Aquarium volume Q's, am I overstocked?

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Recently struggling with my newer set up, set up mid-May but established filter some plants etc moved, so a seeded/planted cycle I guess!
Confused about the volume. I'm terrible at maths, and getting different answers from different calculators!
It's a Fluval tank, think it might be an older model:

Measurements:
L = 31.5in/80cm
W = 13.5in/34.5cm
H = 19.5in/49.5cm
This aquarium volume calculator says that it's 36 US gallons/136.6L
Last time I used a volume calculator it said 34g, so I dunno! Confused I know that I don't fill right to the lip and that substrate/hardscape etc will mean less total water volume overall, just want to have an idea of the tank capacity.

Starting to question if I'm overstocked. I bought it initially after being given the wrong measurements by the seller, so I thought it was a 37g and it would be big enough. But having doubts now after having an ammonia spike (from over-feeding) recently. I'd kept it well balanced initially, being fine with 60% W/C's every weekend, but perhaps I've been feeding more, maybe because plants are struggling, maybe because plecos are growing - not sure, but had an ammonia spike and I'm still doing large daily water changes to get it back under control again. So please be honest with me, am I overstocked?

Stock:
15 corydoras. Six sterbai, 2 albino aeneus, 7 bronzes.
2 juvenile 181 peppermint plecos.
4 elderly retired guppies
2 male platies
5 elderly tetra, small species.
Shrimp colony.
Filtration is an All Ponds Solution EF-150 canister filter, and a small Nicrew internal 20-40L that I added mainly for flow but also filters.
Please be honest! There is another tank due to be added on the horizon once I've managed to tear down and sell a large one, likely a 30g... I'm considering trying to get a long tank with a larger footprint, and thinking about moving one of the cory colonies, either the six sterbai or the eight aeneus to that one. The guppies and tetra are elderly remains of previous schools/inherited fish, just living out their days with me. Also considering moving the guppies/tetra to my 15.5g pygmy cory tank, but I think the bulk of the bioload is the cories and plecos.

 

[connorlindeman]

This aquarium volume calculator says that it's 36 US gallons/136.6L
Last time I used a volume calculator it said 34g, so I dunno! Confused I know that I don't fill right to the lip and that substrate/hardscape etc will mean less total water volume overall, just want to have an idea of the tank capacity.

This is the best calculator ;-)

Calculator

 

[connorlindeman]

Stock:
15 corydoras. Six sterbai, 2 albino aeneus, 7 bronzes.
2 juvenile 181 peppermint plecos.
4 elderly retired guppies
2 male platies
5 elderly tetra, small species.
Shrimp colony.

imo you are slightly overstocked. It shouldn't cause any major problems as long as you keep up with large WC's

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

This is the best calculator ;-)

Calculator

I should have known that there would be one here! Thank you. That one agrees with the above volume, 36 US gallons/136 L I'm gonna take that as gospel now, thanks!

imo you are slightly overstocked. It shouldn't cause any major problems as long as you keep up with large WC's

Thanks! Yeah, I think I'm gonna have to manage with large water changes for now... I'm gonna place an order for some more fast growing stem plants to help in the meantime, and I'm gonna move the guppies and possibly the tetra to the 15.5g for now, just to ease the load a little until the other tank is ready. Every little helps, right?

 

[connorlindeman]

