First off let me say this is my first post. I have only been in the hobby a few years, made some mistakes learned from them and continue to learn going forward. I have read some of your threads for research and info to make some of the decisions I have made since I started to get into this hobby and thank you all for this.
So I now have a problem that I am not sure about what to do. I have had a 60 gallon tank for a year now. I have an aquaclear 70 hob filter and a marineland 200 hob filter. I hope to have another aquaclear 70 on this tank to replace the marineland but this is it for now. I also do 25-30% water changes a week. Originally, my stock in this tank was an male ebjd 4 inches, a female salvini 4.5 inches, a mastacembelus liberiensis, a mastacembelus siamensis, 5 tiger barbs and a true siamese algae eater. Everything was fine with this setup for me. Salvini is never been aggressive and neither has ebjd. However, about 3 weeks ago one of my friends was deployed by the army and asked me to take his fish which he had two firemouths cichlids around 4 inches and 2 tiger barbs. He also had a pleco but I wouldn't take it. So far everyone is getting along. firemouths sometimes flare up at my ebjd but he quickly backs them down. The ebjd has never been the aggressive one. As for the salvini, no one messes with her and she acts more like an enforcer. If someone is fighting she gets in the middle and breaks it up but never starts anything. I have had no deaths and tiger barbs go unnoticed by all. No one has nipped fins and everyone seems very healthy. My levels are always good. I test weekly and always have 0 ammonia and nitrites. My nitrates never get past 20ppms. So I know my tank is overstocked. The lfs won't take fish from anyone but supplier and other than that it's petsmart. I can't get a bigger tank anytime soon. How long can make I this work? Can anyone give advice.
So I now have a problem that I am not sure about what to do. I have had a 60 gallon tank for a year now. I have an aquaclear 70 hob filter and a marineland 200 hob filter. I hope to have another aquaclear 70 on this tank to replace the marineland but this is it for now. I also do 25-30% water changes a week. Originally, my stock in this tank was an male ebjd 4 inches, a female salvini 4.5 inches, a mastacembelus liberiensis, a mastacembelus siamensis, 5 tiger barbs and a true siamese algae eater. Everything was fine with this setup for me. Salvini is never been aggressive and neither has ebjd. However, about 3 weeks ago one of my friends was deployed by the army and asked me to take his fish which he had two firemouths cichlids around 4 inches and 2 tiger barbs. He also had a pleco but I wouldn't take it. So far everyone is getting along. firemouths sometimes flare up at my ebjd but he quickly backs them down. The ebjd has never been the aggressive one. As for the salvini, no one messes with her and she acts more like an enforcer. If someone is fighting she gets in the middle and breaks it up but never starts anything. I have had no deaths and tiger barbs go unnoticed by all. No one has nipped fins and everyone seems very healthy. My levels are always good. I test weekly and always have 0 ammonia and nitrites. My nitrates never get past 20ppms. So I know my tank is overstocked. The lfs won't take fish from anyone but supplier and other than that it's petsmart. I can't get a bigger tank anytime soon. How long can make I this work? Can anyone give advice.
