# Stocking Ideas Osaka 70 gallon



## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)

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## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)

Wow, I really have a hard time with these photos…. Ugh. Must be an easier way. I digress… My original post had no photos, add photos, lose message….

I have a 70 gallon Osaka with:

48 cardinals
4 angelfish
5 GBR 
9 corys
1 common pleco


I would like to add some more fish - I am always afraid of overstocking, so would like some advice for additional fish (tank looks empty) or thoughts….
Thanks.
Julie


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

My biggest concern would be for your cardinals. When I had angels they regularly ate my cardinals/neons. How often and how much water are you changing? Have you tested for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate? That would give you the best clues as to whether you are overstocking. If you can maintain your tank at < 40 ppm (even less would be better,like 20 ppm) before each wc, then you're likely ok.


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## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)

I'm at work, so don't know the numbers off the top of my head, but all has been well since adding the existing fish at the end of August. As for the cardinal/angel food issue - I've not lost any cardinals to attack from the angels - the angels weren't full grown when I got them and the cardinals are big - I'd say 1" on average. That's why I worry about overstocking - they don't appear like that many, but there are 48 in there and the tank still looks empty…. I see other people on here with what I think is way too many fish in the tank - I will get back to you on actual numbers on the water parameters… Thanks for your input.


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## Steve (Mar 27, 2013)

You could look at adding a couple more angels, or a school of rummynose tetras, lemon/bleeding heart tetras, or some hatchetfish if there's a lid on the tank.


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

If you like angel fish, I will just keep one; but not more.

For your tank size, I would not do more than 2 groups of tetra. You can add more cardinals in there. But having another group of school tetra really crowded your tank. 

A few fish you can consider...
a few blue rams or a few apistogramma dwarf cichlids, but not both.
a few more corys.
a few otocinclus for algae control.
if you like exotic pleco, you can get one of those smaller one that max out at 3.5".
if you don't mind to be a crowding tank, you can keep your number of cardinals, but get a doz or 2 rummynose.
you can also add 6-12 bleeding heart instead of keeping the angels.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

pandamom said:


> I see other people on here with what I think is way too many fish in the tank - I will get back to you on actual numbers on the water parameters&#8230; Thanks for your input.


You think that because it is true. Overstocking is very prevalent in this hobby because people like to see fish. Every time I've overstocked excessively my fish and I have paid for it. IMO, it's always safer and more natural to appear understocked. If you appear understocked, you probably are properly stocked.


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

I would sell a common pleco and get something small like BNP or any pleco that stays small (~4"). that common pleco will be too big to be in your tank and it has huge bioload...


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## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)

Thanks for that - I've heard that a lot. I've had this pleco for about 2 years now, it is about 4" long and has been for the last year. I don't know whether I don't feed it well or what, but it doesn't seem to grow anymore&#8230;. For the record, it loves Tetra Colour Bits and Cucumber - it's main diet, as well as whatever the others don't eat. I feed the others frozen bloodworms, Tetra colour bits, Tetra colour flakes and occasionally a freeze dried tubifex cube.



jhj0112 said:


> I would sell a common pleco and get something small like BNP or any pleco that stays small (~4"). that common pleco will be too big to be in your tank and it has huge bioload...


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## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)

2wheelsx2 said:


> My biggest concern would be for your cardinals. When I had angels they regularly ate my cardinals/neons. How often and how much water are you changing? Have you tested for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate? That would give you the best clues as to whether you are overstocking. If you can maintain your tank at < 40 ppm (even less would be better,like 20 ppm) before each wc, then you're likely ok.


So, my water parameters are good - ammonia 0, nitrite 0 and nitrate between 0-5. The temperature is 25 C and I do 50% water changes once per week. It has a Fluval 406 canister filter with charcoal, ammonia remover and purigen, (off and on, because when I clean it - it doesn't go back in for a while - I only open the canister once a month) filter media and bio-rings. I also have a couple of airstones. It is not planted.

I have had no issues at all with the angels eating the cardinals - the cardinals are big fish and I haven't lost any due to them being eaten.


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## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)

jhj0112 said:


> I would sell a common pleco and get something small like BNP or any pleco that stays small (~4"). that common pleco will be too big to be in your tank and it has huge bioload...


You can see it in a couple of the photos - on the wall behind the filter intake&#8230;


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

You probably don't need the ammonia remover, but it doesn't matter either way as it'll act like bio media once it's spent. Purigen is good stuff, I used it in all my tanks. Any reason you're running charcoal? It's doing the same job as Purigen and is not rechargable and likely spent if you've had it in there more than a couple of weeks. I'd get a second bag of Purigen so you can always have one in there, and ditch the charcoal. 

Since your tank is not planted, the low nitrates readings are good. You likely have more room for fish. But if you only added a few more, it'll make your life easier.

If your "common" pleco is 4" after 2 years, it's likely not a common pleco. Perhaps you can show us a pic so it can properly identified. In 2 years most common plecos would be 9"+. I tried looking at your pics, but couldn't find the pleco in them.


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## pandamom (Jul 16, 2013)

Hi 2wheelsx2, thanks for your response. I will upload some of these not-very good photos of my pleco. I have a really hard time photographing him. My angels come right over for a photo op - the pleco is very shy...

I use charcoal as well as the Purigen because I have real wood in my tank and it tends to make the water less than perfect and so in hopes of getting crystal clear water, I use everything possible. You're right though, I figured that only changing the charcoal once a month wouldn't be best, but I get it pretty cheap. Next time, I will just get another bag of Purigen - quite honestly, I find it a bit of a hassle - the soaking in bleach, then the chlorine remover, then in water&#8230;.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

pandamom said:


> Hi 2wheelsx2, thanks for your response. I will upload some of these not-very good photos of my pleco. I have a really hard time photographing him. My angels come right over for a photo op - the pleco is very shy...
> 
> I use charcoal as well as the Purigen because I have real wood in my tank and it tends to make the water less than perfect and so in hopes of getting crystal clear water, I use everything possible. You're right though, I figured that only changing the charcoal once a month wouldn't be best, but I get it pretty cheap. Next time, I will just get another bag of Purigen - quite honestly, I find it a bit of a hassle - the soaking in bleach, then the chlorine remover, then in water&#8230;.


It needn't be so complicated. I don't even use chlorine remover. Chlorine is volatile so just like aging water, the chlorine will just evaporate if you leave it for a day. So here's what I do. I put in bleach and agitate a few time to make it's all recharged and then I rinse in running water and then leave in a small container of fresh cold water for a day to let the chlorine leach out and then I dump the water and leave the Purigen in the container for it to be used the next time. This works great if you can alternate bags.

That does indeed look like a Pterygoplichthys species, but I'm not sure that it's a P. pardalis which is what people call a common pleco. It may be one of the other ones which are slower growing. But most of the Pterygoplichthys species get big, so this guy will eventually be big. But if you like him, keep him. I don't see why you have to get rid of him if he's not causing trouble. I gave away a P. gibbiceps years ago when I first got into exotic plecos and I regret it to this day as I raised him from 2" to a monstrous 12" guy in about 18 months. Now I have other monstrous ones in the which are very slow growers.


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## shift (Dec 21, 2012)

My oska had. 20 rummys. 20 cardinals, 30-40 cpds. Bnp, a bunch of Amano shrimp and 6-10 ottos


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