Is Your Tank Overstocked?

[dnsfpl]

my livestock in 3x2x2 feet tank

blue tang

yellow tang

flame angel

2 x true percula

2 x black ocellaris

2 x chromis

2 x purple firefish

neon goby

diamond goby

CUC

overstocked?

thanks

[hammy]

u will know by ur parameter... if u have problem controlling nitrate, or worse nitrite/ammonia, then u are overstocked like the majority of us =) i think for me, 1 big queen in the 422 tank is already overstock =) cheers

tell us a bit more on the equipment

[dnsfpl]

equipments

tank 3x2x2, sump 3x2x1

light 4x39w retrofit, 1w solite moonlight

skimmer DNW 200

chiller CL650

wavemaker sunsun 6000lph

return OR6500

water parameter

ammonia 0

nitrite 0

nitrate 25

salinity 1.023

pH 8.3

temperature 28

thanks

[yellowtanker]

I am absolutely GUILTY of it, but can't help myself... every fish is like so nice and must have. Currently:

6 YellowTanks

4 PurpleTanks

1 ABT

1 Chevron tank

6 BlueTanks (3 of them abt 4 inches)

2 Percula

2 African clowns

5 Tomato Clowns (not fighting and was told they came together and have been together at LFS for a month b4 i got it)

3 Skunk clowns

2 Flame angels

1 Pylei wrasse

1 radiant wrasse

1 six-line wrasse

2 bartletts

Gee.... taking stock mkes me realize that I really cannot afford to add any more fishes.... sigh...

[[V]tEc]

my livestock in 3x2x2 feet tank

blue tang

yellow tang

flame angel

2 x true percula

2 x black ocellaris

2 x chromis

2 x purple firefish

neon goby

diamond goby

CUC

overstocked?

thanks

most of ur fishes r quite small so i guess is still okie. my tank is slightly bigger than urs n i have 27 fishes. i have 5 tangs, the rest r most wrasse n goby. with the help of a denitrator, my no3 is kept at 5 - 10

[andyboss]

can u tell us how is it possible? what are the equipment u use and tank size?

I am absolutely GUILTY of it, but can't help myself... every fish is like so nice and must have. Currently:

6 YellowTanks

4 PurpleTanks

1 ABT

1 Chevron tank

6 BlueTanks (3 of them abt 4 inches)

2 Percula

2 African clowns

5 Tomato Clowns (not fighting and was told they came together and have been together at LFS for a month b4 i got it)

3 Skunk clowns

2 Flame angels

1 Pylei wrasse

1 radiant wrasse

1 six-line wrasse

2 bartletts

Gee.... taking stock mkes me realize that I really cannot afford to add any more fishes.... sigh...

[yellowtanker]

can u tell us how is it possible? what are the equipment u use and tank size?

Currently using deltec 851, FR (rowaphos), 2 small glove size bag of carbon which i change monthly; dosing CA/magnesium/buffer alternating days (haven't got down to getting the CR fixed up yet) and i think the most important of all - an algae scrubber.

I believe the biohomme plus is also important (my substitute for a deep sand bed) and I have about 20kg of it in my sump; as well as chaeto.

My parameters are okay except for nitrate which is high. But i expect the no3 results cos i feed very heavily... cos my blue tanks gobble up half of whatever i feed so i need to overfeed to ensure the slow movers/others get their fair share of food. Plus I have 10 anemones + pratas and other lps so i feed two jumbo shrimps every week or two, depending on schedule.

No2 -nil

Po4 - neglible

NO3 - abt 30

CA - 380 to 420

KH - 11.2

Mg - 1400

Tank size: 5 x 2.5 x 2

But I seriously considering trapping and removing 3 of the blue tanks . Then my feeding can be more normalized instead of current over-feeding schedule.

Tank was rushed and set up just before this CNY.... and i still think a lot of credit has to go to the algae scrubber for smoothing things out. The scrubber was a secondary addition (set up in Feb after reading Santa Monica's thread... to this great guy again) and I think is what allowed my tank not to crash despite the heavy bioload + heavy feeding. May still be a bit too early too tell as the tank is up only 4 months so guess time will tell; but have been quite happy with mortality rate so far.

