How Bad Is Temporary Over Stocking?

[Kwiddows]

I have to temporarily move into a rented house and I cant take my current (48 Inch X 12 inch X 18 inch) tank with me but I don't want to get rid of my fish. I have a second tank (24 inch X 12 inch X 12 inch) which I could take to rented place but its too small for my fish. Would they be OK temporarily (for 2 - 4 months) if I kept them in the smaller tank and did a lot of water changes?

I have:
8 Neon tetra
4 Black phantom tetra (I know some people advise groups of 5 or more but some people advise 2 pairs)
6 Jullii Corys
6 zebra danios
1 male guppy (both females died while pregnant and I havent replaced yet)
1 yoyo loach (again - some advise groups, some advise solitary)

Does anyone think they will be ok for a couple of months in the smaller tank or will it lead to serious or long term problems? (They will get their bigger tank back again later on).

Many thanks,
K

 

[soybean]

It's not a permanent arrangement. These things happen. Used to have to keep three goldfish in a 30 litre tank for a month every year when I came home for Christmas and new year but wasn't allowed to bring their larger tank. Do lots of water changes, they'll cope.

 

[Cossie1111]

It should be fine IMO.

If fact if they were in your 48" you could even increase stocking...

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Absolutely no problem. You'll just need to make more frequent water changes.

 

[StandbySetting]

What is over stocking? There is no real definition, to me the stocking in your first post would be perfectly legitimate for a tank of that volume.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Is there anyone that could "fish-sit" your 48x12x18 and most of your fish for a few months, allowing you to have a more suitable stocking in the 54l (eg. the 8 Neons and the 4 Black Phantoms)? The Zebra Danios and the Yoyo Loach will especially feel the squeeze of 60x30x30cm tank, it would not surprise me for the aggressive side of both these species to come out in such a crowded small tank, the loach could go as far as killing tankmates.

 

[tribalbrit]

What is over stocking? There is no real definition, to me the stocking in your first post would be perfectly legitimate for a tank of that volume.

+1

 

[Kwiddows]

What is over stocking? There is no real definition, to me the stocking in your first post would be perfectly legitimate for a tank of that volume.

You mean just for the temporary move right?

For the long term I don't think it is fair to have all those fish in a 24 inch tank. Even for a couple of months I think the water quality will suffer and possibly lead to disease and I'm also worried (as noted by others here) that it might spark some serious aggression, particularly with the solitary yoyo loach. And that's my concern here - is it ok for the short term? I certainly won't use it as a long term solution!

 

[StandbySetting]

Apologies, I misread your first post, if you could off-load the loach and Danio's I think you'd be fine personally.

 

[Kwiddows]

Is there anyone that could "fish-sit" your 48x12x18 and most of your fish for a few months, allowing you to have a more suitable stocking in the 54l (eg. the 8 Neons and the 4 Black Phantoms)? The Zebra Danios and the Yoyo Loach will especially feel the squeeze of 60x30x30cm tank, it would not surprise me for the aggressive side of both these species to come out in such a crowded small tank, the loach could go as far as killing tankmates.

Thank you for this - do you think if they did get aggressive in the smaller tank that it would be resolved by moving them back to the bigger tank - or are they likely to stay aggressive? I had a rosy barb for a while who got a "taste" for killing other fish and once he had killed off the other rosys he started on everyone else too - had to get rid of him in the end - would hate my currently peaceful yoyo to go the same way.

No one near by me at the moment could fish sit - would involve a long journey and I'm not sure how well that would work.