# Is this a overstocked aquarium?



## johnnyjiron (Oct 23, 2009)

I have a 55 gallon tank and im planning to up grade to a 90 or 110 gallon tank when i move from my apartment to a house.

Meanwhile this is what i have...

9- Cherry barbs
2- discus
7-neon tetras
3- clown loaches
2- glow light tetras
6-german blue rams
6- head light tetras
3-siamese algae eaters
6-octocinclus catfish
5- corydoras

is my tank overstock?


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

In my opinion you have a full house. With two marineland 350's? and regular water changes you may get away with it for a while. 
I would be concerned that the Discus and rams really need warmer temperatures than the neons and corys appreciate. Might also prove difficult to provide for the otocinclus who are primarily alage eaters although some have been reported to adapt to vegetables and algae wafers. Stay on top of water changes and be sure and keep ammonia and nitrites at zero with nitrAtes no higher than 20 ppm in my opinion.


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## johnnyjiron (Oct 23, 2009)

well my water perimeters are always great. I keep my tank at 82 degrees farenheit, my ph has always been a stable 6.6, my ammonia always at 0 like it should be, my nitrites also at 0, and my nitrates stay around 20ppm and 40ppm. And i know my fish are happy because of their colors and my rams are starting to laid eggs . ( I dont know if this matters but my tank is planted.)


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## rsheets (Oct 25, 2009)

most of your fish are pretty small, so I'm thinking it'll be ok for a while as long as you take good care of the water. My wife has a 20gal that is over stocked and her fish do real good, she does the WC every week. 
The clowns get pretty big though. 
I am wondering about your 9 fish that eat alge. You shouldn't have a problem with alge huh? How does that work out? Do they get enough to eat?
I'm curious about your cherry barbs, do they school most of the time, or are they mostly loaners?


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

Cardinal tetras would do well in warmer temps, Sterbai corys and peppered corys also fair well in warmer temps. Many folks keep fish at temperatures outside their comfort zones. This often leads to much higher metabolisim and shorter life spans. 
Always best in my view to aim for somewhere in the middle with respect tp pH and water temps recommended for fishes according to published aqaurium books. Your water sounds good for the discus and rams as well as the loaches and am pleased that the fishes are doing well. Taking care of ones water makes fish keeping much easier.;-)


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## johnnyjiron (Oct 23, 2009)

Well the algae eaters that i have are very active so thats always a good sign. I dont have a algae problem but there is some on the back glass..I had them for months with no signs of stress or problems.

The cherry barbs yes they are kind of like loaners... They stay around each other but dont really school...like neons or cardinal tetras...

I know my clown loaches are going to get pretty big one day..But i believe thats going to take time since they grow slow.. I got them because a lps gave them to me for a buck each. (they were not eating and he thought they were going to die, so I felt bad for them and took them in.) and now they are about 3 to 4 inches long. They eat like pigs..lol


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

My concern would be for the clown loaches. These are large fish and will continue to grow to 12 inches or more, if properly maintained. An aquarium of 6 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet is deemed necessary for a group of these fish, and being social they must be in a group. Three works fine, five would be better, but not in a 55g or even a 90g or 110g. There is simply not enough room for the fish to grow healthily.

Here's a good info site on this wonderful species: Clown Loach (Chromobotia macracanthus) — Loaches Online

Unlike humans, fish continue to "grow" all their lives, internally and outwardly. It is therefore important to provide the necessary room at all stages. Fish growth is affected by the water volume. The physical size obviously has a bearing on this, but there is also the issue of water quality. The larger the aquarium the more stable the water quality because it is not being polluted as quickly as a small volume with the same fish. For example, the well-known and highly respected discus authority Jack Whattley has written of experiments with discus raised in small tanks and large tanks. Discus fry in larger tanks receiving the customary 50% water change each day grew healthy and vigorous. Discus fry were also raised in smaller tanks which were given a 100% water change five times each day, and the fry grew healthy and vigorously. These and other tests indicated to Mr. Whattley and others that water quality is as important as physical size. Maintaining potentially large fish in small quarters even when young has been demonstrated to result in stunting, whereby the fish cannot develop properly because of the limitations forced upon it, and future health issues result.

Byron.


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