Can you have an overstocked fish tank?

An overstocked aquarium is an aquarium that either has too many fish, or is too small for the few fish it has, even if that is just one to two large fish.

What makes a tank overstocked?

An overstocked tank is so alike to a small tank for there is an absence of enough space for the fish that results from stunted growth.

Will an overstocked tank cycle?

If you are severely overstocked, daily 50% water changes will be needed. Twice would be better. Just because your tank is big, doesn’t mean it isn’t overstocked. If you have more fish than you should in your tank, water changes 3-4 times a week should be as standard.

Does my fish tank need an air pump?

An air pump simply bubbles air through your tank. Air pumps serve two purposes. First, they insure that your tank maintains an adequate concentration of oxygen. An air pump is NOT required for this purpose, as long as your tank maintains adequate water movement together with surface agitation.

How do I know if my fish tank is stressed?

Strange Swimming: When fish are stressed, they often develop odd swimming patterns. If your fish is swimming frantically without going anywhere, crashing at the bottom of his tank, rubbing himself on gravel or rocks, or locking his fins at his side, he may be experiencing significant stress.

Do fish need gravel in their tank?

Perhaps the most important function aquarium gravel serves is biological filtration for good bacteria. The bacteria can live without a comfy gravel bed, but they might not grow in sufficient quantities to keep the aquarium safe for your fish.

What does PetSmart do with returned fish?

PetSmart will take any returned fish and quarantine them for several days. During this time, they will observe the fish to make sure they are healthy and not showing any signs of illness. They may then move the fish to a larger tank with plenty of plants and some other fish that are also in quarantine.

Why do fish swim up and down in corner of tank?

Fish exhibit many behaviors that tell us how they are feeling, and glass surfing (also known as pacing) is one of them. This is when fish constantly swim up and down the sides of the aquarium glass. One reason they do this is stress. It could mean they aren’t happy in their environment, for one reason or another.

Is your aquarium overstocked with fish?

When your aquarium is overstocked there’s simply not room enough for all the fish to thrive. So oftentimes the fish will live a short life which is a shame. If you sixpack this to be happening you should definitely take out a few fish to lower the amount of fish in the tank.

Can you have too many fish in a small aquarium?

It’s nice to keep a lot of fish in the tank but it can easily get too much. It’s sometimes confusing for people to visit the pet store because they often have a ton of fish in small aquariums. They can do so because they have a massive pump system and they filtrate and clean the water regularly.

Why is my fish tank full of water?

This will typically happen if you have to many fish in the aquarium or if the fish are too big for your tank. If you’re having problems with diseases and you have already tested your water properly (to make sure the cycle is running as it should) you might also have a problem with overstocking.

Why is there too much ammonia in my Aquarium?

The excretes from the fish contain ammonia. And if you have too many fish you will have too much ammonia in the water. This would be a clear sign that the cycle is not running well because the ammonia is not broken down into nitrites. This will typically happen if you have to many fish in the aquarium or if the fish are too big for your tank.