Is my tank overstocked?

[FishKeeper72]

Hello all, I am wondering if my tank is overstocked? And if so, I will be getting another tank to make it more open. I have 4 goldfish, 4 dojo loaches, and 2 plecos, and 1 snail. My tank is a 75gal and the water chemistry is all good.

 

[itiwhetu]

If everyone is happy and getting along then it is not overstocked. You will know when it is overstocked, that is when things start to turn to custard.

 

[Colin_T]

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?
What is the nitrate level?
What species of pleco and how big are they?
How often do you do water changes and how much do you change?

Is the big white goldfish (front left of picture) pink or red in the tail?
And is its tail normally open up a lot more?
It looks a bit pink/ red in the tail and this could be poor water quality, the tail and dorsal fin looks a bit clamped and that can also be water quality.

 

[GaryE]

When I look at your tank, it appears well run. That suggests you have skills. If you have skills, the fish will live long and grow. At this moment in time, you aren't looking terribly overstocked. But if you don't manage to kill those fish, you will be terribly overstocked in a few months.

It's never a matter of "now". If you're good at this, they live and grow. You look up the maximum size those fish can reach, and visualize your tank then. The longer you have fish, the more attached most people become, and overstocking is a developing process. Taking the long view, I would say you're very overstocked.

 

[FishKeeper72]

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?
What is the nitrate level?
What species of pleco and how big are they?
How often do you do water changes and how much do you change?

Is the big white goldfish (front left of picture) pink or red in the tail?
And is its tail normally open up a lot more?
It looks a bit pink/ red in the tail and this could be poor water quality, the tail and dorsal fin looks a bit clamped and that can also be water quality.

The tank is 48.4” long, 18.4” wide, and 21” tall.

The nitrate level is at 0.

The pleco’s are clown plecos and are both about 1 1/2 inches long.

I change my water every week about less than half way.

The goldfish’s tail does have red streaks on it, but the ammonia level is 0. (The white goldfish just barely got those red streaks on his tail about 3 days ago, I’ve been researching on what it is and how to help him, any suggestions?)

All of the fishes tails and fins and dorsal fins are alway more open, it’s just the pic angel.

 

[FishKeeper72]

When I look at your tank, it appears well run. That suggests you have skills. If you have skills, the fish will live long and grow. At this moment in time, you aren't looking terribly overstocked. But if you don't manage to kill those fish, you will be terribly overstocked in a few months.

It's never a matter of "now". If you're good at this, they live and grow. You look up the maximum size those fish can reach, and visualize your tank then. The longer you have fish, the more attached most people become, and overstocking is a developing process. Taking the long view, I would say you're very overstocked.

I have had all of these fish for 3 years, except for the little black Moore, do you think they will grow more? I think they are staying at those size and won’t grow more. What do you think?

 

[GaryE]

They should grow more if the conditions are ideal. Fish never stop growing. They can slow with age and environment, but those goldies can live 30+ years.

 

[FishKeeper72]

They should grow more if the conditions are ideal. Fish never stop growing. They can slow with age and environment, but those goldies can live 30+ years.

Do you think it would be safe to get another tank for the loaches?

 

[GaryE]

There, I'll defer to someone who's kept them. I'm not a loach fan. But goldies are harder to keep indoors than most people expect.

 

[Colin_T]

The goldfish’s tail does have red streaks on it, but the ammonia level is 0. (The white goldfish just barely got those red streaks on his tail about 3 days ago, I’ve been researching on what it is and how to help him, any suggestions?)

Big (75%) daily water changes for a week and add some salt. Clean the filter too if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks.

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You can add rock salt (often sold as aquarium salt) or swimming pool salt to the aquarium at the dose rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres of water. If there is no improvement after 48 hours you can double that dose rate so there is 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.

Keep the salt level like this for at least 2 weeks but no longer than 4 weeks otherwise kidney damage can occur. Kidney damage is more likely to occur in fish from soft water (tetras, Corydoras, angelfish, Bettas & gouramis, loaches) that are exposed to high levels of salt for an extended period of time, and is not an issue with livebearers, rainbowfish or other salt tolerant species.

The salt will not affect the beneficial filter bacteria, fish, plants, shrimp or snails.

