David593

Hey all! I have a 55 gallon fish tank with the following fish:

9-rummy-nose tetras
6-Silver Hatchets
4-Cardinal tetras
1-guppy
1-pleco (will remove once he gets too big (currently around 5 1/2 inches))

I was wonderign if this was over stocked or not. I have a good canister filter (fluval 305) and I do weekly water changes and monthly filter cleaning (clean foam pads and empty dirty filter water).....I don't mess with the bio filtration....

I am also planning to plant the tank, which should also help it stay clean?

Anyways, I want to add some khuli loaches (around 6) so I was wondering if I am ok with the nimber of fish I have.

Shawnie

even tho plecos are a certain size, their bioload is what puts a tank over...not how big they are....with him in there, you are maxed out and then some....carol is the pro on khuli's and im sure she will have advice on those but 6 seems a bit much for a 55 gal..but I could be wrong as I haven't kept them before...the others are fine tho for that tank...

harpua2002

I think 6 kuhlis would be just fine for a 55 gallon, but as Shawnie said your pleco is maxing out your tank in terms of bio load. I'd say you can definitely go for the kuhlis, but only when you rehome the pleco. JMO.

David593

Ok thanks. I forgot to mention I have two otto's that i transported from my ten gallon (now empty). They are hard to find, I wonder if they even alive......

Anyways, the pleco was mainly for cleaning purposes but I plan on turning this tank into a planted tank, so come to think of it, I need to remove him for sure.

Do you have any ideas on what I could do with him. He was an impulse buy when I wasn't too experience

harpua2002

That happens so often. So many pet stores don't tell the whole truth about how huge a properly-kept pleco can get. I guess your choices are to get a huge tank, take him in to a pet shop, or find someone on Craigslist or something that can give him a good home. Maybe you'll find someone with a pond.

David593

Ok. I know a specialized fish store. Maybe they will take him. They have a tank full of plecos and another one with some 1 ft giants (maybe bigger)