Am I at maximum capacity?

[reun]

My tank is a lightly planted 29 gallon with two Whisper 30 filters, a small Hagen 58gph powerhead, and an Elite 802 air pump. I do a 30% water change once a week.

This is my current stock list:
6 Bronze Corydoras
6 Leopard Danios(slightly smaller spotted variety of zebra danios)
1 South American Bumblebee catfish(full grown at about 3.75" long and .30" or .40" width, NOT an Asian Bumblebee Cat)

I want to add a few Ottos to nibble on the algae growing on my plants and rocks and other areas I can't use a algae scrubbing pad. If I add 3 of the smaller species of otocinclus, am I at max tank capacity? Can I add another small school of fish or more danios? I don't want overstocking issues and prefer non-aggressive fish.




In case other info is needed, the tank has sand substrate and Malaysian driftwood. These are the water perimeters:

Temperature: 73 degrees
GH PPM: 160
KH PPM: 150
PH: 7.0

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Rosenweiss]

You have enough room for otos, and I highly recommend them. I think you can also do another small school or more danios.

 

[HN1]

I agree. Do so gradually and I doubt you'll have any issues at all.

 

[reun]

The catfish is only active at night, and the danios stay at the top of the tank, and the corys at the bottom. do the ottos go everywhere in the tank, or stay mostly at the bottom? I have plants that provide cover higher up in the tank and in the middle, but the danios seem to favor the top few inches of the tank.

I was thinking about maybe a small school of something that hangs out in the middle of the tank, or perhaps if I increase the danio school size they may go spread beyond the surface of the tank.

My main concern is I need fish that do not mind the strong current from the two large filters, powerhead, and airstone. They also need to be as large in diameter as a small zebra danio, because the SA bumblecat eats anything very small(I found out the hard way when a small school of ember tetras became expensive lunch for the SA bumblecat. I didn't even know where the school was disappearing to until I saw the last one swallowed whole a few days after I bought them).

 

[Fishguy2727]

What is the nitrate concentration? You may be overstocked now or have room for twice as many fish as you have depending on the nitrate concentration. This seems to ALWAYS be overlooked. Stocking actually has more to do with water changes than tank size.

 

[eco23]

What is the nitrate concentration? You may be overstocked now or have room for twice as many fish as you have depending on the nitrate concentration. This seems to ALWAYS be overlooked. Stocking actually has more to do with water changes than tank size.

For my own knowledge, how much does swim room fit into the equation? I've got 8 danios, 9 neons, 7 red eye tetras, a GBR and Otos in my 48 gallon. I'm running a Fluval 405. According to stocking calculators I'm only around 80% stocked and would love to add some Corys, but at feeding time my eyes tell me I shouldn't add any more fish to the tank because it looks so full.

 

[eco23]

For my own knowledge, how much does swim room fit into the equation? I've got 8 danios, 9 neons, 7 red eye tetras, a GBR and Otos in my 48 gallon. I'm running a Fluval 405. According to stocking calculators I'm only around 80% stocked and would love to add some Corys, but at feeding time my eyes tell me I shouldn't add any more fish to the tank because it looks so full.

Is it better to trust my judgement that I appear fully stocked when I look at the tank, or am I giving ample swim room too much consideration?

Sorry, not trying to hijack the thread, but I thought the question applied here

 

[reun]

What is the nitrate concentration? You may be overstocked now or have room for twice as many fish as you have depending on the nitrate concentration. This seems to ALWAYS be overlooked. Stocking actually has more to do with water changes than tank size.

I haven't measured the No2 and No3 levels recently since I have never had any ammonia issues(I used a 2 month fishless cycle and added fish in small quantities with twice weekly water changes, no measurable ammonia changes and VERY minute changes to NO2 and NO3 after having the tank running for almost a year)...the massive amount of filtration, being understocked, and with average PH and low temperatures, I have never had any measurable ammonia. I can measure my tanks levels again, but the problem is I have never owned ottos, so I do not know what their bioload is, nor do I know about the bioloads of fish other than what I have kept(cherry barbs, various danios and tetras, tiger barbs, corys, bettas, and a few other fish)...so that is why I am asking for advice.

I could probably add 10 more danios and get the same load on a tank as one BN pleco, so I am asking for help from people who have kept similar fish, and providing as much information about my tank as possible and how often and how much water I change, because if I knew exactly what my tank could tolerate I would not be asking here.

Obviously, if I add 3 ottos, and my tank does not stabilize, I will increase water changes and add no more fish, but if my levels are stable, I want to know if I can try adding another 6 small fish with a low bioload or instead increase the danios school size. It may be wise leave the stock list as it is and only add 3 small ottos, but that is why I asm asking here, because if I knew how to estimate my nitrates with the fish I plan to add, I wouldn't need to post here.

 

[eco23]

I haven't measured the No2 and No3 levels recently since I have never had any ammonia issues...with the massive amount of filtration, being understocked, with a average PH and low temperatures, I have never had any measurable ammonia. I can measure it, but this issue is I have never owned ottos, so I do not know what their bioload is, nor do I know about the bioloads of other fish other than what I have kept(cherry barbs, various danios and tetras, tiger barbs, corys, bettas, and a few other fish)...so that is why I am asking for advice.

I could probably add 10 more danios and get the same load on a tank as one BN pleco, so I am asking for help from people who have kept similar fish, and providing as much information about my tank as possible and how often and how much water I change, because if I knew exactly what my tank could tolerate I would not be asking here.

