Need help on overstocking...

Kelso

Title may be misleading, but I have a question. Recently I have changed my tanks substrate to sand, as can be seen in the thread I made in the photo section. Seeing the tank now in a whole new setup has lead me to believe that there is more room available than I thought. I'm not worried about over crowding now...because there is plenty of physical space, but rather literal over stocking. I would like to add more cories, at least 2 more bronze and possibly three of them and one more panda and peppered to make each species a school of six. This would leave me with 18 cories, the sumo loach...and the heavy hitters...the Puffers. I have PLENTY of adequate filtration, running an Aquaclear 30 and a top fin 40 (which is going to be replaced with another aquaclear 30 in the near future). I have plenty of plants in the tank, mostly daughter plants from my Amazon Sword, and 18 more plants on the way, 15 of which that are going in that tank. The plant list can be found in the afore mentioned thread in the photo section. Opinions on what you think I should do are very much welcomed. Leave it alone? Add 2 Bronze Cories? Make a school of six for each species?

~Kelson

Angel079

Thats you 28g right?
How many of which Cory's do you have right now? Aren't some of these schooling together, some should pack up (the bronze will poss stay out of the "mix gang" thou).
If it is your 28g, I'd just really find 18 cories and loach too much on the bottom there honestly. I donno what sizes yours are but you also may wanna consider what size they all will be as adults.

Kelso

It's the 28
5 panda
5 peppered
3 bronze
You're right about the bronzes sticking closer together. They mix within them, but you'll always find all three near each other. Mine are all about an inch to an inch and a half-havent grown since I got them except for the smallest ones, which were about a 1/2 inch when I got em. Do you think 2 bronzes would hurt?

Angel079

Ok, the Pandas grow to be about 2" the Peppers about 2.5" and the Bronze about 3".

Given what you have and the fact that the Bronze grow the biggest of your group, what I'd pers do it talk to your LFS, return the 3 bronze and get 2 more panda and 2 more pepper, then I'd leave it at that with your loach for the bottom part.

Kelso

=( What about leaving it as is? I don't wanna lose my bronzes =( They were the first fish I ever got.

Angel079

What kinda boring option is THAT (jk)

Ever thought about adding a neat 45 or 55g to your tank set there? Then you could split them up, get a nice large group of Bronze Cory's in there (like 10 or more) and then up the other gang.....would THAT not be an option??? lol

Byron

I also think the bottom fish are adequate now (in numbers) and it's also a nice mix of corys.

A comment on the filter issue from the first post. In terms of bioload from the number of fish, adding more filters has no effect whatsoever on how many fish can be maintained in an aquarium. The nitrification bacteria is not the problem with too many fish, water pollution from fish urine and excrement is the problem. Bacteria will break down solid waste to liquid, but it remains in the water column along with the urine, and fish produce a considerable amount of this every day. And there is no filter on the market that will remove this pollution. Only the regular partial water change can dilute the toxins in the water.

Filters only move the water around, and in doing so hopefully bring it into contact with more bacteria colonizing the filter media. But the waste produced by the fish is still there. Fish stocking levels in a tank are restricted by the tank size (which relates to the size of fish and the type of fish meaning their behaviours, etc) and the amount of maintenance performed by the aquarist.

Byron.

Kelso

I am actually looking into getting a 55. What I would do is move the denizens of the 28 into it and get a third Puffer, and expand on my cories. I would also take the fish in the betta ten gallon and move them into the 55. This would free up my ten gallon to use as a quarantine/snail breeding tank. The 28 would then house Garra flavatra and some Gertrudae Rainbowfish.

True. I basically understood that process, and I do keep a very strict routine of weekly 45% water changes. I do try to recreate river flow however being that most of my fish appreciate somewhat of a current. Thanks Byron. As always, I'll keep what you said in mind. I'm really glad I joined this site, you guys have REALLY helped me.