5 Ways to know if your Fish Tank is Overcrowded

One of the most widespread hobbies in the world is fish-keeping. For quite a long time, this was in the top three hobbies people had. After that, we can see that there were roughly two decades when it wasn’t quite as popular as it was before. Nowadays, it has a certain rise in interest who comes from people these days. When you think about that, it makes perfect sense.

Nowadays, you can keep much more species of fish than ever before. The reason why this is possible is simple. The market has grown immensely. At the same time, it is clear that there are many more additional features that can make your fish tank look more beautiful than ever in history. Not to mention that filters have become much more efficient.

If you want to take a look at some of these filters, be sure to visit here. Since there are so many possibilities at your disposal, making the mistake of having an overcrowded fish tank is possible. Now, we would like to talk about a couple of ways you can see whether this is the case. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of these indicators.

1. Oxygen Level

The first indicator that can indicate you might have a problem with an overcrowded fish tank is the low level of oxygen in it. While this may look like an easy thing to perceive, establishing the accurate level can be quite problematic. Practically the only way you can see whether something is wrong with this is to observe the behavior of fish and see if there is something that can indicate a possible problem.

One of the most important indicators is the lack of eating and swimming. It requires a certain time of observing before you can know for sure. The next indicator is heavy breathing. It is manifested in fishes moving rapidly all over the tank. Lastly, if you spot fish that are roaming the surface constantly, this is a clear sign they lack oxygen. An obvious solution would be to depopulate the tank to a certain percentage.

2. The Aggressiveness

Next, we would like to talk about a possible aggressiveness manifested by the fish you have in your tank. The reason why they are inclined to behave like this in an overcrowded place is simple, they lack the space they need. Plus, it wouldn’t be a mistake to ask about what species is more aggressive usually. When they don’t have enough space, they can become aggressive much more, which can be a problem.

Furthermore, it is widely known that some species tend to mark their territory. So, when other inhabitants who invade that territory with their presence will be attacked. To prevent this from happening, you shouldn’t have too many inhabitants in your tank. Just to make sure, you should double-check the nature of those species you intend to buy.

3. Low Quality of Water

One factor truly makes the difference when we are talking about the quality of water. We are talking about the nitrogen cycle. It needs to be said that nitrogen can be found in feces and food fish consume. According to some credible reports done on this topic, we can see that this is a significant factor in maintaining a healthy atmosphere in an aquarium.

Basically, this cycle has the task of keeping the balance of a normal habitat for many species. However, having too many of them inside an aquarium can disrupt it quite a bit. It is pretty obvious since many more of them will need to eat a certain kind of food. Not to mention that an increased amount of feces can impose a significant change within the ecosystem. In a bad environment, fish could behave strangely.

4. Short Lifespan

Next, we would like to talk about the most severe consequence of an overcrowded aquarium. When we say that, we mean that the lifespan of the inhabitants can become significantly lower. In some cases, it can be cut in half, which nobody would like to experience, right? Plus, it needs to be said that this halving of the lifespan can happen for a variety of reasons, but the source of the problems is a crowd.

At the same time, the lack of space can harm some specie’s lifespan. Since they cannot move around as much as they would like to, they cannot grow properly. Meaning, they cannot progress physically. While many say that expecting this would be an exaggeration, we can say that there are many reports done that can confirm these claims, leaving no doubt behind it.

5. Possible Diseases

Last but not least, it is important to point out the possibility of many diseases appearing as a result of having too many inhabitants in your aquarium. When you take a look at some official reports, you will see that some species simply cannot live together. Many diseases can occur as a result of their interaction. If you start taking a look at these, you will see that there are many examples.

If you succeed to prevent these unwanted interactions, the next step is to prevent having too many of these inside the fish tank. These diseases can manifest themselves in a lot of different ways. One of the commonest is spots that appear on the skin of the fish. When that appears, your first guess should be that you have two species that don’t belong together, or you have too many inhabitants in a tank.

In Summation

Since this hobby has become more popular recently, you can see that more people want to learn as much as possible about it. As you can imagine, there are a lot of aspects you need to have an insight into. Here, you can see how big of a problem an overcrowded tank can cause for its inhabitants. We do not doubt that being aware of these will help you understand these problems, and how you can prevent them most efficiently.