Advice Please!

[angelalala]

I have a bow front 50 gallon tank with a 55 gallon filter, a 55 gallon heater, and two air stones. It is moderately planted. I would put more plants in if my algae eater wasn't so destructive. My water test strip results have always been perfect. I keep my tank at 78 degrees. The tank has been set up for about a month now. I'm worried I'm overstocked and bought too many different species. I worry my algae eater is too big for a 50 gallon. Just wanting some advice on what I can do to better my tank.
I have:
1 large algae eater (he's a little over a footlong and 2yrs old)
1 three spot gourami
3 tiger barbs (two new ones and a 2yr old)
1 rosy barb (two years old)
3 long finned rosy barbs
4 angelicus botia/loaches (my favorite)

I'm worried my fish need to be in larger school but I don't think I have room. Does this algae eater need a bigger tank? Am I overstocked? What can I do to keep my fish as happy as possible? Open to any and all help. Please and thank you =)

I will have pictures up soon!

 

[thereverendturtle]

Your algae eater is a bit large for your tank and should probably be re-homed or moved to another larger tank. As for the rest of your fish, the gourami will be fine on its own or with a mate. Everything else should be in groups of 6+, the tiger barbs really should be more like 8+. Move the algae eater and you would have room to up your numbers.

 

[angelalala]

Thanks for the help! I've been hesitant to get rid of him because I'm too much of a puss to get him out of the tank. Last time we had a friend get him into the tank his spikes on his back got stuck in the net. The way he thrashes around makes it such a hassle to catch him without hurting him or having him jump out of the tank.
So when I finally find him a new home how much room do I have? I keep hearing an inch per gallon but also keep hearing that the rule is a myth. I know I don't want any more gouramis, my one does really good on its own. Are my rosy barb and long finned rosy barbs in the same school? They look so much different! Wouldn't six of each really be cutting it even with my algae eater gone?

 

[CysticCrab]

i kept my tiger barbs in 6 and they were fine through out the whole time i had them but i agree with the guy above ^^

 

[thereverendturtle]

Yeah the inch per gallon is not a good system. Yes your two varieties of rosy barb are the same so I would add just a couple more of the regular variety. Once you get your plecostomus out you'll have a lot more room, since you'll be removing a giant waste machine. Think of that foot long algae eater as producing the waste of about 40 neons and it should give you an idea as to how much room you will have.

 

[moochy13]

try and catch the plec in a tub in the tank, and place the lid on the tub while in the tank. a net will be no good as you found out teh spikes will wreak havoc. the onyl way to get it out is by hand or in a small bucket/tub. if you do it while doing a water change, the lower water level will help, and removing decor will help also if possible. you have more than enough room to then take both types of barb up to 10 each i would say if you wanted. you could also replace the large plec with a smaller species if you wanted.

 

[angelalala]

Thanks so much for the useful information! I made an appointment to drop him off at a local pet store tomorrow. If I had 8 of each barb, one gouami, and didn't get any more loaches.. Id be at 71 inches of fish in a 50 gallon.. that seems a little much. I was hoping to eventually get a 5th loach. I'm still very confused on how much is too many.

 

[angelalala]

My gourami is 3 inches, six rosys would be 18, eight barbs equals about 20 inches, six loaches is about 24 inches... total Id be sitting at 65 inches of slender fish. Is that too much for a 50 gallon?

 

[Sailfin Zach]

My gourami is 3 inches, six rosys would be 18, eight barbs equals about 20 inches, six loaches is about 24 inches... total Id be sitting at 65 inches of slender fish. Is that too much for a 50 gallon?

That sounds perfect. The smaller the fish the more the inch rule doesn't apply. What matters is the bioload of the fish.

I heard that keeping odd numbers like 7 or 9 rather than eight helps keep nippy fish like Tiger Barbs in check. I'll go against the grain & say 7 Tiger Barbs, 7 Rosy Tetras of whatever variety, and a Gourami would be a great mix. You could probably even up the shoals to 9 of each & still be alright. My point being equal, but odd numbers.

I would also get a Bristlenose Pleco for algae cleaning, they only get 4 inches & mine was only $3.99 at a local fish store.

EDIT:

Oops, posted while signed in as my son........

Ruskull

 

[thereverendturtle]

Your bio load looks good. If they were a bunch of deep body fish, or wide and long, or both like fancy goldfish, then you would be limited to three fish. Where as one of the nicest tanks I've seen was 30 gallon with a school of sixty cardinals, all healthy and did well. I forgot where I was going with this. Anyways, looks good and add that extra loach.

 

[angelalala]

After all the great advice, this is what I've came up with:

1 three spot gourami
7 rosy barbs (a mix of regular and long finned)
7 tigers barbs (maybe throw a few of the green ones in)
5 angelicus loaches (maybe 6 in the future, they're my favorite!)
1 small plec (one that doesn't get bigger than 3 or 4 inches)

I'm changing my medium sized rock to a fine gravel or possibly sand.. which do you think my angelicus botia would prefer?
Now that my destructive plec won't be messing up my plants anymore, I can finally add more plants and driftwood. Ill be happy to get most of the plastic out. I'd love to have a completely natural looking tank.

Thanks again everybody! My first try at posting on this forum was a complete success. Everybody on here is so friendly and helpful. Kudos to all who created this website and maintain it! =D

 

[thereverendturtle]

Your loaches would probably enjoy the sand best. As far as algae eaters, I agree with the bushy nose plecos. Stay small and do a great job on algae without eating healthy plants. If plants aren't doing well they will eat the dying parts.

 

[angelalala]

Should I take all my other fish out before catching the big pleco in a bucket? Would his thrashing hurt the other fish?

 

[thereverendturtle]

No its more stressful to be caught and removed than to be shuffled around.

 

[angelalala]

That's what I was kinda thinking. Thanks again! =)