a new tank for me

[Jaded_Pulse]

ok so i'm still terribly new to this, but having not done my homework originally & accidently going to a very dodgy lfs, i have ended up with:

1 scissortail rasbora
1 neon tetra
1 marble angelfish
1 black skirt tetra
1 blue/red colombian tetra
2 male guppies
1 kribensis
+
1 apple snail
3 live plants

so really bad combo, & rather overcrowded for approx. 13-15g tank. they're all relatively little right now, and most are peaceful....except for my krib & my colombian tetra. i now know my krib will get to be upto 8cm (!!) & though i'm not sure how big my colombian tetra will get, he is growing very fast & i suspect he won't stay small forever. (not sure whether they're male or female, i just call them all males.) hence, i plan to set up a second tank for my krib at least because he's getting too aggressive for a community tank. so i'm wondering what size tank should i get (i'm not getting a mate coz i don't have time for bubs), and would it be alright to put my colombian tetra in there too or will he eventually get eaten? if i can't put him in, is there anything else i can put in with my krib or is he best left alone? i am trying to re-home my angel btw, but not having too much luck, & my lfs won't have him.

to finish with a super stupid & completely unrelated question - how & y should i clean my gravel?? i've only just heard (from here) that i should but my lfs never said anything about this - i'm guessing it's neccessary??

thanx heaps & heaps guys!!

 

[noop]

your neon will be stressed cos he's got no friends to hang out with, but this may not be a problem for long if your angel gets hungry

your gravel should be cleaned for the same reason you need to flush your toilet . i clean mine when i'm siphoning water out for a water change

 

[NeilP]

You should have neons is groups of at least 4 - 6 - they are schoaling fish, and do get stressed when on their own.

The Colombian Tetra grows to 2" in the wild so probably slightly smaller in an aquarium.

Number of fish in a 13 - 15g tank - you may be slightly overcrowded at the moment, but if you are rehousing the Krib, you should be OK (even if adding another 3 - 4 tetras).

The easiest way (IMO) to clean the gravel is to get a siphon gravel cleaner which you use to help siphon the water out and clean the gravel at the same time. They cost about £6 - £10 in the UK for a small one.

Hope this helps - and Good Luck,

Neil.

 

[LoveMyOscar]

 

[Morrgan]

I suggest you choose one of the tetras, give away the others and get a proper-sized school of the one you've chosen (which is at least 6). All tetras need a school and a 13-15g tank will only house one school comfortably.

I've kept a krib couple in a 16g once, and that was a little too small for a breeding couple (other fish got chased for example). A couple would need at least 20g. About 15g should be fine for a single krib though, but that depends on what other fish you plan to keep with him. As for suitable company, try to go for fish that stay at the top of the tank and are about the same size. That way they'll keep out of the kribs way and not be too small to get harassed.

If you do put in the colombian tetra with him, get a school of the tetras and put in lots of plants and other places to hide. Otherwise the tetras might get too stressed. I can't say from experience whether combining these two is a good idea or not though.