Is It Really Bad To Be Overstocked By 12 Inches?

[avirex]

i have a 29 gallon and when the fish are full grown i will be overstocked by 12 inches

is there anything i can do besides get a new tank?

wat r some good ideas?

weekly water changes?

 

[unspoken930]

I dont think its a good thing unless you have a hugeeee tank filled with neons or something and its heavily planted

 

[avirex]

well read my sig and thats wat i have

and its slightly planted

so i should get more plants?

i would but....the plants i got now seem to be slowly rotting away
wat do i need to keep my plants healthy?

 

[AMS]

The one ich per one gallon guide is just that, a guide. It is not a rule, and as hobbyists progress in the hobby they realize they do not need it. Not to metnion it is not accurate.

I dont think its a good thing unless you have a hugeeee tank filled with neons or something and its heavily planted

It a bit much to say that. A more realistic view on the subject is to ask yourself these questions:

1. Will ALL fish not need a larger tank due to adult size?
2. Will I be willing to test my nitrates frequently, and perform water changes the second I get a reading where my nitrates are only "acceptable"
3. Will all these fish live together peacefully and not mind the bustling tank?
4. Will I provide the best filtration available?

If you answer yes to all these question, then yes it is fine to overstock within reason.

 

[avirex]

ok i all i got is ph test kit... i need the other one1!!

 

[AMS]

You should have all the test kits. As a minimum you should have pH, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia.

 

[Stone Warior]

1 inch per gallon my ass. iv gotten 120 mollies to live in 10 gallons for a year till i could afford my 55 gal. Sold some of them. its just like using the crap what per gallon rule its old, outdated, useless, and for lazy people who cant clean the tank more often

 

[MoreCoffee]

...........its just like using the crap what per gallon rule its old, outdated, useless, and for lazy people who cant clean the tank more often

I'd disagree with this part of your statement !

I fully agree that the guidelines of 1" per Gal and Watts Per Gallon can be broken/ignored, but really only by people who understand the needs of their aquarium (water chemistry, fish, plants etc).

These fourms get many newcomers to the hobby and these guides (particularly regarding stocking levels) are an ideal starting point.
Look in the 'beginner' forum at the number of "How many fish in a .....Gal tank" questions !!

Then once people understand these basic guidelines, or more importantly the reasoning behind them and once they have an established, cycled tank they will have at least enough knowledge to question the 'rules'.

I certainly wouldnt suggest that somebody new to fishkeeping, probably with a brand new 'uncycled' tank should ignore that advice and just start overstocking their tank !


Mr G
( Just my opinion )

 

[@ombomb]

1 inch per gallon my ass. iv gotten 120 mollies to live in 10 gallons for a year till i could afford my 55 ga

That's disgraceful.

I could keep 50 dogs in a small flat, they'd probably survive, but I'd still be an arse hole for doing it.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yeah it's just a guideline, but it is a good one to start off with, when I'm considering stocking it's one of the first things I look at, then adapt it slightly depending on the fish and setup I'm going to have. one of my 30 g tanks counts as overstocked by about 5/6 inches by that rule, but it's fine cos I have excellent filtration and the fish are all pretty peaceful and there's no one that needs a lot of room and there's a good mix of top middle and bottom swimmers so they have they're own room in the tank.

 

[ajbettle]

1 inch per gallon my ass. iv gotten 120 mollies to live in 10 gallons for a year till i could afford my 55 gal.

im speachless, your right @ombomb...disgraceful, think of all the waste

 

[dwarfgourami]

1 inch per gallon my ass. iv gotten 120 mollies to live in 10 gallons for a year till i could afford my 55 ga

That's disgraceful.

I could keep 50 dogs in a small flat, they'd probably survive, but I'd still be an arse hole for doing it.

Disgraceful it certainly is- but are we sure it is true? Note that this poster's stocking list includes a partridge in a pear tree and that he seems to take a certain amount of pleasure in winding people up.

 

[ajbettle]

mm and can you keep silver mollys with clownfish?

 

[OohFeeshy]

Since all the fish minus the RTBS are small (ish), it doesn't matter that much as long as your filter is up to it and water changes are fairly regular.

 

[MoreCoffee]

1 inch per gallon my ass. iv gotten 120 mollies to live in 10 gallons for a year till i could afford my 55 ga

That's disgraceful.

I could keep 50 dogs in a small flat, they'd probably survive, but I'd still be an arse hole for doing it.

Disgraceful it certainly is- but are we sure it is true? Note that this poster's stocking list includes a partridge in a pear tree and that he seems to take a certain amount of pleasure in winding people up.

Good point dwardgourami ... actually his sig include a 'pratrage' in a pear tree.
Looking at his posts since joining it seems he's just likes giving stupid advice and trying to get a response.

Hopefully those seeking advice dont take any notice of this idiot and he'll just move on.


Mr G


P.S. I just found a really good use for the 'Ignore User' option on this forum (profile options)