Solution To Overstocked Tank - Advice Please

[pleccytim]

I've just discovered, following bad advice from my local aquarium shop, that my 30 litre tank is overstocked. I've been sold 4 female guppies (I think at least one of which is pregnant, judging from the gravid spot), 2 male guppies (there were already two in there, so I had four in total), 3 pitbull plecs and 3 clown loaches. I've lost 2 of the loaches and 2 male guppies in the last couple of days, which led me back here and the discovery that the tank is overstocked.

I read on another thread here that a 30 litre tank shouldn't have more than a betta and some live plants. I hate the thought of keeping fish in bad conditions for them, so I intend to take some back. Would it be too drastic to take the whole lot back bar the pitbull plecs (I was told to keep at least three together - is that wrong also?) and get a betta? Would a betta attack the plecs?

Look forward to some good advice!

 

[rdd1952]

You definitely got bad advice but that isn't anything new. i once read where someone said more fish died as a result of bad advice from fish stores than from bad fishkeeping and I totally agree with that.

You should be fine with the 3 plecos and a betta. The plecos only grow to a couple inches Three should be a good number although people keep plecos alone. As for the betta bothering them, it's hard to say. They should be fine with most bettas but bettas have different personalities and it's possible that one could harass them. If you have plants for them to hide in though, you shouldn't have any problems.

On a totally different note, is your tank cycled? How long has it been set up and running? The reason I ask is because of all the fish you lost. Sounds like an ammonia/nitrite problem from an overstocked, uncycled tank.

 

[pleccytim]

I've had the tank for around 3 years and regularly do the 10% water changes and add Nutrafin Cycle, TetraAqua Easy Balance and Stress Coat. I have a Fluval 104 external filter as a couple of smaller fish got trapped and died behind my internal filters (I tried two), so it should be ok. I'm feeding them every 3 days to prevent too much wasted food. If I'm doing something wrong, please tell me.

I took water readings last night and got:

NO2 - 0.1 mg/L
NH3 - 0 - 0.6 mg/L
NO3 - 10 mg/L
pH - 7.5

Is that ok?

 

[rdd1952]

If it has been set up for 3 yrs, your ammonia and nitrite should always be at 0 (any cycled tank will have no ammonia or nitrite). Are you using a liquid test kit or strips? If it' strips, it could be that the ammonia and nitrite are at 0 since strips are trribly inaccurate. I would forget using the Cycle and Easy Balance. All you really need is the Stress Coat which is your dechlorinator.

I would do some larger water changes to get those readings back to 0 and then do them as needed to keep them there until the tank is cycled again. I'm not certain why you would still be getting readings this far in. Are you sure all dead fish have been removed? Anything in the tank that could be decaying will cause ammonia.