Just how overstocked am I?

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Aqualoon

Piranha
MFK Member
Jul 8, 2009
1,787
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Minnesota
I'm somewhat new to CA/SA so wouldn't mind a few other opinions on just how badly I'm overstocked. I'm use to keeping Africans where overstocking was the norm.

Tank Size: 150 72x18x28
Filtration: 3 x Rena XP3
Stock: 2 x Gold Suam, 1 x Gold Sev, 1 x Vieja Regani, 1 x Nic, 1 x JD, 1 x ZZ Eel, 1 x Peacock Eel, 1 x BN Pleco, 7 x Yoyo Loach, 5 x Clown Loach, 15 Albino Tiger Barb
 
it sounds a little overstocked but you have tons of filtration so if your keeping your water parameters under control easily and there isnt an issue with aggression then i wouldnt mess with anything, are all of these fish adults or juvies? if they are juvies i would just remove the troublemakers as they arise or the ones that are your least favorite (i personally would take out one of the saums, especially if one is a female, and the JD)

i just know from my own experience to not mess with something if its working, usually thats when i have a fish freak out and become aggressive is when i want to change up the stock and so they all go beserk in order to reestablish the hierarchy when the tank was totally peaceful before (well "peaceful" in terms of cichlids lol)
 
All juvies, the female saum is the most docile out of the lot of em. And there is very little aggression showing. Being cichlids there is some minor chasing but really really minor for the time being.
 
well then i'd keep it just as it is obviously monitor them and try for all to surrvive and just curious how many gallons does that tankk hold?
 
I use my water parmeters as my guide. If my nitrates are consistently high then I know I need to reduce the amount of fish I have.
 
Everything is still juvies so never reach above 20ppm a week...so when I do my weekly water changes it dips even lower then that.

Water changes will be increased in size and amount depending on nitrates.
 
Ajno;5132510; said:
I use my water parmeters as my guide. If my nitrates are consistently high then I know I need to reduce the amount of fish I have.

Me too. You can also increase the amount of water changes or remove fish if the params get bad.
OP-I wouldn't worry until your fish grow a little.
 
Aqualoon;5132516; said:
Everything is still juvies so never reach above 20ppm a week...so when I do my weekly water changes it dips even lower then that.

Water changes will be increased in size and amount depending on nitrates.

Just to give you an idea of how overstocked you are, I have a 125 gallon (25 gal less than you), and have all juvies - 3 green sevs, a rotkeil sev, 3 spotted pictus, an african knife, and a convict, and my nitrates never go higher than 5ppm...

You're saying that yours never go above 20ppm. That's quite a difference...
 
Dissy;5132612; said:
You're saying that yours never go above 20ppm. That's quite a difference...

API Liquid test kits aren't always the easiest to read. It's under 20ppm because that's the color range it best fits (10ppm - 20ppm). For all I know it could be 8 or 9 but that is still under 20ppm.
 
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