I was wondering what in the chemical balance happens when your tank is overstocked? I know it's generally not good, but what exactly happens in the general scheme of the tank's chemistry that is so bad for the tank itself? Thanks!
What Exactly Happens when you Overstock?
- Thread starter Sting
- Start date
Stress levels rise, and the hormones (corticosteroids?) depress all the fishes' immune systems, making them more susceptible to minor parasites, which have more opportunity to find a host under crowded conditions. Rising levels of ammonia may be more than plants can absorb,. encouraging algae and repressing nitrite-metabolizing bacteria, resulting in a nitrite spike toxic to the stressed fishes. Increased organics in the water, respiration and decomposition of feces etc. all pump CO2 and other metabolic acids into the burdened system, which erodes the buffer, resulting in falling pH levels, yada yada yada
Yeah, and the fish don't grow as much! Becuase they are crowded out. Someone (Wetman?) once put it to me this way. "If you keep a baby in a box just large enough for the baby when its born, do you think that box will be big enough for it in the future?"
Orbitorly
Out in left field...
I'll put it more into simpler terms 
You know when an airplane is overloaded or over stocked it comes crashing down.
Well it's simular to the plane issue, if it's overstocked the eco system crashes. That's when all the amonia, nitrate problems come in .
You know when an airplane is overloaded or over stocked it comes crashing down.
Well it's simular to the plane issue, if it's overstocked the eco system crashes. That's when all the amonia, nitrate problems come in .
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I overstock a couple of mbuna tanks, and much of what's been said is true... UNLESS one correspondingly increases tank maintenance, especially water changes. An overstocked tank is not necessarily unhealthy and it doesn't necessarily lead to sickly, underdeveloped fish. In the case of highly territorial and aggressive fish, overstocking actually reduces the number of fish deaths and injuries by dispersing aggression among many fish.
Overstocking does put the tank at greater risk of major crashes if maintenance is neglected. Waste obviously builds up more quickly, and heavy filtration and water changes are necessary to export wastes, waterborne hormones, etc. There is greater risk of oxygen depletion if the power goes off, so battery-powered emergency air pumps are a good idea.
Overstocking is not something for the newbie or causal aquarist, but I'd hate for everyone to get the idea that it's universally a bad idea.
Jim
Overstocking does put the tank at greater risk of major crashes if maintenance is neglected. Waste obviously builds up more quickly, and heavy filtration and water changes are necessary to export wastes, waterborne hormones, etc. There is greater risk of oxygen depletion if the power goes off, so battery-powered emergency air pumps are a good idea.
Overstocking is not something for the newbie or causal aquarist, but I'd hate for everyone to get the idea that it's universally a bad idea.
Jim
No one really talked about the chemical changes in the water from overstocking.
Obviously a tank is overstocked if you have several large fish in a small area. Thus creating cramped living conditions.
For example an overstocked tank would have a higher oxygen consumption. Thus the co2 levels would be higher and the net effect would be a lower PH level. ALso with more bio load the amount of bactera needed to process the ammoniia and nitrite prodcution would have to be higher. The water could change from clear to a yellowish color unless proper filtration was in place.
More agressive fish would be created. After all if you put many community fish in a small place where they have to fight for food it will be the survival of the fitest or the most agressive.
Obviously a tank is overstocked if you have several large fish in a small area. Thus creating cramped living conditions.
For example an overstocked tank would have a higher oxygen consumption. Thus the co2 levels would be higher and the net effect would be a lower PH level. ALso with more bio load the amount of bactera needed to process the ammoniia and nitrite prodcution would have to be higher. The water could change from clear to a yellowish color unless proper filtration was in place.
More agressive fish would be created. After all if you put many community fish in a small place where they have to fight for food it will be the survival of the fitest or the most agressive.