How Do These Sound?

[GAB99]

55 gallon planted
5 red rainbows
2 bolivian rams
5 celebes halfbeak
10 amano shrimps
5 congo tetras
2 pearl gouramis
5 neon dwarf rainbows


75 gallon planted
5 boesmani rainbows
5 gold barbs
1 chocolate cichlids
1 stripped raphael catfish
5 sterbai cories
5 marble hatchets
5 adolpho cories
5 redline torpedo barbs


i know that they might be slightly overstocked but with the plants and with double filtration on both tanks im sure that itll be fine, but how does it sound??

 

[drobbyb]

Rainbows do best in slightly understocked tanks, but other than that as long as you are feeding the right diet for them and doing 50% weekly water changes you will be fine.

 

[GAB99]

Rainbows do best in slightly understocked tanks, but other than that as long as you are feeding the right diet for them and doing 50% weekly water changes you will be fine.

what does it affect if they are in tanks like mine that are slightly overstocked?


im currently feeding my guys mostly high quality flake with shrimp pellets, and algae wafers

 

[drobbyb]

Rainbows in general are sensitive fish. They are particularly sensitive to water quality, and when I say that I mean more than just your standard run of the mill ammonia nitrites and nitrates, hence the larger quantity of water changes. In an overstocked tank these chemicals build up at a much faster rate. If you have your heart set on overstocking then you will have to perform the large water changes more often to compensate.

Also, they need more nutrition than regular tropical flakes and need a lot of vegetables in their diet to stay healthy. Feeding pellets is not a good idea since their throats are very narrow and they can easily get stuff lodged in there.

Try here for more info on how to feed.

Here is an excerpt from an article about stocking density:

Stocking Density
The stocking density, that is the volume of water available to a single fish, can be a significant health factor. Unfortunately, people who commence keeping aquaria are usually too anxious to have as many fish as possible, and most of the problems which overtake their endeavour arise from such over-stocking. Large numbers of fish confined in the relatively small space of the aquarium can often lead to impaired growth and health conditions, and before long it ends in death. This is due to reduced oxygen levels and increased toxic substances such as ammonia and nitrite.

Source http/members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Newtank.htm

 

[GAB99]

Rainbows in general are sensitive fish. They are particularly sensitive to water quality, and when I say that I mean more than just your standard run of the mill ammonia nitrites and nitrates, hence the larger quantity of water changes. In an overstocked tank these chemicals build up at a much faster rate. If you have your heart set on overstocking then you will have to perform the large water changes more often to compensate.
Also, they need more nutrition than regular tropical flakes and need a lot of vegetables in their diet to stay healthy. Feeding pellets is not a good idea since their throats are very narrow and they can easily get stuff lodged in there.

Try here for more info on how to feed.

Here is an excerpt from an article about stocking density:

Stocking Density
The stocking density, that is the volume of water available to a single fish, can be a significant health factor. Unfortunately, people who commence keeping aquaria are usually too anxious to have as many fish as possible, and most of the problems which overtake their endeavour arise from such over-stocking. Large numbers of fish confined in the relatively small space of the aquarium can often lead to impaired growth and health conditions, and before long it ends in death. This is due to reduced oxygen levels and increased toxic substances such as ammonia and nitrite.

Source http/members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Newtank.htm

really? the one time i had an ich outbreak the only fish not affected were my rainbows, and even my goldbarbs got it

does the lack of water changes affect color/activity??? i havent done a water change on my current 55 in about id say 3.5 months due to the fact that nitrates has stayed under 20ppm, and my rainbows are colorful,lively, and areeven trying to spawn, and though i may be one of those execptions i would like to know in case my next rainbows arent as hardy


what else can i feed them? my parents are against feeding them "human" food (which includes veggies and fruit etc.) but i can grow it and feed them that. and yeah i know about the throat thing so i break up to the point that they are about as big as a small granule and so far they have had no problems

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

I believe Rainbows are vunerable to fungal growth coming out of their mouth and down their chin, which looks like a fine white "goaty" beard. This is a good visual indicator that more water changes need to be done and that perhaps increased water currrent by an additional powerhead.

I believe their colouring can fade a little if the water is not right, also.

