Fish stocking limit

[Bryan47]

Ok so I have a 72 Gallon bow front and want to make sure I'm not too over stocked although I probably am so don't scold me too bad! I saw a beautiful bicolor angel today and just has to add it.

Here is my list. Non of the fish are larger than 4 inches they are all juvenile size.

2 small davinci clowns, 3" hippo tang, red and purple Firefish, lawnmower blenny, Fiji devil damsel, royal gramma, bicolor angel, Valentini puffer, dragon wrasse

I just added the gramma, angel, and damsel
I had a case of the I need it so bads lol

Watching the damsel closely for behavior of course.

I do know with the tang I will need a larger enclosure eventually and that is fully planned.

The tank doesn't look crowded and everyone seems to have their space which I think is most important.

 

[Suicideissleep]

You don't want to look at my tank than lol you don't have that many fish no worries

 

[Bryan47]

So I want to add a juvenile desjardini sailfin and a heilfrichi Firefish do you think I have the capacity for that? I love having a good amount of fish it really keeps the tank alive and makes it pop so to speak. As long as they have their space and the bioload isn't too much it's fine.

I thought I would have trouble with the damsel but it seems my clowns are the ones chasing him out of their space but they do that with most fish. When I had an anemone they guarded half the tank like soldiers at grants tomb. I've had a chair parked in front of the tank for about an hour now. It's so nice to sit back and enjoy. When I move the tank will be going where I can see it from the couch so during commercials I can enjoy the tank !

 

[GreatWhiteTang]

Your almost at a whole fish per. 5.gallons of water. Assuming that there is no rock or sand in the tank and it's full. To. The rim.. Yes you were overstocked before the purchase.. Now your really overstocked... And if you add 3 more including a tang you would be severely overstocked.. Imo... But its your tank not mine so who cares lol

 

[Bryan47]

Haha I liked the end of your post. All of the fish are quite small and I do hope to be into a 220+ within two years. The heilfrichi I can hold off on, I'm jonesing for that sailfin however...

I will be changing my 13G sump out for a 29 so as far as bio load goes I will be at around 100G

 

[Bryan47]

This is the 55 they are in now but I move in a month and when I move everything will go right into the 72 with 29G sump so I will not add any fish until then. Sean informed me I may have a mini cycle after the move so I want to avoid any more bioload that I can. But as you can see the tank doesn't look very crowded, although it isn't minimalist by any means...

 

[Triggreef]

You'll be fine with upgrade in the works. I like those fiji damsels, they aren't mean at all and basically pick there spot and stay put.

I miss my desjardini he ate a lot of bubble algae apparently because after gettingrid of him, b.a. is everywhere.

 

[Bryan47]

Thanks for the advice trigger. As someone with a huge tank full of beautiful large tangs I take your advice as very sound and appreciate it. Thank you!

 

[Triggreef]

tank full of beautiful large tangs

Well that not so much anymore. lol I had to re home all 6 to get my butterflies in. Butterflies are all in and doing well, and 4 new little tangs will be it this time around. But a nicer group. I got a purple, chevron, and 2 powder blues.

I ended up with 2 pbt's because I did not think the 1rst one would make it through QT since it did not eat the entire time at all. So I got a jump start on a second one, and the first one actually turned around once I got it to the display. So now theres 2 and they seem fine together for now. We'll see when they grow up.

 

[4FordFamily]

there is no rule of thumb, with proper filtration (OVER skimming) and refugium to eat nitrates, you can overstock.

The only other limiting factors are fish aggression (which actually tends to decrease at a certain level of "overstocking" it seems like), and the size of the animal. Giant fish (or fish that grow quickly) probably should stay out of a 72 gal.

Sailfin will quickly outgrow your tank, but if you're willing to sell it or upgrade in a year or two, then perhaps you'll be OK. Yellow tang may be a better choice, they grow more slowly and don't get as large.

 

[Bryan47]

Thanks for the advice guys. Trigger I would love to see a post of the new additions.

And Ford I appreciate the advice. I'm definitely set on a sailfin, I lost my first on about a month in when I added cupramine to water that had just been prepared with prime. Little known fact if water is prepared with prime you have to wait 48 hours or it will increase the toxicity of the cupramine by A LOT. Took me months to finally figure out why I lost about 6 fish all at once in my QT.

I certainly plan to keep any fish I home for it's lifespan. I will get the "small" sized one and I do plan to upgrade within two years. I'm going to make sure the place I rent is ok with fish tanks and that I have the proper insurance so if in two years the house I plan to build is still further out I will upgrade to a 125+.

I pull a chair up and spend hours watching the tank and studying the fish behavior to make sure no one is being bullied or stressed...or eating things they aren't supposed to be like my coral!

The bicolor angel started nipping at my elegance so every time he was about to do it I gave a firm knock on the glass. Now he won't go near it. He had also come right from the supplier at my LFS so probably hadn't eaten.