt tetra, and two platys and if the tank is to small i cant retern any fish

MissMTS

I would say that with 2 platies it would be fully stocked. Black skirt tetras are better off in schools of 6 or more, so I would definetly return yours if you can.

Lucy

Your threads have been merged.
Please don't start multiple threads for the same question.
Thanks.