Need advice on adding a New fish

[SRC]

Well I go to a friends place for the weekend and come home to find..
A new fish swimming around in the tank I bought a month ago.

Now I'm not real happy about this, but it's here and now my son likes it. I can't keep this fish, as it will quickly get too big, but my son has agreed to happliy comply with me giving it back ..so long as he gets another in return.

Now I'm sure you are wondering..exactly what kidna fish is this that you can't keep. His grandmother (not my mother but his other one) bought him a BALA SHARK..for a 10 gal tank. no really .

I hate when people mess with my tanks without asking. I think that is so rude, and it is now hurtful to my son..as he thinks I am being mean for taking away his new fish . Some people.

Anyways, I have been trying to figure out what kinda fish(s) to replace it with.

He doesn't like Molly's or Guppies..I've already tried those to no avail...he just doesn't care for them.

Could I have a couple Angel fish in there? Or something comparable?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, as I would like to take the fish back this coming weekend.

Oh, and btw I already have 2 cory cats and 5 ghost shrimp in there. I had a ADF in tehre but I think he is fixing to go back as well because I can't get him to eat. I've put him in a bowl alone to see if I can get him too, but I haven't seen him eat in over 3 weeks..and he's getting skinny.

Thanks in Advance.

 

[Streetracer]

What else is in the tank besides the Bala?

 

[Phantom Thief]

Streetracer, would you please read the post before answering? I would recommend a betta, but your choices are really limited in a 10g tank. I'm afraid angels aren't a viable option.

P.T.

 

[SRC]

Well I had a Betta in there (another purchase by the grandmother..this one from Wal-mart, whichis why I got the tank to begin with actually).

It wasn't very healthy to begin with..and after trying everything it finally died. I'm not even sure what it died from, well I do know "what" it died from...I Uthanized it, but I don't know what it was dying from, guess that's what I should have said in the first place. It just quit eating. It got extremely skinny..it was all curvey looking (from a top view angle), didn't swim ect. I tried treating with salt, with salt bathes, water changes, heat increased, heat decreased. Finally it just looked so pitiful I bought some clove oil and Uthanized the poor thing. I couldn't just let it go on in the state it was in. It didn't have any symptoms that you look for with parasite or ick or velvet or fin rot..so I was lost on what to do for it...ther then what I did and put it out of it's misery and suffering.

So after that he decided he no longer wanted another Betta...so they come home with this poor Bala (who is beautiful btw, but I'm not looking to buy a 100gal tank in the near or distant future).

I didn't figure I could manage an Angel but thought I'd ask. I think I am gonna try to talk him into a small school of Neon Tetra's. I have seen the Glow Light Tetra's and think those are quite neat. Hopefully he will think so also..dern little things are $2 a piece lol.

Anyone know how many I can add...it says they need 6 min. but to better with groups of 10. Can I put 10 of them in this tank, along with the 2 corys and 5 shrimp? Is that too many fish? Or should I stick with the reccomended 6?

God, Betta's are so much easier lol.

 

[Phantom Thief]

I think around 6 sounds right, with good filtration and regular water changes. You COULD put 10, but you would need to do more water changes.

P.T.

 

[SRC]

How much more often? I vaccum the gravel every Saturday now as it is. That usually pulls about 2-4 gallons out right there. Would that not be enough, or would I need to do an inbetween water change around the middle of the week also?

 

[Phantom Thief]

It all depends on your nitrate levels. As long as they remain, IMO, below 40ppm, you are fine.

P.T.

 

[SRC]

Very cool. Well I guess that is what we will go looking for this weekend. I think I will get 6 to start out and see how that goes, then decide on adding the other 4, maybe a month or so later.

Thank so much for you help .

 

[gale]

I read on the fish index site that glo lite tetras don't school like most tetras do. Not sure how true or common that is, but in my 20 I have 3 of them and they really don't even stay together much.

eta: Aren't weekly gravel vacs too much? It might take away some beneficial bacteria. I think as long as you aren't overfeeding, once a month vacuuming would be plenty (with weekly non vacuuming partial water changes).

 

[Phantom Thief]

The benificial bacteria does not come off so easily, and as long as you do not vigorously stir the gravel while doing the vac, there shouldn't be a problem.

P.T.

 

[corykitty516]

Well if you arent totally set on neons or glolites .... I have 3 pristella tetras in a 10g with three corydoras . They have been easy to maintain and always swim in a perfect triangle. I'm thinking of adding a few more after I get back from vacation. They are very pretty IMO with a yellow and black fin and reddish tail. check em out

 

[sylvia]

Honestly, I'd go for the 6 neon tetras if you must but get a dwarf gourami as well - they are colorful, interesting, impressive and quite active. I'm sure your son would love one and they are deffinately worthy of replacing a bala shark They are rather fragile though so if you preffer something comparative that's more hardy I'd go for a couple of honey gouramies. The males in breeding color are stunning and the females are great too. A trio would be best if you have space for them (2 females and a male) but the number of shrimp may mean you can only realy keep one. Both these gouramies grow to only 2 inches but are wonderful fish with lots of character.

 

[SRC]

Well if you arent totally set on neons or glolites .... I have 3 pristella tetras in a 10g with three corydoras . They have been easy to maintain and always swim in a perfect triangle. I'm thinking of adding a few more after I get back from vacation. They are very pretty IMO with a yellow and black fin and reddish tail. check em out

Hey those little Pristella Tetras look alot like a miniture Bala Shark lol..with the little black tipped fins and all..Good call . I will see if I can scout around some fish stores (not that we have that many to choose from, unfortunately) and see if I can find some of those.

I read, just now, that they do best in groups of 6, but since you said you have 3...I wonder if I could do 3 of those and 3 neon tetra's? That'd prolly be pretty and interesting to watch. If those glo-lights don't school that would prolly get confusing if there were schoolers in there.

I also looked up some of those Harlequin Rasbora's..and those are very unique looking fish, he would probably like some of those as well. I read all of those types are hardy too.

********
I do the weekly vacuuming because of the shrimp..they are very messy. I have one alone in a betta tank on my desk at work ..and I have to clean his tank every other day....from all the waste he leaves on the tank floor (no gravel).

I do make sure to go easy and slow when vaccuming..as to not stir up to much debris though...I did that once and woo did it make a mess. I had to save up some old tank water and shake my filter out every hour for 6 hours to get all that cleared up.

 

[sylvia]

If you go for any schooling tetras you'll need to choose one species or the other and get 6. 3 isn't realy an adequate number. I'm not saying it's impossible but the fish wouldn't be as happy.

 

[gale]

I always thought the ghost shrimp weren't very messy. Now maybe I won't get them for my 10g.