Overcrowded 29 gallon?

Nuriel

Nuriel

AC Members
Sep 6, 2004
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Seattle, Wa. USA
www.43things.com
Hello, how is everyone doing?
Does anybody think that my 29 is overstocked right now? It contains lots of rocks and sevaral plants in the center, as well as two LFS bought housing/cave decor. Blue gravel (for now) looks good with the lighting and the quartz piece I have placed in with the rockery.
For the fish I have one four inch palmas polypterus, one three inch electric blue chiclid, two smaller blotch cichlids, one three inch albino rainbow shark, one four inch african knife, two two inch beauforti,(one beaufort botia is mia! i hope the bichir didnt eat him. i saw him buried the other day so i think he is hiding). Last but not least by far is my baby inch long pleco. I am planning on upgrading to a 90 gallon when they outgrow this enviroment- but do you think I am overstocked for now? I clean my tank twice weekly and so far have had no real problems. TIA! :p
 
it's hard to say, but i would think you are a little full. But as long as you keep up the water changes and get your 90g tank you will be fine :)
 
The best laid plans of mice and men.....
It is a dangerous game planning to upgrade. most people don't realize how fast fish grow, and how much money and work goes into setting up a big tank. It can work, and it may work, but you are setting yourself up for forced spending, headaches, heartaches, and potential disaster. None of these things make the hobby fun. The fish mix is not the best as far as compatibility and as said the knife will need larger than 90 when it grows up. you are currently very heavily stocked, even with the fish still small, so you need to hurry. Make sure you have a back-up plan to sell or place these fish if things don't go as you intend, and most of all Good luck, you probably need to buy that 90 in the next couple of weeks though.
JMHO
Dave
 
i have had my 90 gal since last year

i never had a chance to set it up as i moved out of my old place last summer, and have several other smaller tanks as well (2 twenty gal, a sixty, and the 90). My uncle gave me his old tanks back in the late 90's.
I have always heard you can keep brown knives with smaller cichlids and polypterus. I can always return him, he is about four inches now. I want to keep the cichlids, I am not sure what type they are but I am betting they will get large. The knife will need a bigger thank than a ninty? I heard the min for african knives is a fifty five. My electric blue cichlid only gets to be six inches, I have learned. I will have to wait and see. I am moving out this winter and really dont want to have to set up a huge tank only to take it down. :soda:
 
I think they are thinking its a clown knife and not an african.Your porblems are

1. Too many fish for the size of tank.
2. Wrong mix of fish.

african cichlids should be kept in an rift lake setup and not with small fish(cories).The knife, shark and poly should be ok together but would need a larger tank.Not sure what your other cichlids are but I presume are african.Your cory will probably have been eaten by the poly and the others will be lunch soon too.

The key is to reasearch the fish BEFORE you buy them ;)
 
For the fish I have one four inch palmas polypterus, one three inch electric blue chiclid, two smaller blotch cichlids, one three inch albino rainbow shark, one four inch african knife, two two inch beauforti,(one beaufort botia is mia! i hope the bichir didnt eat him. i saw him buried the other day so i think he is hiding). Last but not least by far is my baby inch long pleco. I am planning on upgrading to a 90 gallon when they outgrow this enviroment- but do you think I am overstocked for now? I clean my tank twice weekly and so far have had no real problems. TIA!
Click to expand...

Yes, it's overstocked.

Bichers usually get large, I do believe most get to big for a 29g alone.
The electric blue cichlid is from the rift lake Malawi, I do believe and should be kept with fish that require similiar water conditions (high pH and high gH).
African knife.. well, this one's too big for your 90g even. Most clown knives get around 3-4ft long... ghosts, I believe get in the 2ft range... I do not believe either specie is superbly flexible and therefor need wide tanks. Finally, common plecos get like 16'', too large for your 29g, on top of that, a lot of these fish are incompatible, IMO. Personally, I think you should take back most the fish to the LFS (the electric blue, the bicher, the knife, and the pleco) and do research before buying fish. I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but it'll save you heartache and money in the long run... as well as provide a better, more comfortable enviroment for your fish.
 
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