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Hello people, First time poster, long time lurker

So, anyway, I've recently upgraded to a 60 gal tank (recent being ~1 month ago) and my fish have been doing fine; ie. no death, algae, or water issues.
About 3 days ago, though, my buddy has decided he's had enough of fishkeeping for a while and gave me a bunch of his fish.

So, now my tanks inhabitants are now:
1 full grown common pl*co
8 platies
8 zebra danio
1 Blue gourami (male)
2 Pearl gourami (females)
2 Dwarf gourami (females)
10 glowlight tetras
5 neon tetras
6 blackskirt tetras
2 bolivian rams

Now while they all seem to be happy and thriving (the glowlights are constantly spawning ) I'm still wondering if I' m a bit overstocked. I've been keeping an eye of the ph, nitrate levels and all that for the past 3 days and they are all fine. But just in case I've already started to cycle a 30 gallon, and also just in case my buddy can't find homes for his remaining fish

Anyways, long story short, Those are my fish in a 60 gallon. Will they continue to do well together, or will I have to move some to the 30 gallon (and if so, which ones)?

By full grown, how big are we talking? Plecos range in size and have the potential to be 18+" in length. They're also the poop-machines of the fish world.

Estimated full grown length of fish:
Platy 2" x 8 = 16"
zebra danio 2" x 8 = 16"
Blue gourami 4" x 1 = 4"
Pearl gourami 4" x 2 = 8"
dwarf gourami 3" x 2 = 6"
Glowlight 2" x 10 = 20"
Neon Tetra 1" x 5 = 5"
Black Skirt Tetra 2" x 6 = 12"
Bolivian Ram 2" x 2 = 4"

16 + 16 + 4 + 8 + 6 + 20 + 5 + 12 + 4 = 91" of fish

And that's not including the pleco.

I'd say that yes, you are overstocked, and yes, you should probably split your fish between the 60 and 30 when you cycle that other tank, especially if you're looking at possibly getting more fish from your friend.

Honestly, you might want to rehouse the pleco, as that is one of the major contributors to waste in your tank. Look for a smaller species if you are looking to keep your algae "crew". Bristlenose plecos are just one of the species that would be of a better fit.


~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Besides finding a new home for the pleco, I believe I'd plan on putting the platies in the 30 as they will reproduce enmasse if they haven't started already.

29g - 5 Head and Tail Light Tetras, 1 Black Phantom Tetra, 1 melanistius cory, 1 Featherfin Synodontis, 1 otto
29g - 14 harlequin rasboras, 5 albino corys, 3 ottos
10g - 1 glowlight tetra, 2 Black phantom tetras, 1 red betta on entertainment center

I believe I'd plan on putting the platies in the 30 as they will reproduce enmasse if they haven't started already.

Gouramis are very good at fry control

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

Thanks for all the advice guys, and yes, I do believe I will do some fish moving once my old 30 gallon is up and running again.

I'm liking the idea of keeping the livebearers all in one place, and I think the pearls would LOVE being in there; They are the most ravenous fish I have in my tank

As for my pl*co, he's my favourite fish, even though he is uglier than sin and poops constantly, so if at all possible I'd like to keep him. I actually "rescued" him from a neighbor's 10 gallon back in 2003(she had no idea they get huge, etc. etc.), and at that time he was about 3... so that makes him 7 years old! He's about 10" and he hasn't grown any in over a year so I just assumed he was full grown, and maybe stunted from his time in a small tank. I don't really care if he cleans the algae or not, I could probably do that myself. I just really, really like him. He's the best!
But um... you think he's still gonna grow on me?

Is it this one? If so, it does get 'only' to a size of about 14' and that takes a long time. On a different note I totally understand that you are attached to your pleco! These fish have character and make excellent 'wet pets'

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I know what you mean about plecos... they're so dang ugly that they're cute. I love them!

You'd probably be okay if you split things between the two tanks and just kept up with water quality. I don't think you'd want to add any more to your fishie family, but you might be okay with what you have, given proper care.

Only other thing to suggest would be a bigger tank or a pond.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

If your plec hasn't grown in a year I don't see it growing anymore. Of course, on the other hand, plecs are not exactly the fastest of growers, so it's possible you just aren't really noticing growth. The thing about common plecs is that there in fact is more than one species, although most get about the same size, they're not small fish by any means.

In any case, if your tank is properly filtered, I wouldn't be worried about your aquarium. You'll need filtration that can handle plec poo; believe me, I've got two filters running on my 125 gallon and I still see feces lying around from my 8" Royal plec. By the inch per gallon rule you are technically overstocked, but I personally wouldn't be extremely worried about your stocking as none of your fish are especially large other than your plec. It couldn't hurt to move some of the fish out once your 30 gallon is up.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

You could turn your 30 gallon into a breeding tank for those glowlights since they're already spawning all the time. If you don't go with the breeding idea then I think I'd be inclined to move the rams and one of your schools of tetras into the 30.

Thanks for all the help guys, deciding for sure that I'm gonna move some fish over anyway, regardless if I'm overstocked or not. The thought of a having 2 tanks instead of one seems to make more sense anyway hehe

I was thinking maybe all the livebearers and the pair of pearls would be good in the 30. What do you all think?

I'm hesitant to move the rams. They don't get along all to well with each other and the 60 allows them to somewhat live on opposite ends of the tank. Consequently, they only really butt heads during feeding time, when they meet at the filter (It's like a western!). Wouldn't moving them into the 30 be asking for trouble?