is my tank overstocked???

[Robert]

i have 3 tiger barbs 3 zebra danios 3 platies 2 mollies 1 pleco 2 corys in my 20 gal., is it overstoced if i have a filter that's supposed to be on a 50 gal. and i do frequent water changes??



p.s it's all U.S gallons

 

[Tempestuousfury]

No.

However, it's best to keep barbs and danios in groups of at least 6 to keep aggression down.

Cories like being in large groups, too.

Otherwise it seems fine, though the mollies will probably get too big, as will the plec if it's common.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

You don't seem it but your plec will get too big for the tank, and even the smallest ones cause a lot of waste and this must be accounted for with the rest of the stocking. What are your parameters? What kind is the plec?

 

[Robert]

well he is a common plec and my p.h . is usually between 7.8- 8.0

 

[Robert]

so i'm not overstocked??

 

[tmlhaus]

I would say you're at the max, don't add anything else. And I'd watch those tiger barbs, you only have 3 and they like larger schools. They are mean and will get nippy with your other fish. You may want to trade them in for something more peaceful..

 

[G_Sharky]

I would agree with everybody here about those tigers as they are quite the nasty buggers.....I use to have one on a 10 gallon tank and it practically terrorize everything and ended up nipping my king tiger plec to death...so if I were you(if you can't house atleast 6 of them) I would trade them for something else....

 

[reiben]

Yea I had some experience with those barbs... . Their crazy little fish... I wouldn't add anything else though. Its at its max.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Barbs are fine if given enough room. I would never keep them in a 10 because of the problems you described.

Your common plec is going to have problems. They grow to 18" and as I said above even the small breeds produce a lot of waste an commons are one of the largest.

You are going to either have to give him away or get him a new, very large home in time to not have him stunted (where the body does not grow because the environment is too small but the indsides do and the fish basically crushes internally).

When I asked what your parameters were I did not mean PH. I mean amonia, nitrIte and nitrAte.

 

[Crookster]

Your P.H. is a bit high at 7.8 - 8.0 thats almost high enough to keep african cichlids in. I keep mine at 7.0 which is neutral.

I don't think your overstocked though.

I on the other hand most certainly am. I'm getting a new tank shortly though.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Your P.H. is a bit high at 7.8 - 8.0 thats almost high enough to keep african cichlids in. I keep mine at 7.0 which is neutral.

I don't think your overstocked though.

I think the ph is fine. Fish can adapt fine, unless it's very particular kinds which those are not.

How do you mean you "keep" your ph at 7? Messing with the ph is a very bad idea IMO and will usually lead to a crash.

 

[Crookster]

When I say I keep mine at 7. I mean I set it at around 7 and then check it once a month. If it's gone down too much I adjust it a little, but no more than 0.5.

Last time I had to raise it I put some crushed shells in it, oyster I think and this seems to keep it higher for longer.