How Can I Make My Fish Relax?

[Snick]

What can I do to make my fish relax a bit? they are really jumpy...

 

[tttnjfttt]

Well, making they have an appropriate living conditions is a good place to start. Your 10 gal is extremely over stocked. Also, make sure the mollies are in a ratio of 1 boy to 2 girls, that will help ease their stress. Check your water stats to make sure there isn't a problem there as well.

The final thing you can do is to provide many hiding spots, so they have places to escape any bullying.

 

[Snick]

actually my pic there on my signature is a part of my 30 gal ... my 10 gal has 2 fish in it, a parrot cichlid (baby) and a pleco. I was refering more to the red eyed tetras, who are really nervous at everything really.

 

[Teelie]

The Parrot will need a 55 alone, the Common Plec, a 100 gallon, the Tetras may do better in a 15 long or 20 gallon. In otherwords, all overstocked. The best way to calm fish otherwise is turn the lights out, keep them covered so it's dark.

 

[tttnjfttt]

The tetras are fine in the tank they are in, the 30 gal is not over stocked. All i can suggest is maybe a few more hiding spots.

 

[Captain Retardo]

You should get some more cories for your 30 gallon, cories like groups, especially of their own kind, get rid of one, and get 3-5 more of the one that is left over.

Also, it is not that good to be constantly running activated carbon in your tank, if you ever try to medicate your fish, it won't work, and it costs a whole lot!

 

[Snick]

ok, but guys the parrot is OK as it measures probably 2.5 inches long... and the plec, its tiny as well. 100 gall for a plec! omg what an exaggeration... ok o knew about the cories and i will soon get them.

 

[Teelie]

When that common pleco grows up, it'll be over 12-14" in length, over a foot, so not an exaggeration. The Parrot will grow to about half that size. You've got to plan for adult sizes of your fish, not their current size.

The tetras are fine in the tank they are in, the 30 gal is not over stocked. All i can suggest is maybe a few more hiding spots.

With the number of fish in there, and them all being fast moving fish, it's certainly not long enough.

Info on the Common Pleco, btw and for the Parrot Cichlid

 

[nmonks]

Well, be that as it may, this doesn't answer the actual question. My guess is the red-eye tetras feel exposed. Most schooling tetras need to be in groups of a dozen or so before they really settle down. This varies -- some species, like bleeding hearts, a fairly independently minded, and do fine in smaller groups, even pairs, but others, classically neons, need larger groups. So, adding more of the red-eyes might help.

Another factor is planting/decoration. Small schooling fish are eaten by other fishes and also by predators such as birds that snap them up from above. Hence, they tend to stay close to things that provide shelter, such as large plants. Floating plants are a good substitute. Depending on your lighting, you have a range of options, but hornwort is one of the easiest to keep. You could also provide some solid shelter, such as moving the bogwood so that it goes up to the surface, or by building a thicket of bamboo canes where the fish can lurk. Vallisneria is a great all rounder, having both height and some long, floating leaves.

Different aquarists have different considerations of what makes a tank overstocked. I know experienced marine reef aquarists that have more fish in a 30 gallon tank than you do, as well as others who might keep only a single pair of dwarf cichlids in such a tank. An under-appreciated factor is how the fish utilise the space: if you have fish that stay at either the top, middle, or bottom of the tank, you can easily avoid interaction between species, as so "cram" more in. I'm not recommending this, just saying that stocking a tank is black art that has a lot to do with experience and understanding. Anyway, providing the fish are happy and the nitrites/ammonium are zero, don't worry too much just yet. Yes, the plec will probably need a new home within a year or two, and no, a parrot cichlid wasn't a good choice for a community tank. But for now, your tank doesn't sound to me to be badly stocked. I'd suggest losing the mollies sooner rather than later though... at some point they will need salt, which your catfish won't like, and neither will the tetras.

Cheers,

Neale

When that common pleco grows up, it'll be over 12-14" in length, over a foot, so not an exaggeration. The Parrot will grow to about half that size. You've got to plan for adult sizes of your fish, not their current size.

 

[Snick]

yeah in my 10 gal i will, in time, have only my parrot and my plec. in my 30 gal, my cories, my 8 neons, 6 red eyed tetras, and 4 algea eaters.... thanks for the help~!

 

[Snick]

ok but wait the hornwort... i googles it and got this;

horwort

is this the one? isnt there a more "floaty" plant?

 

[Snick]

ok perfect... but are these plants easy to take care of? i have 2 15 watt lights (thats about 1 wat per gallon) and a yeast CO2 system... but my diffuser aint that good- its just an airstone. im looking for a better homemade (if possible) diffuser.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

the hornwort that you found is exactly what nmonks meant. don't worry about that picture, it's really a floating plant.

 

[oneponygirl]

Want them to relax eh? I'm thinking dim the lights, glass of wine, maybe a nice massage if you don't have cold hands. Really, cold hands - they're a mood killer.

 

[nmonks]

As others have said, yes, the hornwort you found is the right stuff. You can plant it in the sand, but it prefers to be left floating. 1 WPG isn't much light -- I'd be looking at Java fern and Java moss at that light level. Even hornwort needs a bit more light than that.

10 gallons is too small for a plec and a parrot cichlid. It's actually too small for either, let alone both. Seriously, I'd be thinking of at least 30-40 gallons for fishes of that size. Seriously consider returning them if you have no likelihood of upgrading tanks soon.

Cheers,

Neale