Advice On Stocking New Tank

[sean0151]

Hi Folks

I have been eagerly waiting for my tank to complete its cycle so i can begin to stock.I have been reading and researching various fish and there compatibilities But there is one area i remain confused about.
I have been using aqadvisor and have been surprised how quickly it says my tank is overstocked so i scoured the pages of this forum to find posts were members stated ther tank size and list of stock etc then put these into aqadvisor and found most are said to be overstocked.
So is aqadvisor being overcautios or is there something i am missing.
Please help.

Regards
Sean

 

[BackToTheFishes]

Good filtration is why alot of tanks here may be "technically" overstocked.Get the filtration right and as long as you dont go mental,a little overstocking is fine

 

[sean0151]

Hi
Thanks for prompt reply.
So what is the formula for good filtration,is it a case of the bigger the better or can you over filter.I initially read that a filter should be able to turn over your water capacity 5 times an hour but have since read that amount of filter media is more important.It is slightly confusing as i have seen external filters quoteing 1000 lph but good for 400 litre tank,obviously this isnt x5 turnover or an internal filter quoteing 1000lph but only good for a 180l tank.I take it this is because the external has a larger amount of media.Is this correct?
Is there a standard measurement for media ie surface area or a prefered type as i have seen differant types on offer like sponge,carbon,bio rings,floss etc.

Any answers or advice appreciated
Sean

 

[walkers101]

Its all about Turnover 2 of my tanks are overstocked one is 90 litre with filtration that turnsover 500 litres and a 300 litre than turnsover 1000+ litres. Aslong as you keep on top of the waste (hoovering the gravel not over feeding) you will be fine as long as your not seriously overstocked

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

When you have a reasonable idea of the fish you want, post an update to this thread, or start a new stocking thread... The gurus will be able to warn you about any fish that would be dangerous to mix, plus give you an idea of the order in which to add your chosen fish (so that less hardy and territorial species go in later) over a period of months.

 

[sean0151]

Hi
Thanks for replies but my original post was more about the stocking levels than particular fish as i am enjoying the doing the research on that part as to compatibility and water type etc.
The stocking levels and types of fish seems to come down to filtration as much as anything so my question when it comes to filtration is still is bigger always better or can you over filter.

Regards
Sean

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

You would do very well to overfilter a tropical fish aquarium! As more and more filter are added to the setup, the outflow currents could restrict your fish stocking (eg. some fish like African Butterfly Fish hate flowing water), along with the normal compatability factors (aggressiveness; temperature; water hardness [although a lot of commercially bred fish nowadays do not absolutely require perfect hardness or pH... unless you have hopes of breeding] etc.).

My four week old Juwel Rio 240 has an upgraded 1000 pump, but I still plan to add an extra external filter (possibly an Eheim eco pro 300) to help, especially when the puchased "babies" get bigger and produce more toxic waste.

 

[ChilliPepper]

my original post was more about the stocking levels than particular fish

Really, to give advice on stocking levels it does depend on what fish you want to keep. Factors like how big the fish get, aggression levels, water preferences and your tank size.

Are you interested in a community setup, cichlids, species only... What sort of fish do you like?