Check out this site:

https://aqadvisor.com/AqAdvisor.php?AquTankName=&AquListBoxTank=Choose&AquTankLength=31.5&AquTankDepth=13.5&AquTankHeight=19.5&AquListBoxFilter=Choose&AquTextFilterRate=N%2FA+&AquListBoxFilter2=Choose&AquTextFilterRate2=N%2FA+&AquFilterString=shrimp&AquListBoxChooser=Cherry+Shrimp+%28Neocaridina+heteropoda%29&AquTextBoxSize=&AquTextBoxQuantity=25&FormSubmit=Add+%3E&AquTextBoxRemoveQuantity=&AlreadySelected=200909300219%3A6%3A%3A%2C200909300005%3A2%3A%3A%2C200909300034%3A7%3A%3A%2C200912161453%3A2%3A2%3A%2C200909300093%3A4%3A%3A%2C201009131262%3A2%3A%3A%2C200909300144%3A5%3A%3A&FilterMode=Display+all+species&AqTempUnit=C&AqVolUnit=L&AqLengthUnit=inch&AqSortType=cname&FilterQuantity=2&AqJuvMode=1&AqSpeciesWindowSize=short&AqSearchMode=simple

It says that you are 120% stocked

 

[connorlindeman]

The link already has your fish added (to the best of my ability)

 

[FranciscoB]

All calculators just give approximations, and some attempt to match the results to ‘standard sizes’. Items such as thickness of the glass, external vs internal measurements and others add to not being exact.
Thus, results such as 30, or 34, 37 gal, etc can be explained without feeling the calculator is not good, and all are about right. Then, one can not fill the tank to the very top or it would spill.., more small error.
However, one should not be stocking a tank differently if it is 34 or 37g or anything that close. Stocking should be less about those small differences and never trying to have the maximum possible. Frequency and volume of Water changes and fish behavior are more important.
I prefer longer tanks for a given volume but this also depend on the species involved.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Check out this site:

https://aqadvisor.com/AqAdvisor.php?AquTankName=&AquListBoxTank=Choose&AquTankLength=31.5&AquTankDepth=13.5&AquTankHeight=19.5&AquListBoxFilter=Choose&AquTextFilterRate=N%2FA+&AquListBoxFilter2=Choose&AquTextFilterRate2=N%2FA+&AquFilterString=shrimp&AquListBoxChooser=Cherry+Shrimp+%28Neocaridina+heteropoda%29&AquTextBoxSize=&AquTextBoxQuantity=25&FormSubmit=Add+%3E&AquTextBoxRemoveQuantity=&AlreadySelected=200909300219%3A6%3A%3A%2C200909300005%3A2%3A%3A%2C200909300034%3A7%3A%3A%2C200912161453%3A2%3A2%3A%2C200909300093%3A4%3A%3A%2C201009131262%3A2%3A%3A%2C200909300144%3A5%3A%3A&FilterMode=Display+all+species&AqTempUnit=C&AqVolUnit=L&AqLengthUnit=inch&AqSortType=cname&FilterQuantity=2&AqJuvMode=1&AqSpeciesWindowSize=short&AqSearchMode=simple

It says that you are 120% stocked

Wow, thank you for entering all that for me! When I did it, it told me I was 149% overstocked, lol.

But has confirmed my suspicions that I shouldn't have got this tank, and should have held out for something larger/longer. Looking up starlight plecos on Seriously Fish, which are almost the same as my L181 apart from adult colouration, and they say base dimensions of 120cm by 45cm smallest base size considered. Mine are still only 2 inch juveniles, but I want to upgrade long before they need it or it gets urgent.

 

[BrianK]

If it was me, I would move one one the plecos to the new tank when you get it. They can get huge.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

If it was me, I would move one one the plecos to the new tank when you get it. They can get huge.

Aaww, but they seem to be buddies!
They're very slow growing though aren't they? These are my first plecos, and I got some pretty bad info from the breeder at first. They said it was like having a bristlenose in terms of size and care needs, and that they'd be full size at about 6 months. Oh, and that they were L183s, but since they've lost their juvenile colours, turns out they're L181s. But they were growing so slowly (when they were in a 57g and otherwise healthy and eating) and I spoke to someone else who breeds both, and he said they grow and mature very slowly. Like YEARS to reach full size and maturity? But that also doesn't seem to jive with a lifespan of ten years that I read somewhere. Really hard to find reliable info on them. @GaryE , would like your thoughts, please!

