Advice For Terrible Fish Keeper

Hello, I am said terrible fish keeper. I'm new to the freshwater side of Fish keeping. I've kept saltwater successfully for a year with corals and such. Here's the thing I've made countless mistakes here at freshwater. I need to clear things up.

1) I thought that this aquarium I got at a thrift shop was a 29 gal but it was actually a 20 high.

2) due to the mistaken tank size it is over stocked I THINK. I don't know if Aquadvisor is trustworthy.

3)I've got 5 neon tetras, 5 serpae tetras, 3 gold dust Mollies, 1 common Pleco and 1 cory cat. But lastly I have a Fancy Goldfish which I believe to be a fan tail. The goldfish Is about 3"

4) YES I know goldfish belong in Cold water temperatures. Surprisingly the serpae don't nibble at his long tail. I just found out goldfish were cold water today. I know the cory should have some other cories. The Mollies have the 1 male 2 female rule.

5) the goldfish was actually a rescue from a careless person who put it in a fish bowl and used tap water. It was a Lil thing when I got it 6 months ago. It was alone in the 29 gal for 5 months I think. It had a heater set on 76 degrees the whole time. Recently I finished the project on the saltwater aquarium and have a full blown reef yay! I have shuffled back to freshwater for now. I then started adding fish a month ago. Everything seemed smooth with my weekly water changes before. When I added some fish I switched the dial up to every 4 days I do a water change.

5) Just a week ago I finally measured my tank dimensions and found it was a 20 high.

6) Now here is when you guys come into play.

7)Could you guys please help me and figure out all my flaws in the system right now. Bio load especially.


Equipment

Penguin HOB filter 150 w/ bio balls, filter pad and carbon

2 airstone

Every 4 days I do a 25% water change
And love... lol

 

i'm not good at stocking (like at all) but I have picked up a few things around here.
1) common plecos need a 75 gallon minimum
2) certain kinds of goldfish need a 29 gallon minimum, others 125g or a pond. nothing else. yours needs a 29 gallon but they like friends so bigger would be better.
3) both of your schools of tetras need at least 6 members or it will seriously stress them out. same goes with cories.
4) i'm not totally sure about mollies but I think they need a 29 gallon too.
do you have a test kit?
what are your parameters?
TexasDomer CindiL

 

Hello, before I say anything else is like to say your tank is decorated very nicely!
Unfortunately you'd be overstocked either way, common plecos need a 125g, there should be a max of two schools in either size tank, as already stated mollies need a 29g, you might be able to get away with having only the fancy in the tank with extra waterchanges.
Bioload wise I'll be less helpful, but I can help with the stock a bit! I'd chose either some of your other fish or the goldfish(like I said, it's a bit small but with extra changes you might be alright). Here's what I'd recommend
1. Keep 1 School of tetra and the corycat(what type is it? They have different temperature needs and it would useful to know if they are compatible with the others).
2.rehome the other fish or keep the goldfish and rehome the rest
3. Is it cycled?
4. Aqua advisor is semi-useful, but it should only be used as a general idea and not the plan, of that makes sense
5. Your not a terrible fish keeper! You just made mistakes all of us have. You should have seen all the fish I crammed into a 10 gallon at first. Your trying to correct your mistakes which is a great thing to do. Congrats on finishing your reef!

 

Hello, before I say anything else is like to say your tank is decorated very nicely!
Unfortunately you'd be overstocked either way, common plecos need a 125g, there should be a max of two schools in either size tank, as already stated mollies need a 29g, you might be able to get away with having only the fancy in the tank with extra waterchanges.
Bioload wise I'll be less helpful, but I can help with the stock a bit! I'd chose either some of your other fish or the goldfish(like I said, it's a bit small but with extra changes you might be alright). Here's what I'd recommend
1. Keep 1 School of tetra and the corycat(what type is it? They have different temperature needs and it would useful to know if they are compatible with the others).
2.rehome the other fish or keep the goldfish and rehome the rest
3. Is it cycled?
4. Aqua advisor is semi-useful, but it should only be used as a general idea and not the plan, of that makes sense
5. Your not a terrible fish keeper! You just made mistakes all of us have. You should have seen all the fish I crammed into a 10 gallon at first. Your trying to correct your mistakes which is a great thing to do. Congrats on finishing your reef!

Lol thanks I guess I kind of worked on the decorations.

Why thank you I guess kind of worked on the decorations. The cory is a emerald cory catfish. I have a 10 gallon laying around maybe I could cycle that and put it up maybe rehome some fish. I might give my goldfish to a family member whom has a pond. It'll be the best for it! Tank is cycled due to my mistakes in the reef and seeing how important cycling is (lost 7 fish in 1 day). I will probably get a different Pleco such as bristle nose maybe and exchange it for common, the common I have.


I have a liquid test kit

Nitrates-20
Nitrites-0
Ammonia- 0
PH- 7.5

Thank you for the reply!

Hello, before I say anything else is like to say your tank is decorated very nicely!
Unfortunately you'd be overstocked either way, common plecos need a 125g, there should be a max of two schools in either size tank, as already stated mollies need a 29g, you might be able to get away with having only the fancy in the tank with extra waterchanges.
Bioload wise I'll be less helpful, but I can help with the stock a bit! I'd chose either some of your other fish or the goldfish(like I said, it's a bit small but with extra changes you might be alright). Here's what I'd recommend
1. Keep 1 School of tetra and the corycat(what type is it? They have different temperature needs and it would useful to know if they are compatible with the others).
2.rehome the other fish or keep the goldfish and rehome the rest
3. Is it cycled?
4. Aqua advisor is semi-useful, but it should only be used as a general idea and not the plan, of that makes sense
5. Your not a terrible fish keeper! You just made mistakes all of us have. You should have seen all the fish I crammed into a 10 gallon at first. Your trying to correct your mistakes which is a great thing to do. Congrats on finishing your reef!

i'm not good at stocking (like at all) but I have picked up a few things around here.
1) common plecos need a 75 gallon minimum
2) certain kinds of goldfish need a 29 gallon minimum, others 125g or a pond. nothing else. yours needs a 29 gallon but they like friends so bigger would be better.
3) both of your schools of tetras need at least 6 members or it will seriously stress them out. same goes with cories.
4) i'm not totally sure about mollies but I think they need a 29 gallon too.
do you have a test kit?
what are your parameters?
TexasDomer CindiL

Thank you for the reply

Parameters found via liquid test kit

Nitrates-20
Nitrite-0
Ammonia-0

 

That'll be great if you can give the goldfish to a family member with a pond! As for the ten, none of the fish could work in it unfurtunately. This is the stock I'd do for the 20g
6 neons or serpeas
6 emerald corys
1 bn or a center piece fish(like a dwarf gourami).

The others I'd rehome. I'm sorry about the fish you lost, that's not easy.