I'm overstocked but the fish are fine??????

[fruity]

Hi everyone, I have had my small aquarium (45 litre) since last September, so its almost a year old now. During that time, I have had the usual problems with ich and one fish with popeye..... but other than that, things have been fine.

Having purchased all my fish from the same shop, I presumed the owner was giving me good advice..... until I started visiting fish forum and reading books, then I discovered I am WAY overstocked according to the rules!

I currently have the following fish in my 45 litre tank.

2 neon tetra - bought in March
4 black neon tetra - bought last October
2 silver molly - Bought last November
2 black molly - November
2 coloured widow tetra (rash purchase cos they were pretty, but I didnt understand they are artificially dyed, I will not be buying any more of those!!!!!) - last September
1 3 month old albino cory
3 male guppy - bought in March....

so as far as adult fish go, I have a total of 16 however, I also have a total of 9 baby mollies, 3 back in the main tank (2 months old) and the other 6 born yesterday - kept in my breeder tank.

I rang the shop and he told me that since all my fish are 'small' I am not overstocked and it is ok to keep the babies...... but I am now really worried about damaging the tank. Everything I read says 1 inch of fish per gallon, so I am overstocked double!!!!!!

Any suggestions as to what I do now? Do I let the babies into the main aquarium (to be eaten without a doubt) and this still wont bring my stock levels down..........

HELP!!!!!!!!!

 

[clutterydrawer]

Do you have ammonia/nitrite/nitrate readings? If all your fish are still juveniles I guess there won't be problems till later though...

the 1" per gallon rule isn't set in stone, as such, but I'd think 2" per gallon would still be overstocked. What I would do in your position is get another tank, and keep male and female mollies separately. otherwise you are gonna be inundated with fry.

 

[corrosive]

My lfs, say
"How long is your tank?"
"30"
"Well you can have up to 30" of fully grown fish in your tank,(not including tails in there full size)"

To me that would seem alot of fish for the amount of space, but thats what they do anyways.

 

[clutterydrawer]

I think you could fit 30" of fish in that tank, presuming there were some fish on each level, rather than say all bottom feeders or somehting.

however the lfs is still being silly cos they dont know how wide your tank is, what if it was only 2"?!

 

[corrosive]

I think you could fit 30" of fish in that tank, presuming there were some fish on each level, rather than say all bottom feeders or somehting.

however the lfs is still being silly cos they dont know how wide your tank is, what if it was only 2"?!

hehe, exactly they didnt even ask me that!

 

[fruity]

I am in the uk so lets do inches shall we!!!!!!

the tank is rectangle shaped, 12 (deep) x 12 (width) x 24 inches (long)... quite a normal first timer tank I guess! I think its considered to be a 60 litre tank (is that about 14 gallons?) but allowing for the ornaments and an inch or two spare at the top of the tank, I calculated 45 litres.... or 10 gallons.

The albino is a bottom dweller but the others tend to swim all over the tank... the mollies just feed where ever (greedy monsters).....

The readings for nitrite and nitrate are fine, I use one of those tester kits (not the dip stick, the dropper type) about once a month (did it last night, all acceptable parameters) but I dont have an amonia kit yet - should I get one then?

Fx

 

[clutterydrawer]

the UK is metric, mate

If your fish are fine, and your nitrite and nitrAte levels are fine, then I don't think an ammonia test kit is strictly necessary right now. However they're useful things to ahve on hand. are you aware that the albino cory needs a shoal?

 

[fruity]

I am 40 so metric is useless to me!!!!!!

I just found out the damn cory is a plec....... doh.

The lfs told me only to buy a single one...... would this (shoaling) be the case for plecs then?

 

[corrosive]

plec's usually are good on there own.

But, how can you mistake a plec for a cory? they look nothing a like?

 

[clutterydrawer]

I am 40 so metric is useless to me!!!!!!

I just found out the damn cory is a plec....... doh.

The lfs told me only to buy a single one...... would this (shoaling) be the case for plecs then?

I'll let you off then. I prefer inches myself and I'm 18.

Are you sure it's a plec? I've never seen an albino plec...although I'm sure they do exist. Do you know what type of plec it is? Cos if it's one of the larger ones you are heading for trouble.

 

[LoveMyOscar]

...

 

[yhbae]

Hi everyone, I have had my small aquarium (45 litre) since last September, so its almost a year old now. During that time, I have had the usual problems with ich and one fish with popeye..... but other than that, things have been fine.

Having purchased all my fish from the same shop, I presumed the owner was giving me good advice..... until I started visiting fish forum and reading books, then I discovered I am WAY overstocked according to the rules!

I currently have the following fish in my 45 litre tank.

2 neon tetra - bought in March
4 black neon tetra - bought last October
2 silver molly - Bought last November
2 black molly - November
2 coloured widow tetra (rash purchase cos they were pretty, but I didnt understand they are artificially dyed, I will not be buying any more of those!!!!!) - last September
1 3 month old albino cory
3 male guppy - bought in March....

so as far as adult fish go, I have a total of 16 however, I also have a total of 9 baby mollies, 3 back in the main tank (2 months old) and the other 6 born yesterday - kept in my breeder tank.

I rang the shop and he told me that since all my fish are 'small' I am not overstocked and it is ok to keep the babies...... but I am now really worried about damaging the tank. Everything I read says 1 inch of fish per gallon, so I am overstocked double!!!!!!

Any suggestions as to what I do now? Do I let the babies into the main aquarium (to be eaten without a doubt) and this still wont bring my stock levels down..........

HELP!!!!!!!!!

Basically, you have a tank that is just over 12g (US) in size... Many of your fishes are tetras which don't stress much bio-load on your tank. You do have 7 livebearers in total, so they will tank your filter alot more than the rest of your fishes. Depending on your filter, you might actually not be that overstocked... (1 inch of tetra is not the same as 1 inch of molly).

What filter do you use? Personally, I have a 10g tank with 7 fully grown up (and breeding) platies and a bunch of fries - they have been living fine up to now. This tank is heavily filtered though, with lots of plants...

 

[yhbae]

I am 40 so metric is useless to me!!!!!!

I just found out the damn cory is a plec....... doh.

The lfs told me only to buy a single one...... would this (shoaling) be the case for plecs then?

Plecos live fine alone. The problem is that if that is the common kind, then it will grow past 12 inches eventually. That pleco absolutely don't belong in your tank, so if your LFS takes them for credits, you should go ahead and do it...

 

[fruity]

Are you sure it's a plec? I've never seen an albino plec...although I'm sure they do exist. Do you know what type of plec it is? Cos if it's one of the larger ones you are heading for trouble.

I have had a look at this site today

planetcatfish.com

and the albino plec is featured on there (although mine is tiny at present, 3 inches long and very pale).

The lfs assures me he is a minature and should only reach 5 inches max...... hopefully..... but he hasnt really grown that much since I got him.

Having annoyed him considerably by adding salt to the tank (doh, fish virgin) I did a 20% water change last night and he is happy and swimming around again. He isnt nocturnal either... which is nice - we get to see him out during the day. He is extremely active too.... and stands up on his fins which amuses me and my 4 yr old..... he looks straight at us......

 

[fruity]

plec's usually are good on there own.

But, how can you mistake a plec for a cory? they look nothing a like?

cos I am a grade A Berk. )