It was a dramatic example. You don't have that many, but you do have a lot. Plus at fish stores they have a massive filtration system for all their fish. A better example would be when you see a clown, dwarf angel, etc. in a 1 gallon holding box before they are bought. That would horrible to keep a fish in such a confined space for a long time. No need to get into a debate about how horrible it is taking fish out of the ocean to be sold off into confined boxes of glass and plastic, but there are recommended sizes for keeping aggression and waste low and enough room for a fish to have it's own territory. I don't know the guy you buy your fish from, but since he knows all your stock and size of tank and doesn't say anything about it, IMO he is giving bad advice. Everyone has their own way of keeping fish, corals, and inverts, but when you go overboard there is a high chance of problems arising. If people didn't have these experiences or knowledge of the effects of overstocking, they wouldn't be convincing you to give some of your fish away or get a larger tank now. I don't think you need an upgrade in a year or so, I think you need one now if you want to keep your fish. Sure you don't have any problems now with your levels, but it will accumulate over time and as many know, horrible downfalls can happen very quickly.