Have been keeping an eye though, don't know their sex yet either, and I am prepared that they might need to be separated if they stop getting along or need a larger tank each.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

All calculators just give approximations, and some attempt to match the results to ‘standard sizes’. Items such as thickness of the glass, external vs internal measurements and others add to not being exact.
Thus, results such as 30, or 34, 37 gal, etc can be explained without feeling the calculator is not good, and all are about right. Then, one can not fill the tank to the very top or it would spill.., more small error.

That makes a lot of sense, thank you!

However, one should not be stocking a tank differently if it is 34 or 37g or anything that close. Stocking should be less about those small differences and never trying to have the maximum possible.

For sure - I'm definitely not a "how many fish can I pack in here??" kinda person, I would honestly prefer to be more lightly stocked, over filtered and heavily planted, just to keep it as stress free as possible. Had to juggle a lot of tanks and stock though, so it's really not ideal right now!

It's a bit of a mess right now because I inherited a 57g with the remaining tetras, and had my cory school in that tank, where it was fine to have that many, you know? Didn't intend to have this many cories either. Was meant to be six bronze, six sterbai. But the bronzes bred, several times! so two are deformed youngsters that I kept back, the albinos are adopted, and now the 57g has to come down, I was looking for a second hand tank that would fit where I had space, and had to take down some of my tanks to make room - so the elderly guppies also got added, but it's definitely too much!

That cabinet can hold a tank with a length of 120cms though, so it would be perfect to find a tank that length, and that should be okay for the pleco... but would it be okay for both plecos if they continue to get along? Or would I need to upsize for two plecs?

Frequency and volume of Water changes and fish behavior are more important.
I prefer longer tanks for a given volume but this also depend on the species involved.

For sure. I'm committed to keeping up the large water changes and getting the water stable again, and will try to hurry getting the next tank going. Trouble is the latest batch of bronze cory fry means I have 70 odd bronze babies in the 57g right now growing out, that are *almost* large enough to sell! And the pygmies in the other tank are colony breeding like mad always- still finding tiny newborn pygmy fry every time I water change in there, so need to rehome more of those too before they overstock!! They're getting as bad as livebearers...

 

[FranciscoB]

Sounds as if you know what to do and are doing it well. Congrats on the breeding spree(s) and good luck!

 

[Naughts]

Yes, you are overstocked by two 181 peppermint plecos, you need to give them to me. I'll be over in the morning. Be sure to bag me up those cute little baby pygmies too.

 

[Naughts]

Seriously though, you have a lot of bottom dwellers, that footprint would be good for 12 cories, 15 at a push. I tend to disregard shrimp but if you factor them in as well it is stretched, then add the plecos and it's a real crowd.
In contrast the mid-upper fish are suitably stocked.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Yes, you are overstocked by two 181 peppermint plecos, you need to give them to me. I'll be over in the morning. Be sure to bag me up those cute little baby pygmies too.

You'll get my plecos from my cold dead hands!

But if you wanna swing by and pick up a bunch of pygmies, I'll love you forever!


I've moved the guppies and the couple of tetra I managed to catch over to the pygmy tank for now and added some limnophilia sessiliflora into that tank to try to help. Darn it, really wish I'd planned out this replacement tank better!!


So current plan is to sell baby bronzes from 57g and a load of pygmies, sell the 57g, find another tank with a 120 by 45 footprint, move a cory school and a pleco over there, then replace this tank with one that's 120 by 45 for the other cory school and plec. Let the four guppies and five tetra live out their lives in one or other of the tanks.

Then eventually, once less overstocked, some small schooling fish for the upper levels. Thinking of a large school of CPD, embers, chili rasbora, something like that. Undecided when it comes to upper levels once the elderly ones have passed, main thing is to spread out the bottom dwellers into enough footprint and water volume.


Thank you so much, everyone! For the helpful advice without beating me up. I appreciate it so much!