"Do you honestly think that it's overcrowded? Take a look at the full tank shot. Do you see any plecos? Not really huh."
And what exactly does that prove? I can stick a hundred developing a. hystrix in a fifty gallon tank and cover the substrate with so many shards of broken pottery that none are visible; does that make the tank pristine? What you're hinting is that, provided that the fish aren't in plain view, they MUST be in the best condition possible, correct? Rattle that around a bit and see if that makes any sense, then get back to me. And just for the record, If I didn't honestly think it was overcrowded, I wouldn't have posted it.
"That's because they are all comfortably tucked away in own little cave. I've been doing this for quite a while, and have 7 different tanks running in my house. I know when I've overcrowded a tank. I have no agression problems. They are even breeding."
I have also been doing this for quite a while (I am fairly confident that I've been keeping loricariidae longer than you have) and I've seen all methods of fishkeeping regarding this family from all around the world. This is exactly the methodology of many SE Asian fishkeepers, whom pack the tank with so many fish that territory is not an issue any more (keepers of African cichlidae know what I'm talking about here). Contrary to popular assumption, territoriality in loricariidae is not indicative of overcrowding--place several males of ANY species in a large tank with suitable caveture, and they WILL fight; whether for optimal cover, establishing dominance, or [subsequently] females. However, once space is at a premium, territoriality is no longer directed at any one fish, not to mention that territorial boundaries are generally lost. Thus, no amount of aggression is more a footnote of overcrowding than the not-so-oft tussle. Also, what species are breeding? I would like to see some fry pics; I'm not saying they don't exist--they'd just be a nice addition to the topic.
"So if they are overcrowded, why are they all so healthy and good looking? I have enough filtration on this particular tank to stuff it to the brim with fish and still have no problems. I purposly went over kill on the filtration, because it's a pleco tank. I would think crowded if it was full of huge plecos. But it's not."
Overcrowding isn't just about how a fish looks (though, with loricariids, face value doesn't mean much; as with most seasonal tropical fish, they are well adapted to extended periods of nitrogenous compound exposure); it includes suitable biological footprints, swimming space, etc. Top of the line filtration simply indicates that you'll have a proportionate amount of nitrate to the stocking of your tank. And looking at the amount of fish in there, I'd be very reluctant to say that it's at the zero mark. By the way, you don't consider 2 9" royals and one 9+" spinosus "huge plecos"? I dunno; to me, that's more than enough stocking for a 90 gallon, and if you want the royals to grow at an accomplished rate, they'd need to be housed in an even larger tank for an extended period of time.
