Is my Fish tank overstocked?

Question

Tank size 36in X 18in X 18in (90cm X 45cm X 45cm). 40gallon Planted tank.

2 Angel Fish (Medium size)
2 Rainbow Fish
1 Dwarf Corydora
1 Sucking Loach
6 Harlequin Rasbora
7 Black neon Tatra
12 Neon Tetra

If Overstocked, which fish to be removed? Thanks

Answer 1

Your tank is a 40g "breeder" which has alot of floor space. Definatly not overstocked. The only "sucking" loach I know of is a hillstream loach, which stay small. However I think the tank is too short for angelfish(full grown). If it were me, I would trade the angels for 5 more corys and a couple more rainbows.

Answer 2

Yea. until eventually the sunfish is a wee toddler no longer extra effective than an inch, then your tank is overstocked. The guppies, if blended gender, will reproduce rapid. The incredibly standard rule of thumb is a million" of fish according to a million gal. OF WATER, no longer a million gal of tank. The gravel, flora, decorations all displace a undeniable quantity of water, plus maximum human beings do no longer fill a tank thoroughly as much as the rim (that's how tank manufacturers are counting the gallon length of the tank--from backside to the rim). So technically, you in all threat in easy terms have 9 gals. of water to artwork with. As somebody else observed, the sunfish will advance rapid and could eat the smaller fish, plus they stay in cool water while guppies and tetras are tropical and stay in heat water. Any wild-caught fish could be quarantined for a month or extra to make confident they are not donning parasites and different issues which will infect all the tank.

Answer 3

I agree with borderline if your 40 is a "breeder" or a "long", or overstocked if it is a "tall". The dimensions of the different types of "40s" create different surface areas of water, and this changes the stocking amount.

The fish I'd watch out for are the angels (those neons will be lunch!) and the loach. You don't say what species this is, but loaches are most comfortable in schools. "Lone" loaches are likely to become aggressive to your other fish. You also don't mention his size. If it's a clown loach, he'll get to be about 12+" as an adult.

http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/freshwater/loaches/clownloach.html (you can also go to the home page of this link and view profiles of other loaches if your's isn't a clown)

The cory would also do better in a school. Maybe you should take the loach back to the store and trade him for a couple more corys.

Answer 4

Yes, it's overstocked. Plus, your cory should be kept in a group of at least 6--so because you don't have room for that, you should definitely take him back. The angelfish will grow quite large, the fact that they are "medium sized" now just means they are juveniles. The neon tetras may or may not be eaten by the angels...I would take them back to the store too. Also, the "sucking loach"...is this a plecostomous? Or a loach? Either way, it is inappropriate for your aquarium, loaches should be in groups, and plecos grow extremely large.

Answer 5

The rule you'll most often hear about is an inch of fish per gallon of water. However, full bodied fish such as Goldfish, require far more space than that. You must also take into account the shape of the tank, as the air exchange happens at the surface of the water. A tall thin tank has less surface area for the volume of water than a short long tank. So before you use that or any rule, read more about calculation methods.

10 gallons is not a lot of real estate, so you won't be able to keep too many fish in that aquarium. I'd stick to small, slim bodied fish. A half dozen schooling fish, such as neon tetras would be lovely, with a small bottom dwelling fish or two. Or consider keeping a small school of danios and a couple of barbs. There are many options, just take care to avoid fish that reach an adult size larger than inch or two.

Answer 6

Yes and no, as long as your testing your water for amonia, nitrates, etc. and the water is not getting unbalanced and the fish are getting along. If you do start getting a water problem with regular water changes you can add more filtration. Some plants might be a good idea too if you don't already have some.

Answer 7

definately. I own a 75 gallon and a 55 gallon. The general rule is 1" of fish, for each gallon. So, you can have 40" of fish. I am not saying get down and measure each fish. I am just saying....medium angel..maybe 1.5 inches....add them all up. Just get a tank large enough to accomodate the ones that don't fit...no biggy. Over crowding will kill them, though, no matter how clean you keep your tank. Good luck to you.

Answer 8

Don't listen to that 1 inch of fish per gallon crap, you need to really look at the agression of the fish and how much room you would need for that fish to be comfortable. I would cut the numbers down a bit, maybe the angels, and some neons, www.elmersaquarium.com for an estimate on sizes of the fish.

Answer 9

Sounds borderline to me...the angels are the only ones to watch out for...they can get pretty big.
No need to have quite so many Neons; 3-4 of each is fine.

Answer 10

Yes, but since neon tetra are the natural prey of angelfish, they should take care of the 12 you need to remove.