After you use salt and the fish have recovered, you do a 10% water change each day for a week using only fresh water that has been dechlorinated. Then do a 20% water change each day for a week. Then you can do bigger water changes after that. This dilutes the salt out of the tank slowly so it doesn't harm the fish.

If you do water changes while using salt, you need to treat the new water with salt before adding it to the tank. This will keep the salt level stable in the tank and minimise stress on the fish.

When you first add salt, add the salt to a small bucket of tank water and dissolve the salt. Then slowly pour the salt water into the tank near the filter outlet. Add the salt over a couple of minutes.

 

[FishKeeper72]

Big (75%) daily water changes for a week and add some salt. Clean the filter too if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks.

------------------
You can add rock salt (often sold as aquarium salt) or swimming pool salt to the aquarium at the dose rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres of water. If there is no improvement after 48 hours you can double that dose rate so there is 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.

Keep the salt level like this for at least 2 weeks but no longer than 4 weeks otherwise kidney damage can occur. Kidney damage is more likely to occur in fish from soft water (tetras, Corydoras, angelfish, Bettas & gouramis, loaches) that are exposed to high levels of salt for an extended period of time, and is not an issue with livebearers, rainbowfish or other salt tolerant species.

The salt will not affect the beneficial filter bacteria, fish, plants, shrimp or snails.

After you use salt and the fish have recovered, you do a 10% water change each day for a week using only fresh water that has been dechlorinated. Then do a 20% water change each day for a week. Then you can do bigger water changes after that. This dilutes the salt out of the tank slowly so it doesn't harm the fish.

If you do water changes while using salt, you need to treat the new water with salt before adding it to the tank. This will keep the salt level stable in the tank and minimise stress on the fish.

When you first add salt, add the salt to a small bucket of tank water and dissolve the salt. Then slowly pour the salt water into the tank near the filter outlet. Add the salt over a couple of minutes.

Is this for the white goldfish? He seems to have improved and the red is going down. I still need to know if I need to get another tank set up if this one is overstocked?

 

[Colin_T]

Yes, do big daily water changes for a week to help fix the red in the tail, then do a 75% water change each week after that.

Your plecos are a small species so they aren't taking up much space.

The goldfish and weather loaches are taking up space but I wouldn't say the tank is crowded now. As long as you keep it clean (big regular water changes, gravel cleaning and cleaning the filter), the fish should be fine for a while. However, the loaches can reach 10-12 inches long and the goldfish can also reach 10-12 inches long (not including their tails), so a bigger tank would be better for them in the long run.

Most goldfish don't get more than about 6 inches (body length, not including tail) in an aquarium. But if there is sufficient space, they can get bigger and they can live for a long time.

If you plan on moving house anytime in the next year or two, then leave them where they are because big tanks are a pain to move. If you don't plan on moving and can afford a bigger tank, then get a bigger tank or pond for them. You can make or buy indoor ponds if you want them inside, or just get a big tank.

 

[FishKeeper72]

View attachment 151460Hello all, I am wondering if my tank is overstocked? And if so, I will be getting another tank to make it more open. I have 4 goldfish, 4 dojo loaches, and 2 plecos, and 1 snail. My tank is a 75gal and the water chemistry is all good.

Yes, do big daily water changes for a week to help fix the red in the tail, then do a 75% water change each week after that.

Your plecos are a small species so they aren't taking up much space.

The goldfish and weather loaches are taking up space but I wouldn't say the tank is crowded now. As long as you keep it clean (big regular water changes, gravel cleaning and cleaning the filter), the fish should be fine for a while. However, the loaches can reach 10-12 inches long and the goldfish can also reach 10-12 inches long (not including their tails), so a bigger tank would be better for them in the long run.

Most goldfish don't get more than about 6 inches (body length, not including tail) in an aquarium. But if there is sufficient space, they can get bigger and they can live for a long time.

If you plan on moving house anytime in the next year or two, then leave them where they are because big tanks are a pain to move. If you don't plan on moving and can afford a bigger tank, then get a bigger tank or pond for them. You can make or buy indoor ponds if you want them inside, or just get a big tank.

Thank you so much!