how much capacity do I have left?

[ryanp]

Hey all,
I'm fairly new to the hobby, but so far have been enjoying it very much. I have a 55 gal. freshwater tank, and I was wondering how much capacity I have left, or if i'm already overstocked. The tank has been set up for about 3 months, and all nitrate/nitrite levels are extremely low, and everything else looks pretty good. The fish seem happy as well.

Currently, I have:
6 swordtails (3 are fry which I will be trading in when they get a little bigger)
2 Mollys
1 Pleco (about 5" long)
1 redtail shark
1 upside-down cat
5 kuhli loaches
8 neon tetras (could be 7, I haven't seen all 8 together for a few days)

I would like to get a couple more upside-down cats, but I just want to make sure I'll be ok. I have a fair amount of plants, and am using a penguin bio-wheel 350 filter as well as an airstone to keep thinkgs moving.

thanks for the advice!

[JustOneMore20]

I think you will be fine to add atleast 3 more USD cats. They like groups so get atleast 3. I think you have room for another school of fish if you want...especially when you trade in the 3 fry. Just keep up on weekly water changes and you should be fine.

edit:

all nitrate/nitrite levels are extremely low

Your nitrItes should be 0, not low. Hopefully if the tank is cycled, you shouldn't have a nitrIte reading. NitrAtes on the other hand are safe up to about 40ppm...but its best to keep them around or under 20ppm IMO.

If the pleco is a common, it will eventually need a new home.

(Sorry...I missed parts of your post before )

[Jchillin]

What species of pleco do you have?

[ryanp]

Originally Posted by Jchillin

What species of pleco do you have?

I'm not exactly sure. I think he's the most common, because he wasn't very expensive. Is there a good guide to fish out there somewhere? So far the best I've found is Badman's tropical fish.

Thanks for the advice.

[Burks]

You can start your search on the pleco at: http://www.plecofanatics.com/

Really nice people who are very, very knowledgable. I recently joined when I purchased my first pleco, a Clown, two days ago. It's amazing just how BIG some can get. The common ones sold as "Small, Medium, or Large" in most stores can grow large. My dad had one that reached about two feet in length before it died. They can live quite long as well. Make sure to give him/her pleanty of hiding room. I can't remember if those (if it is the type I'm thinking of) needs woods or not for a proper diet...Good question to ask at the site above.

[Jchillin]

FishProfiles.com Catfish page

Planetcatfish.com Genus pages Scroll down to Loricariidae.

[Pleco]

I think you are fine stock wise Maybe a small school of tetras? Take a look at my sig, I think i may have more in my 40 Gallon A few more USD cats would be fine.