To overcrowd or not to overcrowd

[portosat]

I'm been reading up on mbuna tanks, and a lot of the suggestions I see say to overcrowd the tank.

I was initally thinking 6-8 in my 55 along with a pleco (who will have a new home when he gets over a foot) but from some things I've read it says that keeping about 10 will spread agression. What are your suggestions? I'm not trying to breed or anything, just have pretty fish with personality.

The filter on the tank does 380 gallons an hour, lots of airation, lots of hiding spots/caves.

And has anyone had problems keeping a common pleco in a tank with 8 ph and 82 degree temp? He's currently residing in my mum's tank as mine is cycling (never heard of fishless cycling before this board, sorry) and from what I've heard they are one of the worst fish to try to cycle with, and is a lot more active than when he was in my tank completely alone.

 

[JSchmidt]

I don't think the pleco will have trouble, but I really don't believe overcrowding in a 55 helps much... it just narrows the margin of error should the tank start to crash.

Overcrowding works because an aggressor fish, chasing a victim fish, gets distracted en route and follows a second fish, then a third, etc. In a tank with a smallish footprint (anything less than a 75, when talking about africans), there simply isn't enough swimming room for the original victim to 'shake' the aggressor. The aggression isn't dispersed well in tanks smaller than the standard 75, IMO, and I won't even think about overstocking those smaller tanks.

Jim

 

[~*LuvMyKribs*~]

Overstocking really only works with large tanks with lots of space. Here's why: the principle behind it is that in an overstocked tank an aggressor will easily get distracted from chasing one particular fish, and instead chase lots of fish. However, there needs to be enough space so the 'victim' can run away in the first place, and the aggressor to loose site of him/her. In a smaller tank, that just cant happen. There isnt enough space for the aggressor to loose site of his victim.

I would say 75 gallons is the minimum for overstocking to really work. Anything less than that then your just stressing the bioload capacity of the tank, no matter how much filtration. Also your cramping the fish.

However, you could easily get 10 fish into your 55 gallon tank with that amount of filtration. Try to get ones that dont look like each other (ie- have similar colors or stripe patterns) so you'll minimize aggression.


edit- Jim you beat me to it!

-Diana

 

[Capps]

And has anyone had problems keeping a common pleco in a tank with 8 ph and 82 degree temp?

I tried keeping common plecos with mine and they kept killing it. Maybe just my fish. You can try a bristlenose pleco, they can take some abuse. I have used them before and never had a problem.
As far as Temp goes, you can lower your temp to about 79-80 degrees and be fine. That is where I keep mine. Remember, higher temps means less oxygen than cooler tanks and that could be a problem if you decide to overcrowd. Ph shouldn't be a problem either.

Good Luck

 

[Capps]

However, you could easily get 10 fish into your 55 gallon tank with that amount of filtration. Try to get ones that dont look like each other (ie- have similar colors or stripe patterns) so you'll minimize aggression.


edit- Jim you beat me to it!

-Diana

I agree with her, Best advice yet.