Overstocked Tank?

[BEAUCASTLE]

I have 10 angels in a 65 gallon tank (I know it will not last forever but right now they are ok.) One pair has layed eggs a couple of times but are not taking over the tank. How do I find new homes for the breeding fish when the time comes?

My question is about filtration. I have an Eheim Eco 2236. According to AqAdvisor I only have 50% of the filtration I need. It says I should change 45% weekly. I do 30% every two weeks. My fish are robust. My water testing is fine.

My water never looks perfectly clear but I have three good sized pieces of driftwood in the tank. Does drift wood need to be cleaned? So if I wanted to add filtration what would I add?

Also my glass stick heater does not seem to be holding a consistent temperature? Any advice on that besides replace it? Are there better heater options?

 

[BigJim]

Are you looking for homes for your current fish, or your future fry? Your LFS may take the fry. Try craigslist for your current fish.

I wouldn't mess with cleaning the driftwood. I don't think that's a problem.

That filter is smaller that I would like to see on the tank. I prefer to take a filter's rating and cut it in half to get an idea of what it'll handle. You can add another canister or a HOB if you'd like. Try adding some filter floss or other water polishing media to your filter. It might clear up your water. Doing a 30% PWC every week would also help.

How is it inconsistent? If the tank temp doesn't match what's on the dial, that's normal. Adjust the dial based on the actual tank temperature. If it varies a few degrees, that's also normal. The glass on the heater insulates the thermostat. It takes time for the actual temperature to be transmitted through the glass to the thermostat.

Analog glass stick heaters are entry-level. They can work well, but there are more sophisticated (read expensive) options available. I have a Fluval E-series digital heater on one of my tanks. It uses a microprocessor to control the heater. It reacts faster and more precisely than an analog glass heater. There's also titanium heaters. They use an external probe for faster reaction. Lastly, there are external heater controllers. These are pricey, but they're the most robust controller available.

 

[CA_BroncoFan]

looks like bigjim handled a lot of the questions with great insight, all i would recommend is if your heater isnt doing well let us know the degree difference. If you read the package see that its +/- is and see if it matches your difference. If its too much then you prob got a bad heater so take it back and exchange it or get a new one. I like marineland visi-therms.

 

[BEAUCASTLE]

They just started breed and fight, I guess it is time to find homes for the breeding ones.

The temperature problem started when I moved the incoming water spout closer to the heater. it goes up and down 8 degrees. I have spare so I will replace it tonight. I have a digital thermomiter also.

The drift wood does have a lot of stuff on it if I touch it, so is there a downside to cleaning it?

Could I add a second canister filter? or just buy a much bigger one (this one is rated for up to an 80 gallon tank.) Now that my fish are bigger, the load is higher but the tank has always had a slight haze and looked yellow since day one. I used some of the Tetra Water Clarifier and the tank clouded up BAD and it took days for that to go away. It is almost clear when I put charcoal in the filter.

 

[BigJim]

If you're trying to measure the temperature right at the heater and in the filter return current, you'll most likely get rapidly changing readings due to the nature of the digital thermometer. It responds too quickly to get a good reading in current. Move the thermometer away from the current where you'll get a better steady-state reading.

Cleaning it will get rid of some of your beneficial bacteria. That's really about it.

You could either add another filter or a bigger filter. There are benefits to doing either. I'd probably opt for the second filter. Redundancy is a good thing in this case. I suppose you could always just replace it with a bigger filter and use your current filter to start another tank.