Bear in mind, I'm new to this hobby, just passing on what I've read over the last six weeks since beginning my fish adventure, which will include Rainbows (furcata, praecox, lacustris) when the time is right.

Edit: In the 55, you could definitely do with some hands-on knowledge from keepers of Congo Tetra and Celebes Halfbeaks, as apparently both these species are easily "spooked" by speedy fish, which incissus (Red Rainbows) can be when they put the "pedal to the metal!"

 

[drobbyb]

does the lack of water changes affect color/activity??? i havent done a water change on my current 55 in about id say 3.5 months due to the fact that nitrates has stayed under 20ppm, and my rainbows are colorful,lively, and areeven trying to spawn, and though i may be one of those execptions i would like to know in case my next rainbows arent as hardy


what else can i feed them? my parents are against feeding them "human" food (which includes veggies and fruit etc.) but i can grow it and feed them that. and yeah i know about the throat thing so i break up to the point that they are about as big as a small granule and so far they have had no problems

I would say that you are asking for problems not changing your water often enough. If you think they are doing well with this type of schedule, imagine how well they would do when kept properly. It is a well known fact that when we perform water changes we remove MORE than just nitrates. There are literally hundreds of chemicals that can build up in your tank that we do not test for. Changing your water weekly is just good husbandry.

As I said in that link I provided, I recommend feeding a staple of high quality spirulina flakes supplimented by live/frozen food once or twice a week. No human food needed

 

[GAB99]

ok then, i try to do them its just my scheduale that keeps me from doing them, which is why i test the water to make sure things are going ok, ill do them if its an absolute necesity but now ill make sure to make time, would it be ok to do 50-75% water changes on wednesday every week?

yes thats whats its called!! the flake i use is mostly spirunila while the shrimp pellets are well, shrimp lol. they also get algae wafers and it would be great to let me know what frozen foods would be best as i cant have lie till after the move.

Edit: In the 55, you could definitely do with some hands-on knowledge from keepers of Congo Tetra and Celebes Halfbeaks, as apparently both these species are easily "spooked" by speedy fish, which incissus (Red Rainbows) can be when they put the "pedal to the metal!"

i have been to 15+ sites and by the looks of it i wont have too much of a problem, so i think im ok there.

 

[drobbyb]

Yeah, 50% to 75% once a week is fine. Your other fish will appreciate it too

 

[GAB99]

now that thats sorted out, if there are any other problems with the stocking, speak now or forever hold your peace

 

[GAB99]

just a tiny update yesterday i found a frozen food variety thing with 120 "servings" 40 each of vegetable, blood worm and brine shrimp, heres my maintenence scheduale for the week se if its ok

monday: no food
tuesday: 1 vegetable and 1 of either bloodworm or brineshrimp plus regular food
wednesday: 50-75% water change and no food
thursday: 1 veggie and the other type of food i havent used plus regular food
friday: no food
saturday: regular food
sunday: no food


the fish arent that interested in the veggie (but they did eat it as it was thonly thing in th tank lol) but they died for the bloodworms lol i thought they needed veggies?? tomorrow is veggies and brine-shrimp, might even feed the clownfish some brineshrimp too lol

 

[drobbyb]

Kids die for candy too They still need veggies though.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi mojo dojo

Why don't you want to feed them every day? Corydoras, for one, are browsers and are constantly on the lookout for food. They will not thrive if they have to gorge themselves some days and then starve on others.

 

[Truck]

Because as far as I am aware food isn't available out of a little plastic pot daily in the wild, food comes along when it is available, so some days they go without and others not, feeding fish daily isn't a necessity, every few days is fine.

 

[GAB99]

Because as far as I am aware food isn't available out of a little plastic pot daily in the wild, food comes along when it is available, so some days they go without and others not, feeding fish daily isn't a necessity, every few days is fine.

my thinking exactly, though if i get more active fish ie the sterbais i have on backorderill either feed everyday or everyothr day but a little more food.

keep in mind my curret stock for know is the 55 with
5 gold barbs
1 balloon molly
5 praecox rainbow
4 boesemani rainbows
1 stripped rafael catfish
1 oto