[nwyk153]

I believe mine is way overstock. And yet i still have my Dogface puffer and harlequin Tuskfish in my quaratine tank. Refer to my signatures.

[mopiko]

think for 4 months old tank there too many fishes

[Underwater]

I am absolutely GUILTY of it, but can't help myself... every fish is like so nice and must have. Currently:

6 YellowTanks

4 PurpleTanks

1 ABT

1 Chevron tank

6 BlueTanks (3 of them abt 4 inches)

2 Percula

2 African clowns

5 Tomato Clowns (not fighting and was told they came together and have been together at LFS for a month b4 i got it)

3 Skunk clowns

2 Flame angels

1 Pylei wrasse

1 radiant wrasse

1 six-line wrasse

2 bartletts

Gee.... taking stock mkes me realize that I really cannot afford to add any more fishes.... sigh...

18 tangs + 19 other fishes + corals in a 5ft tank? that's too congested liao. And that's an achievement to keep yr NO3 at only 30.

[boxerz]

To TS: Other than using their waste level production as a form of measurement. Take into account their required living space and signs of stress. In general, it is best not to have blue tangs in a 3 feet tank unless you plan on an upgrading. I had them before and I know how crappy that ends up in.

[hammy]

To TS: Other than using their waste level production as a form of measurement. Take into account their required living space and signs of stress. In general, it is best not to have blue tangs in a 3 feet tank unless you plan on an upgrading. I had them before and I know how crappy that ends up in.

that is so true the physical smimming space allocated in the tank itself is impt

[yellowtanker]

think for 4 months old tank there too many fishes

Agree. I have and will stop buying new fishes.... hence held back on AT and PBT. Plus most of the 19 tanks (forgot i also got a sailfin) have been there at least 3 to 4 months already and all healthy (touch-wood) ... greedily feeding... especially my ABT which was so frail and skinny when i got it but now healthy and fighting for food eagerly and no itch. So I probably won't want to upset the balance too much going forward ie. No More Fishes. I also did cycle the tank for a full month in Dec/Jan hence including cycling, it is now 5 months old and so far so good (touch-wood again).

Know I will get a lot of heat for having too many fishes... lolx.... so no more fishes for me.... not even AT (my "dream" tankfish)...

Next Step: Trap and remove 3 Blue Tanks

[dnsfpl]

new stock list

Blue, Yellow Tang | Black Nox, Coral Beauty, Flame Angelfish | Diamond, Neon Goby | Mandarin

2 True Percula Clownfish | 2 Purple Firefish | 2 Royal Gramma Basslet | 2 Green Chromis

small feeding, 5 times weekday, up to 8 times weekend

at the moment no3 20ppm

planning to add a Copperband Butterflyfish and Singapore Angelfish, and possibility 2 Bartlett's Anthias

can my setup support the bioload?

thanks

[Digiman]

new stock list

Blue, Yellow Tang | Black Nox, Coral Beauty, Flame Angelfish | Diamond, Neon Goby | Mandarin

2 True Percula Clownfish | 2 Purple Firefish | 2 Royal Gramma Basslet | 2 Green Chromis

small feeding, 5 times weekday, up to 8 times weekend

at the moment no3 20ppm

planning to add a Copperband Butterflyfish and Singapore Angelfish, and possibility 2 Bartlett's Anthias

can my setup support the bioload?

thanks

W diligent water change, yes. Look at Earth's and Bigbird's tank, theirs are more heavily stocked den yours and they are able to maintain healthy fishes. Btw your fishes is it necessary to feed so many times a day? I think once or twice should be enough right, unless u wan them to be obese. More feeding = More water change.

[dnsfpl]

my feeding regime

0730 frozen cyclop eeze

1030 1430 1830 food timer - ocean nutrition formula 1 & 2 pellets

2100 frozen mysis shrimp soak with garlic guard

weekend 1-2 times seaweed soak with garlic guard

read somewhere that marine fish prefer small feeding, 3-5 times a day

my yellow tang is still skinny, unless i feed it lettuces

once a month, i do a 25% water change, manage to keep no3 at 20-25ppm

thanks