Just Got 4 Tropical Fish - Please Read

[Amerce]

just got this info from here:

http/www.fishlore.com/YourTanks_Page10.htm

the guys has:


Bull
Experience: 5 - 10 years
(65 gallon freshwater)
4 angels, 1 bala shark, 19 harlequin raspbora, 1 pleco, 3 clown loaches
(20 gallon freshwater)
1 goldfish, 2 ryukins, 3 fantails, 3 ghost shrimp and a bristlenose pleco
(10 gallon freshwater)
10 neons, 3 ghost shrimp and a bristlenose pleco

there u go , he has a pleco with 10 OTHER FISH! i have ONLY 4 fish with the pleco its 5 fish total.

OK so you aren't going to take advise but you are shooting yourself in the foot everytime you open your mouth

65 gallons has 3 clown loaches and OTHER FISH, but what sort of size are those fish getting to, and what filtration is there
20 gallon has no loaches but bristlenose, what size of bn is it how big will it get, OK other fish but once again what filtration is there
10 gallon has a bristlenose and only some small neons and shrimps

How often does he do water changes, what filtration is he using and I'm very sure he knows what each of his fishes food requirments are and does not rely on a petshop attendant to tell him.

He does NOT have 10 fish with a clown plec like you he has a bristlenose which won't get to be as big as your fish !

Once again check out the future growth and requirements for the fish BEFORE you buy them, then you know what it needs in the way of food and tank and water requirements.

 

[Amerce]

whoa, u got me confused, a molly and a swordtail arent bigger than tetras, tetras are actually bigger, i saw them in the store, they are really nice, but yea they are bigger, i will return the pleco tommorow then.. should i get a tetra instead or just keep the 4 fish i have atm?

Molly's get to 4inches ( http/fish.orbust.net/mollies.html )
Swordtails get to 4" ( http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/swordtal.htm )

All the above can get bigger

Neon Tetra's get to be 2.5 inches (http/www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Neon_Tetra_Paracheirodon_innesi.php )

So unless you are looking at a different tetra then you need to advise us.

All the above fish are sold in LF's at a young age, what shops don't always advise you is that they do get bigger. This is why we have all said that you should check out the fish BEFORE buying them.

Stay with the 4 fish you have, let them settle in and keep an eye out for any possible problems.
If you upgrade your tank then maybe you can buy more fish.

 

[lamonsas]

guys, i am gonna start the ich treatment today, i know it was ich so dont ask why. but before i use the mdicine i need to take out the carb rocks form the filter because i will put start the treatment today, i shouldnt add the carb rocks even after the treatment? should i just keep the ammonia rocks in there? i mean i heared the carb rocks makes the water crystal clear and thats it's purpose.. ill return the plec today, and yes i was looking at the neon tetra, i wont buy any today..

 

[ibbledibble]

something you might want to consider is the Golden Otto (Otocinclus Affinis)
Also Known As: Dwarf Otocinclus, Dwarf Otto, Dwarf Sucker Catfish, Midget Sucker Fish
Species / Type: Community
Care Difficulty: Easy
Length Length: 2 in (5 cm)
Temperature: 70-80�f (21-27�c)
Food: Plant Eater / Algae Grazer
[Herbivorous] Tank algae, algae pellet/wafer, blanched green veggies to keep them happy and provide variety.

this website http/www.fishinthe.net/html/fishguide/fishguide_fish.php?FC=23&nl=5&nt=4 recommends them for a 10 gal tank

whereas the clown plec, while still a smaller variety of fish will grow too large for a 10 gal tank and is recommended for a 29 gal.

however before adding your new otto, make sure the water medication has been completed as many of these types of fish can be sensitive to the copper contained in many common medications.

do you have an air pump for your tank? if so why not try making a sponge filter (no carbon or zeolite) for use while treating http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=85297 this post describes how to make one.

carbon removes heavy metals, odors, discoloration and pollutants. it can help to keep tyour water clearer. its not totally necessary, but if you want to use it you can, just not while medicating. you Need to use carbon for a short while after the medicating treatment has finished to remove any leftover medication from the water.

hope that helps a bit. good luck

 

[Musho3210]

no otos, i think these shouldnt go in anything under 55 gallons due to their dietary needs IME

whoa, u got me confused, a molly and a swordtail arent bigger than tetras, tetras are actually bigger, i saw them in the store, they are really nice, but yea they are bigger, i will return the pleco tommorow then.. should i get a tetra instead or just keep the 4 fish i have atm?

