Newly acquired tank and fish !

[fishyfishy101]

I've adopted a 30 gal tank and fish from a friend who was moving and couldn't keep them ! All went well with the move and the set up of the tank at the new home - everyone lived ! Included are 2 red tail black sharks, 4 guppies, and a catfish . It's been about 6 weeks now

One of the sharks, the larger of course is a real bully ! He constantly chases the smaller one until he retreats back into the artificial foliage poor thing How do I deal with this !

I would like to introduce a few loaches into the tank as I've had a recent explosion of little snails appearing out of nowhere - probably from aquarium plants I bought ! I would like to get small ones as this tank will soon to be too small as it is, and I'm worried about the tank bully going after them . I understand I need a couple not just one.
Any suggestions ?

 

[Essjay]

I'm afraid a 30 gallon tank is not big enough for any species of loach, which all need to be kept in a shoal of at least 6.
The problem with the red tailed black sharks is that they should be kept alone, not as a pair. As you have discovered, keeping two is not a good idea. They also need a bigger tank than 30 gallons - the minimum recommended size is a footprint of 120 x 45 cm (48 x 18 inches) and keeping two of them in a tank that is too small will only add to the aggression of the dominant shark. The best thing you can do is to rehome these two fish.


As for the snails, they are actually good for the tank being an important part of the ecosystem. But too many of them does not look good. The main cause of overpopulation of snails is overfeeding the fish, or leaving dying plants in the tank. Too much food = too many snails. You could try snail traps which involves a lidded tub with small holes punched in the lid - big enough for snails to get through but too small for your smallest fish - then bait it with some vegetable and put it in the tank last thing at night. Next morning, remove the trap, dispose of the snails and repeat again next night.
Or buy an assassin snail if they are legal where you live.

 

[fishyfishy101]

Thanks !!! I hope I am able to rehome the aggressor at least - might be easier said than done - very helpful response thank you !