Overstocked? Help!

[Goldfish loach boy]

So, I changed the water in my 55 gallon, and 4 days after, the water looks really dirty, I think it might be overstocked, help! I have a 55 gallon filter, thanks
1 red wag platy
1 red minor tetra
2 black Molly's
2 ballon Molly's
5 scissor tail rasboras
3 black kuhli loaches
One cremecicle lyratail Molly
3 red clawed crabs
3 mystery(apple snails
2 zebra danios
5 skirt tetras
2 angel fish
1 rubber lip pleco
2 Cory catfish
2 rainbow fish
And four apparently rosy glass barbs
And these light green fish with red fins and a black dot at the tail(2)
Am I overstocked thanks

 

[SKB]

Idk about the type of fish ur keeping and there bioload because I've never kept any of them but, I'm 99.99% positive you ARE overstocked.

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Idk about the type of fish ur keeping and there bioload because I've never kept any of them but, I'm 99.99% positive you ARE overstocked.

Like a lot or not too severe?

 

[SKB]

I'd wait for more answers from other people on whether u need to return fish or not, but for a large bioload you need atleast double the tank size filter, and do more water changes and vacuuming of the gravel.

 

[armymp327]

you are indeed overstocked, also you say you have a 55 gallon filter? which filter do you have?

if it is a HOB filter the general recommendation is a filter that can filter 8-10 times the amount of water you have per hour so in your case 440 GPH - 550 GPH, so that would either be one big filter or preferably 2 filters that will equal 550 GPH

i have 2 aquaclear 50 filters on my 38 gallon (total of 400 GPH) and my water is always clear. though i dont have nearly has many fish as you.

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

you are indeed overstocked, also you say you have a 55 gallon filter? which filter do you have?

if it is a HOB filter the general recommendation is a filter that can filter 8-10 times the amount of water you have per hour so in your case 440 GPH - 550 GPH, so that would either be one big filter or preferably 2 filters that will equal 550 GPH

i have 2 aquaclear 50 filters on my 38 gallon (total of 400 GPH) and my water is always clear. though i dont have nearly has many fish as you.

It is a emperor E filter, it has two blue media and two carbon filled cartridges inside, is that enough?

 

[Cactuspixie]

So, I changed the water in my 55 gallon, and 4 days after, the water looks really dirty, I think it might be overstocked

I think you answered your own question. Looks like someone's going to be purchasing another tank! Rofl (I'm only laughing because it happened to me- more than once!) lol.

 

[kjacks]

You dont necessarily need another tank you could just add another filter and do more water changes like 2 a week .. depends on your levels an if you wanna put the extra time in with maintence. I have 4 tanks and 1 for sure is overstocked it just requires more work then the others

 

[armymp327]

im guessing you have the emperor 400 then, i would either add another 400 for that stocking level or at least another emperor 280

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Yea, I am going to do weekly water changes, used to do them every two or three weeks
yes, I'm getting another emperor 400 soon, I'll put that in, thanks

 

[Alyxx]

So, I changed the water in my 55 gallon, and 4 days after, the water looks really dirty, I think it might be overstocked, help! I have a 55 gallon filter, thanks
1 red wag platy
1 red minor tetra
2 black Molly's
2 ballon Molly's
5 scissor tail rasboras
3 black kuhli loaches
One cremecicle lyratail Molly
3 red clawed crabs
3 mystery(apple snails
2 zebra danios
5 skirt tetras
2 angel fish
1 rubber lip pleco
2 Cory catfish
2 rainbow fish
And four apparently rosy glass barbs
And these light green fish with red fins and a black dot at the tail(2)
Am I overstocked thanks

I think adding another filter and increasing water changes should help you out with the overstocking issue, but the red clawed crabs have got to go. They are brackish water crabs and need access to the surface, so they really need their own tank. They need marine salt added to their water, which your fish will not tolerate, and they need a place to get out of the water and walk around on dry land. It's a shame that places sell them as freshwater aquatic crabs, but they aren't. If you want a crab that can go in an aquarium with fish look for Thai micro crabs, although they are pretty small and I think some of your stock might eat them. Also, you have a few groups of schooling fish that need more members in their schools. Since you are already overstocked, I would rehome or return the red minor tetra and two zebra danios instead of trying to up their schools. The two cories would probably appreciate a couple more cories as well, and I think rainbows are schooling fish too. Either return them or exchange some of your other fish to complete their schools.

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Ok I'll give away my crabs, unfortunately, my Molly at my danios
I'll keep on with mre water Changes ad anther filter thanks

 

[sharle66]

The problem is the current number of different species of fish that you have, most of which would prefer to be in groups of 5/6 as a minimum. I would recommend chosing 4 species and adding to their numbers. All the best.

 

[Alyxx]

The problem is the current number of different species of fish that you have, most of which would prefer to be in groups of 5/6 as a minimum. I would recommend chosing 4 species and adding to their numbers. All the best.

I agree, this would involve rehoming quite a few fish, but it would be for the best to just choose a few of the species you have to keep, get rid of the rest of the fish, and then add to the ones you are keeping. You will see more natural behaviors out of your fish once they are in proper groups.

 

[Coyne]

Im no expert, but I did post a question about my own stocking choices a few days ago and one of the responses I received mentioned that platys and mollys have larger bio-loads than similarly sized fish.

 

[kjacks]

Im no expert, but I did post a question about my own stocking choices a few days ago and one of the responses I received mentioned that platys and mollys have larger bio-loads than similarly sized fish.

+1 they do

 

[ktomminello]

I have brackish mollies and guppies with my fiddlers.....

 

[Alyxx]

I have brackish mollies and guppies with my fiddlers.....

Mollies and guppies do well in brackish water. That should be ok as long as you are using the right salt (marine salt) and monitoring the salinity with a hydrometer or refractometer to be sure it is at the right level for them. I believe what you should be aiming for is 1.008 or something like that. Low end brackish. The crabs do need a land area, though. Be sure they have a place to get out of the water.