Molly's get to 4inches ( http/fish.orbust.net/mollies.html )Swordtails get to 4" ( http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/swordtal.htm )All the above can get biggerNeon Tetra's get to be 2.5 inches (http/www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Neon_Tetra_Paracheirodon_innesi.php )So unless you are looking at a different tetra then you need to advise us.All the above fish are sold in LF's at a young age, what shops don't always advise you is that they do get bigger. This is why we have all said that you should check out the fish BEFORE buying them.Stay with the 4 fish you have, let them settle in and keep an eye out for any possible problems. If you upgrade your tank then maybe you can buy more fish.

woah, the maximum neon ive seen is 1 inch.....

 

[ibbledibble]

no otos, i think these shouldnt go in anything under 55 gallons due to their dietary needs IME

just out of curiosity, why not? i realize a small tank won't provide enough algae for the otto to live on, but what would be the problem with supplementing with algae wafers?

 

[Amerce]

no otos, i think these shouldnt go in anything under 55 gallons due to their dietary needs IME

whoa, u got me confused, a molly and a swordtail arent bigger than tetras, tetras are actually bigger, i saw them in the store, they are really nice, but yea they are bigger, i will return the pleco tommorow then.. should i get a tetra instead or just keep the 4 fish i have atm?

Molly's get to 4inches ( http/fish.orbust.net/mollies.html )Swordtails get to 4" ( http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/swordtal.htm )All the above can get biggerNeon Tetra's get to be 2.5 inches (http/www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Neon_Tetra_Paracheirodon_innesi.php )So unless you are looking at a different tetra then you need to advise us.All the above fish are sold in LF's at a young age, what shops don't always advise you is that they do get bigger. This is why we have all said that you should check out the fish BEFORE buying them.Stay with the 4 fish you have, let them settle in and keep an eye out for any possible problems. If you upgrade your tank then maybe you can buy more fish.

woah, the maximum neon ive seen is 1 inch.....

whoops sorry my cm conversion to imperial was way out, hate metric. Soz

 

[Musho3210]

no otos, i think these shouldnt go in anything under 55 gallons due to their dietary needs IME

just out of curiosity, why not? i realize a small tank won't provide enough algae for the otto to live on, but what would be the problem with supplementing with algae wafers?

well due to the fact that many otos dont accept prepared foods, in the wild there arent algae wafers dropped in, they get algae from rocks etc, so in captivity, they bring that instinct with them to eat algae off rocks and other surfaces, but they need to learn that those little green things we drop in is food as well, but many dont know that it is food and dont accept it, therefor leading them to starve. It happened to 3 of my otos in a 20 gallon tank, ate the algae, didnt eat the food i gave them, they died.

 

[fry_lover]

what nutter talks of neons getting to 2.5"

not in the everyday tank for sure, crazy, insane

 

[Bullrock74]

Does anybody else out there think that the original poster is just yanking their chain?

 

[fry_lover]

Does anybody else out there think that the original poster is just yanking their chain?

what he's a p*ss taker? is that want yanking their chain is?

 

[**sarahp**]

Does anybody else out there think that the original poster is just yanking their chain?

No, actually, I think he's yanking our chains

 

[fry_lover]

god damn, the guy taking the pee then?

He keeps talking about paranoia and stuff, maybe he just stressed

 

[lilfishie]

i wouldn't put any of those fish in a 10 gal, let alone 2 male swords, do you know what sex the mollies are?

 

[ibbledibble]

no otos, i think these shouldnt go in anything under 55 gallons due to their dietary needs IME

just out of curiosity, why not? i realize a small tank won't provide enough algae for the otto to live on, but what would be the problem with supplementing with algae wafers?

well due to the fact that many otos dont accept prepared foods, in the wild there arent algae wafers dropped in, they get algae from rocks etc, so in captivity, they bring that instinct with them to eat algae off rocks and other surfaces, but they need to learn that those little green things we drop in is food as well, but many dont know that it is food and dont accept it, therefor leading them to starve. It happened to 3 of my otos in a 20 gallon tank, ate the algae, didnt eat the food i gave them, they died.

fair enough, i've never kept them, just thought they might be a viable option.
i suppose it depends somewhat on what they were raised on? maybe tank bred, fed on pellets and wafers would be ok, but not wild caught?
or maybe you could cultivate algae stones for them? put well washed rocks into a container filled with tank water and leave in the sun