Need Some Help With My New Fish

[laxzilla123]

So i just got a new aquarium and some fish from my friend who didn't want them anymore... I'm still relatively new to the hobby and Im having some problems.

1. My fish arent eating freeze dried blood worms ( 1 Cory Cat, 1 black molly, and 1 guppy. Should I keep trying to feed them or give up?
2. The cory cat just hides in a log all day and is very inactive. Is this normal?(my other two fish also seem rather inactive)
3. Lastly, my ph is rather high is there some easy way to bring this down or should i just leave it. PH= 7.4-8

If you could answer any of these questions that would be an amazing help to me.

Thanks in advance.

 

[jessynut]

If your Cory cat is new to the tank it's probably just scared, two of my new fish have only just come out of hiding
Maybe you should switch to normal flake food? I have guppies and they eat it really fast!

 

[fluttermoth]

It is normal for your cory to be hiding; they are a very social fish and he really needs some friends to make him feel safe.

It's also quite normal for fish not to eat for a while when they've been moved; how long have you had the tank?

I wouldn't worry about your pH. Unless it's very low (less than 6) or very high (over 8) or you have very delicate or wild caught fish it's better left alone than trying to change it which can lead to pH swings which are bad for fish.

What's more of a concern is whether your tank is cycled (has a colony of good bacteria growing in the filter to proccess the fish waste). Did you keep all the old filter and its sponges or whatever and was it washed out in tap water at all?

 

[This Old Spouse]

Please let us know how long you've had the tank and fish, how big the tank is and how you prepared the tank for the fish.

Fluttermoth is very right about the cory. He or she really needs a good half dozen friends. Frankly, your other fish need some friends of their own kind as well. But all that depends, I think, on the size of your tank and how established it is.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[laxzilla123]

It's also quite normal for fish not to eat for a while when they've been moved; how long have you had the tank?

What's more of a concern is whether your tank is cycled (has a colony of good bacteria growing in the filter to proccess the fish waste). Did you keep all the old filter and its sponges or whatever and was it washed out in tap water at all?

Thanks for the help... I'm considering getting another cory in a week or so once i know the ecosystem inside the tank is set. As for how long have i had the tank... I just got it set up today... The gravel is freshly cleaned as well as the decorations: logs, plants etc etc. However, I do have the original filter and i haven't cleaned the biological part out so im hoping that will help.

Also, The tank is only a 10 gallon tank. I will be doing weekly water changes though. As far as getting friends for them is there any suggestions on other fish i should consider?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

By friends, they mean of the same species...


Do you have an ammonia and nitrite test kit? You need one. And more than likely, you are going to need to change your water more often than once a week until your tank cycles, which could take up to 2 months.

 

[laxzilla123]

And more than likely, you are going to need to change your water more often than once a week until your tank cycles, which could take up to 2 months.

I thought changing water more than once a week was bad because it wouldn't give the ecosystem enough time to stabilize?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

No, not changing your water when the ammonia and/or nitrite is at 0.25ppm or above is bad for your fish because it is poisonous to your fish.

 

[This Old Spouse]

It would be different if you didn't have fish and were doing a fishless cycle. But at this point you're trying to keep your fish alive, which means a lot of water changes until you're cycled. Your goal is 0 Ammonia and Nitrite.

And yes, by "friends" we're talking about the same kind of fish. Cories and neons and other shoaling fish need a half dozen or more of the same species to be really happy.

 

[laxzilla123]

So tiger barbs would be unwise for this current tank... haha ah well maybe later. Also thanks for the tips on the water i would have just let them sit and been very confused when they died. Ill keep an eye on the water to see how the ammonia and nitrate levels are doing.

 

[This Old Spouse]

 

[eaglesaquarium]

No problem. That's what this forum is for.


BTW, tiger barbs are one of the nippiest fish you could get, be VERY careful which fish you put with them. If you really like the look of them... check out "Five banded barbs" they are much less aggressive, and a bit smaller.

 

[laxzilla123]

One other question maybe someone will know the answer too. I'm Currently Using the AquaTech Power Filter 5-15 and I've herd some things that this filters biological capacity isn't very good and most of the bacteria get stuck on the replaceable cartridge. This would mean I'm cycling my tank once a month or so which i don't want. Would it be worth it to get something like an Aqueon Power Filter?

BTW, tiger barbs are one of the nippiest fish you could get, be VERY careful which fish you put with them. If you really like the look of them... check out "Five banded barbs" they are much less aggressive, and a bit smaller.

Also in response to this my goal was to ultimately have a school of tiger barbs and cory cats. I figured they'd be a good fit from what I've read.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Someone with more experience can probably address this better than me, but I would look into the tiger barbs in a 10 gallon tank very closely before I put them in there. They actually get fairly large (by comparison for a 10 gallon tank). They are stocky when full grown, and grow to a good 3 inches. You really might want to reconsider stocking them in that tank.


I understand the allure of the tiger barbs. They are truly some extraordinarily attractive fish. But, I'm not sure that they would work in a 10 gallon tank. I think you might want to consider a 30 gallon tank, minimum. Partly because of their size, and partly because they are fish that are best kept in numbers (8-10 minimum, I would say).

 

[laxzilla123]

Haha They are just so tempting because there so cool looking.. but thanks for the advice