have a 45 gallon tank that is running really well. All my parameters are normal for a tropical tank. Not too much ammonia, nitrites or nitrates, good stable PH, good temp, clear water… the tank has been up and running a couple months. My fish get fed bloodworms, brine, shrimp pellets, algea pellets for the bottom feeders and crisps.
I have
8 adult tiger barbs
1 adult rainbow shark
3 adult dwarf gourami
5 green cory (3 adults and two albino babies)
1 upside down catfish
No one fights, theres lots of decorations and plants so they are always swimming in and out and playing, everyone seems perfectly happy.
I had a friend come over who said my trank was overstocked. Is he right?
Also, how do I know if I am overfeeding the fish? Whenever I come up to the tank all of the fish swarm up to the top like carp they act so hungry, and will even come up and nip at my fingers if I put them in the tank. One person told me to only feed an amount as big as their eye, but then someone else said to let them eat as much food as they want for 5 minutes then stop feeding them.
Let me tell you, these guys SCARF food down- I will put two peices of frozen bloodworms, a pinch of crisps, an algea pellet and some sinking shrimp pellets, and they attack it like they havent eaten in a month, and it will be gone in moments. If they keep coming back for more, do I keep feeding them? How do I know when to stop?
Thanks for any help!
Rainbows do not grow over 6”, and most top out at 5. Mine is already 4.5” and is several years old. Even if he hits 6” that will not be too large for my tank. He is not going to get huge.
Thanks for the info- I think I will take the baby albino cory out and maybe one of the gourami and transfer them to a new tank, just in case.
Filter is a biofilter 100gallon filter running on med/high, ammonia/nitrIte levels are at 0, Nitrates are at 10 I think. PH is 7, on the dot, temp is 79. The crisps are definitely for fish, LOL, not human crackers… its just regular tropical fish food but they are small bits that sink instead of flakes that float. They call them crisps, I dont know why 
