The guy at the pet store said my tank was over crowded

[pettygil]

The guy at the pet store said my tank was over crowded. He told me to do a 30 percent WC every week. Also the guy told me to be careful with the sinking pellets. Cause the pellets can sit at the bottom of the tank. He told me that my Betta will be ok in 80 ppm of Nitrate he said that is ok for betta. I do have a Nitrate filter for both my Batta tanks.

 

[Joe_D]

What do you have in your tank...what fish, etc?
What size is your tank

 

[pettygil]

My fish

What do you have in your tank...what fish, etc?
What size is your tank

I have a 40 gallon high tank
Fish
6 Glo in dark Fish
8 Red Eyed Tetra
28 Black Neon Tetra
5 Cory fish
3 Panda Cories

My betta tank is 6.5 gallons
One betta tank has 0 Nitrates the other betta tank has 80 ppm
Right now I have 0.5 Nitrates for 40 gallon tank
My Betta tank has 80 ppm Nitrates. I have 2 betta tanks.

 

[ColdKoi]

That is a pretty hefty bioload, but overstocking isn’t just a clear cut line

If the fish aren’t physically affected from the overcrowding (have room to swim) and you’re able to keep water parameters at an acceptable level with an amount maintenance that you are comfortable with, the tank is fine.

A lot of people look for a setup that can be maintained at the most once a week, usually every couple weeks. Which is absolutely fine, it’s just going to limit how much you can stock that tank

You have to consider and potential travel/vacation too. I tend to be away for work 3-4 weeks at a time and have nobody that I trust to look after my tanks, so I stock accordingly and if I have to, I can put off a water change for over a month and the water parameters are still acceptable

 

[pettygil]

That is a pretty hefty bioload, but overstocking isn’t just a clear cut line

If the fish aren’t physically affected from the overcrowding (have room to swim) and you’re able to keep water parameters at an acceptable level with an amount maintenance that you are comfortable with, the tank is fine.

A lot of people look for a setup that can be maintained at the most once a week, usually every couple weeks. Which is absolutely fine, it’s just going to limit how much you can stock that tank

You have to consider and potential travel/vacation too. I tend to be away for work 3-4 weeks at a time and have nobody that I trust to look after my tanks, so I stock accordingly and if I have to, I can put off a water change for over a month and the water parameters are still acceptable

I do not travel, so I should be fine. I will do water changes when my Nitrate goes up. My ammonia is fine it as 0 ppm. i am not buying anymore fish.

 

[Andy Sager]

I do not travel, so I should be fine. I will do water changes when my Nitrate goes up. My ammonia is fine it as 0 ppm. i am not buying anymore fish.

Don't wait for a nitrate rise. Change water on a schedule and be consistent with it. You change water for more reasons than just to reduce nitrates.

 

[pettygil]

Don't wait for a nitrate rise. Change water on a schedule and be consistent with it. You change water for more reasons than just to reduce nitrates.

Thank you for your reply. I will change my water weekly. I would of changed when the Nitrates, Nitrites, got low. So thanks for your help. I will change water weekly, even if things look good.

 

[huma-huma]

As Andy said here, you need to determine the schedule for each tank that will keep your trates as close to 0 as possible while maintaining as long as you can between changes
.. some people need to do WC weekly, some biweekly, some even monthly. It really boils down to bio load, filtration if your main tank is hovering around .5 trates reliably, just stick to what you are currently doing. Also I don't personally buy into the "avoid food type x" thoughts. No matter flake or pellet, you should be feeding an amount that your tank inhabitants can consume within a few minutes...thats it

 

[pettygil]

As Andy said here, you need to determine the schedule for each tank that will keep your trates as close to 0 as possible while maintaining as long as you can between changes
.. some people need to do WC weekly, some biweekly, some even monthly. It really boils down to bio load, filtration if your main tank is hovering around .5 trates reliably, just stick to what you are currently doing. Also I don't personally buy into the "avoid food type x" thoughts. No matter flake or pellet, you should be feeding an amount that your tank inhabitants can consume within a few minutes...thats it

My betta tanks will do once weekly and my 40 gallon once, every two weeks not that it needs it. I could go on a month before doing a change on my 40 gallon. But not for the nitrates, but for other reasons.
I am also careful on how much I feed my fish. i put in a pinch of food, like two times cause the fish eat it all, then I stop feeding in my 40 gallon tank.
Thanks for your help. I need it cause I am still a newbie to fish. I thank Andy for help as well.

 

[huma-huma]

We were all newbies at one point in time even alot of hobbyists that have been around awhile still tend to learn new things you'll get everything dialed in and just remember that less is more and no drastic actions