Need Help Stocking 29 Gal Freshwater

[Elliott 03]

I need to know what can get along with the fish I have. Also I WILL be getting 3 red finned sharks and 1 small common pleco (my recent one just died ) Thanks for the help.

 

[Jesseh]

Be careful when buy fishlike the Common Plec because they can get an easy foot long and need quite a bit of room. I have a common plec in my 29 gallon but if it gets to big i have a final resort.

-Jess

 

[Tetras]

Elliott, I wish you would have posted here before getting the sharks.
They are just not suitable for your tank, the dwarf puffers should be kept in species only tank, whoever sold you this for your tank should really get an earfull. Don't get the pleco or the other sharks either. Basically I'm saying, keep only the puff's in that tank, I know your guppies are feeder fish (I think you allready know where I stand on that, so no point going into that)

Please take the sharks back. Sorry, I know it's not what you want to hear but that's how the situation is unfortunately.

Keep us posted.

 

[demonmagus]

I don't understand.

Does the tank have the sharks? I don't think it does atm. Yeah, it's either puffers or other fish, because dwarfs are hyper aggressive. The plec will get too big but check out 'plecs that stau under 8 inches' in the catfish forum. Choose from there, people love Bristlenose plecs

So if you trade in the puffers you will have options.

 

[Tetras]

I think it has 3 sharks allready (albino rainbow)3 red-finned are coming. Sorry Elliott, please correct me if I'm reading this wrong.

 

[KathyM]

I need to know what can get along with the fish I have. Also I WILL be getting 3 red finned sharks and 1 small common pleco (my recent one just died ) Thanks for the help.

Your tank isn't big enough or a common, nowhere near, sorry. Maybe a bristlenose would be a better option?

 

[vancouver]

I'm assuming the red finned sharks are rainbow sharks.. they are a solitary fish and do not like being with their own kind.. they will most likely fight non stop..

Puffers will most likely kill your guppies if the sharks don't first..

Doesn't sound like your tank is in for good times..

I'd decide which species you cant live without, and stock the tank around them..

right now you've got 3 different species, none of which are compatible with each other.

 

[SugarQube]

Elliott, I wish you would have posted here before getting the sharks.
They are just not suitable for your tank, the dwarf puffers should be kept in species only tank, whoever sold you this for your tank should really get an earfull. Don't get the pleco or the other sharks either. Basically I'm saying, keep only the puff's in that tank, I know your guppies are feeder fish (I think you allready know where I stand on that, so no point going into that)

Please take the sharks back. Sorry, I know it's not what you want to hear but that's how the situation is unfortunately.

Keep us posted.

Hi could you tell me how to make a new topic and post on here please, the shop sold me 4 pygmy puffers as above but said community with care, I asked about the care bit and they said not to put with angels or guppys etc I thought they were lovely little yellow submarine type fish they have turned out more like the taliban gang and are going after my rainbow fish. I was wondering if I could put a post on here and see if there was a good home for them by someone. Have you any other ideas thanks if you can help

 

[Tetras]

Puffers will most likely kill your guppies if the sharks don't first..

I adressed this above , they are feeder fish.

Take a look from a pic earlier this week of Elliotts tank, where we discussed this briefly.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=158362

 

[dwarfgourami]

Well, Elliott- the basic problems with your setup/planned setup have already been discussed:

a common pleco WILL outgrow this tank very quickly, unless it dies like your last one did

puffers are not community fish

rainbow sharks are territorial

You can't really expect to get people to say different.

also, if you are using guppies as feeders (which is of disputable value even from the puffers' point of view), then surely you need to keep them in a decent space until such time as they go to meet their fate?

 

[i_ganjaman]

Anyone new to the wonderful world of fish,Please use the most powerful tool going the 'INTERNET' then go buy your fish dont buy on a whim,and take retailers advice with a pinch of salt(there are good retailers who know their fish) but alas most just want your money.My advice put alot of thought first...buy fish second.

 

[Elliott 03]

I think it has 3 sharks allready (albino rainbow)3 red-finned are coming. Sorry Elliott, please correct me if I'm reading this wrong.

thats correct

LISTEN!!!!! the person who I bought my sharks and puffers from has been in fish retail business for nearly 30 years. She said they will get along most likely and if they don't bring back one of the species. I have watched all the fish and they have been together for about 48 hours. They have split up sharks on left side puffers on right side. The only time they go near each other is when it's feeding time. I will take back the sharks the second they nip on a puffer. The guppies are in a seperate breeding type box in my tank. As for the Red tailed sharks.... I'll hold off to make sure these get along but I do plan on getting them. Same rules apply for them and my puffers. Most people don't know this but puffer fish ARE community fish as long as their with fish a little bigger then them.

Oh I forgot as for the common pleco my cousins have a huge pond and a few 50 gallon tanks. I have already set it up that when it gets to big they will take it from me. They know tons about fish so I'm not worried. They have 6 tanks and they have mixed some of the weirdest fish and they all get along since they have tanks that are planted so well.

