Under stocked vs over stocked...

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This is being one of the most interesting readings. I congratulate all participants for that.

I always preferred to stock light but the truth is right now my 2 main tanks are not light stocked.
But I am setting-up a couple of new tanks in the near future (within 3-4 weeks) and finally having a big tank - around 700g -, so I can change that.
Question is: will I be "strong enough" to do it? Will I be able to resist adding nice fish just because I have room?

I´ll take my chances and write here the initial plan. In the future this may backfire on me but.. here it goes:

700g: RTG aro, jag male, freddy female, synspillum male,GT male, flagtail, dull eye panaque, "midas" (all of these I already have and except for the arowana, they´re far from full grown - between 3 and 10") + up to 5 newcommers to be selected;
150g (connected with the 700g): festae couple and dithers
180g. 18 clown loaches, fire eel and 3 bala sharks - have them already, but this stock may be pushing the limits so it´s subject to revision in the future
120g:?
55g:QT or single fish (depending on the 120g)
35g:back-up

This is the plan; some may think it´s overstocking, others will consider it´s understocking. I consider it balanced (with the possible exception of the 180).
Will I be able to stick to it?To be honest, I still don´t know. And will only be able to answer that in a couple of years.
 
you will always be an understocker, Doctor. No need to fret and get nervous.

heavy loads and you do not mix, despite my intense, personal arguing about the theme with you :)

Cheers
 
When I bought my goldies, they went right to the 75g as that's what it was meant for, so they always had plenty of room to grow to their heart's content.

The pictures aren't the best quality, but here is the comparison for my 8.5 yr old fantail

Newly purchased baby (July 2004)

Tiny.jpg


And here she is in October 2011 (Ipod picture - terrible quality - MW3 shining on the tank lol):

Lisa_Oct29_2011.jpg


The water was cloudy due to the change from my old fluval which could no longer handle the bio-load of the big fish to my eheim pro 3e 2078
 
I am very happy how the conversation so far. It is a very informative discussion without the extra stuff...

Anyway for my tank, I will use the following criterias to modify my stock in the future:

1) water quality. This can be helped by WCs and additional filters. Currently I have 2 2262, 3 2028 and one 4 stage sunsun. If in the future, I see ammonia/ nitrite problems, I can add to that by exchanging the 4 smaller filters to 2 more 2262, although I don't think even if my current stock all survive to full adult size, that is necessary.

2) fish behavior. I will consider myself overstocked if my loaches don't have enough places to hide; aNd if my cichlids don't have any territory to hold for those that do hold territory. For loaches, i sm happy that late at night, if I check on my tank, i can not find a single loach. I know where they are all packed at, and i still have other bigger holes that stand empty for now so that is okay. Cichlids wise I have a gt, a convict, a Dempsey, a Texas, 2 viejas, 2 oscars along with a number of africans to consider...mixing ca with Africans have a curious effect. They are mostly 4-6 inches right now. It is interesting that for the most part, this group of ca cichlids adopted the African views of life...I have not seen any flaring or arguments of who owns a hole yet...I shall see when they hit 6 inches. The only arguments I see are usually between a cichlid and a loach about a piece of food, and those loaches usually win.




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ecoli73 said:
2 Mbunas in a tank is bad news...I had one kill another in a 135 before.

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That was a mistake not knowing what they were. got the blue "Pseudotropheus sp. Zebra Long Pelvic" @lfs (first time they offered africans. not labeled mbuna), intending to keep a single fish in that tank. he was about 1 inch. tank looked empty. hubby brought kenyi home, and the rest is history.
 
ecoli73 said:
Kenyi along with auratus are one of the top psycho mbunas out there...
Click to expand...
so, mine is named Fin Laden. he terrorizes everything, takes over his world, and only rests in his cave.
I put him in the 75 before stocking it and he got 10x more vicious... hunted Bluey down like a guided missile- no hiding place was safe. I removed Bluey.
I had to literally beat Fin Laden off my hand with a bubble wand while trying to move things in tank & he still removed skin from my finger.
he's my grandsons favorite. chases hands thru glass, and yet very gently takes food from our fingers.
 
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