New..looking For Input

[brettb21]

Hey everyone, new member here... beginning by freshwater aquarium, well it's already started for the most part...wanted to get some opinions, feedback, etc

Currently have a 10 gallon tank, filter, heater to keep the temp constant at 78 and the following fish:

3 Mollies (1 Dalmatian and 2 all black)
1 small aquarium shark (White Tip Shark Catfish)
1 Green Spotted Puffer

I have done a lot of research and realize the GSP needs brackish water as it was sold freshwater which a lot of places do...so I am working on a solution to that

In the meantime I have added some aquarium salt and gotten the appropriate food (tropical fish flakes and freeze- dried bloodworms/freeze-dried shrimp for the GSP)

Thanks in Advance for feedback!

 

[Corleone]

Whew, few things here. All four fish are naturally brackish (columbian sharks are one of the rather short list of brackish catfish - many are intolerant of salt), though depending on your tap water chemistry, it may not be entirely necessary with the mollies. The catfish will get about 14 inches long and will need a very large tank. It will most likely eat the mollies if they're kept together (if you're even able to house it).

Aside from a couple species that can be kept with carefully chosen tankmates, puffers generally don't do well mixed with other species, as they're nippy (sometimes outright aggressive) and their beaks equip them to deal lethal damage, even to larger fish.

Brackish water requires marine salt, not aquarium salt, which has some disease treatment properties, but its general use is a relic of old methods.

Lastly, the usual questions: Specifically, how did you cycle the tank? What test kit did you/are you using?

 

[mark.w.jones]

As mentioned above none of those fish is really suitable for a 10gallon tank and they will soon outgrow it leading to the usual problems of poor water conditions. The puffer really needs to be kept on its own and you say you are going to sort something out for that which is great. The sooner the better if you don't want to lose pieces of your other fish If you want to keep the catfish and it is the species you say, you really need a 75+ US gallon tank minimum.