aquarium help

[stormlord]

i have 2 adult angelfish, 2 neon tetras and 1 adult agae eater in a 20 gallon tank, ive raised em all since babies but still dont know much bout aquariums

first off i have a question about my filters, the past 2 or three months ive had to change the filters bout every 2 weeks, they get so clogged the water cant flow through, i wanted to know if this is normal for these fish for being adults or could i be feeding them too much? they appear to eat most of the food i give them and the 2 angel fish are very hardy eaters, i feed them twice a day but they always want to eat. mainly i just really dont know anything about angelfish or my agae eater for that matter

i had trouble before keeping live aquatic plants in aquarium as the fish eat them up, recently i decided to put some plants from outside in there and the plants appear to live very well in there so far anyway, but the fish dont eat this plant, and wondered if anyone thought this was a good idea or not, its from a flowering bush and i'm quite sure its not toxic but how well would an outside plant live in there and what benifits specifically do live plants give an aquarium, do they make use of any waste in the water?

here is a link to a picture of my aquarium, is there anything i can do with it to make the fish happier? ...also open to suggestions to enhance the look of it
http/xtremepc.0catch.com/aqua.html

 

[kgrehm]

Hmm. I dont know why your filters keep clogging. I dont believe its because of the food or whatnot. Have you ever changed them recently or just rinsed them off. You might want to invest in a new filter. Also by the looks of your angels, they need to have a bigger aquarium of at least 30+. Although you are taking care of them they need alot of space. What is your alge eater? Do you have a Pic?

I am not sure if the plant that you put in there from the outside is toxic. HOw long have you had it in there? Plants are beneficial because they use up some of the nitrates. Although when they decompose they also help create ammonium. Thats why you have to watch your cycle and make sure it is stable.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

If the algae eater is the plec I can see in the back right corner of your pic then I think that's the problem.

The plec and angels will need more room also I am afraid. Angels need a tank that is at least 18" high for them to be comfortable.

I think the plec could be the cause of the filter getting dirty as they are poo machines!!

 

[Silly me]

The angles might be fine in the tank, they seem happy but the pleco might be a much for the tank, its very lightly stocked

The plant you stuck in there is only going to rot so you'll need to replace them every week, or get proper water plants..

 

[Cheese Specialist]

The angles might be fine in the tank, they seem happy but the pleco might be a much for the tank, its very lightly stocked

The plant you stuck in there is only going to rot so you'll need to replace them every week, or get proper water plants..

You can tell they are "happy" from one still photo?!

A 20gall tank can only be about 15" high and 18" is the minimum for a gowing/adult angel. Many also say that they should be given 10 gallons per fish in addition to this.

 

[Silly me]

Maybe, so your advice to stormlord is to remove all you fish but the 2 neon tetras? that way he solved bot the plant being eaten and the filter clogging?

What about,

stormlord, the answer to your questions:

1, Clogged filter: your fish load might be beyond the limits of the filter. are you doing weekly water changes?

2, keeping live aquatic plants : The pleco is big, to big for your tank size and you'll need to supply him with other source of plant food,and the plant would need the right amount of light. there is a very large amount of detail here but light is always the best place to start.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

The pleco is big, to big for your tank size and you'll need to supply him with other source of plant food,and the plant would need the right amount of light.

Plant food for the plec? We don't even know what plec it is. Different plecs eat different things but I do not know of plecs eating plants as such. The plec needs wood of some kind as it has nowhere site during the day by the looks of the tank.

Yes, silly me I do think that both the angels and the plec should not be in that sized tank. If the plec is a common, it will grow to 16"+ and the angels definatly need more height to allow for their fins as well as them fairly large fish anyway.

 

[clutterydrawer]

is that a neon at the top right? it doesnt look very neon to me. might just be the lighting though.

 

[stormlord]

the tetras are similar to neon, i forget exact name but just have one small glowing spec under their eyes and one on their tail

thanks for all the advice, i'd say your right the problem is probly the agae eater, never heard the term plec may be gettn to big...he is orange,red eyes and about 8 inches or so long, he even eats those tubiflex worms and i also feed him agae food but hte angels usually get to that first

the angels were only a $1 a piece as babies and only 1 place around here has them that cheap, most places are $8, but they seem quite happy and act like puppies when i'm near, certainly the most personality ive ever seen a fish have, i put some more plants in there which they all started growing roots, a friend told me they'll probnly live for bout 2 months or so till the roots get too much water but its free to replace compared to the price of aqua plants which my fish eat, they dont eat these though, this is first time tyring live plants so i'm hoping they might handle some of the waste, for now i'll just change the filters often, i buy the cheap bulk filters but looks the same as others

 

[Cheese Specialist]

What are you going to do about the fish that are too big for yor tank? The plec, depending on type could easily double in size and the angels (no matter how cheap ) need a tall tank in order to grow properly.

A plec is a type of catfish, there are many different kinds but the ones most commonly found often get very big. Common plecs get to 18"!!

Yours looks a little like this one but of course I cannot be sure!!

What height is your tank and do you have any photos of the plec to help us identify him?

 

[aja71]

Hello Stormlord,
I agree with the Angelfish someday soon needing a taller tank to grow properly. As far as help with your filters, I would say that it is your pleco doing the most waste in the aquarium! I have been there! Also, you mentioned about changing your filters more. Sometimes you are taking good bacteria out too often, you can rinse your filters in some used aquarium water, like when you are changing water, this will save some money and waste on filters.
On the note of the pleco. He does need a big home, but he will probably eat some zuccini and some squash and some cooked peas without the skins on them......
Good luck, Angel

by the way, the tetra in the corner upper right is a head and tail light.