# Ideal # of fish per 50 gallon tank?



## ThatCrazyPetLady (Jun 30, 2011)

Right now we have a few plants, driftwood, 6 corys and 6 har. rasboras. 

What is the ideal # of fish for this tank? I don't want to overdo it but I want a few mollies and maybe a few other things that I haven't decided for sure like a blue gourami or two.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Better less then more. You can probably have 30 mollies or so in the tank without overdoing it.

As a cautionary note, I recently had a lot of fish die in several tanks. I had been breeding kribs for a long time and had about 200 babies that were about 1 inch long, and about 15 parents in my 55 planted tank. I went on vacation for 3 weeks and had a family member take care of the tank. When I came back the plants had grown across the surface (riccia mostly) and about 100 fish had died off. 

Oxygen is depleted very quickly the more fish you have in a tank. Also wastes build up quickly. These problems are amplified if you aren't watching the tank for a while, things can go badly very quickly.


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## ThatCrazyPetLady (Jun 30, 2011)

Thanks! 

Well as of now I have

6 corys (3 peppered, 3 albino)
6 har. rasboras
2 black mollies
2 yellow mollies (don't remember their real name)

what do you think?


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

That is fine, or even twice as many would not be a problem in a tank that size. If you have male and female Mollies they will breed and fill the tank all too soon. Be ready to remove most of the fry.


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## ThatCrazyPetLady (Jun 30, 2011)

I think I got all girl mollies.... but I think one was already pregnant. We will know soon enough I suppose. I would keep some and then take some to a store (hopefully). 

We got a couple more additions today

5 snails
1 powder blue gourami
1 ghost shrimp (plan to get more - he was the last one there)

I would like to increase the school of har. rasboras from 6 to 10. And get one more "larger" fish, like another type of gourami or an angel fish or something?


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## Se7eN (Sep 23, 2010)

I like the silver dollars. I have 15 in my 55 gal with 10 lambchop rasboros.


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## asukawashere (Mar 11, 2009)

ThatCrazyPetLady said:


> I think I got all girl mollies.... but I think one was already pregnant. We will know soon enough I suppose. I would keep some and then take some to a store (hopefully).
> 
> We got a couple more additions today
> 
> ...


Mollies are always pregnant - just give them time. 

As for the angel, angels grow up to be as big as the palm of your hand, and are angry, rabid ambush piscivores. They don't mention that on the labels in the pet stores that claim they're "community" fish. Anyway, the gist of it is that an angel would eat your ghost shrimp, and your baby mollies, and anything else it decides it can fit in its mouth.

Increasing the number of harlequins will make them happier (schooling fish feel more secure in larger groups), but for a larger fish, I'd go with something like another dwarf gourami (maybe a sunset if you want a different color). Gouramis can be nippy, but the dwarf ones don't get nearly as big as angels can.


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