KyzaSoze
New Member
My tank has been up in running 10 days now. 4 Tiger barbs went in yesteday, they're the first fish in the tank, how soon am i lookin at to put a single Convict in?
Convicts
- Thread starter KyzaSoze
- Start date
love4aquatic
Fish Addict
wrong part of the forum but how big is your tank?
the fish can go in as soon as the tank is done cycleing i think
LionMom
Fishaholic
I think you might be on the wrong forum - this one is for bettas. You should probably go on the New World Cichlids forum for help with your question.
Hope that helps!
Hope that helps!
love4aquatic
Fish Addict
electric yellow
Fish Addict
Ok yes wrong section...i have 4 convicts and they are best kept in their natural cichlid environment. Let alone with 4 tiger barbs..no no! Tiger barbs like to nip and are chasey fish. Also the ph convicts need or should be kept in a high range ph with lots of hiding spots and tiger barbs are your standard tropical ph of neutral. I have 4 grey and black striped convicts and they are gorgeous but you need to know about their habitat first before putting them in an every day communal tank. They should be kept in high numbers.
OP
OP
KyzaSoze
New Member
Tank is 60L, 1 large Rock Cave and quite a few plastic plants rangeing from 4", 8" and 12" situated at the back of the tank, plus 2 small plants at front of tank, so quite a lot a hiding spots, in the LFS Tiger Barbs n Convict where in the same tank! 3 days on the trot i was in checking the fish for any health problems before buying them n everytime - the Barbs n Convict got on well.
It can be done... just not recommended for beginners. As far as I'm concerned, you should not be keeping convicts in such a small tank (I believe that to be approx. 15US Gal).
is your tank cycled? if not, you should not even consider adding even a tetra.
ask this same question over in the NW Cichlid section and you will get a lot more info on convicts.
Just an FYI... What fish stores do and tell you to do usually cannot be taken to heart. For the most part, store employees/owners are just trying to make a sale.
is your tank cycled? if not, you should not even consider adding even a tetra.
ask this same question over in the NW Cichlid section and you will get a lot more info on convicts.
Just an FYI... What fish stores do and tell you to do usually cannot be taken to heart. For the most part, store employees/owners are just trying to make a sale.
OP
OP
KyzaSoze
New Member
Have wrote in the New Cichlids section, 1 useless reply.. Guy in shop is sound, no problems with him tryin 2 sell me stuff,he's kept me preety much in the no so far, he said Tiger Barbs are hardy fish, n they would be ok going in first so after 7-9 day cycle put them in.. went back next day n got a convict n a red tail shark cause they where all in the same tank in the LFS n gettin along - 3 days a went in prior to buying my fish to check they where healthy before buying them, no problems with any off them so far they still seem to be getting along cosy as if they where still in the shop, mibbae cause i'm feeding the convict bloodworms which my barbs seen to love by the way, convict came out for 2 mins n then went back into the rock n still to reappear.. i know this is in the wrong section but any replys would be grateful.
bronzecat
Leader of the Fishes
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2008
- Messages
- 2,101
- Reaction score
- 0
bronzecat
Leader of the Fishes
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2008
- Messages
- 2,101
- Reaction score
- 0
Ok. So you went offline.
According to your profile, on the 10th March you say you were in the 1st week of fishless cycle. Unless you added mature filter media from another mature tank, there is no way your tank has cycled after 7-9 days. Which means that your Tiger barbs are being subjected to high Ammonia, to be followed by high nitrItes. Both of these are highly toxic to fish. If the guy at the LFS is "sound" and he said it was ok to put fish in before the cycle finished then he is not so sound i'm afraid. A fishless cycle can take anything from 6-12 weeks.
I'm not getting at you, as you may well have been going by what the guy at the lfs said to do, and you may be a first time tropical fish keeper. If this is the case, you really need to supply all the info so people can help you
Your barbs may well come through the ammonia & nitrite but it may well cause damage that shortens their life.
Did the lfs guy tell you about testing your water? Believe me, there are many many people that work in lfs' that may well sound knowledgable, but there's a lot that just want sales. I guess they think that by telling people they can put fish in now, means they get the sale, before you can have a look elsewhere.
People will try and help on this section regardless of what species of fish you have, as the basics of tank husbandry are the same
EDIT: Just seen that you have been given advice in the "New to the hobby" section in the thread "Seeding". You've added the Convicts then. The gravel you added will do nothing. As you state on that thread, you have had no show of ammonia, nitrIte since starting the tank. That means the filter hadn't even started cycling. That now means that that your Tigers, the Convicts and the red tailed shark will all be subjected to a cycling tank. You were told not to add any fish on that thread, but you still went and did it. Your lfs guy has not only got your money, but caused you a major problem! i.e. major water changes for the next month or three.
