New Set Up For 10 Gl Tank

[gouramigrl]

i want to thank all of you guys for saying what you have gone thru with your tanks and the fish you have kept in them or the fish that you currently have.
my loauch did just fine all by himself he was my oldest fish in there other then my ghost cat fish. and he died bc he got old. im not ignoring what you all are saying either.im taken it all in and thinking it over with what i think would be best for me. i have decided what new fish ill be getting soon. i also have a gourami and its an oplaine gourami and his max size is 4 inches and thats all the bigger he is going to get and he is going to do fine in the 10 gallon along with my ghost cats. and as for my albino corycat he isnt stressed bc he is the only one in the tank he seems to be doing just fine since his lil pal passed on a month back. he isnt showing any signs of being stressed out or anything along those lines.

forestpisces i do apologize i have had other issues with another forum board in the past and they werent that helpful that is why i decided to join you guys bc from when i first posted on here asking for help and some really good advice you were the first on here to help me.and im sorry for if it seemed gettin snappy with you.

but the current stock i have in my tank is the:
1 oplaine gourami
2 ghost cat fish
2 female guppies
(inside the breeder box are 6 fry)
1 albino cory cat

when i do decide to get my different tank fish the fish that are going to be either to the lfs or really good homes to people that have fish tanks are:
2 female guppies
1 albino cory cat
the baby fry once they are big enough to sex
and the 7 male guppies (that are in a two gallon and the only reason why they are in the 2 gallon tank is to keep them away from the females that i have bc im trying to prevent haveing more baby guppies)

 

[Forestpisces]

Right ok so let's sort this lol,

Baisicly you want to stock your 10gallon with will already have

1 opaline gourami

2 glass cats?

What fish did you decide on?

Hope it all goes well anyway new fish are always exciting.

 

[CKutz]

i'm sorry i made you feel like i was attacking your gouramigrl. i guess i'm just not good with words because i really tried not to make it sound that way, but still get my point across.

However you are still missing the point. The people on this forum and all the information about this fish is designed to give you the best experience with them possible. What you're not understanding is that many of the fish deaths you've experienced might not be because it was "a bad batch", or old age. There are tons of people on here that have probably had fish for several years. Fish live to be much longer than people expect.

When you follow the advice we are giving you, you'll see the difference. You won't have fish dying on occasion for example. your fish might be more active, more colorful, and more entertaining.

The guidelines we are telling you are designed to give your fish happy, healthy, long lives. Not just a few months.
So please consider our advice.

SeanW this advice applies for you. How long has your tank been going? you're not considering the long term here. yes those fish will survive for quite awhile i'm sure. but you don't understand the difference between keeping them how you are, and how they should be. When i started I also kept loaches in a 10 gallon tank. thinking there was no reason these fish should need such a big tank. but they died. and now i have a group of yoyo loaches in a 30 gal tank, there is quite a difference in their health, and how they interact.

We don't mean to be hard on you guys, or mean, we're just trying to give you advice for a better lives for your fish, and more enjoyment for you. We've all been there and done the same things you guys are doing, but now we understand the difference.

Both of you should check out craigslist, and look for bigger tanks. I'm a college student and can understand the difficulty in buying a new bigger tank. but you can get some great deals on there, and the bigger tanks are so much nicer to look at, and your fishkeeping will be so much more enjoyable.

 

[gouramigrl]

its not so much that i need a bigger tank bc i really dont.there is nothing wrong with my fish.they are as healthy as they can be in the ten gallon tank right now. i get help with keeping them healthy and everything they need from my boyfriend. if he thinks something is wrong with any of the fish he is on it along with me. and yes i know that my fish have all died from being old. there has never been any type of disease in my tank what so ever.

the fish i decided on was the shell dweller cichlids. i plan on redoing the whole tank as soon as i get enough money saved up to redo the whole tank with all the proper things those fish would need like sand and plenty of shells. bc they need at 2-6 shells per fish and im only going to get two or three bc they do best in pairs and groups rather then being alone.

im keeping the gourami and the ghost cats and adding two bamboo shrimp and plenty of bamboo stocks for the shrimp and then im going to purchase the shell dwellers. and i have already looked up that can be put into a ten gallon tank and they would perfer sand instead of gravel.

as for compatibility im not sure if the shrimp will get along with the shell dwellers. but thats something im just going to have find and see what goes on once i get everyone.

do you think that gourami would interfere with the shell dwellers or the shrimp? im pretty sure that ghost cats wont harm any one in the tank bc they never have messed with any the tank. but im more worried about them getting messed with from the shell dwellers.

it may be my first tank but ive had it going for little over a year now. and everyone that i have in there in the past have just recently died bc of old age. im sure of that because ive never had any kind or type of illness in the tank. and i did my home work before i purchased all the fish in there.

 

[CKutz]

http/www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/f.../dojoloach.html

check out the lifespan

http/www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/f.../juliicory.html
check out the lifespan.

fish also die from stress. They are pretty fragile, and stuff like getting picked on, being crowded, having ammonia in the water, or high levels of nitrates, unsuitable temperatures, stuff like that can easily send them over the edge without signs of disease.

