i have a 55 gallon tank with 1 tiger oscar, 1 red pacu, 1 bala shark, 2 convict cichlids, 1 bumblebee cichlid, 1 synodontis catfish, 1 common pleco, and 1 green terror. all are juveniles, the bala shark being the largest at 5" long. is this overstocked? also, lately my oscar has gotten small frays that look like bites in his tail fin and the tips are white (about 2mm line on the tip) all the way across. is this finrot? what should i do? i feed them tropical flakes, oscar grow formula, and frozen foods (beefheart,brineshrimp,bloodworms). the tank has 1 small piece of driftwood, 1 ceramic large roots cave, 1 smaller sphinx cave and some plastic plants. gravel and river rock substrate. the filters are 2 penguin 350 biowheels. water changes every sunday, ive had them for 2 months.
My 55 Gallon
- Thread starter jgrem91
- Start date
Hi yes this is massivly over stocked with a lot of very very big fish when they get to adulthood. Also a lot of aggressive fish in there as well.
The Pacu will grow to just short of 4 foot long!!
The general guide for Oscars is to keep one in a 75 gallon tank as a minimum and then over 100 gallons before you add any serious tank mates. Oscars grow on average at a rate of an inch per month and grow to around 12-14 inches. The Bala shark is capable of growing to 16 inches and are incredibly active schooling fish and realistically need a tank around 6/7 foot long IMO as a minimum. The Green Terror is likely to get hugely aggressive as they grow possibly even over powering the Oscar. The Bumblebee cichlid is likley an africa cichlid and as such do not belong in a community tank. The Common Plec will grow to over a foot, depending on species could make it too around 17/18 inches. The convicts are again a very aggressive fish when they are breeding and if you have two and they are a male and a female your going to get issues.
To keep all these fish at present your going to need to a tank in the region of 12 foot long but that is mainly for the pacu and the bala to keep the cichlids without the bala or pacu you will need around a 180 gallon tank which works out at about 6foot long, 2 foot long and 2 foot wide.
But there are a few options for you with the fish and the tank you have at present. But you are going to have to rehome a lot of your fish.
Option 1 - Keep the green terror and then add a group of fast schooling fish like rainbow fish or giant danios or torpedo barbs a small plec or two like a Bristlenose Plec. The Synodontis might still work in this tank.
Option 2 - Keep the Convicts and do the same add a group of fast schooling fish like rainbow fish or giant danios or torpedo barbs a small plec or two like a Bristlenose Plec. The Synodontis might still work in this tank as well.
Sorry for the bad news but just being really honest as in the long run your going to have serious issues. Not just in the health of fish but serious problems for you I mean trying to handle a 4 foot pacu and finding a home for them when they hit 2 foot long your going to have a problem I mean what do you do with it? At that size the fish shop wont take it back, local aquariums might take it but massive problems.
Hope its helped
Wills
The Pacu will grow to just short of 4 foot long!!
The general guide for Oscars is to keep one in a 75 gallon tank as a minimum and then over 100 gallons before you add any serious tank mates. Oscars grow on average at a rate of an inch per month and grow to around 12-14 inches. The Bala shark is capable of growing to 16 inches and are incredibly active schooling fish and realistically need a tank around 6/7 foot long IMO as a minimum. The Green Terror is likely to get hugely aggressive as they grow possibly even over powering the Oscar. The Bumblebee cichlid is likley an africa cichlid and as such do not belong in a community tank. The Common Plec will grow to over a foot, depending on species could make it too around 17/18 inches. The convicts are again a very aggressive fish when they are breeding and if you have two and they are a male and a female your going to get issues.
To keep all these fish at present your going to need to a tank in the region of 12 foot long but that is mainly for the pacu and the bala to keep the cichlids without the bala or pacu you will need around a 180 gallon tank which works out at about 6foot long, 2 foot long and 2 foot wide.
But there are a few options for you with the fish and the tank you have at present. But you are going to have to rehome a lot of your fish.
Option 1 - Keep the green terror and then add a group of fast schooling fish like rainbow fish or giant danios or torpedo barbs a small plec or two like a Bristlenose Plec. The Synodontis might still work in this tank.
Option 2 - Keep the Convicts and do the same add a group of fast schooling fish like rainbow fish or giant danios or torpedo barbs a small plec or two like a Bristlenose Plec. The Synodontis might still work in this tank as well.
Sorry for the bad news but just being really honest as in the long run your going to have serious issues. Not just in the health of fish but serious problems for you I mean trying to handle a 4 foot pacu and finding a home for them when they hit 2 foot long your going to have a problem I mean what do you do with it? At that size the fish shop wont take it back, local aquariums might take it but massive problems.
Hope its helped
Wills
thanks for the help, i am moving the convicts to a 30 gallon. about the pacu, i know where i can get rid of him when he gets too large, so that isnt a problem.(not just letting him loose!) but nobody has been able to answer me why my oscar has bright white spots on either side of his body, an inch behind the gills, he keeps biting the water surface. all levels ammonia etc. are normal. water is 78-82 farenheit.
waterdrop
Enthusiastic "Re-Beginner"
What test kit are you using to get the stats?
6 in one strips.
here is a link to another forum that allowed me to upload pics. my files were too big for this forum.
http
/www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/cichlids/my-tank-crowded-59489/Have to be registered to see them.
I did see in your thread there that you aren't considering parting with any more of them though? Why not? There isn't much point in asking everyone's opinion, receiving an overwhelming consensus, and then not listening to everyone.
PS Test strips are inaccurate, get a liquid kit like this.
I did see in your thread there that you aren't considering parting with any more of them though? Why not? There isn't much point in asking everyone's opinion, receiving an overwhelming consensus, and then not listening to everyone.
PS Test strips are inaccurate, get a liquid kit like this.
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