FishProfiles.com Message Forums

i now my tank is oversyovked but i am willing to get a bigger one.when will i have to get it and how big will it need to be???

We'll firt off, what size tank is it. What fish are in there and what kind of filtration do you have?

you'll need a big one and you'll need to get it soon. :%)little can be told with no info. What fish do you have? How big are your fish and what size tank do you have now?

Also, how much are you willing to pay for a new tank, substrate, decor, hood, light, maybe filter and heater? That should help determine how large of a tank you can/want to buy.

---

And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

i'd say that as a rough rule, you'd want to ensure that you have roughtly 2 gallons of water per inch of fish in your tank... as the fish grow larger, obviously they'll need more room. also, a good way to see how "overstocked" your tank is is to keep a close eye on water quality (ie: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) and when the values start to rise consistently above the recommended levels despite the same maintenance schedule you've always had, then it may be a good time to upgrade.

p.s. the larger the fish you have will be, the sooner the better to upgrade!

Overstocking isn't just about water quality. Keep in mind that some fish like to swim. No I'm not trying to be smart for once, I know that dead fish don't need swimming room...
Most cyprinids like lots of room to swim and move about....if you were to apply the 1" or 2" inch "rule" to a bala shark that would mean you could get away with having it in a 20 or a 30 gallon tank, and we all know that since they're schooling and active fish that they need 175+.

Consider your schooling needs, activity needs, and the nitrAte. Also remember that stunting can happen quite quickly. Maybe more than one tank will be needed, in which case you can do it gradually moving the most critical ones first (ie the ones that will get the largest and stand the greatest risk of being stunted).

However, the sooner you can get started on the upgrade the better...

^_^

*Proud member of the Committee for Sig Line Restoration*