I'm not trying to argue with you. its' just that when fish are dying it's a sign that things in your tank aren't working. do you have a test kit? The API Master Test Kit is a good one. don't bother with the strips cause they are very inaccurate.

I really like the shell dwellers idea! i thought about doing that myself. but they are really expensive and hard to find around me.
this site seems to have good info on them if you are looking for more info. however those cichlid buffers they mention, most people on this site frown on adding chemicals to the water to adjust the ph. because say you miss adding the chemicals, or you add too much..or they react with something in the water or something, they could sky rocket, or crash, which is very stressful for the fish.

I would say that the shell dwellers and the ghost cats wouldn't work well. but you seem to know more about them than me. but i read that they are very peaceful and can't handle being bullied very well. although the shell dwellers are more peaceful cichlids, they are still cichlids..and you saw what cichlids did to your betta. i'm sure these aren't as tempermental as those, but they do get very territorial and defensive.
Also these types of cichlids prefer a higher ph, around 8. idk how well your other fish would like that, but often times it's better to just let the ph where it is.

 

[gouramigrl]

my ph is actually 7.5 and it sometimes can be around the 8 range bc of our tap water. i know your not trying to agrue with me and im not really trying to agrue with you either.the information that you all have given me is very wonderful and i thank you for that. i do know that fish can die from stress i still dont think that they were stressed any tho.the tank wasnt over crowded or none of the fish were bullying with each other other either. yea i came to conclusion that i do want the shell dwellers i was lookin them up last night and doing all my research on them and im not to positive if any of the pet stores around my area actually have them but it doesnt hurt to look around!!! i dont think that the ghost cats will bother them and im not sure that the shell dwellers will bother them as much but i do understand that they are still cichlids so ill have to try it out and see how it goes and maybe once i purchase them i could ask the pet store workers (if i found them around here) if they will bother my glass cats. ya what those cichlids did to my betta was really mean and i do regret very much on doing that to the betta but i learned from my mistakes with that one! ya i understand that they need a higher ph level. i think my ph level is just bout the right size. yes i do have a tester kit and i do tester kit everytime i do my water changes. i do those about every two weeks and clean every thing very very well. i like for my tank to look nice and make sure that everything is going dandy with my fishies

 

[Forestpisces]

IMO you were over stocked and will be with the cichlids but thats just me

Best of luck with it and post some piccies when it's all settled and looking nice

 

[gouramigrl]

i dont know if its really going to be over stocked because the only thing that is going to be in there once i get them is going to be them,the shrimp,gourami,and the glass cats.and neither of them take up that much room and the gourami stays up toward the top of the tank and the cats mainly are in the middle and the shrimp probably will be all over im not positive if i want those or not. and then shell dwellers and they'll mainly be at the bottom.

and ill post a pic of what it looks like now that way you guys have a image of what it looks like right now and once everything is settled i will post pics of those

 

[gouramigrl]

[URL="http/www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/f.../dojoloach.html"]http/www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/f.../dojoloach.html[/URL]

check out the lifespan

[URL="http/www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/f.../juliicory.html"]http/www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/f.../juliicory.html[/URL]
check out the lifespan.

fish also die from stress. They are pretty fragile, and stuff like getting picked on, being crowded, having ammonia in the water, or high levels of nitrates, unsuitable temperatures, stuff like that can easily send them over the edge without signs of disease.

I'm not trying to argue with you. its' just that when fish are dying it's a sign that things in your tank aren't working. do you have a test kit? The API Master Test Kit is a good one. don't bother with the strips cause they are very inaccurate.

I really like the shell dwellers idea! i thought about doing that myself. but they are really expensive and hard to find around me.
this site seems to have good info on them if you are looking for more info. however those cichlid buffers they mention, most people on this site frown on adding chemicals to the water to adjust the ph. because say you miss adding the chemicals, or you add too much..or they react with something in the water or something, they could sky rocket, or crash, which is very stressful for the fish.

I would say that the shell dwellers and the ghost cats wouldn't work well. but you seem to know more about them than me. but i read that they are very peaceful and can't handle being bullied very well. although the shell dwellers are more peaceful cichlids, they are still cichlids..and you saw what cichlids did to your betta. i'm sure these aren't as tempermental as those, but they do get very territorial and defensive.
Also these types of cichlids prefer a higher ph, around 8. idk how well your other fish would like that, but often times it's better to just let the ph where it is.

hey hey, thanks for the info will look it all up soon, this is the boyfriend. i agree completely with the ph. our ph outa the tap is usually 8.2- 8.9 depending on what time of year it is. i currently have the mbuna in the larger tank. and its just perfect ph for my africans but its definately not that great for tropical community. so i really dont mess with her tanks ph much but i do give it regular water changes and ive mentioned adding some driftwood to help naturally lower the ph in the tank but i havent found the right price or size peice i like at any the stores around me. if anyone else has suggestions on what i could use to lower her ph in her 10 gallon tank naturally. instead of letting it be at a higher 7.8- 8.2 range. it lowers and fluctuates from time to time but regular and 25 percent water changes do lower the ph in the long run to keep it in the tropical range.


