Is this overstocked, if not can I add some kuhli loach in?

[Barry Tetra]

Hi me again, this is my 20 Gal tank with 20 neon tetras, 5 cherry barbs and 6 lemon tetras

Can I move 27 kuhli loaches (from my 5 gal tank) to this tank?

also any plants recommended?
@AilyNC @NCaquatics @AdoraBelle Dearheart
Help appreciated

 

[kwi]

I think you're pretty much at your limit, 27 Kuhli loach will about double your bio load. (27 in a 5g aren't they about 4" long........)

 

[AilyNC]

The easiest plants I found for my hard water tank is Java Fern, Amazon Sword, Water Wisteria (I love this one, grows fast & has light shade), Echinodorus 'Reni' (turning a nice red), & Limnophila sessiliflora. Elodea grows quickly too. For floating plants I've only experience with Salvinia - it grows very fast.

I'd go for plants that come bunched, so you can seperate them out & place stems in different tanks. Easy to propagate plants would help you increase plant numbers across all your tanks without a huge cost. With Wisteria, Elodea & Limnophila sessiliflora all have been easy for me to propagate.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

It probably would be overstocked, but personally I'd do it anyway just to get the kuhli's out of the 3.5-4 gallon, whack some extra filtration on there, load it with whatever plants you can get, but especially fast growing and floating ones, and up the water changes to make up for the extra bioload.

 

[Barry Tetra]

It probably would be overstocked, but personally I'd do it anyway just to get the kuhli's out of the 3.5-4 gallon, whack some extra filtration on there, load it with whatever plants you can get, but especially fast growing and floating ones, and up the water changes to make up for the extra bioload.

Okay, just adding them all in

what’s next?
What should I do with that 5 gal?
5 gal stocking ideas that is not betta?

edit; just do another calculation and it’s 6 not 5 gal

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Okay, just adding them all in

what’s next?
What should I do with that 5 gal?
5 gal stocking ideas that is not betta?

edit; just do another calculation and it’s 6 not 5 gal

Even if it's six gallons, it's six gallons without displacement (substrate/filter/decor) and if filled right to the top. So maybe 4.5-5 gallons of actual water, with 27 fish in it.

If no betta, I'd do shrimp and/or snails, no fish.

 

[Jan Cavalieri]

How about moving them around. Put the loaches in the 20 gallon. Move the cherry barbs and neon tetras to the little tank. Then everybody can be nice and overcrowded! (it still will be an improvement). Then get bigger filers for both tanks. Why did you get so many loaches - are they home grown? I do love that species but not that many! My experience with loaches is that they are messy creatures compared to other fish of similar size so that's quite a load in the 6 gallon and it will be a load in the 20 gallon. I have 6 Dojo loaches right now divided between two tanks (I have one tank down for repair) I LOVE Dojo's but even 6 are quite a handful along with my Kubotai Loaches (2) - super high energy fish, then they crash and I start poking them thinking they are dead! They sleep heavy too. But what I forgot was that I had (at the time) 3 Passion Gourami which are slow and quiet and most likely hate the disruption from the loaches so as soon as my 3rd tank is ready I'll try and fix that problem.

 

[CassCats]

5 gallons... in place of the loaches, I'd fill it up to the top, plant it very densely, and get a pair of sparkling gouamis

But I think its better to move the loaches and be overstocked than to leave them in a severely cramped little tank.

Just I would increase your water changes on the 20 gallon to 2-3 times a week to stay on top of your water quality.

 

[CassCats]

How about moving them around. Put the loaches in the 20 gallon. Move the cherry barbs and neon tetras to the little tank. Then everybody can be nice and overcrowded! (it still will be an improvement). Then get bigger filers for both tanks. Why did you get so many loaches - are they home grown? I do love that species but not that many! My experience with loaches is that they are messy creatures compared to other fish of similar size so that's quite a load in the 6 gallon and it will be a load in the 20 gallon. I have 6 Dojo loaches right now divided between two tanks (I have one tank down for repair) I LOVE Dojo's but even 6 are quite a handful along with my Kubotai Loaches (2) - super high energy fish, then they crash and I start poking them thinking they are dead! They sleep heavy too. But what I forgot was that I had (at the time) 3 Passion Gourami which are slow and quiet and most likely hate the disruption from the loaches so as soon as my 3rd tank is ready I'll try and fix that problem.

A 5 gallon is WAY too small for cherry barbs, let alone neon tetras. Especially since cherry barbs need space as they can get nasty if kept improperly.

 

[AilyNC]

I wouldn't get new fish for the 6 gallon. I'd sell it and put the money towards a better set up for your other fish. Towards your savings for the jackknife fish & Pleco tank.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Okay, just adding them all in

what’s next?
What should I do with that 5 gal?
5 gal stocking ideas that is not betta?

edit; just do another calculation and it’s 6 not 5 gal

I wouldn't get new fish for the 6 gallon. I'd sell it and put the money towards a better set up for your other fish. Towards your savings for the jackknife fish & Pleco tank.

That's a brilliant point by @AilyNC . You have a real problem with overstocked tanks and that tank with all the plecos and knifefish especially, they will be huge within six months. Instead of spending money on plants and substrate and fish or shrimp for a five gallon, put that money into your new tank fund.

You really need to do the best you can for your current stock, before rushing out and buying more stock, or accepting more khuli loaches from the LFS.

 

[Barry Tetra]

That's a brilliant point by @AilyNC . You have a real problem with overstocked tanks and that tank with all the plecos and knifefish especially, they will be huge within six months. Instead of spending money on plants and substrate and fish or shrimp for a five gallon, put that money into your new tank fund.

You really need to do the best you can for your current stock, before rushing out and buying more stock, or accepting more khuli loaches from the LFS.

What about moving all of kuhli loaches to 25gal rosy barbs tank (only 5 rosy barbs)

 

[BoomerXIV]

What about moving all of kuhli loaches to 25gal rosy barbs tank (only 5 rosy barbs)

Why don't you do this before putting them in 20g?

 

[Barry Tetra]

I

Why don't you do this before putting them in 20g?

Nope, haven’t done it but almost.....sory for making it so confusing...

 

[Barry Tetra]

Does water lettuce make the tank look worse or better?