I’ve got a 125 gallon tank that has 6 silver dollars, one Oscar, a xingu pike cichlid, parrot hybrid, and three bala sharks, is my tank over crowded?
- Thread starter Oscarmcgee
- Start date
It depends on the size of the fish and yes rehome the bala sharks because they get big and will need a larger aquarium. You may also have territorial issues between the cichlids.
So far all the cichlids are getting along and coexisting pretty well with close to no fighting
After u get rid of the balas I can see maybe getting rid of the pike too n you should be fine… in a perfect world
the only ones that are adults are 2 silver dollars, the rest are young. Would it be better if I got rid of the bala sharks and the parrot instead of the pike?
I think that the word "overcrowded" means different things to different people. To me, your tank sounds atrociously overcrowded; I'd probably keep the Oscar and rehome all the rest. But I am thinking of long-term maintenance and fully grown fish. Plenty of folks seem to change and swap out fish as though they were socks.
Certainly, if those fish are all very small and young, they will be fine for a short time. But they will grow quickly, as will the need for huge and frequent water changes. Do you want to commit to that work on a permanent basis? Even if you do, some of those, like the Tinfoils, will simply continue to grow until they can't even move comfortably around the tank. Do you still want to watch them blundering around bumping into one another?
Why don't you check one of those on-line aquarium calculator sites? You punch in the tank size, fish numbers, filtration, etc. and they spit out a pronouncement; i.e. your tank is stocked to 356% of the recommended levels, requires a 95% water change every twelve minutes, and is 90% underfiltered. They're always good for a laugh.
Certainly, if those fish are all very small and young, they will be fine for a short time. But they will grow quickly, as will the need for huge and frequent water changes. Do you want to commit to that work on a permanent basis? Even if you do, some of those, like the Tinfoils, will simply continue to grow until they can't even move comfortably around the tank. Do you still want to watch them blundering around bumping into one another?
Why don't you check one of those on-line aquarium calculator sites? You punch in the tank size, fish numbers, filtration, etc. and they spit out a pronouncement; i.e. your tank is stocked to 356% of the recommended levels, requires a 95% water change every twelve minutes, and is 90% underfiltered. They're always good for a laugh.
I agree with jjohnwm. The word overcrowded is IMO over used and misinterpreted. If your water parameters are good the fish are happy healthy and getting along I don’t see an issue. When you get into territorial issues and water primer issues then it’s time to look at rehoming certain fish.
I wouldn't quite say it that way. Yes, maintaining water quality is essential. Yes, a lack of territoriality conflicts is essential. But those things alone aren't enough, IMHO, for a tank to qualify as not "overcrowded".
There's that "happy" thing. Take those Balas as an example. They can reach well over a foot in length, they are an actively swimming fish and they are gregarious and prefer the company of others of their species. How many relatively fast-moving fish of 12+ inches can be comfortably kept in a 125 gallon tank? Personally, I'd say none; just not enough room for them to keep on the go all the time. But this species wants to be kept in a group, which makes the tank even less suitable.
So, you buy one or two...they grow and grow...they spend their lives without the chance to school with their own kind as their nature demands...they eventually don't have much room to swim around...are they "happy"? And if they are not...why would you want to keep them that way? Alive and more-or-less healthy is not the goal when keeping living creatures; we should be striving to allow them to fulfill their instincts and behave in a manner that is natural enough to make them comfortable. Failing to do that may allow them to live and grow, but a certain degree of low-level stress will always be a factor in their lives. Some species are more resilient than others in withstanding the effect of such stress, but just because a fish is tough enough to live despite stress doesn't mean we should accept the stress.
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