as for my mbuna tearing up her fish. had just a yellow lab in my tank at the time and he was really mellow so i thaught i could free up a lil bit of her tank by allowing her loach to go in my tank. and it worked out very well for a week or 2 but i started seeing some agression and immediatly aclimated him back into her tank. and he didnt survive the wound.

as for her tank being overstocked. its only over stocked in my opinion when the fry are growing out. other then that it seems to be alright if you always go by the inch of fish per gallon method your going to go insane. i prefer to go inch per section. and she was very correct with saying the gourami is a top dweller and that glass cats are mid dwellers. as for the shell dwellers i need to look information up on them but im sure there very peaceful compared to mbuna i bet they have the fight of a betta in them. or maybe a tid bit more.

but as for her tank at the moment she has 6 inches in the middle of the tank as for fish go. and 3 inches in the bottom of the tank. and 2 and half at the top of her tank. she will accasionaly keep a few female guppies and fry in there aswell but i never really count them in the mix they come and go like a bird in the yard. were always breeding and trading for store credit.

the 2 gallon tank was definately over stocked but it did serve its purpose if you wanna talk about overstocking let me put a few males in the 10 gallon tank with a female and we will be well over stocked for about 30 different 10 gallon tanks.

im going to let this post go and i thaught id clear up a few things there. as for her water levels they have higher gh and kh and the ph is a lil high but the ammonia and the no2 and no3 are all 0 sometimes the no3 will be 20 ppm but thats usually if i over fed them by accident shes usually feeding them and its just the right amount for her lil apetites. my guys are pigs on the other hand lol.

James

 

[CKutz]

hey i think no3 is nitrate. that naturally goes up, the only way to decrease it is waterchanges. so dont' worry about that. it's the end product of the ammonia and nitrite being processed by the bacteria.

you guys are so lucky you can exchange fish for store credit. i have kribs that breed and the store wont' give me anything, even if i gave them 50 fish 1" long that they would sell for like $4 each, i get nothing.

it's not so much the inch per gallon rule, as it is keeping a big fish, in small tank..keeping a fish that reaches 3 or 4" in a 10 gallon tank is like keeping a person stuck in their living room for their entire life.

you might be interested in looking up the surface area guideline. but again they are just guidelines

she is right about what levels they are considered to dwell in, but really fish don't always stick to those areas, my gourami is all over the tank, sometimes my loaches come up to the top. my kribs are primarily bottom, but they go all over.
a 10 gal is so small that there is barely any difference between the middle and the top. especially when you're a 3" fish.

that sucks that the ph is so high..you're right about driftwood..but i added some to my tank and haven't really noticed much change. i think it depends on the KH, which determines how easily your ph will change.

umm...i think peat moss might help lower it. if you search on google you'll find stuff about it.

 

[gouramigrl]

the no3 is the nitrate. ya its really cool that our lfs will let us give them the fish but really we arent getting anything out of it but maybe a couple of cents a fish but it opens up more tank space. i understand that but all the fish that i have kept in my tank that get 3-4 inches long do just fine there doesnt seem to be anything wrong with them what so ever. ill have to look up the surface guideline and see what that is all about. ya i understand that the fish normally dont stay in their general area of the tank. it doesnt really suck because steady ph is better then haveing correct ph. but it would be nice to have the right correct ph level that the fish need. alot of different live plants will lower the ph level and i do plan on putting live plants in the tank.

here is a picture of what my tank looks like now

and ill look into the peat moss when i get the chance to

 

[gouramigrl]

i have given away all the guppies to good homes. they are doing really well in their new homes. the only thing in the tank now is the ghost cat fish and the albino cory cat. i had to return the gouarmi back to the pet store bc he was showing aggression towards all of my other fish during feeding time so my boyfriend and i returned him today. it was very sad but we thought it would be best for him.

 

[CKutz]

sorry to hear that, but yea it was probably for the best.

 

[gouramigrl]

yea it was for the best bc i didnt want all of my other fish to get beaten up by him being aggressive like that.so i talked to my boyfriend and we took him back yesterday to the pet store. so hopefully he can go to a better home and get treated as well as we treated him. i wish the lil guy the best. now the only fish in my tank are the ghost cats and the lil ablino guy. im growing out a cichlid for my boyfriend bc its to way to small to be put into his tank.so im going to grow him out until he gets the same size of ghost cats and be able to put him in my boyfriends 29 gallon tank. then ill be able to get to my fish that i want to put into my tank, so im one step closer on being able to get my tank the way i want it and be able to start over with it.

 

[gouramigrl]

im going to jump in real fast before anyone gets upset over putting a cichlid in a tropical community tank this is the boyfriend and the explination. but this cichlid is tiny its smaller then my cory cat if itd hold still to measure its somewhere between 3/4 of an inch and 1/2 inch. i know from my experience with juvenile cichlids that they are extremely mellow and extremely energetic at this age they only start turning into little devils right at around 1 and 1/2 inches to around 2 inches.

i have now since this post transfered him into an isolation tank for growing out i will post pictures of the nifty little tank soon.

thank you all for helping as it is much apreciated.