Obviously, if I add 3 ottos, and my tank does not stabilize, I will increase water changes and add no more fish, but if my levels are stable, I want to know if I can try adding another smalls school of a small schooling fish with a low bio load or add a few danios or leave the stock list as it is.

How old is the tank? You've never had ammonia issues? How did it cycle?

You're asking for advice and we're happy to help, but knowing your ammo, no2 and no3 levels are one of the most important parts of the suggestions we can make. I'm not sure how pH and temp would effect ammo levels...I've never heard anything like that.

The age of the tank, how stable it is (full water parameters) is what will help us recommend the best stocking ideas for you.

 

[Crepe]

What is the nitrate concentration? You may be overstocked now or have room for twice as many fish as you have depending on the nitrate concentration. This seems to ALWAYS be overlooked. Stocking actually has more to do with water changes than tank size.

Nitrates are pretty immaterial. I've had NO3 at ~100ppm for extended periods of time in my planted tank with no signs of damage to my fish. In fact my fish became gravid in such conditions. Water quality can easily be controlled by water changes and efficient filtration. It all comes down to swimming space in the end. IE I can build a two story trickle filter and keep a 20" pacu in a 10 gallon tank. The water would be pristine but the fish would still die (as an extreme example).

But anyways, I think you can add a few otos, no problem.

 

[reun]

The tank has been running for almost a year, and when I said no ammonia issues, I am speaking of after the tank was cycled. fish were added very slowly (in groups of 3 over the course of a few months) after two months of fishless cycling. I used small amounts of fish food to decay and produce the waste required for the cycle.

Since the tank has been cycled, my test kits (I also tried some of the new test strips) are not showing measurable ammonia.

I listed the water perimeters in my original post (without the NO2 and NO3 obviously).

as far as higher temperature and PH, I have read that more of the nitrogen is in its toxic NH3 form. Supposedly when temps and PH are lower, more of the nitrogen is NH4+(ammonium) and is considerably less toxic. I have also read that lower temps also allow for better water quality and more oxygen. That all could be false, but I have read it in several reputable places.

P.S. as far as swimming space, it is a standard 29 gallon. lots of wide open swimming space at the top and middle of the tank(just enough plants and hiding places to keep fish comfortable at swimming near the surface), with a piece of Malaysian driftwood and rocks to give the bottom feeders more surface area. The SA catfish only comes out at night, I have only seen him a few times during the day when my schooling fish are active, so right now there is tons of empty space, the only area constantly occupied is the bottom of the tank where the corys play, and even most of that space is vacant.

 

[Fishguy2727]

It is not that high nitrate will cause immediate problems, it is a long term issue, as are the other theings that lower water quality.

A trickle filter will only provide biological filtration, the pacu will still die.

Obviously physical space is part of the equation, the problem is that people focus ONLY on this and never even ask about water quality (measured by nitrate concentration).

eco:
You have room, especially for bottom feeders.

If I only had one test kit it would be nitrate. Long term it is more important than anything else. Ammonia and nitrite should never be an issue once the tank is cycled. Hardness and pH are rarely an issue, and even then only with fish from extreme water conditions and only if needed to trigger breeding.

The toxicity of ammonia as it relates to pH only matters if there is ammonia present, which should never be the case if the tank is cycled.

Lower temp lowers metabolism which can be good or bad depending on the exact temp and species of fish.

 

[reun]

It is not that high nitrate will cause immediate problems, it is a long term issue, as are the other theings that lower water quality.

A trickle filter will only provide biological filtration, the pacu will still die.

Obviously physical space is part of the equation, the problem is that people focus ONLY on this and never even ask about water quality (measured by nitrate concentration).

eco:
You have room, especially for bottom feeders.

If I only had one test kit it would be nitrate. Long term it is more important than anything else. Ammonia and nitrite should never be an issue once the tank is cycled. Hardness and pH are rarely an issue, and even then only with fish from extreme water conditions and only if needed to trigger breeding.

The toxicity of ammonia as it relates to pH only matters if there is ammonia present, which should never be the case if the tank is cycled.

Lower temp lowers metabolism which can be good or bad depending on the exact temp and species of fish.

From what I have read, my current PH, temperature, and hardness are in the middle ranges of all the fish I keep, and I will re-test my nitrate levels and provide them. I have been keeping fish for years, but mostly small numbers of fish with frequent water changes in 10 to 30 gallon tanks, so over stocking has never been an issue. With that said, I am not sure if I would be overcrowding, which is why I asked here. I was hoping for people with more knowledge and experience to be able to tell me if my 29 gallon does not have the swimming space,ect.

I know there is no one size fits all answer, so I am trying to provide as many detailed answers as I can, and when I do add fish, it will be as I always do, in small numbers over an extended period of time with frequent water changes and testing.

 

[eco23]

From what I have read, my current PH, temperature, and hardness are in the middle ranges of all the fish I keep, and I will re-test my nitrate levels and provide them. I have been keeping fish for years, but mostly small numbers of fish with frequent water changes in 10 to 30 gallon tanks, so over stocking has never been an issue. With that said, I am not sure if I would be overcrowding, which is why I asked here. I was hoping for people with more knowledge and experience to be able to tell me if my 29 gallon does not have the swimming space,ect.

I know there is no one size fits all answer, so I am trying to provide as many detailed answers as I can, and when I do add fish, it will be as I always do, in small numbers over an extended period of time with frequent water changes and testing.

Have you tried Aqadvisor? It is by no means 100% accurate, but it gives you a good idea of your stocking percentage and compatibility issues.