90 gallon tank - 14 inch oscar 10 ich red devil 7 inch flowerhorn -5 inch flowerhorn. all fish have been together for over a year and get along fine.
am i over stocked?
- Thread starter supergourami
- Start date
If its a standard 90g (48 1/2 x 18 1/2 x 25 3/8), Id be reluctant to keep a 14 inch oscar by himself in it, so personally, Yes.
To exist, I guess it works but to live happily, I doubt it...But if it works for you, so be it... it wouldnt work for me.
I could be wrong, but unless you are WAY overfiltered (like a 40+ gallon sump or 3 large canisters), Id be willing to bet your nitrates arent at or below 10ppm which is what they should be.
I currently have an istlanum pair (9 inch & 5 inch) in a 75 (a 90g is only 4 inches taller) and I feel its too small. They dont have much room to roam and just sit in one place most of the time.
To exist, I guess it works but to live happily, I doubt it...But if it works for you, so be it... it wouldnt work for me.
I could be wrong, but unless you are WAY overfiltered (like a 40+ gallon sump or 3 large canisters), Id be willing to bet your nitrates arent at or below 10ppm which is what they should be.
I currently have an istlanum pair (9 inch & 5 inch) in a 75 (a 90g is only 4 inches taller) and I feel its too small. They dont have much room to roam and just sit in one place most of the time.
idk the nitrates are always low i feel its over stocked maybe if i put the 2 flowerhorns in a 50 gallon (16 inches wide)
supergourami;5041558; said:
I see care sites saying a 55 is fine, but its not. And the 75 quote you see is probably meant as a single fish at the size yours is. I wouldnt (and dont) go by anything I see on any single site. If I have questions or dont already know something, I come on here and research what others say and take their experiences over a site that is written to either sell fish or is written through one persons views.
That being said, there are tons of people on here that offer bad advice as well, so read all over and form your own opinion...
There are also tons of stories about everything being fine in a situation like yours and then follow up posts about the owner waking up to a single red devil and all other fish dead...more often than not.
VRWC;5041365; said:
First, more filtration has nothing to do with having less Nitrates, every common filter will in fact produce nitrates and do nothing to remove them. Water changes are what removes Nitrates from most systems unless you have plants/algae or an undisturbed deep sand bed with anaerobic denitrifying bacteria. Waste -> Ammonia -> Nitrite -> Nitrates (The cycle stops here).
Second, he's not keeping weak Discus or super sensitive Saltwater reef organisms. The type of cichlid he's keeping are perfectly capable of growing, breeding and living a healthy life in even as much as 20~25 ppm Nitrates. If we wanna be perfect-water freaks that's great - I, myself, keep my Nitrates below 10ppm with multiple 50% water changes per week - but let's not judge other people if they aren't.
And regarding the original post, yeah you're way overstocked. And with 1 Red Devil and 2 Flowerhorns in that tank size, even if you manage to keep your water from crashing they will kill each other eventually from lack of space.
You might be overstocked but with the right filtration, and doing water changes every time nitrates exceed their normal limits, im sure theyll be fine..
I would still be saving up money to put them in a new home.. Many would probably say you need around a 180 for your stock.
I would still be saving up money to put them in a new home.. Many would probably say you need around a 180 for your stock.