# How many more fish can you keep in a planted tank than a normal?



## HatchetHaven (Mar 9, 2008)

So, I read you can stock a Planted tank more heavily than a 'normal' tank. But, how much more heavily could you stock a high tech tank? Same Q for a low tech.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

see when people ask vague questions like that with not enough detail, they get vague answers such as the following:

depends on your filter.
depends on the plants you keep (anubias for instance dont do much).


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## gonzo.pete (Jun 13, 2008)

Hmmmm, I actually read you should keep less fish in a planted tank?


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

depends on what you are trying to do. plants DO lift the bioload and let you keep more fish, but then your plants dont look as good and you get algae.


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## FrostyNYC (Nov 5, 2007)

gonzo.pete said:


> Hmmmm, I actually read you should keep less fish in a planted tank?


I think the reasoning behind this is that a lot of people keep planted tanks for "natural" setups where they want to do few water changes and let the tanks take care of themselves. In such a scenario, you'd want a light bioload because you wouldnt want a buildup of organics that the plants can't keep up with. Another reason is that dense underwater jungles tend to block water flow to your filter, reducing the effectiveness of your filter. (Of course you remediate this with a canister filter and proper placement of intakes/outtakes)

A question like this is hard to answer, because every tank, every person, is going to reach a different comfort level with their bioload. Plus, since that old "inch per gallon" fish rule is oversimplified, every stocking list has to be considered individually. I have over 10 inches of fish with all my endlers in my 10 gallon. Plus my shrimp and my snails. Yet I keep up with weekly 50% water changes and overfilter my tank, and my fish seem to enjoy each others company.

A good idea with ANY tank is to start with a very light bioload and work your way up from there.


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## evercl92 (Aug 15, 2006)

This is going to depend on:
filtration
type/amount of plants
type/amount of fish


when your fish run into each other on a regular basis, you'll know you have too many.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

FrostyNYC said:


> I think the reasoning behind this is that a lot of people keep planted tanks for "natural" setups where they want to do few water changes and let the tanks take care of themselves. In such a scenario, you'd want a light bioload because you wouldnt want a buildup of organics that the plants can't keep up with. Another reason is that dense underwater jungles tend to block water flow to your filter, reducing the effectiveness of your filter. (Of course you remediate this with a canister filter and proper placement of intakes/outtakes)
> 
> A question like this is hard to answer, because every tank, every person, is going to reach a different comfort level with their bioload. Plus, since that old "inch per gallon" fish rule is oversimplified, every stocking list has to be considered individually. I have over 10 inches of fish with all my endlers in my 10 gallon. Plus my shrimp and my snails. Yet I keep up with weekly 50% water changes and overfilter my tank, and my fish seem to enjoy each others company.
> 
> A good idea with ANY tank is to start with a very light bioload and work your way up from there.


x2 :thumbsup:


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## Riley (Jan 24, 2006)

I agree with Frosty.

I always tend to over-filter....understock the tank. I end up with good results.


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## HatchetHaven (Mar 9, 2008)

So, how comfortably stocked would this 48gal tank be do you think:

Plants: Cabomba, Echindorus 'red diamond', Dwarf hairgrass, Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Tropica', Cryptocoryne becketti petchii, Hygrophila polysperma 'rosanervig', Alternanthera, Mryophilum, Ludwigia sp. 'cuba' and Hygrophila corymbosa 'Siamensis 53B' and Nana anubias. 
Light: 140W (3WPG)
CO2: DIY CO2 injector
Filter: Juwel Rio 180's default filter, with a few more sponges than normal stuffed in.
Ferts: EI and Tropica plant nutrition substrate below a layer of Black sand.
Fish: 1 BN, 1 Siamese algae eater, 4 female platys, 6 Cherry barbs, 8 assorted hatchets (Very mixed school) and 3 Panda apistos (1 male 2 Female), MTS, 3 Nerite snails, 1 baby Bamboo shrimp (Possibly moving to 12gal RCS breeder) and 5 Amano shrimp (Porbably moving to RCS breeder). 

