Columbian Shark cats

[hardcoresteve]

i have 4 <mod edit for the sake of saving confusion> bala sharks. Columbian Shark cats. I have the correct salt in the tank i do not know how to measure ph and all the other stuff. the tank smells bad and the sides of the tank are getting algae on them i was thinking about getting an algae eater. i do however right now have an undersized tank for them i am running a 10 gallon tank i understand that i need to upgrade to about a 75 gallon tank. please help or else the my step dad is going to make me get rid of them he cant take the smell.


thanks

 

[Nethius]

Why did you add salt? they are a fresh water fish... You are refering to Balantiocheilus melanopterus right?

 

[hardcoresteve]

they say tropical and to add a teaspoon of salt for every five gallons
the do not look like the fish in the picture they have whiskers almost like cat fish but they are not cat fish i went to petsmart and they are i thought bala sharks it starts with a b? i just followed what the store person told me. none have died because of the salt.

 

[Nethius]

they say tropical and to add a teaspoon of salt for every five gallons
the do not look like the fish in the picture they have whiskers almost like cat fish but they are not cat fish i went to petsmart and they are i thought bala sharks it starts with a b? i just followed what the store person told me. none have died because of the salt.

[snapback]891595[/snapback]​

just a shot in the dark here, but could it be a Arius seemani?

if so check here

edit: I also want to note that if they need salt, then they need Marine Salt (Instant Ocean), and NOT Aquarium Salt or Table Salt. At the amount you stated then the fish would be a Brackish Water fish, but we want to make sure we have a propper ID first

 

[fraservet]

there seems to be some confusion here.

the saltwater forums are really for marine fish - ie those that are found in the sea.

what you have is essentially a tropical freshwater fish. it may benefit from a small amount of salt being added to the tank (although I am not a big believer in such things in most cases), or may possibly be a brackish water fish (obviously need confirmation of what exactly it is first).

I would recommend re-posting your question in the freshwater section - or perhaps a mod can move it.


Edit -
Nethius - isn't a teaspoon (5ml) of salt per 5 gallons awfully low to qualify as brackish?
I thought that was the amount they tend to recommend for sailfin mollies etc.
In which case aquarium salt should be fine.

 

[hardcoresteve]

those r the fish you are awesome. it is the aquarium salt that they told me to put in. do you have any suggestions?

 

[hardcoresteve]

those are my fish but the site u sent does not tell much about smells and algae

 

[Nethius]

those r the fish you are awesome. it is the aquarium salt that they told me to put in. do you have any suggestions?

[snapback]891724[/snapback]​

Alright, they can live in Fresh Water when very young, but need to be moved to a brackish environment ASAP

As I stated above, unfortunately aquarium salt will not cut it... you need marine salt. You will also need a hydro meter to determint the salinity. (how much salt is in the water) you will want a specific gravity (as they call it) of 1.005. As these fish mature they will eventually need full marine conditions

These fish are often sold with incorrect info like in your case. They arent really fish for a beginner. you may consider taking them back if they will accept them

I havent got a lot of time now, but you should search the net for setting up a brackish water tank if you looking to keep them I can post more later, or someone else may be able to fill in the blanks here. These fish can also easily reach 8 or 9 inches, and like to be in groups, so a large tank would be required to keep them for life (75 US Gal atleast)

as for smells, do water changes and use activated charcoal, for the algae keep out of direct sunlight, maybe try to keep the lights off more often... but these issues arent directly related to these fish... search the forums, you should find tons of info. good luck... i'll check this topic tomorrow.

oh yea, and they are indeed catfish!

 

[Nethius]

Here is an excellent site regarding setting up a brackish tank

http/www.fishprofiles.com/articles/general/brackish/

Keep in mind FW fish will not tolerate BW, and visa versa. So unless you looking to keep these guys in their own tank, or in a tank with other brackish fish, and are planning on getting a large tank in the near future, you may want to look into getting rid of them.

 

[Pufferpunk]

They also grow quite huge (up to 18") & will require a very large tank for 4 or them. They also prefer marine conditions as adults.

 

[hardcoresteve]

one died when i used the instant ocean and the salt le vel was correct i guess maybe he was sick?

 

[Pufferpunk]

How much salt did you add?

 

[andywg]

Did you add the salt directly to the tank?

 

[hardcoresteve]

a second one died i added the salt as the bag said to and the saltinity was correct i added the salt to the tank after cleaning it out and let it disolve completly as directed to and the fish one died and now today another one died. the box said for a 10 gallon tank add 5 cups. help i dont want them all to die i have 2 left

 

[pica_nuttalli]

what is the "correct" salinity level that the bag said to use? and how much time did you take to raise the salinity level?