overstoked fish tank please help?

Question

my tank is overstoked and my son has 2 angelfish, 2 pleco, 3 black skirt tetras, an upside down catfish, a sumo loach, a blue gouramie a yellow guppy 1glo fish and 4 columbian tetras in a 28 gallon tank. I didnt know this until i visited my sons room. hes 15 and sometimes after school he goes to the local fish shop and buys some fish . what can i do his angles will get huge please help any suggestions

Answer 1

First a talk with him and stocking levels and why fish shouldn't be crowded would be a good place to start in my opinion. Then he would know why some of the fish need to go back to the store. I would suggest returning the angels and the blue gourami as it may get a little aggressive for the smaller tetras in the tank. The rest may be a bit crowded but not too badly so, at least until the plecos grow a bit. They will soon enough out grow the tank as well if they are common plecos. Return them as well and get 20-3 cory cats for clean up and that would leave room for a few more glofish and black skirts. Also a good idea as they both do better in groups of 4-5 of there own species.

MM

Answer 2

First, first, tell your son that you are very impressed at how interested he is in the fish tanks and all the different kinds of fish there are.
then ask your son..which fish he likes the most and that he is most interested in. then get him some specie specific books (not huge books, just general information on those species also with lots of pictures) When you give him the books let him know that fish tanks are a hobby and in order to keep the fish alive and happy the keeper must know about the fishes specific needs. (also maybe get a few simple books on basic aquarium upkeeps.) Explain to your son that some fish are a "community" fish while other species can be "aggressive" and "semi-aggressive" point out which fish in your tank are the community fish and which others are "semi-aggressive" and explain to him how the semi-aggressive will pick on and even try to bite the community fish. Maybe to help him understand put it in his terms, if he were a community fish and there were semi aggressives around him how would he feel.
Let him know, a fish tank is a responsibility and can be very rewarding. You can't just thro fish in the tank and think that they will all get along. Have him do his research and have him come to a sensible conclusion and compromise and if he feels he can't choose or decide than let him know..fishkeeping just isn't for him.

Answer 3

"fish tend to only grow to the capacity of the tank they are in, so i dont think the angels will get too big"

No offense, but that is absolutely not a good way to look at it! If they fail to grow to their full natural size, they're obviously far from thriving, whether it's due to tank size, water conditions, or whatever.

Please take all the plecos back - they average out a little below two feet.

Answer 4

Well, sounds like your son's fish tank is seriously overstocked... Well I would suggest that you try to talk to him and avoid doing anything that would make him not pleased.

Well, you could try telling him to be patient with adding fish, first read about their needs before you buy them. Don't overstock your tank, fish need space for themselves to exhibit their beauty. A fish tank that is overstocked is not actually pleasing to the eye.

Or maybe, you should try investing some money on newer and bigger fish tanks or just get a seperate fish tank for the angle fish.

Hope it helps!

Answer 5

Two points-

The inch per gallon rule is a BASELINE GUIDE which is your bare minimum that addresses bioload only, and it is based on a THIN inch, like a neon tetra. You have to use common sense and adjust the rule for fatter, messier fish, for activity level, and for temperament and territorial behaviors.

As to the poster saying fish only grow to the size of the tank and asking why the thumbs down . . . when fish only grow to the size of the tank THEIR GROWTH HAS BEEN STUNTED.
This is a very unhealthy condition, and it's not in the best interest of any animal. It is selfish to treat them this way. Please give your fish room to grow to their full potential.

Afterall, it's what you'd want for yourself.

Answer 6

you have two options:

1. take some fish back to the shop, and risk really getting your son in a grump, but it's best for the fishes survival. i would definately return at least one of the plecs and both angels, keeping two plecs without overfiltering your tank can be a risk to your other fishes survival as it will boost ammonia levels dramatically, plecs are real poop machines!

2. invest in a bigger tank, a 50-55 gallon tank will mean you can keep most of the fish. keep it in a communal part of the house, living room or dining room or somewhere, so you can keep an eye on what your son is sneaking in, and it could be a family project, and your son will feel less inclined to sneak new creatures into the house.

But of upmost importance is both you and your son sitting down with the interweb or a tropical fish book and learning about how to sensibly stock a tank and what these fish really need. back to fish school you go!

Answer 7

Let him bear the consequences of his actions.Either get him to buy a bigger tank or when his fish die he will have to learn from his mistakes.You could also talk to him about responsible fish keeping.

Answer 8

You have 4 options:
1, sell tank and fish so you dont have to worry about fish.
2. get rid of all the fish and put 1 female crayfish and 1 male fish.
3. keep 1 of everything
4. get bigger tank.

Answer 9

There is a simple equation for how many fish is allowed in a tank...for health of the fish...you should'nt go over a inch of fish per gallon your tanks holds! Also...never over feed the fish...only put in enough food that they will eat at the top.

Answer 10

buy a bigger tank simply