Am I Overstocked?

[JanJan]

Do you think I am overstocked? I tried to work out fish lengths but to be frank I haven't got a clue what im doing! Some advice is appreciated

3 rams
3 emporer tetra
2 guppies ( the male died I would like to replace him for the ladies)
7 celestial pearl danios (I'd like to increase to 10 or 12 but not essential)
No plans to get any more fish other than stated above (if allowable)

95litre
Over filtered for tank size
Lots of low light loving plants and moss
7.5 ph, 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate
Usually have co2 but it's not working, fix at the weekend
Low light less than 1wpg

Many thanks !

 

[Prime Ordeal]

You can comfortably have 20 x 5cm fish in there, so you're well under at the moment.

 

[lloyd]

hi welcome to the forum. i wouldnt necassarily say you are over stocked but i would say you have some stocking issues. the rams need to be kept in warm water that would be far to warm for your danios. unless you are just tryng to fizzle the emporor tetra's out you neeed to get some more as 3 isnt enough for them. they will feel insicure and look washed out. i would add an extra six tetras and maybe the male guppy and then leave it as you will be bordering over stocked then, which isnt the worst thing as long as your filter can cope with it. the other thing is, youn may run into trouble having three rams, if they pair up u wll have an odd one who will get bullied, or if you have to males they will fight over the female. if they are all males you might get away with it, but they would be happier to have a female so i would suggest losing 1 if you no which one to lose if you no what i mean. rams like most cichlids are hard to judge as there temperament varys but to be safe if it was me i would get rid of one. hope i have helped you

 

[JanJan]

Well im very pleased I'm not crowding them.
Lloyd you guessed well about the emporer tetras as I did have five but lost two from bullying, leaving a male and 2 females so I'll not be replacing them as I had a lot of bullying with them.

Also my rams are a type of Bolivian 2 female, one male, they seem very happy as a threesome and the pair have spawned after only 3 weeks with me. My research before I bought them led me to believe that this type of ram were happy in my 26 degree temp and the LFS said they'd been bred in those temp range so hopefully they should be ok.

Based on my stocking which seems ok would it be possible to get one more male ram of the same type as they still have them in the LFS? I want to keep a peaceful tank though!

 

[lloyd]

sorry i didt realise they where bolivian rams. they are happy at 77 to 80 but you celestial danios like it in the mid 60s to very early seventys ideally. i wouldnt risk adding more rams as if they both spawn you could have big problems, also its stress they dont need. y dont you think about adding something that lives in a different part of the water colum like hatchetfish?

 

[JanJan]

I shall take your advice no more rams, they seem happy as they are.
I hadn't thought about different level swimmers, although the guppies spend a lot of time at the surface.

For now I think I will wait for a while before getting new species and see how I go. Save some space in case I succeed in raising a fry or two one day although failed with my first guppy and ram attempts recently.

Thank ever so much for your help!