Adding more to my 30 gallon...

[PhilipPhish]

So right now in my 30 gallon, I have 4 female bettas, 3 cory cats, 3 swordtails (who I might give away), 7 feeder guppies, and a pleco.

I'm going to the petstore today to get fish food and maybe buy more fish, but what should I get?

Current list:
2-3 more cories
1-2 new female

Like I said, I might be getting rid of my swords, just because their quite naughty in my tank and they don't play nice with each other or my bettas.

Thanks for the help!

[Olympia]

Be sure to follow proper adding of new females (eg rearranging decor).
I'd remove the swords, they tend to be mean, as you said.

Do you know your pH and water hardness?
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[PhilipPhish]

Yes, I've had 2 sororities in the past 3 years and I've added and taken out many over that period of time.

I don't know where to put my swords. I have a friend who likes swords and has a few. But we also have a 75 gallon tank, the only problem is, it has an Oscar in it.... he tends to eat EVERYTHING.

[Shirleythebetta]

I never knew they were mean. My husband wanted some of those I think...

[Olympia]

They are big and rowdy. Generally they are best in species only.
I'd give them to your friend, unless you want to feed the Oscar.
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[PhilipPhish]

I think I'll give them to my friend.

So what about adding fish to the tank? What kinds can I get?

I have 3 salt and pepper cories, a pleco, and 7-8 feeder guppies that will stay in the tank with my 4 bettas.

[Olympia]

That depends on your pH and water hardness. ;)

[PhilipPhish]

I don't know any of that stuff.

it seems to be ok though... I haven't had a fish die because of poor water quality in my 13 years of owning fish. My oldest betta fish is 9 years old and my oldest non-betta is my pleco, Goliath, shes about 6 years old. None of my guppies have died in the 2 years I've had them, my cories are doing good and I've only had them for half a year, and my swords are perfectly healthy.

My only sick fish is a female betta who is about 4 years old. We do believe she has swim bladder.

My mom won't let me buy water testing kits or anything like that. She thinks that all the chemicals that people put in their tanks actually kills the fish... her opinion, not mine. I on the other hand am indifferent to them. I've never used one or felt the need to know about that kind of stuff.

[Olympia]

Testing kits never go into the water!
Actually hardness/pH is not poor water quality. It is just the state of the water (usually permanent).
Some fish (amazon fish) need soft water and usually low pH. Some fish (livebearers) need hard water and high pH.
The fish you have mentioned are pretty hardy. However things like tetra will not last long in the wrong parameters.

[PhilipPhish]

The only tetras I've ever had were silver tipped tetras... they did pretty OK, but they were aggressive towards my pleco and my guppies.

I know that the water straight out of my tap is pretty hard, and thats what I use for my tanks. Other than that, I'm clueless as to numbers and anything else.