Hello

[sk_haider]

Just want to say HI. I refer to this site a LOT to help with the mistakes I've made and just to get helpful info so i thought it was time to introduce myself. I have a 20 gallon tank with fish that don't really go together (NOW I know, one of those mistakes i talked about) and recovering from adding to many fish WAY to soon. I have really beat myself up over it but me and my fish are trying to recover. For my fish I have:

1 Angelfish
1 Dalmation Molly
1 Long fin Serpae Tetra
1 Unknown fish (bless it's heart)
2 Snails

For my WONDERFUL children:
1 Boy 11 years old
1 Boy 10 years old

As you can the Angel rules the roost around the tank. Even down to the Molly. The unknown fish hardly has a tail fin left. I'm in the process of trying to make a happy living space but not really sure how to do that. I have thought about moving the Long fin Serpae and the unknown into a 10 gallon and just leaving the Angel and Molly together. Then thought about just buying a 10 gallon and putting the Angel in alone as she dominates EVERYTHING even down to my attention. She loves to interact with the family just not with her tank mates. I am open to any suggestion.


Are most ppl here store owner?

I have a question...
I know most everyone’s opinion on LFS so what do you think about ordering fish and plants online? I have ordered plants online once and they were VERY healthy when they arrived. Has anyone ordered online fish and if so how did it work out for you?

 

[Chri$]

hi and
just a question about your dalmation molly, is it a quiet or a fish that likes attacking its tank mates.
thanks
chris.

 

[harryman]

hi
this forum is awsome i hope you enjoy it

 

[rdd1952]

Hello and welcome to the forum.
Don't beat yourself up too much over the mistakes you've made. We've all made them or at least some of them. That's how most of us came upon this forum so there are good things that come from our mistakes.

What size tank do you have the fish in now? Tetras are schooling fish and really need to be in groups of at least 3 and preferably. Serpaes can also get very nippy when in small groups or alone. The angel also will need a big tank eventually. When full grown, it will need a tank thats 16" to 18" deep. If you can post a picture of the unknown fish in the Chit Chat section, someone will be able to ID is for you.

Before you will be able to post in the Chit Chat section (or any section other than Newbie of Beginner) though you will have to validate your membership. Go to the email you received when you registered and click the link. If you didn't receive an email, check your bulk folder of any spam blockers you have running. You can have it resent to you by going to "My Controls" at the top of the page. Once there, the "resend" link is in the top right part of the page.

One other thing that may help people tailor their advice on some issues is where you are. Some products aren't available everywhere so if you edit your profile and location (even if you just say US, UK or whatever) people will be able to suggest the correct thing for you.

 

[sk_haider]

hi and
just a question about your dalmation molly, is it a quiet or a fish that likes attacking its tank mates.
thanks
chris.

Well, for the most part she stays by the heater. Once in a while she will chase the unknown fish. That poor fish no body in the tank likes this fish.

 

[sk_haider]

hi
this forum is awsome i hope you enjoy it

I totally agree. It has been a live saver (for my fish).

 

[big mick]

Can you describe the unknown fish?

 

[sk_haider]

Hello and welcome to the forum.
Don't beat yourself up too much over the mistakes you've made. We've all made them or at least some of them. That's how most of us came upon this forum so there are good things that come from our mistakes.

What size tank do you have the fish in now? Tetras are schooling fish and really need to be in groups of at least 3 and preferably. Serpaes can also get very nippy when in small groups or alone. The angel also will need a big tank eventually. When full grown, it will need a tank thats 16" to 18" deep. If you can post a picture of the unknown fish in the Chit Chat section, someone will be able to ID is for you.

Before you will be able to post in the Chit Chat section (or any section other than Newbie of Beginner) though you will have to validate your membership. Go to the email you received when you registered and click the link. If you didn't receive an email, check your bulk folder of any spam blockers you have running. You can have it resent to you by going to "My Controls" at the top of the page. Once there, the "resend" link is in the top right part of the page.

One other thing that may help people tailor their advice on some issues is where you are. Some products aren't available everywhere so if you edit your profile and location (even if you just say US, UK or whatever) people will be able to suggest the correct thing for you.

Thank you so much for the validation advice.

I am running a 20 gallon tank and have those fish in it. That is the only tank I have. I am doing modification to it like, I"m about to change the filteration system. I switching over to a Bio-wheel instead of what i have now. I have tried to find something here about changing systems and the best way to convert but I haven't had any luck. I would venture to say I wouldn't just swop out should or can i run the new filter in the same tank while the old one is still running so i would have 2 filter running in one tank at the same time? If anyone know I would love the suggestion. Otherwise I will keep looking.

Nevertheless, thank you for the welcome and suggestion.

 

[rdd1952]

You did say that you had a 20 gallon tank in your original post. I don't know how I missed that. In any case, the angel will outgrow that tank in a couple years so you will eventually have to upgrade or look to give it away or sell it.

As for changing filters, running both at the same time is the perfect way to change. What type filter do you have now? If you run them together for 2 to 3 weeks, that will give the new filter a chance to build bacteria. If there is any way to move the filter media from the current one to the new one, that would work too. When people speak of "cycling" a tank, technically it is cycling the filter as that is where the vast majority of the bacteria is located.

 

[sk_haider]

You did say that you had a 20 gallon tank in your original post. I don't know how I missed that. In any case, the angel will outgrow that tank in a couple years so you will eventually have to upgrade or look to give it away or sell it.

As for changing filters, running both at the same time is the perfect way to change. What type filter do you have now? If you run them together for 2 to 3 weeks, that will give the new filter a chance to build bacteria. If there is any way to move the filter media from the current one to the new one, that would work too. When people speak of "cycling" a tank, technically it is cycling the filter as that is where the vast majority of the bacteria is located.

Right now I'm running what came with the tank which is an Aqua-Tech Power Filter I bought a Marineland Penguin 100 Bio-Wheel Power Filter. I have heard VERY good things about the bio-wheel and as i said before i an TRYING to recover from a disaster. I am changing 25% of the water in the tank everyday because of foam, smell and cloudiness in the tank due to too many fish in a brand new tank.