Yet *another*...

[dixaisy930]

With a 65 gallon tank, you would think that I wouldn't be inclined to overstock, but it seems that I want more fish than I have room for.

My tanks dimensions are 36'' L x 15" W x 30" D. According to one calculator, I can only have 45 inches of fish. Currently, I have 40 inches in the tank (nothing that is extremely messy or territorial). However, I want to add about 15 more inches, including some african dwarf frogs, platys, rams, and a candy-striped pleco.

I'm going to add a bubble wand to the tank, but I don't expect this to allow me to add lots of extra fish to the tank.

I guess I'm asking what you people think my maximum capacity for fish should be, with regular maintence (20-40% water changes every 1-2 weeks).

 

[reiben]

Not having and territorail fish in the tank is always a benift. Can't really answer your question though.. what other kind of fish do you have in there now. Sometimes it depends on how fast they will grow or how large.

 

[dixaisy930]

I have 4 blue danios, 4 leopard danios, four mollies, a krib, 5 panda cories, a yo-yo loach, 6 glowlight tetras, and a white-cheeked goby.

 

[kgrehm]

I would say no matter how friendly the fish are, its not going to make the water conditions any better. I have a 55 and I still have at least 10 ins. of fish left but i would rather have room for fish to swim than a fully stocked tank.

 

[JamesTasker]

The calculator you used works out inches of fish by 1 inch per 12 sqinchs. Yes? THat is based on the amount of oxygen which can dissolve in your tank, so by adding an airstone you could probably push up to 1inch per gallon = 65inches.

You should add slowly though, to make sre it doesn't get overstocked before you reach your end total, whatever that might be.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

You don't need to use caluculators so strictly. I don't use them at all.

If the fish are messy, it has to be accounted for in terms of bioload. If the fish are territorial, this has to be accounted for in terms of space. Parameters are very important. Check your levels and then stop doing water changes, test to see how long it takes for amonia or nitrIte to build up or for NitrAte to go high. The longer it takes, the more bioload you have. You also have to look at where they swim in the tank, so as to not oerload that area. There are also considerations like nocturnal and day fish and tap water parameters.

See, it's not only inches of fish per gallon/square inch.

I think you could add the fish you want, just not too quickly. Look at your choices using the above.

 

[dixaisy930]

Thanks for all of the help and advice. I guess I'll just take it week by week, and make sure eveyone is getting along, and has enough personal space.

I figure the rams should be the last things to go in the tank, since they are probably the most sensitive.