Is it too much?

[timd818]

Hello everyone. I've been keeping fish on and off for almost 10 years. I usually just stick with bettas. I recently (2 months ago) got myself a 26 gal show tank and have been stocking it with mostly tetras. Anyway, I went crazy with my collections and selections. I got 18 cardinals( had 22 but 4 passed ), 10 rummynose tetras, 3 clown loaches, 5 albino cories, 2 otos, 5 phantom tetras, 4 priscilla tetras, 6 dwarf rainbow fish and 2 bamboo shrimps. The tank is heavily planted and the water is crystal clear. Is that too much for my tank to handle? Everyone is getting along really well and my shrimp molted 3 times each already. The largest in the tank are a clown loach and the 2 shrimps, they're about 2 inches each, all others are smaller than 1.5 inch. I'm getting a 50 gal in a month but I don't want to move anything. Thanks for your time and Happy New Year.

 

[xray]

First off -- welcome to AA
The going rule on small fish is 1" of fish per gal. So you should have about 26 inches of fish. I think you may be over a little. How much filtration do you have.

 

[Jchillin]

Welocme to AA! There is no doubt you are over. How long has this number been maintained? You would definitely need a amount of filtration to support this huge load until you get your new tank. Do you perform tests (NH3, NO2, NO3 and ph)? If yes, are they stable?

 

[jacktheknife]

not to mention the amazing ability clown loaches have to out grow their enviroment

 

[oscarbreeder]

Definitely overstocked.

 

[grimlock3000]

That is extemely overstock and not healthy for the fish, even if the water is clear.

Heck, most people would consider that too many fish for a 50g tank as well.

 

[QTOFFER]

Welcome to AA!

As you may have already guessed, you are WAY overstocked. Your current livestock would even be pushing the limits of a 50 gal. Even though the water is clear, your water quality will probably go south fast - there's just too much bioload.

Did you get all the fish at once, or a few at a time? Also, what kind of filtration are you running?

I would recommend returning the cardinals and buying a cheap 10 gal setup to house some of the other fish until your 50 gal arrives. You could always use the 10 gal as a quarrantine/hospital tank later.

 

[timd818]

I'm running a 50 gal filter and doing 1/4 water change weekly. However, I think I might be overfeeding them. All they bellies are nice and round. Here is the order of fish that I stocked.
1. 22 cardinal tetras, 4 died 3 days later...the rest are doing really well right now.
2. 3 days later I added 2 bamboo shrimps, I got them because they're strange looking and don't have claws so I figured they can't hurt the fish.
3. About a week later I got 5 albino cats. Then got the the loaches to help clean my tank of snails. The loaches are getting fatter and the snails are still there. 2 otos, they have the roundest bellies.
4. Next I added the phantom (they were on sale and I couldn't pass up the savings) and 3 rainbows.
5. Then yesterday I got 10 rummynoses and 3 more rainbows last night. About 7PM my friend gave me 4 prestilla tetras because his angles were picking on them.

How many do you recommend I remove and which ones? I brought some water to my lfs for testing and they said the water is fine.

 

[timd818]

BTW, cardinal tetras are the reason I decide to get this tank. They're so beautiful so you know I can't get rid of them. I can do w/o the phantoms, they're the only ones not sticking with their own group. All others are grouping accordingly. I thought most of the tetras are top or middle feeders. They would start at the top then almost all of them would join the cats scouring for food at the bottom. The loaches would have none of that around whatever they're chewing on

 

[grimlock3000]

Figure out what fish you like, return half your fish to the LFS for credit or just give them away. It is better for the fish to not be that crowded. Fish appear to act "normal" because they are like running for their lives and keeping in tight schools to stay away from other fish.

You added SEVENTEEN fish in one day to a 26g tank. Those fish right there are enough to fill the tank, and you should never add that many fish at once. You seriously need to slow down and do some research to help out your fish.

Fishload at a glance:
18x Cardinals
10x Rummynose Tetras
6x Dwarf Rainbow Fish
5x Albino Cories
5x Phantom Tetras
4x Priscilla Tetras
3x Clown Loaches
2x Otos
2x Bamboo Shrimps

Here would be a nice balanced fishload if you like the Cardinals:
10x Cardinals
5x Albino Cories
2x Otos

 

[timd818]

Thanks all. It's obvious I went overboard. I will remove all but the cardinals, 2 otos and the shrimps. I think I can get that 50 gal by the end of this week or by Friday. What's a good number for the 50 gal? and can I keep the clown loaches there?

 

[QTOFFER]

I suggested returning the cardinals only because they were the largest group and they're relatively easy to find when you have more room. Alternatively, you could keep the cardinals, one school of tetras, and the corys in the 26 gal for the time being until you get the 50 gal. Seriously, you have to either get more tanks, or get fewer fish. You'd be amazed how fast one dead fish in an overcrowded 26 gal will make the water go bad.

 

[grimlock3000]

50g would be a minimum for some Clown Loaches to grow up nicely. You definitely want something at least 4 feet wide like a 55g if you can. The bigger the better with Clowns.

In all honestly, I would say get rid of excess fish, and stick with the 26g for now. Get water test kits for yourself and get in the habit of checking you own water. Get into the habit of not overfeeding the fish, and try to get the most out of your filter(s) with good maintence. Once you get some experience, THEN go for the second tank. Patience is a good thing to have

You'd be amazed how fast one dead fish in an overcrowded 26 gal will make the water go bad.

I second this as well. The more you overcrowd and the less established a tank is, the faster a tank will nuke itself if given the chance. With high bio loads, one small death or power failure can set off a chain reaction in the other stressed out fish and take out almost the whole tank.

 

[Concubine]

way too many fish for such a tank, not to mention you got a butload at once. your lucky that you have a 50 gal filter in there or you would be feeling the effects of nitrates,nitrites,ammonia, pH, dH, and other critical factors. get rid of about 75% of the fish you have immediately if you want your fish to live to their full potential.

 

[timd818]

Update. Ok, after many hours hovering above the tank, I was able to remove 4 rainbows, 6 rummynoses, 2 Prestillas and 5 cardinals. My lfs agree to hold these for me for a small price for about a week. The loaches are almost impossible to catch unless I tear down my plants. Any idea on how to catch or trap them?