Am I overstocked?

[Thraeka]

I have a 20 gallon tall with the following fish:

• 6 espi rasbora
• 1 gold ram
• 1 male dwarf gourami
• 3 julii cories
• 3 red cherry shrimp
• 1 nerite snail

I have some driftwood and quite a few low tech plants. I want to add one more julii cory and a few shrimp, but feel I am pushing the tanks stocking capabilities. In your guys experience, is my tank overstocked? Picture of tank attached. Thank you.

 

[utahfish]

Though rams and gouramis inhabit different areas of the tank, rams bottom, gouramis top they are both territorial fish and 20 gallons isnt a lot of space for them. Id keep one or the other but not both unless in a bigger tank.
The nerites and shrimp are negligible to the stocking as they take up little space and create minimal waste. Though your gourami or ram may eat a tasty shrimp.
The corydoras get around 3 inches and live at bottom with Ram which makes bottom a bit crowded but the bigger issue is corydoras need to be in groups as they are shoaling fish no less than 6 but you dont have room for that.
Its not overly stocked per say though its pushing the limits its more mis stocked as some of those species in that size tank need more room to be together.
Good luck.

 

[CryptFan]

I agree, I would think the dwarf would mess with the ram. Also you should get 3 more julii corries, they only get a max of 2.5 in.

 

[Thraeka]

Yeah... I got the DG very recently and the ram has been with me since I started the tank so I am more inclined to keep the ram. In the next week or so if I feel it isn't going well then I will most likely return the DG. I'd still have the issue with the ram being at the bottom of the tank but there wouldnt be issues with the DG and ram

 

[Barry Tetra]

Yeah... I got the DG very recently and the ram has been with me since I started the tank so I am more inclined to keep the ram. In the next week or so if I feel it isn't going well then I will most likely return the DG. I'd still have the issue with the ram being at the bottom of the tank but there wouldnt be issues with the DG and ram

You might be considered getting new tank for rams or gourami.

 

[Guppy10]

Not overstocked at all, so long as your filter can cope with it and regular water changes you will be fine. That is the main thing. Forget the inch per fish rule as it takes nothing into account.

 

[Thraeka]

Unfortunately, I dont have room for another tank.

I have a fluval 106 canister filter which I think is quite good as a filter.

 

[utahfish]

Not overstocked at all, so long as your filter can cope with it and regular water changes you will be fine. That is the main thing. Forget the inch per fish rule as it takes nothing into account.

The inch per gallon rule can be useful for general stocking purposes.
When it doesnt make sense is one has a 20 gallon tank so gets a 20 inch fish.
But generally a good rule of thumb is an inch of fish per gallon, taking into account max size of fish its compatibility with tankmates whether its a shoaling or single species what area of the tank it inhabits how much waste it produces and if its body type and swimming activity is better paired with a long tank or a short tank.
For instance 20 neons are going to do better in a 20 gallon long than a 20 gallon high, even though its the same inches of fish in the same amount of water neons need room to swim back and forth not up and down. That doesnt then mean its a good idea to put 40 neons in a 20 long. While the inch per gallon rule may seem simple its a good baseline.

 

[Byron]

Temperature has not been mentioned, and you have an issue with that. The common or blue ram, in any of the varieties, must have warmth. A water temperature no lower than 80F (27 C) is mandatory so this fish can function physiologically; at cooler temperatures it will not last anywhere close to its normal lifespan of 4-5 years.

Warm water however causes issues for the cories. Not sure if "julii" is actually Corydoras julii or the more often seen C. trilineatus (sold as "julii"), but neither can last long at permanent temperatures over the mid-70's (24-25 C). But if you keep these fish, a group of 6-7 in total is necessary, and a sand substrate.

The gourami is OK with warmth (though i agree with members not recommending gourami and cichlids together), and the rasbora Trigonostigma espei has a range of 23-28C/73-82F and is best mid-range.

 

[Thraeka]

How would it impact the DG, ram and rasbora if I make the temp 25 C? I really would like to add at least 2 more cories, but I am concerned about overstocking the tank.

Thus far the DG has not been too aggressive towards the ram. Occasionally he will chase the Ram for a short distance.

 

[Byron]

How would it impact the DG, ram and rasbora if I make the temp 25 C? I really would like to add at least 2 more cories, but I am concerned about overstocking the tank.

Fish are ectothermic, which means they do not generate internal heat but must rely on the surrounding water in which they live. Temperature drives the metabolism of fish; each species has its optimum range in which the physiological processes essential to sustaining its life will function. As soon as the temperature rises, it becomes increasingly more difficult for the fish tomaintain its homeostasis. This weakens the fish, which in turn causes more stress and other problems that the fish can no longer deal with because it is using so much of its energy just to keep going. If the temperature falls below the optimum, the fish also has difficulty, and here various internal processes will slow and some even be unable to operate. A change of just a couple of degrees can mean life or slow death to a fish. And note, this is permanent; obviously fish can usually deal with temporary changes, such as moving into cooler water deeper in their watercourse to escape predators. But they cannot remain out of their optimum temperature because the internal processes will not function properly.

The blue ram must have warmth, and 80F (27C) is absolute minimum; it5 would be better a degree or two warmer. By contrast the cories willnot bee able to reemain healthy at these high temperatures. The two fish are simply not compatible because they cannot be healthy at the same temperature.