Fluval Ebi stocking question

[thermalgibbon]

I've been running a planted fluval ebi tank for a couple months and I'm looking for opinions on whether I can put more fish in it. Here is what it looks like (sorry for the cellphone picture): imgur: the simple image sharer

I'm running the smaller fluval CO2 system, ecopico LED lighting and dosing with nitrogen, micronutrients and Excel three times a week. I'm also doing a 20% water change once a week. In the tank is ~6 cherry red shrimp, 3 red nose shrimp, 1 otocinclus and 6 neon tetras. I want to increase that to 8 tetras while at the same time I'm hoping my cherry red shrimp breed but I'm not sure if my tank can handle that stocking level. The calculator said that my tank was at 100% capacity, but it doesn't take into account how heavily planted my tank is.

[Arcteryx]

How are your neon tetras doing in your Ebi - are they shy at all or do they shoal pretty well with the 6 of them?

[thermalgibbon]

I'm not entirely sure what shoaling is supposed to look like. When there was four of them they did spend time out in front of the tank, now with six I'm not sure if they're doing that more. They tend to be grouped together.

[Morainy]

I don't know how CO2 affects fish in an Ebi. I have an Ebi without CO2. My personal opinion is that understocking on fish in a small tank is safer, especially as the Fluval's filter has scant media and if not given regular rinsing might not be enough for a planted tank. If you get busy with something else for a couple of weeks, things could go south on you.

I would not worry about the number of shrimp in the tank as long as they can survive with the CO2. They seem to have less of a bioload and they do a good job with clean-up, too.

Your Ebi looks gorgeous right now. You should go with your own instincts as you clearly have more of a gift at this than I do.