30g: quick advice on stocking

[mrvincent]

Am I overstocked?

Tank running since 1.5 year, 30g. (3ft. large)

10 rummynoses
10 killie lampeye
7 cardinalis
7 tetra neons
8 pandas corys
8 cherry shrimps
10 amano shrimps
1 siamensis

Params before a monthly WC:
NO3: <20ppm
PO4: undetectable.

The tank is heavyly stocked with plants, the light is powerfull, and I'm dosing a lot of pressurized CO2... I don't have algae problems.

Fishs seems healty, they swim together, no recent deaths... IMO this seems Ok, but AqAdvisor doesn't agree.

 

[Brookster123]

I'd say not. . Nitrates don't lie..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[PNWaquarist]

I'd say that you're overstocked in terms of space, and I'd look to move one of those species shoals (either the Rummys or Corys) and the Siamese Algae Eater. The latter species is not compatible with the rest of your stocking. What did Aqadvisor tell you?

Those tetra species aren't fans of bright light, but you may have enough plants to make them comfortable. They're also not fans of massive pH swings, so be careful with the CO2 injections.

 

[mrvincent]

I'd say that you're overstocked in terms of space, and I'd look to move one of those species shoals (either the Rummys or Corys) and the Siamese Algae Eater. What did Aqadvisor tell you?

Those tetra species aren't fans of bright light, but you may have enough plants to make them comfortable. They're also not fans of massive pH swings, so be careful with the CO2 injections.

PH is stable, variations are microscopic, I add a bit buffer when doing a water change.

AqAdvice tells me:
Warning: You should add more aquarium filtration capacity.
Your aquarium filtration capacity for above selected species is 65%. (No ammonia or nitrite problems...)
Recommended water change schedule: 49% per week. (No nitrates problem...)
(You might want to split this water change schedule to two separate 28% per week)
Your aquarium stocking level is 125%

I do 50% WC once a month... They tell me to do it each weeks LOL...

This is a video of my tank. Plants are way bigger, I took this video straight after a trimming.

 

[pls1210]

That is a beautiful tank!

 

[PNWaquarist]

Wow, I'm shocked that you can get away with one large WC per month. Those plants must be sponging up the vast majority of the tank's nitrates. Good for you!

At the very least, I'd get rid of the Chinese Algae Eater. They get big (close to a foot long) and will become aggressive towards your tankmates. They'll eventually eat your Neons as well.

Otherwise, that's a heck of a tank! Thanks for sharing.

 

[PNWaquarist]

Also, I believe that Killie Lampeyes also get big. I have no experience with those, so I'll let somebody else chime in.

 

[mrvincent]

Wow, I'm shocked that you can get away with one large WC per month. Those plants must be sponging up the vast majority of the tank's nitrates. Good for you!

At the very least, I'd get rid of the Chinese Algae Eater. They get big (close to a foot long) and will become aggressive towards your tankmates. They'll eventually eat your Neons as well.

Otherwise, that's a heck of a tank! Thanks for sharing.

I'll keep an eye on the SAE... I bought it when it was 2-3 cm long, now it's almost 8-9cm... I'll probably get rid of it eventually and replace it by another 2-3cm one, it do a GREAT job at eating algeas when young.

For the waterchanges, the firsts 6 months, that wasn't the same game... I had to do 50% WC more than each weeks, there's was algae everywhere... And I only had something like 10 neons.

I had 3 SAE, but they became quickly sized about 10-14cm, so I sold them on a local (craiglist like) sell website for 1 buck each.

 

[mrvincent]

Also, I believe that Killie Lampeyes also get big. I have no experience with those, so I'll let somebody else chime in.

I have some of thoses killies since 1 year, they get 2cm max I'd say... Half of them died (due to a poor medication dosing when I was noob a year ago), but they left me a lot of babies that I growed in my QT tank.

 

[PNWaquarist]

I have some of thoses killies since 1 year, they get 2cm max I'd say

I was thinking of a different species. You likely have the Norman's Lampeye, which are indeed small.

 

[mrvincent]

I was thinking of a different species. You likely have the Norman's Lampeye, which are indeed small.

Yeah, Norm's Lampeye