Record for overstocking

[vespasianus]

I didn't know exactly where to put this story but I think everybody in this hobby needs to know there is a tank that probably has the record for the most retarded, impossible overstocking in the history of the hobby and I saw it today.

I made a friend who lives nearby my new apartment that called me over to see his "awesome predator tank". He insisted so much and was so excited I had to go see it. The guy supposedly worked in a fish farm for years and a few lf's (so he says) so I thought this guy must have the coolest predator setup ever and of course, he must be an expert.

When I got to his place and entered his room all I saw was 2 10 gal tanks. The first one was empty cause he was cycling it; the other one was the one that made my day, possibly my year. Without further ado I'll describe the most horrible idea in fishkeeping ever.

The famous "predator tank" was, you probably guessed it, the other 10 gallon. Well if this doesn't sound bad, wait till you read the following stock:

The 10 gallon tank had

1 arowana that's 6" already
1 huheta gar that's about 4"
1 bala shark about 3"
1 pleco which I don't know the exact species but was already like 4" long
1 green spotted puffer (which he had behind a divider of course lololol)
1 skunk botia
1 poor panda cory
4...get this...guppies as yep... FEEDER FISH!!!

I am not kidding you, I can steal a pic for you guys if you want proof. My jaw dropped to the floor and inside I was loling but also mad and frustrated. How these fish have not destroyed each other I leave to the experts, how the water is not toxic acid (aside from the feeder fish he puts a WHOLE cube of brine shrimp in), I leave to the experts. I wouldn't even know where to begin approaching this guy on what he's doing. Also get this, it's not even temporary because I asked him if he knew how big and aggressive those fish got. Well what he said killed me even more. His big plan is to move them to a quote: BIG 30 gallon and keep them as long as he can. Again I kid you not. He probably deludes himself cause he has a filter rated for a 30 gal and another rated for 20 gals on the tank. So there you have it, I know its hard to swallow all this but it's a true and sad story. Discuss and maybe I"ll snap a picture when I can so you people can process this sad sad story.

I know instead of just facepalming myself with this bad situation I should be talking the guy out of that mess but when the conversation with him progressed, he's so in his ways it will be an uphill climb. He'll learn when the inevitable infection, tank crash, massacre or any other disaster happens.

 

[vespasianus]

Oh one more detail I forgot, he told me he occasionally feeds them ham. I need a scientist to tell me how these fish have lasted 1 month (that's how long he told me they've been in there).

 

[Alyxx]

Does he know the GSP needs brackish to salt water? Oh man do I feel bad for those poor fish...

 

[Oohitsae]

Wow! I'd really like to see a picture of this. Not that I don't believe you, but because it's hard for me to imagine such a tank. Why would someone who claims to be knowledgable about fish even think about attempting such an overstocked tank.

And having an arowana in there! Pooor guy! They are amazing fish and deserve much more than a 10 gallon!

 

[patrickriley2010]

Just a heads up the mods are going to message you about the rules id change some wording around

 

[fishfan88]

That's beyond crazy... I would have been like... Lol I don't even know! Id probably give him like a few hours of lecturing about EVERYTHING wrong with that tank! I feel so bad for the fish though! I mean just ONE of almost any of those fish gets way to big and/or aggressive...

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

0-o. And I thought I was horrible for keeping a small black moor in a 10 gallon temporarily

 

[fishfan88]

Almost don't want to see a pic...

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

That arowana is going to be a huge waste of money for him, poor fish, that should be at least a 200 gallon tank!

 

[Alyxx]

Reminds me how I felt when I saw my neighbor's tanks for the first time, before we were neighbors. She wanted to show me the place next to her, and she took me inside her place to see her tanks. I knew she had goldfish and she was always talking about how much she loved them, and her turtles and frogs, so I was expecting a few big tanks. No, a 10 gal with five 8" comets, a 10 with three huge clawed frogs, a 5 gal with a lone tetra of some sort, a 2.5 with a couple guppies, and a 10 gal with a big red eared slider and 3 more in one of those plastic lagoons. I was in shock. But over the past year I have helped her fix some issues and to understand some things she didn't know about, like the nitrogen cycle. She is keeping these goldfish until they pass away but after that she is going to smaller fish, and she has decided to rehome the turtles as she knows she can't set up anything big enough for them. Most of them aren't even hers per se, they were dumped on her by relatives. Just goes to show you if you go about it the right way, you just might change this person's mind about how they should be keeping their fish.

And seriously, that arowana is a waste of money in that tank. He deserves a nice big tank to grow into an awesome fish. They all do.

 

[bettaowner]

Poor guppies.

 

[Alyxx]

So just at their CURRENT sizes that's like 22" of fish. Even going by he horrible "rule" of 1 inch per gallon that is way over stocked... And following that rule generally leads to overstocking already. And with a divider in the tank... That leaves so little room for each side... My poor gsp's ended up stunted in a 30 gallon. Can't imagine how bad off his will be.

 

[Wolfsblood]

How...How is this even possible?

 

[bettaowner]

He is aware that the tank is overcrowded right?

 

[vespasianus]

The guy is fully aware of the overstocking. Like I mentioned, he thinks the 30 gal he's going to get is gonna make things a whole lot better . Now, about the arowana, get this, that arowana, and the hujeta he has, he got for free from "some guy from a fishery he knows". Yesterday I kinda was loling at the whole situation, guess out of shock, but today I woke up mad and serious about it , to be honest. Both the gar and the arowana are beautiful, not to mention the GSP. I wish I had space and the tanks to get them all and make them happy. I HAVE to convince him to give them up somehow.

 

[vespasianus]

Just a heads up the mods are going to message you about the rules id change some wording around

Yeah, I noticed today about it. Sorry I'll try and edit it. I'm just having a hard time editing out of my phone lol. I'll guess I'll fix it on my home computer.