Am I torturing this fish?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I maintain a pair of aquarium for the reception area of the vet clinic I work at, a 30 gallon community tank and a 2.5 gallon table top tank. The little 2.5 tank currently holds a 3 inch cichlid. He is alone in this little tank because he probably still harbors the intestinal parasite that killed the other 20 cichlids I bought when I initially set up the 30 gallon tank.

Here’s the tank in question

I’ve had about half a dozen people remark on what a HUGE fish I have stuffed into such a tiny tank. Now, I know he can’t stay in this tank forever and he’s in the process of being relocated, but seriously, is he really crammed? What happened to 1 inch of fish per gallon? Am I just incapable of judging?

Thanks

2

If this were GQ I would have to keep my mouth shut, as I don’t know anything official on the subject. But fish tanks are very popular here and I see higher fish-biomass-to-water ratios all the time. Heck, we probably have a higher ratio - our tank is humongous (when it was delivered, the workman got inside it to clean it) but it has about 15-20 discus of varying sizes in it.

Our fish seem happy.

If anyone complains, tell 'em the fish is actually quite small, but you have special magnifying glass that makes the fish appear much larger than he really is. :wink:

3

The inch per gallon rule is just a starting point, and doesn’t apply to most situations. I keep Angels, and the general rule for them is 10 gallons per adult, which grow to about 4 inches long.

I think the tank you have the cichlid in is fine for a hospital tank for a single fish, but I would not have used any gravel: A bare bottom tank is easier to keep clean, which is important for the fish to recover. I assume you are treating with Parasite Clear, doing water changes as instructed, and monitoring water quality daily. After the symptoms clear up, keep him quarantined for at least a month, and continue with frequent water changes. (don’t try to take the gravel out, thats usually a disaster :wink: )

Also, 20 cichlids in a 30 gallon tank is overcrowded, even for an established tank. If you put that many fish in a newly established tank, internal parasites would be the least of your worries. The ammonia spike would stress the fish before they adjusted to the new environment, and the following nitrite spike would either kill them, or stress them further making them vulnerable to disease.

If you want an overcrowded tank, you should introduce the fish in stages, allowing the biological filter to grow with the increased load, and keep your filter turnover at about 10 times the volume of the tank per hour. For a crowded 30 gallon tank, I would recommend an Aquaclear 70 filter.

Good luck with the fish!

4

That really is too small for him on a long term basis, as you realize. Most experienced fishkeepers I know take the view that tanks less than 5 gallons are only good for a betta and some snails.
The problem with small tanks is not that fish doesn’t have enough physical space to swim around. The real problem is that with such a small volume of water, the fish’s waste products can’t be diluted the way they would be in a larger tank.
So the best way to keep this fish happy is to monitor for nitrites and ammonia and do a water change if they are creeping up.

I think the best way to determine how many fish you can have in a tank is to keep track of your water quality (so you can see if you’re getting close to the limit) and get the advice of experienced fishkeepers. You can’t really rely on any rule of thumb that fits all fish, because a fish who is the same length may require more space due to having a fatter body shape (more body mass = more waste produced). Sometimes a small fish will require a large “territory” in order to be peaceful with other fish, or be a very active swimmer that needs room to keep moving.

Incidentally, here is a list of suggested stocking list for cichlids that would work in a 29 gallon (close enough; they don’t have a list for 30 gallons :slight_smile: ) that you might find helpful when you put the 30 gallon back together:

5

Thanks for the input, everyone.

To clarify: I don’t quite remember how many cichlids I originally started with. I got them over a year ago and they started to die of cryptobia soon afterwards. Apparently, the shop I got them from had the same problem. My fish expert friend (he’s getting his PhD in fish virology, so I trust him) said there was no treatment for cryptobia, so I put the one remaining cichlid in this little tank, expecting him to pass like the others. Strangely he didn’t.

He does get weekly 40% water changes, which is a lot, I know, but I’m paranoid about toxin build up in his tank.

It seems cryptobia is only pathogenic to cichlids and the latency period is presumed to be forever. So no more cichlid buddies for him. And, because he’s a cichlid, he can’t be with any other fish. He’s going to a new home where he can have a 20 gallon all to himself. We’re just waiting for the new tank to cycle. I’ll probably stick a beta in the little tank.

I was just getting offended at all the comments. Especially since most of the people didn’t even know enough about fish to know he is a cichlid. But yeah, it’s a sub-par situation and I’ll push to get it changed soon.

Thanks!

6

That’s an African Cichlid, they prefer hard water, fine gravel, lots of rocks, and a long tank, note the long body of the fish, a narrow, vertical tank is not the best choice for an African

they are prodigious, messy eaters, and produce a lot of waste, that fish will foul his water quickly

The “guideline” for stocking aquariums is 1" of narrow bodied fish (Neon Tetras, Guppies, Platies, etc…) per gallon, going by inches of fish alone, you have 3" of fish in 2.5 gallons of water, it’s overstocked, plus, cichlids generally count for twice their bioload, that 3" fish has a bioload of 6", 6" of fish in 2.5 gallons

Africans, under ideal circumstances, grow LARGE, the one you have, which looks like a Labidochromis Sp. can easily grow to 6-7" minimum (and keep in mind their 2X bioload)

a great tank for this fish would be a 20 Long, or 29 gallon (more is better), larger tanks are easier to care for too, as more water gives you more buffering, you won’t get ammonia spikes or pH crashes

long story short, yes, the tank is too small, the wrong dimensions, and overstocked, if this is a new tank, the fish would also be subject to stress from Cycling as the beneficial bacteria take time (up to 4 weeks) to colonize the filter and help break down waste

the tank you have would be a GREAT tank for a single Betta though…

7

I inch per gallon is the rule for determining whether they can survive. It is not about living conditions. I think small tanks are cruel. Bettas in cups annoy the hell out of me. Some attempt for a fish to do fishy things should be made. Plants to charge through trying to scare up minnows. Room to swim fast and ,room to hide .

8

I have a yellow male crowntail betta in a 20 long, heavily planted, he’s in heaven :slight_smile:

9

A happy fish update (sorry to hijack your thread, Pullet, but I have to share): This just in - we have eggs!!! And a mama and papa discus guarding them carefully. It’s terribly cute. Wish them luck, from what I read it appears that a lot could go wrong and we probably won’t end up with a lot of little fry. But who knows.

10

YAY! I love baby fishies! The only reason I ever got a 3 gallon tank in the first place (which now only houses one small African Dwarf Frog), was to put the 30 guppy fry that were born in our bigger tank so they’d be safe. I never made that mistake again! :wink: Survival of the fittest is the rule in my tank now.

Good luck with yours! I hope you get as many as you want, and no more than you can find good homes for if you’re lucky enough to get a bunch. :slight_smile: