Will i be overstocked?

jack--sos · January 2nd, 2009

i currently have a 65 gallon tank with
5 buenos aires tetra (soon to be 4 as i am taking the agressive one back)
4 Bleeding heart tetra
2 guppies
2 pearl gourami
1 common pleco
3 dwarf neon rainbows
2 bolivian rams
1 rainbow shark

i want to get around 4 yoyo loaches, will i be overstocked?

Jack

angelfish220 · January 2nd, 2009

That tank above would be close to overstocked, if not overstocked already. (I would rather have an understocked tank then an overstocked, so I'm pretty stingy on the overstocked/stocked/understocked)

Also, you have 2 incomplete schools of tetras with the buenos aires tetras (which is probably why there is a really aggressive one) and the bleeding heart tetras. I would suggest returning one or the other to the LFS and getting more of the other kind so that you have a school.

Rainbows are actually schooling fish as well, and you have 2 different kinds that don't have a full school. I would return both types of rainbows, and add to the tetra school of your choosing.

So you would end up with

either 10 buenos airtes tetra or 10 bleeding heart tetra
2 guppies
2 gouramis
1 common pleco
2 bolivian rams

that way you have a full school and the fish are more comfortable.

that would be my opinion, but as I said before I tend to want a understocked tank rather than a overstocked or even a fully stocked.

agabr123 · January 2nd, 2009

I agree with angelfish200, having both the rainbow shark and the pleco is probably not a good idea in a 65. The yoyo loaches get to about 6 inches too, so four of them is going to give you 20 inches of fish. 2 pearl gouramis will give you about 12, a pleco about 18, tetras around 10, rams 8, rainbow shark 6, and the dwarf neon rainbows 6. Altogether, thats 80 inches of fish. If you're using the one inch per gallon rule (which most people here actually don't because it's not specific to aggression or anything else), that's still overstocked, just to give you an idea.

GouramiGirl1221 · January 2nd, 2009

So, as it stands you have:

4 BA tetras = 8 inches
4 bleeding heart tetras = 8 inches
2 guppies = 4 inches
2 pearl gourami = 8 inches
1 common pleco = 20 inches (technically more, he's a big waste producer)
3 dwarf neon rainbows = 6 inches
2 rams = 6 inches
1 rainbow shark = 6 inches
Total of 66 inches of fish

That being said, I wouldn't recommend you adding more fish. The inch per gallon rule really only applies to fish that are 4 inches and under, because those fish typically have a bioload that closely correspond with how long they will reach at adult size. Your pleco, however, will be a huge waste producer, especially as he grows. Plus, if you add bottom dwellers you're going to risk your shark becoming territorial because he has new 'invaders' in his territories.

jack--sos · January 3rd, 2009

ok thanks, il stay with what i have for now. i have been on www.planetcatfish.com and done some research about my pleco and they say it only grows to 13.8 inches

David593 · January 5th, 2009

I agree with angel on this one. You realy should have 1 complete school of tetras rather than 2 unfinished schools. same with the rainbows. I would remove them all. Other than that it may work.

David593 · January 5th, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by angelfish220

That tank above would be close to overstocked, if not overstocked already. (I would rather have an understocked tank then an overstocked, so I'm pretty stingy on the overstocked/stocked/understocked)

Also, you have 2 incomplete schools of tetras with the buenos aires tetras (which is probably why there is a really aggressive one) and the bleeding heart tetras. I would suggest returning one or the other to the lfs and getting more of the other kind so that you have a school.

Rainbows are actually schooling fish as well, and you have 2 different kinds that don't have a full school. I would return both types of rainbows, and add to the tetra school of your choosing.

So you would end up with

either 10 buenos airtes tetra or 10 bleeding heart tetra
2 guppies
2 gouramis
1 common pleco
2 bolivian rams

that way you have a full school and the fish are more comfortable.

that would be my opinion, but as I said before I tend to want a understocked tank rather than a overstocked or even a fully stocked.

Yup I second Angels statement.

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