 

[dwarfgourami]

LISTEN!!!!! the person who I bought my sharks and puffers from has been in fish retail business for nearly 30 years.

During my time I have been on this forum I have come across some strange advice from people who have been all their lives in the retailing business. One reason being that the retailing business is about passing (mainly juvenile) fish on, which means the staff get a very limited idea of how a fish is likely to develop once it settles in a tank and starts staking out a territory of its own. If you had said that this person had been a keen hobbyist for 30 years, keeping these particular species together in a tank your size, I might have been more impressed. Though I would still have listened to the many people on here who have tried similar experiments with disastrous results.

[/quote]
She said they will get along most likely and if they don't bring back one of the species. I have watched all the fish and they have been together for about 48 hours.[/quote]

From reading posts on similar arrangements, the usual development is that everything goes swimmingly for a few weeks, maybe even months, then one morning the owner wakes up to dead fish. I take it you were not planning on watching the tanks 24/7?


[/quote]The guppies are in a seperate breeding type box in my tank.[/quote]

Do you really think it's ok to keep an active fish like the guppy confined in a breeder box, simply because you are using it to breed feeder fry? I would have thought it was your job to provide any feeder fish with a decent quality of life until it is used.

[/quote]
Same rules apply for them and my puffers. Most people don't know this but puffer fish ARE community fish as long as their with fish a little bigger then them.[/quote]

Several people on this forum have tried this one out, and base their statements on bitter experience.

[/quote]
Oh I forgot as for the common pleco my cousins have a huge pond and a few 50 gallon tanks. I have already set it up that when it gets to big they will take it from me. [/quote]

Are you sure you will recognise the signs for when this fish needs to be passed on? Remember one has already died in this tank.

Anyway, I cannot understand the point in coming on a forum and asking for advice/approval if you have already decided that you WILL (your capitals, not mine) do things your way, and that you trust the person who sells you the fish more than you trust the people on the forum. So why are you asking?

The other matter that you do not mention at all, is that you intend to confine six fairly large, extremely active fish to a 29 gallon tank, indeed to half of a 29 gallon tank if they are going to stick to the arrangement you describe.

 

[Elliott 03]

LISTEN!!!!! the person who I bought my sharks and puffers from has been in fish retail business for nearly 30 years.

During my time I have been on this forum I have come across some strange advice from people who have been all their lives in the retailing business. One reason being that the retailing business is about passing (mainly juvenile) fish on, which means the staff get a very limited idea of how a fish is likely to develop once it settles in a tank and starts staking out a territory of its own. If you had said that this person had been a keen hobbyist for 30 years, keeping these particular species together in a tank your size, I might have been more impressed. Though I would still have listened to the many people on here who have tried similar experiments with disastrous results.

She said they will get along most likely and if they don't bring back one of the species. I have watched all the fish and they have been together for about 48 hours.[/quote]

From reading posts on similar arrangements, the usual development is that everything goes swimmingly for a few weeks, maybe even months, then one morning the owner wakes up to dead fish. I take it you were not planning on watching the tanks 24/7?


[/quote]The guppies are in a seperate breeding type box in my tank.[/quote]

Do you really think it's ok to keep an active fish like the guppy confined in a breeder box, simply because you are using it to breed feeder fry? I would have thought it was your job to provide any feeder fish with a decent quality of life until it is used.

[/quote]
Same rules apply for them and my puffers. Most people don't know this but puffer fish ARE community fish as long as their with fish a little bigger then them.[/quote]

Several people on this forum have tried this one out, and base their statements on bitter experience.

[/quote]
Oh I forgot as for the common pleco my cousins have a huge pond and a few 50 gallon tanks. I have already set it up that when it gets to big they will take it from me. [/quote]

Are you sure you will recognise the signs for when this fish needs to be passed on? Remember one has already died in this tank.

Anyway, I cannot understand the point in coming on a forum and asking for advice/approval if you have already decided that you WILL (your capitals, not mine) do things your way, and that you trust the person who sells you the fish more than you trust the people on the forum. So why are you asking?

The other matter that you do not mention at all, is that you intend to confine six fairly large, extremely active fish to a 29 gallon tank, indeed to half of a 29 gallon tank if they are going to stick to the arrangement you describe.
[/quote]
The only reason my first pleco died because my heater broke and was on all during the night. When I woke up the temperature was way to high so I bought a new heater took out about half of the water and put in colder tap water. I was extremely surprised the puffers weren't dead. As for knowing when to pass it on if I didn't my cousins would and they come to my house once a week. The lady at the store kept the puffers in a 29 gallon tank with 6 irredencent sharks. So they should be fine.

 

[fisherizer]

DONT listen to Petsmart there labels say community but i asked one guy because ive seen agressive before and he said its a marketing thing they are one of the most aggresive fish they carry!