i'm abolishing the stocking rule!

[Tednol]

I havent been on here for ages!

The reason is becasue i dont need to.

Now i have 2 24inch tanks,

in one i have:
6 Neon Tetras
2 Cherry Barbs
3 Otocinclus
2 Bolivian Rams
2 Albino Corys
overstocked...my a**! i have been testing the water, low nitrites low nitrates water change every two weeks everything is fine!

In the other tank:
3 Lemon Tetras
4 Glowlight Tetras
2 Bolivian Rams
3 Black Neon Tetras
3 Peppered corys
1 CAE
overstocked my a**! Everthing is as it should be and has been runing like that since way before the summer hols, so more that 8 weeks.

So i am officially abolishing the rule, well i cant myself but who agrees with what i'm sayin

 

[K-Holed]

They don't look look over stocked at all. You have both mid swimming and lower level fish and most of them are fish that do very little to add to the bioload of the tank.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Overstocking is not just about having good water, you know. Compatability and physical space also comes into it.

Many of the fish you have do not produce much waste so it's no surprise that your levels are ok.

I also don't think your tanks are overstocked. I don't believe in the inch per gallon rule.

 

[lizard]

How many gallons are the tanks?

The "one inch of fish per gallon of water" rule is a general guideline, not an absolute must. The amount the tank can handle depends on many factors including tank size, filtration, residents, and many other things.

Using the one inch per gallon rule, my 10-gallon was overstocked with five Neons, two Otos, one Panda Cory, and two Pepper Corys. Water levels were fine and fish were healthy though. Like I said, it depends on a lot of factors.

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[Tednol]

How many gallons are the tanks?

The "one inch of fish per gallon of water" rule is a general guideline, not an absolute must. The amount the tank can handle depends on many factors including tank size, filtration, residents, and many other things.

Using the one inch per gallon rule, my 10-gallon was overstocked with five Neons, two Otos, one Panda Cory, and two Pepper Corys. Water levels were fine and fish were healthy though. Like I said, it depends on a lot of factors.

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

both 15gal(U.S) 12(UK)

one tank has better filtration becasue its the new model, intercept Duo 2
and the other one is 8 years old Intercept 1.

 

[CFC]

There are no stocking "rules", the stocking limits usually given are just guidelines for newbie and less advanced fish keepers. Experienced fish keepers who keep their tanks in good order with regular maintainance and advanced fish husbandry skills can safely push the stocking of their tanks to 2 or even 3 inches of fish per gallon depending on the territory needs and dietry requirements/bio loads of the fish they are keeping. Small fish like tetras and corys hardly make a dent on the possible bio load of a tank.

The only "rule" i stick to is that if someone has to ask the question then they are probably not experienced enough to keep a heavily stocked tank and should stay within the safe guidelines, once your experience grows so does your confidence and you no longer need to ask the questions with simple answers

 

[Tednol]

There are no stocking "rules", the stocking limits usually given are just guidelines for newbie and less advanced fish keepers. Experienced fish keepers who keep their tanks in good order with regular maintainance and advanced fish husbandry skills can safely push the stocking of their tanks to 2 or even 3 inches of fish per gallon depending on the territory needs and dietry requirements/bio loads of the fish they are keeping. Small fish like tetras and corys hardly make a dent on the possible bio load of a tank.

The only "rule" i stick to is that if someone has to ask the question then they are probably not experienced enough to keep a heavily stocked tank and should stay within the safe guidelines, once your experience grows so does your confidence and you no longer need to ask the questions with simple answers

yep,
8 years i have been keping fish, but one of the tanks with the better filter has only just finished cycling,

now i can just shove a timer on the lights and leave it.

Oh and by the way, when do you turn your lights on and when do you turn them off, i got mine on at 12 till 10:30.
what bout everyone elses

 

[CFC]

On unplanted tanks I have the lights on for 8 hours a day, 12 noon till 8pm, the planted tanks have the lights on for 12 hours, 8am till 8pm.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I have mine on from 10am until 10.30pm

 

[lizard]

My get turned on when I push the button and get turned off when I push the button again Helpful, ain't I?

Seriously, though... I try to keep the lights on for around twelve hours a day, because the live plants have this thing for wanting light and refusing to grow if there's not much... As far as what actual times they go on and off, well, that varies. They usually end up getting turned on between noon and two, though, and getting turned off between midnight and four a.m. Depends on what work schedule my husband is on, and therefore what schedule I'm on.

Edit: This is my 800th post! Yay!

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[Puffer_freak]

Mine are on from 11am to 8.30pm, because my algae is naughty!

 

[Tropjunky]

i have mine on 4hrs morning and another 8 evenings

 

[FrankSlapperinni]

Wow I leave my lights on for waaaay longer than you people. I guess I don't mind algae that much (usually 7-9/10ish, 14-15hours a day ). What can I say, I realy love looking at my fish .

 

[canarsie11]

Planted tank 10 am to 11 pm
Unplanted 12 noon to 11 pm

 

[parker313]

I wish I could leave my tank lights on that much! I get the worst algae ever if I leave my lights on for more than 6-7hrs. My lights right now are set for 1p - 8p (they're usually set for 2p - 8p) but that's only b/c I'm getting ready to go on vacation and I leave the lights off during vacations and the snails get my tanks sparkling again