Ok, you disagree - I still think you're wrong. It is easy to tell if a
fish is happy - watch its behavior. Unhappy fish do not exhibit natural
behavior patterns. If you have ever had a "fish that looks fine and
happy fine...go belly up" then you don't pay enough attention to your
fish.

I almost always keep my tanks far above the normally accepted stocking
limits yet I am quite sure they are very happy. Why? Because I watch
them breed, I see their colors get brighter as they stay in my tank
longer, I watch them school and interact the way healthy fish do and I
watch them grow quite quickly. I get top dollar from my LFS for any
fish I wish to sell him because my fish look better than the fish from
any other source he has. That doesn't happen unless the fish are "fine
and happy fine"

Most of what you say sounds like something from a petsmart FAQ. Despite
the dogmatic warnings we have all heard about overstocked tanks the
facts are the warnings are simply not true. They are good guidelines
for beginners who may not want to put a lot of time into their tanks
but they don't hold water if you actually test them.

I would be glad to share any information you would like to have about
my "overstocked" aquariums. I assure you they are running far above
their recommended capacity of fish and are completely "happy fine."

-Daniel