I have a long 20g with 4 long finned black tetras, 4 black tetras, 1 common pleco (which I have a plan for when it gets to big) Is this to many fish or am I ok? The reason I ask is because before yesterday I only had 2 long finned and 3 regular black tetras and the common pleco and the pleco was fine moving around slowley and peacefully but now since I added the two more long finned and one regular black tetras is seems ALOT more active and won't stop moving around, I guessing this is because the new fish seem to be in his spot that he had once claimed as his and when ever he stays in one place at once all the fish start crowding him and swimming around him and whenever he moves they don't get out of his way so he starts going crazy. Is this stressing him out or do you think the tetras will calm down once I turn the light on tommorow?
Is My Tank Over Stocked?
- Thread starter Durbkat
- Start date
laurasmithuk
Fish Addict
smaller tanks for bigger fish can contribute towards stunted growth.... this may lead to diseases and illness
laurasmithuk
Fish Addict
all i am saying is keeping a fish that grows BIG in a small tank can cause problems later.... this is mailnly due to the pleco only growing to the size tank it has leading to ill health etc......... so yes you ARE overstocked!
How big is he and how old is he? Also would you mind posting a pic of your 55g so I could see how big it looks so I can see if how big it looks so I can see if I have room for one?
Also laura why wouldn't the fish continue getting bigger no matter what size the tank is?
Also laura why wouldn't the fish continue getting bigger no matter what size the tank is?
fish_keeper2
I am Nemo!!
physicaly fish dont grow more than thier surondings but thier insides do. this is why a lot of goldfsh die. people buy baby goldfish and keep them in small little tanks and in no time the fish die of what appears to be no reason at all.
if everything in your tank was small fish under 2 inches when full grown then you could possibly get away with overstocking as these fish are generally full grown or close to when they are in fish stores.
if a fish was to keep growing then imagine a 2 foot common plec in a 20 gal and all the waste produced and all the needed water changes. doesnt sound fun does it.
if everything in your tank was small fish under 2 inches when full grown then you could possibly get away with overstocking as these fish are generally full grown or close to when they are in fish stores.
if a fish was to keep growing then imagine a 2 foot common plec in a 20 gal and all the waste produced and all the needed water changes. doesnt sound fun does it.
I have one rubber lipped pleco and 1 chocolate pleco, 2 inches and 3 inches respectively. they are just a few months old. Ill get some pics together for ya if i can get them to pose, as they are very shy. and fish growing according to sizes of their invironment is just one of natures mysteries. It helps keeps them healthy. Id recomment heading to your LFS and looking at the 50-65 gal tanks. its worth the money to see your fish happy with so much room to swim. ill get those pics sometime today during the race (IM A BIG NASCAR FAN). hopefully my water cleared throught the night. I rinsed the filters and during that process the water clouded something fierce. yes i rinsed them in a bucket of tank water, not the aquiarium itself. which ive seen done... lol
Funny, Durbkat, but we're gonna keep harping on it!
Just for fun! Have you thought about switching out the pleco for something else? Maybe consider taking him out for store credit or something. I actually like the stocking of the tank without the pleco. A tetra only tank is rather cool. If you get rid of the pleco, you could build the school of black skirts and black tetra and have a really active tank. Your choice of fish is unusual and interesting. My advice, dump the pleco (in a humane and non life-threatening way of course), and build up those schools of tetras. Trust me, they'll really surprise you with wonderful behavior when you increase their numbers. Four is not enough to display schooling behavior, but with 6 or more, you'll really start to see nice results. Don't get me wrong, people, I love common plecos, I just don't think they work well in an aquarium unless the tank is much bigger, minimum 55g. Besides there are other smaller options for algae eaters in smaller tanks that make the common pleco an obsolete choice for small aquariums. But this is just my opinion.
cyprinut
Fish Fanatic
Good advise and right on about the tetras. My local fish store (several years ago) gave me a giant plastic plant for a 12" pleco. (he later sold the fish for $29) If it's a small store and you can actually talk to the owner, they'll barter with you. Love the black skirt tetras myself. Wish I had another tank to set up...hmm...oh heck, stop me!!!
maryjason
Fish Crazy
A typical case concerning the pleco ov..."THINK NOW ACT LATER" instead ov "ACT NOW THINK LATER"....or "I have plans" or "I'll get around to it "
But now I'm not just thinking about it, I'm looking for a 50g or a 55g because he doesn't seem to like all those tetras swimming around him and chasing each other around him also they don't get out of the way when he wants them to so he starts going carzy. Also last night I noticed he was going up and down on the front glass like he was rubbing his nose, is this normal?
MegTheFish
Fish Herder
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Maybe he was too cramped? I've noticed at fish stores, that some larger fish that are in too-small tanks will constanly go up and down the front of the glass. Then again my budgies always pace infront of their cage, and if I were to give them any bigger of a cage, they'd get lost! LoL...ok, that had nothing to do with it,
Well thank you very much Cyprinut. What's funny, is that I'm getting a 75g aquarium next year, and I still won't get a pleco or larger cichlids. I just prefer the smaller schooling fish right now. Imagine a 75 with 12 congo tetras, now that's a lovely image. Or a 55g with 25 harlequin rasboras? I bet they'd school great in such numbers.
I'm off topic and in la la land right now.Hey Durbkat, glad your taking our advice and rehousing the pleco. Have fun, for it seems that your are becoming severly infected with MTS.
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