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When are you considered overstocked?


ps2cho

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So in my 60DT (30 x 31 x 15) I currently have:

1 Kole Tang

1 Yellow Tang

2 Clownfish

1 Royal Gramma

 

Would I be crazy to want to add like 5-6 blue chromis (or similar) for some small schooling fish?

 

My reason is that my tank is TOO clean. I have dialed back my water changes to almost monthly now because anything more than that and my phosphates drop closer to 0.00 and my nitrates less than 1. Monthly seems to hold them at 0.04 and 3-5ppm.

 

What do you guys think?

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What do I think? Welllll if it was my tank I would get an 8 foot by 3 foot by 2 foot tank then go for the chromis. You have to remember most chromis will kill each other off over time until you are left with one or two. I have a 60 with 2 vanderbuilts that get along pretty well,they have been together for a year. Most schooling fish don't seem to school in our tanks that I have seen since they have no reason to in a small environment.

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So in my 60DT (30 x 31 x 15) I currently have:

1 Kole Tang

1 Yellow Tang

2 Clownfish

1 Royal Gramma

 

Would I be crazy to want to add like 5-6 blue chromis (or similar) for some small schooling fish?

 

My reason is that my tank is TOO clean. I have dialed back my water changes to almost monthly now because anything more than that and my phosphates drop closer to 0.00 and my nitrates less than 1. Monthly seems to hold them at 0.04 and 3-5ppm.

 

What do you guys think?

API test kits?
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When are you considered overstocked???

 

Well every tank is different but a couple of good rules to follow would be:

- Do not exceed your tank's nutrient export capabilities. Every tank will be different depending on the age of the tank, feeding habits, skimmer size (if any), live rock quantity, macro algae quantity (if any) etc..

- Do not mix match fish that are incompatible. This will obviously cause stress to the inhabitants.

- Do not stock too many fish at one time. This could over load your tanks nutrient export capabilities and kick off a cycle.

 

If you maintain the balance between nutrient import and export and house fish that are compatible then you set your limit.

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  • 2 weeks later...
When are you considered overstocked???Well every tank is different but a couple of good rules to follow would be:- Do not exceed your tank's nutrient export capabilities. Every tank will be different depending on the age of the tank, feeding habits, skimmer size (if any), live rock quantity, macro algae quantity (if any) etc..- Do not mix match fish that are incompatible. This will obviously cause stress to the inhabitants.- Do not stock too many fish at one time. This could over load your tanks nutrient export capabilities and kick off a cycle.If you maintain the balance between nutrient import and export and house fish that are compatible then you set your limit.

 

+1 I used to service tanks and the customers always wanted to keep adding just one more fish. My general rule was 2g of water for 1 inch of fish in a reef,( this was almost 15 years ago so there wasn't the equipment or technology there is today so it was better safe than sorry). However clownfitch's guidelines are spot on.

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  • 2 weeks later...

'schooling fish' aren't successful in reef tanks. they end up killing eachother. you are overstocked when each fish doesn't have it's own territory. compatibility is key.

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