Over stocked....... My views

[jeffrey]

Why do so many take hte inch of fish to 1 gallon of watter so serious.
I think a tank is overstocked when it can no longer support the life in it.

I have 15 khuli loaches in a 50 gallon
6 serpea tetras and more, and will be getting more.

by the "standard" I am way over stocked. yet I can keep all water qualities perfect even though I only do a water change every 2 - 2.5 weeks.


Flame me all you want for this, but I think its more a guide line then a rule.

 

[Teelie]

It is more of a guide than a rule and actually that's not overstocked if you take into account the Khulis are slender and like to be in groups so they don't mind a little "crampness" with one another, and as far as I know, they don't produce much waste. The Serpae's are also a schooling fish so you can fudge the rule even more and they don't make a lot of waste either.

IMO the rule doesn't even have any use with fish over 3 inches or with abnormal body shapes.

 

[Fish Fingers]

I agree I am way overstocked if you go by the 1 inch per gallon rule but all my fish are happy and my water is perfect.

 

[jeffrey]

It is more of a guide than a rule and actually that's not overstocked if you take into account the Khulis are slender and like to be in groups so they don't mind a little "crampness" with one another, and as far as I know, they don't produce much waste. The Serpae's are also a schooling fish so you can fudge the rule even more and they don't make a lot of waste either.

IMO the rule doesn't even have any use with fish over 3 inches or with abnormal body shapes.

well thats exactly what I mean.


I go into the lfs for something, anything, and get talking, and all tehy ever say, is wow your way over stocked, that many khuli's should have there own tank... blah blah.
and with the few otehr over stocked posts lately, just had to say something.


I mean I also have corry, guppies, will have otos, probably take hte tetra school to 8 fish, and probably an other mid upper fish.

 

[Ruby Shark]

I use it as more of a guide than a rule. But, I do usually suggest that guide when talking to newbies because it's easy to follow...and well it's safe.

 

[Guppylover]

Same...I never used that rule ever...hehe.
I tried to image my tanks if I followed that rule, it would be so empty...anyway my fish are happy and healthy and that's all that counts!

 

[Angry_Platy]

IMHO, tank stocking is pretty much common sense....like you wouldn't put aggressive cichlids into a 20gall tank.....or you wouldn't put a common plec into a 10gall.

Doesn't it also depend on filtration?? A well stocked tank with excellent filtration capacity is far better off than a smaller understocked tank with pathetic filtration....(IMO)

I think my 30gall is overstocked (see sig).....mainly doe to platies breeding and many bnose babies....but the fish are healthy....the water is ideal (clean with no nasties) and the fish all get on!!

 

[Rusty_S]

I never even knew about that rule when I started fishkeeping and I have never had any problems, IMO the sign of a healthy and happy fish is vitality and brightness of their natural colouration. An unhealthy fish will look pale and sickly and won't do much. I would say my fish are healthy and happy

EDIT: Even my one-eyed neon tetra

 

[NinjaSmurf]

They say they use it as a general guidline, but I've been slammed umpteen times by people saying You have too many fish. Exquise me? Hello, My tank was almost empty. And they freak out about the tallness of my tank, I had overkill with fish in there once with an emergency pond dry up (i.e. three six inch goldfish and ALOT of 1 inch babies, plus two fancies) and even with just the one filter no one was gasping at the top for air or got ich or anything. The only thing that was wrong was that everytime I came in the room the big ones would fly up to the surface and start trying to play Shamu by hitting me with water because they wanted even more food! Yet I see people with understocked tanks that have fish going belly up constantly, so whats with that?

 

[sunflower]

I only use it as a guide, to me it depends on what level your fish swim at etc. As long as I dont get too over-run with waste then I'll add until I feel I should stop.

I always paste a stocking calculator link when people ask about it. Up to them what they do with the info

 

[Rusty_S]

Yeah I think it's important what levels the fish swim at, if you have 15 bottom dwellers it's gonna be different to having 5 bottom dwellers, 5 mid-swimmers and 5 top-swimmers.

 

[Pleco-Heaven]

So according to this I can get a ram or 2 for my smaller tank and 3 clown loaches for my bigger tank . Also It is down to airation Like a 20 gallon with one weak filter is worse than a 20 gallon with a UGF, A power filter, an airstone and many plants. BTW love your male bristlenoses name Chooklet. Do you know, when Cheese_specialist finds this thread, prepare to have your heads bitten off, spit out, spit on, stamped on and sent to an Island full of starving cannibals!

 

[Rusty_S]

I'd be careful with the clowns cos I was flamed the other day for having two in my 21G tank cos they get to be 1ft apparently, although I've never seen a 1ft clown loach Zebra loaches or botia striata are really pretty and live on the bottom like clowns, they don't have characters like clown loaches but I still love 'em and your yoyos should make up for that

EDIT: Here's a link to a page telling you all about them and a great pic!

 

[Pleco-Heaven]

No, no, no the clowns are meant for the 23.4 gal would behavior from the other fish be any problem, My mum just loves clowns and plus they'd clear up all the debris on the gravel. And are rams okay for the 19 gal and if they are would bolivians be okay and how many, Ive been meaning to get rams for ages, since my beloved Fred died last December .

 

[Rusty_S]

Clowns are pretty resilient fish IME as long as you have more than one, but then I have always had a community tank with fairly peaceful fish, I've never kept clown loaches with any cichlids or anything like that.