No good deed...overstocked

[Shana0310]

Earlier this week a friend suddenly needed me to take her 7 tetras (4-septras and 3 black skirt) for the next four months.
This has caused my 20 gallon long to become overstocked.

We have a small mom and pop fish store and a Petsmart. Petsmart won't take them and the mom/pop already declined. I am looking for advise on the best possible scenario with what I have.

I'm running an Aqueon Quietflow 30 (up to 45 gal cap) in the 20 gallon long.

I also have a 26 gallon bowfront I'm running a Aqueon Quietflow 20 (up to 30 gal cap) and a Top Fin 10 HOB that has 1 fantail goldfish.

I am not opposed to moving things around so long as I can get something workable for the next 4 mos.

I've been thinking of moving the goldfish to the 20 long so it would have more length to swim. So I entered the community tank fish into AqAdvisor using the 26 gallon and I'm even more overstocked, 117% vs 137% which makes no sense to me. I've changed the filters around in AqAdvisor to have the most filter (AQF 30 AND Top Fin 10) in the 26 gal and it changes the filtration cap from 90% to 110%.

I'd like to know what others would do before I start moving fish around. I toyed with the thought of adding some fish (possibly the neons) from the community tank to the goldfish since I've read there are those who have had success with it. Even though there are success stories so many advise against it.

If you have any advise on frequency of water changes and amounts, that would be helpful as well. I'm currently doing 20% PWC weekly.

Thanks for the help!



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[ImACoolguy]

Since it's not being planned as a permanent home I would just bump up the water changes to 40-50% weekly. If this was planned as a permanent one I would say try to find a new home for them.


Caleb

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[NigelK8485]

Instead of doing one larger water change it'd be better to split it up into two 30% water changes a week. That'll help prevent the nitrates from ever getting high rather than letting them get high and removing a large portion once a week.


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[Rubes]

If you're doing large water changes, try to split them up so the fish doesn't get shocked by the sudden influx of fresh water and old water mixing

 

[candymancan]

Do more water changes ? I bet all my tanks are way more overstocked then your 20g.. it all comes down to water changes.


Aqua advisor is a tool ment for novices in my opinion.. It so generalized.. For example my 44g tank has discus neon/cardinal tetras and 4 electric blue rams... According to it my stock level is at 190% but my filtration is at 170% yea its way overfilterd lol..


But anyway I do 70% water changes every 2-3 days and my fish are fine and growing fine.. Just do more water change or a bigger change then 20% if you think your tank is too overstocked..

 

[Shana0310]

Thanks! That's what I'll do. So happy I don't have to move them. ?


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[gilpi]

Not that it hasn't been said already... more water changes.