Fishy Questions

I have a few questions about my fish, pretty unrelated, but I'll put them all in this post.

First, it will be my birthday in another month, and I was thinking of asking for a larger aquarium outfit. I would need the tank, a lid, and a filter, at least. I would probably prefer a stand with it also. I was thinking about looking around the retail stores, but has anyone had experience with buying through the classifieds? There are always a few ads for tanks. Any advice? Also, in relation, in the next couple months I will probably be moving out of my parents place and into an apartment. Any advice on moving with the tank? Should I wait for a larger tank until I move? Right now I have a 10 gallon.

Second, unless I get a bigger tank, I will need to find someone to take two of my platies. This was not planned...I got an albino cory, went away for a week while my dad watched the tank for me, and came back to find one of my fish missing and two platy babies. (On 6/6/6, nonetheless :p ) They are getting big, and my tank is not big enough to handle the fish it has. Do fish stores take fish from outside people?

Third, if I were to get a bigger tank, would gold gouramis be compatible with dwarf gouramis? I heard that the full sized type can be aggressive, although by default I have a full sized blue gourami that is very peaceful.

Last question...when water evaporates, does it take the ammonia with it? Could it replace a water change every once in a while? I still do small water changes frequently, but my tank water evaporates very quickly.

Thanks. :)

Sorry I don't know anything about fish. I used to have my fish and my tank did the same thing but I don't know anything about that. Sorry!

You certainly can find some good tanks through the classifieds and in rummage sales. Most of my tanks are used. I fill them in the driveway and let them sit for an hour to see if they have leaks. Then wash them with vinegar to get water stains off and rinse rinse rinse. (Never use soap or impure bleach of vinegar products to wash a tank). I'd replace any filter media and discard old gravel though.
For moving, put your fish in buckets with tank water and put the filter or filter media in a seperate bucket of tank water. Then move them to the new place and get the filter running as quickly as possible. The fish could stay in a bucket for a day without harm.
Some stores will take fish. What do you have in your tank? It must be very well stocked for you to think that these two platies are pushing the limits. Do you test the water?
The gouramis should be fine together as long as they have ample room for territories. Keep a good ratio of males to females. Gouramis are labyrinth fish just like bettas and each have a different personality. Be ready for a back up plan if the ones you buy are too aggressive. Look for a store that keeps the two varieties together and buy from the same tank.
As for adding water without taking it out. You need to get a test kit (liquid not strips). Ammonia is not present in a well cycled tank for long, so adding water once in a while is not dangerous. However, I don't know how stocked you are and if you are cycled and I don't know how long it takes for your bacteria colony to use up the ammonia. Adding water to fill an evaporated tank can be just as harmless in some tanks as it is deadly in others.

Yes, I am pretty stocked. With the babies, I have 4 red wag platies, a blue gourami, a dwarf gourami, a black swordtail, an albino cory, and a pleco. I haven't tested, but yes I suppose it would be a good idea. :p One of the platies have started nipping, I don't think the tank is big enough. I do appreciate the great advice, thank you.

What kind of pleco? A common pleco can get up to 2' in length. You'll definately need a bigger tank if you plan to keep the pleco.

A regular pleco...there's a local fish store that does trades for a smaller one when the pleco gets too large.