Really here, I wanted to be able to have a school of Neons/Cardinals and/or Harlequins but have large and healthy plants... You can see a plan of this scape here: My 48gal sketch


So far I've never had a planted tank, and converting them all into some form of Planted is really confusing at times... Especially with stocking.


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## Arab (Jun 14, 2008)

*True...*

I agree with what @[email protected] said, " when you ask vague questions like what you just said, you get get comments like, depends on your filter, depends on what plants you keep,"and all that. (No Offense)


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

id say it is snug at this point. on a scale of 1-10 (10 being totally understocked, 1 being "i hope you do daily water changes"), i would say that tank is a 3.


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## HatchetHaven (Mar 9, 2008)

@[email protected] said:


> id say it is snug at this point. on a scale of 1-10 (10 being totally understocked, 1 being "i hope you do daily water changes"), i would say that tank is a 3.


So, how can I raise that number to something like 5, without taking out any fish? If there's anything I could get rid of it would be either those Platys, or the Cherry barbs. (My mum kinda forced the platys on me - our friends platys had done what platys do, and, despite my best efforts to tell them that they would only have more babies, I still ended up with 4!) Could I add another fast growing stem? I might be able to give it some Postogemon helferi... If I can find space in my Hairgrass carpet!:biggrin:

Currently I do weekly water changes. I have always been debating replacing the Platys with Neons/Cardinals/Harlequns, they just won't look right, with 4 bright red Platys swimming around at the front, dominating the aquascape like a Red plant in a Blue border does in the terrestrial garden. But, my mum and dad just wouldn't understand that sort of thing - being ex-garden designers they would think it's the plants, and not think of the fact the fish can really alter an aquascape! Sometimes it can be a drag, being a kid fishkeeper.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

My advice- stock the tank as you would stock it without being planted. The amount you can "overstock" and still be safe isn't that big even at the best of times.

Allow yourself room for error- times when the PWC just don't happen because life interferes, you go on vacation, you have a few dying plants, you get busy with school/work/family issues... if you understock but plant heavily you will end up enjoying your tank more in the long run b/c the tank will be less work. 

In heavily planted tanks the schooling fish stay out in the open more- so it appears the tank is more "full" than it may really be, anyways.


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## newshound (May 9, 2005)

ppl should stock tanks to survive the worst power outage in your area. A overstocked tank will go sour very quickly when (note I didn't use "if") the power goes out.
One must also consider what might happen if your bigger fish die and your too busy to notice. I have heard of entire tanks dieing off because of a chain reaction.


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## HatchetHaven (Mar 9, 2008)

lauraleellbp said:


> My advice- stock the tank as you would stock it without being planted. The amount you can "overstock" and still be safe isn't that big even at the best of times.
> 
> Allow yourself room for error- times when the PWC just don't happen because life interferes, you go on vacation, you have a few dying plants, you get busy with school/work/family issues... if you understock but plant heavily you will end up enjoying your tank more in the long run b/c the tank will be less work.
> 
> In heavily planted tanks the schooling fish stay out in the open more- so it appears the tank is more "full" than it may really be, anyways.


So, new project: Swap out the platys for Neons! And, maybe swap the Cherry barbs for harlequins. I just have to convince that annoying family...


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

not much you can do if you have a good filter already. and your filter appears alright (never used it myself though). 

thats better, it will lower the bioload (especially the platies replaced with neons).


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## HatchetHaven (Mar 9, 2008)

@[email protected] said:


> thats better, it will lower the bioload (especially the platies replaced with neons).


Platy = pig, Pig = poo & waste.


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## Forum5-0 (Mar 7, 2015)

*What a terrible response*



@[email protected] said:


> see when people ask vague questions like that with not enough detail, they get vague answers such as the following:
> 
> depends on your filter.
> depends on the plants you keep (anubias for instance dont do much).


The only redeeming quality of your post was the tidbit on Anubias. If this is any indication of your contribution to this community (post count queen), then perhaps you should lurk the forums like all the other people that don't play well with others.


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