How many is too many???

[b.greene]

I have a fully cycled 55g tank. How do I know how many fish I can safely stock? I used the 10" of fish for a 10g rule on my small tank but it seems as though that is not a hard, fast rule. All the fish I have/want are 3" or smaller, but I still don't know how many I can put in there. Here is my current stock:

4 Mollies
6 Guppies (male)
8 Rasbora
3 ADF
1 Cory
1 Kuhli Loach
1 Boesemi Rainbow(currently in QT)
3 Otos
1 Mystery Snail


I have been told I can add some more cories but how do I know when I am at max?

[Cory Keeper]

first things first, you may want to remove the loach, IIRC loaches need friends, plus they are highly active bottom feeders. The cories, I would up the number to about 8-16, depending on the cory. Some are larger than others. You could safely up the number of otos as well, I find them neat fish to watch, In fact I may get two more :)

There is such a thing as overstocking, however you can overstock if you take precations, Live plants, better filtration, more frequent water changes. As far as a set number, Don't think such a thing exists, I do think you have a ways to go till you get to "overstocked"

[oscaremmy]

first things first, you may want to remove the loach, IIRC loaches need friends, plus they are highly active bottom feeders. The cories, I would up the number to about 8-16, depending on the cory. Some are larger than others. You could safely up the number of otos as well, I find them neat fish to watch, In fact I may get two more :)

There is such a thing as overstocking, however you can overstock if you take precations, Live plants, better filtration, more frequent water changes. As far as a set number, Don't think such a thing exists, I do think you have a ways to go till you get to "overstocked"
:iagree: In a way, there are not only biological levels - there are aesthetic levels - a tank can easily LOOK overstocked (this is a problem in one of my 10g tanks), even though the fish are thriving. Try to achieve a pleasing balance - as a general rule (bettas etc apart), multiplying fish who are doing well is better than adding brand new species, which can unexpectedly change the tank from 'peaceful haven' to 'war zone!'

Of course, rules are made to be broken with care, not just by ignoring them. The more fish you stock, the more water you need to change if you want fish to grow - this is not like keeping bonsai trees, where growth is minimized - in an understocked tank, fish growth will be most rapid, all other things being equal. Take into account the effect on space of large plants, too - these are helpful for water parameters, but do use space and leave less swimming room.

That brings me to the final stocking issue - at what point is the tank so highly stocked that 'shoaling fish' have no room to exhibit this attractive behavior.

For that reason (and for biological reasons, of course), I would suggest only adding gradually to your inmate levels. Stop when the look of the tank pleases you and fish are happy and healthy. That's a 'perfectly stocked' tank! :grinyes:

[b.greene]

Great information, Guys (or Girls), THANKS!
Cory Keeper, can you explain a little more about the problem with the Kuhli? I just inherited him from my nephew and he is already 3-5 years old. I rarely see him at this point.
I am looking forward to seeing my little peppered cory swimming with a group of buddies. I inherited him from one of my sisters a couple weeks ago and I have been pleasantly surprised at how fun and active he is swimming mid-level in the tank!

[oscaremmy]

Yes, the peppered cory, like all corys, is sociable and enjoyable in a group...I have a pair of peppered corys in a 10g and they are lively and outgoing. My 29g tank has a single peppered cory (there are other corys but not peppered) and he is reclusive, but otherwise thriving. One way or another he will soon be with the other 2 peppered because they need similar tankmates. It's interesting that my albino dwarf corys - a group of 4 - is the most lively of all, being my largest single species group of corydoras. If you add to your corys, more of the same will work wonders!

[b.greene]

I can't wait to do just that! :)

[Lupin]

If that weremy tank, I'd stock it this way.

4 Mollies
6 Guppies (male)
8 Rasbora-What species is it?
3 ADF
6 Cory
6 Kuhli Loach
1 Boesemi Rainbow(currently in QT)-remove it as it just doesn't fit well with the most smaller ones
3 Otos
1 Mystery Snail

Replace the rainbow perhaps with Iriatherina werneri.;)

[wataugachicken]

i would be worried about the cories and possibly the loaches outcompeting the ADF's for food. the general opinion i've seen is that they're hard to feed.

[sillypony]

I agree with watauga. If you have another, less populated tank, i'd move the frogs, otherwise make sure to target feed them. (some people use turkey basters to target feed frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp, etc)

and omg, i read this thread thinking the OP had a 10 gallon for some reason, and i'm reading everyone's replies and thinking WTF???? in a ten gallon???

LOL. anyways, it sounds like a great tank. As everyone said, add to the schools you already have, and they'll all be happy.