According to your profile, on the 10th March you say you were in the 1st week of fishless cycle. Unless you added mature filter media from another mature tank, there is no way your tank has cycled after 7-9 days. Which means that your Tiger barbs are being subjected to high Ammonia, to be followed by high nitrItes. Both of these are highly toxic to fish. If the guy at the LFS is "sound" and he said it was ok to put fish in before the cycle finished then he is not so sound i'm afraid. A fishless cycle can take anything from 6-12 weeks.
I'm not getting at you, as you may well have been going by what the guy at the lfs said to do, and you may be a first time tropical fish keeper. If this is the case, you really need to supply all the info so people can help you
Your barbs may well come through the ammonia & nitrite but it may well cause damage that shortens their life.Did the lfs guy tell you about testing your water? Believe me, there are many many people that work in lfs' that may well sound knowledgable, but there's a lot that just want sales. I guess they think that by telling people they can put fish in now, means they get the sale, before you can have a look elsewhere.
People will try and help on this section regardless of what species of fish you have, as the basics of tank husbandry are the same
EDIT: Just seen that you have been given advice in the "New to the hobby" section in the thread "Seeding". You've added the Convicts then. The gravel you added will do nothing. As you state on that thread, you have had no show of ammonia, nitrIte since starting the tank. That means the filter hadn't even started cycling. That now means that that your Tigers, the Convicts and the red tailed shark will all be subjected to a cycling tank. You were told not to add any fish on that thread, but you still went and did it. Your lfs guy has not only got your money, but caused you a major problem! i.e. major water changes for the next month or three.
A quick note on the "sound advice" of a lfs guy. I have known a guy for quite some time that is very very very knowledgeable on fish. However, I think in my somewhat short bout of experience, I'm much more knowledgeable than him --- that, or I have different motives .
When my GF was having betta problems a couple of years ago, he insisted that real fish meds did not exist anymore after I had done some research and needed Tetracycline (he said it could not be purchased anymore). I believed everything he said..... after all, he has a 200 gallon salt water tank with some very unique corals and fish. Looking back on it, he is a crazy hippie and just thought that the government was controlling antibiotics in fish stores. Even beyond that, he told me some things when I was getting into fish keeping that I now could disprove in my sleep.
So, take notice of that.
As bronzecat has said, you may have some serious problems with your tank. PLZ PLZ PLZ don't take this as a personal attack. Simply consider it as sound advice from some very knowledgeable people. In addition to what bronzecat has told you, that tank is simply too small to keep those fish in.
A convict will outgrow that tank easily. As will a red tail shark - these are catfish that can grow around 5-6". You should be looking at a 55gal tank to house these types of fish. Just because the fish were well cared for in a small, fish-store tank and surviving does not mean that they will live very long in these conditions. Keep in mind you probably DO NOT have a cycled tank.
Plz post any questions you may have.... the experts in the community are here to help out fellow fish-keepers.
. When my GF was having betta problems a couple of years ago, he insisted that real fish meds did not exist anymore after I had done some research and needed Tetracycline (he said it could not be purchased anymore). I believed everything he said..... after all, he has a 200 gallon salt water tank with some very unique corals and fish. Looking back on it, he is a crazy hippie and just thought that the government was controlling antibiotics in fish stores. Even beyond that, he told me some things when I was getting into fish keeping that I now could disprove in my sleep.
So, take notice of that.
As bronzecat has said, you may have some serious problems with your tank. PLZ PLZ PLZ don't take this as a personal attack. Simply consider it as sound advice from some very knowledgeable people. In addition to what bronzecat has told you, that tank is simply too small to keep those fish in.
A convict will outgrow that tank easily. As will a red tail shark - these are catfish that can grow around 5-6". You should be looking at a 55gal tank to house these types of fish. Just because the fish were well cared for in a small, fish-store tank and surviving does not mean that they will live very long in these conditions. Keep in mind you probably DO NOT have a cycled tank.
Plz post any questions you may have.... the experts in the community are here to help out fellow fish-keepers.
OP
OP
KyzaSoze
New Member
Hi guys thanks for the advice, fish are still ok - today's the 1st day the Convict has been out swimming about when the lights been on, she's been in my rock since Friday, but has now settled in 1 corner.. I have just Cycled the tank the normal way by adding Nutrafin Cycle and Nutrafin Aqua Plus... done a water change today, about a couple of hours ago now, things look fine. Yes i put in Mature Filter a good handfull of gravel from a Mutured Tank that a friend has, put the gravel in a stocking and put it in the tank. I also had the temperture up at 30c for the first week too. I have alot of greenish brown stuff now spreading rapidly over the gravel n ornaments in my tank it could be hair algae.
Similar threads
Most reactions
-
437 -
218 -
180 -
152 -
137 -
134 -
122 -
121 -
108 -
101 -
101 -
92 -
90 -
A
81
-
66