Am I going to be OverStocked

[RyanU]

I have a 25 Gallon Bow Front and want to know if I am going to be Over Stocked with the fish I plan to get.

Currently in the Tank

5 mollies (3 Gold Dust, 2 Dalmation)

5 Zebra Danios (Long Finned)

6 Cherry Barbs (Vailtail)

 

I plant to get 

5 habrosus Cory's

2 Mystery Snails

1 Bristle Nose Pleco

 

 

 

[lefty o]

you will be fine until the mollies start to breed.

[RyanU]

Ok Thanks. Oh I forgot. I was going to add in a "Center Piece" fish. What would you recommend?

[lefty o]

just me, but id probably not add more than whats listed.

[CorydorasEthan]

7 minutes ago, RyanU said:

Ok Thanks. Oh I forgot. I was going to add in a "Center Piece" fish. What would you recommend?

The mollies themselves would make good centerpiece fish. Once they start to breed a lot, I would recommend selling off the babies to a local store.

[RyanU]

If I omit the Pleco as they are a huge Bio Load and I have the snails and cory's for cleanup could that work

 

[CorydorasEthan]

Just now, RyanU said:

If I omit the Pleco as they are a huge Bio Load and I have the snails and cory's for cleanup could that work

 

No fish can be truly considered as a cleanup crew, but I think that the stocking would work fine. You might want to get a nerite snail to eat algae though.

[RyanU]

Nerite vs mystery or in place of the Pleco?

[CorydorasEthan]

Just now, RyanU said:

Nerite vs mystery or in place of the Pleco?

I would do two nerite snails for a 25 gallon (instead of the mystery snails and pleco), because they do not produce as much waste as the others, and are much smaller.

[RyanU]

ok thanks. Just so i understand. 

Tank Stock

5 mollies (3 Gold Dust, 2 Dalmation)

5 Zebra Danios (Long Finned)

6 Cherry Barbs (Vailtail)

5 habrosus Cory's

2 Nerite Snails

[RyanU]

Thanks for the help

[CorydorasEthan]

Just now, RyanU said:

Thanks for the help

Sure no problem!

[gardenman]

There are roughly a gazillion factors on the amount of stock that an aquarium can support. The size and health of the bacterial colony being the biggest. If you've got the right bacteria in the right amounts there's really no upper limit on how much stock a tank can hold. If you don't, even one fish can be one too many. It's best to start small and slowly ramp up capacity.

[CorydorasEthan]

1 minute ago, gardenman said:

There are roughly a gazillion factors on the amount of stock that an aquarium can support. The size and health of the bacterial colony being the biggest. If you've got the right bacteria in the right amounts there's really no upper limit on how much stock a tank can hold. If you don't, even one fish can be one too many. It's best to start small and slowly ramp up capacity.

Yes I agree with @gardenman beneficial bacteria will consume harmful substances such as ammonia and nitrites. This is where the addition of plants comes in handy. The plants will consume the nitrates, completing the nitrogen cycle. Also, plants provide other benefits such as oxygen and hiding places for the fish. If you don't already have plants, then I would encourage you to get some. Do you have any pictures of the tank that you could show?

[RyanU]

yea i have been doing daily water checks with the current stock and my Nitrates havent budged, about 10-20ppm. I might add that i have some plants in the tank as well plus other decorations that will grow BB. I am also planning on hot rodding my HOB this weekend to optomize the BB colony.

[RyanU]

i can take a picture late tonight when i get home. the Wife and Kids picked out the tank decorations so it kind of looks like a Saltwater habitate with fake corals and bright colors. that doesnt really show the true colors of the fish which i prefer but i plan to slowly change the decor  to a more natural looking ecosystem

 

[Dwayne Brown]

The inch per gallon rule is what I follow, but it is very subjective based on a lot of variables. Personally I would be fine adding all those fish, mainly because all of them are social schoolers and wont be to aggressive towards each other. I doubt the pleco would produce to much of a bioload. I personally have an L144a pleco in my 29 gallon and the bio load isnt nearly as much as the internet would say. Just do weekly water changes and gravel cleaning and you should be fine.  

[RyanU]

Do you think i could still add the "Center piece" fish, like and apisto or gourami with what i plan to have?

 

[RyanU]

@CorydorasEthan here is the picture of my tank

[adamh]

I’d be careful with apistos or gourami as they can be aggressive and the others are in the same water column. If you are going heavy on stocking (I don’t really follow the inch rule) I’d be prepared for more than average testing and water changes. In my experience that’s really the key. 

[RyanU]

Yea as my only tank I will be able to do water changes as necessary. Do you recommend a colorful fish that will get a little bigger then the community fish. Also on the subject how long on average will it take for nitrates to rise. I feel like they have been constant around the 20ppm range for a while. Is it possibly the number of plants I have are eating up the nitrates keeping the level stable. Or is my tank still new and they take a while to raise

[Marc]

Just watch parameters, but I don't think you would have a problem at your proposed stocking level. I have a gourami as a Centerpiece in a 29g tank, much more heavily stocked than yours due to guppy and swordtail explosions. I do about a 4 or 5 gallon water change each week.

[RyanU]

Ok thanks. Im slowly adding plants as I add stock to the tank. 

[JettsPapa]

3 hours ago, RyanU said:

Ok thanks. Im slowly adding plants as I add stock to the tank. 

While adding fish slowly is a good idea, there's no need to do the same with plants (at least as far as I know).

[RyanU]

Yea i didnt think there was. Only having 1 tank i didnt want to say oh i want this and this and this and this, and get back to put them in the tank and not have enough room. so i figured i am slowly stocking my tank so why not add a plant with it at the same time.