Catastrophe!!!

[trevo878]

Hey everyone,

Long time since I last posted (been in Europe for a month.) When I was there, my brother e-mailed me informing me about the death of my 15 year old plec Hoover...I found an internet cafe and immediately posted on this site about his death. I don't blame my brother for the death of Hoover because he got sick about a week before i left. Well, I got home yesterday and was shocked! I left with this:
40 Gallon[/B]
1 blood parrot
2 angels
1 common plec (hoover)
20 Gallon
2 Rams
2 honey gouramies
4 Otos

Came back to this:
40 Gallon
1 blood parrot
1 angel
1 gold plec
2 china loaches (or something like that)
2 silver dollars (one full grown, the other small)
3 kissing gouramies
3 cories
1 pike charachin
1 needle gar
and 2 bala sharks
For a total of 17 fish (most of which will outgrow the tank in a year)
and one of the lights are blown out

20 gallon
2 rams

after taking a few hours to let this settle in and after beating my brother for a few hours too, I decided I can't just give up on these fish. The 40 gallon is "technically" not my tank, so my brother will not allow me to take any fish back or add any plants or decorations.

So this is why I need youre help...for the 40 gallon, are there any feeding strategies or light strategies that will keep these fish from attacking one another. Remember, i'm not allowed to take any fish back or add any decorations, so yes I know my chances are limited.

and for the 20 gallon, I need to get this tank back on track! I have no idea how the two rams survived, the tank was covered in algae. I'm going to completely redo the tank and need new suggestions on which fish to put with the rams. I also can't use my plastic plants anymore because they were so badly covered with algae, so I will be making a post in the plant forums on which plants to put in my tank.

I'm still not technically responsible for a fish death, and I plan to keep it that way, so I need your help!!!

Thanks in advance,
Trevo

 

[modernhamlet]

The 40 gallon is "technically" not my tank, so my brother will not allow me to take any fish back or add any plants or decorations.

Then convince your brother that he has made a huge mistake. There are more problems with the mix of fish in that 40g than I can even think about posting. There is nothing you're going to be able to do to save these fish if he keeps them. Period.

 

[Synirr]

Christ, what an unpleasant surprise that must have been!! I agree with modernhamlet; that's your only option unless you're ready to get several new large tanks in a hurry
Actually, if you're old enough to drive yourself or can convince your parents that having those fish in that tank just isn't going to work, take them back next time your brother isn't around. Let him come home to an empty tank the same way he let you come home to a horribly overstocked one.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Yep, just take them back. You can put the cories in the 20g. Since I take it he bought them, just let the shop have them for free. Or you can say something like 'the x killed the y so I had to take it back' if you want a bit of an excuse.

 

[-cAtFiSh-]

oh dear
definately convince your brother to take some of the fish back!

and sorry to hear about your pleco

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Your brother needs to rehome alot of his fish, no matter how you decorate the tank or what you feed the fish, sooner or later there is going to be a blood bath and serious water quality issues.
Blood parrots have an aggressive and unpredictable personality due to their hybrid breeding, they are difficult to stock even in cichlid tanks let alone a community tank like yours, i believe they get to about 10inchs long but i am not sure on that.
Silver dollar= 8inchs;

http/badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile23.html

Chinese algae eaters get very terotorial to practically every fish, having them with their own kind is even worse- they have a habit of sucking out the eyeballs and eating the protective slim coat off fish, particually falt bodied ones, and anything else they can get a grip on and will get to 10inchs+.

The gold plec is most likey a gold nugget, these plec can get to 14inchs long depending on what type of gold nugget they are.

Kissing gouramis get to 8-12inchs long and will consider your live plants in your tank as food and need a tank of 55gals;

http/badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile60.html

Striped pike charcins are predatory fish and grow to 16inchs long and will consider most of your fish as snacks;

http/freshaquarium.about.com/cs/characin...stripedpike.htm

From what i have gathered most needle fish are predatory as well, the garfish will get to 40cm;

http/www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=10124

Bala sharks get to a foot long and need a tank of at least 75gals.

.........

You have to do somthing about the stocking and that is that.
Test the water in all the tanks for ammonia, nitrates and nitrites- the 40gal no doubt will have water quality issues at least will the dramatic increase in stocking- post your stats here once you have them.