I agree with above
those articles will hopefully help you understand the point your tanks at. Unfortunately many of us have been in this situation due to bad information from shops - particularly chain stores. The workers there sometimes have little experience or knowledge of fish and as a result it is only when you get home and google that you realise there is a problem...
Unfortunately some more bad news... I think the fish you have are Auralis Barbs and Bala Sharks.
Auralis Barbs get to about 8 inches and are quite chunky fish, they need a minimum of a 70ish gallon tank but are very active fish so could ideally do with closer to 100 gallons.
Bala Sharks... get to about 12 - 16 inches and need a huge huge tank, 10-12 feet square ideally. They are migratory fish and are really not suited to tank life, it is unfortunate they are so common in the hobby.
Again I have to feel that the store has let you down.
and I am really sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
In answer to your questions on the video about the fish huddling in one area. They will be stressed by quite a few factors so will be huddling in the shadiest part of the tank and together to feel safe. As said by Mamashak the fish will be in water with high ammonia and high nitrate - if you read the articles you will understand what the situation is.
This will be stressing them for the main part however, both species of fish are schooling fish - in the wild they will be found in schools of sometimes hundreds so when kept in small numbers like this then again they get stressed. Ideally with schooling fish you want to keep a minimum of 6 or ideally a minimum of 10-12 this ensures that they always have most of the group in their sight which makes them feel comfortable as they will essentially assume it means they are on the edge of a much larger school.
The low numbers make them worry predators are around, which is why they are trying to hide and stick together. Also fish will get stressed in a bare tank, ideally you want decor and plants to build up taller areas around the tank rather than just open water.
Also just on the decor, I noticed that some of the plants you have in the tank are actually non aquatic plants so will eventually die in the tank. The main problem with this is they rot and add to the ammonia and nitrite in the tank. Also the plastic decor you have, I used to use it but I stopped and swapped to natural rocks and wood as the plastic decor with the hollow insides can harbor nasty gasses and bacteria as the air flow of the water does not get inside them enough and it can cause problems in tanks, though this is rare but it can happen.
Some good news though, the Ghost Shrimp are a great inhabitant for this size tank but... they wont survive a full cycle with the fish.
My best advice would be to read the articles above and take all the fish and shrimp back to the shop. I know its drastic but in 4-5 weeks you will be able to add fish again and these will be true pet fish that you will be able to keep for their whole life span and enjoy properly
Really sorry to pass on so much bad news but this forum is here to help
We will help you through a fishless cycle (or fish in if you decide to do that
) and we will help you stock your tank with fish that you like and that will thrive in your tank
Also where abouts are you from? Maybe someone could recommend a good fish shop to you? Its always fun to visit the independent shops as they often get more unusual and more attractive fish than the chains, they also tend to get healthier fish as well which is a good thing
Hope this helps and welcome to the forum!
Wills
