Stocking Levels And Black Ghost Knifes (think Thats The Right Way Roun

[double-trouble]

Your tank is pretty semi - agressive right now, not really a community tank. With a possible pictus cat and a BGK and an angel...
That pictus can and will eat those WCM same goes for the BGK AND angel. You should maybe do a little more research, seeing as you've already had your angel eat one fish and kill his mate. Sadly, it sounds as if you are just to overstocked which is causing stress to your fish.
I feel like I am kind of coming down on you and I am sorry, but for some reason no one else is really pointing out to you how mis-matched and overstocked your tank is...
Sorry.

at the moment the catfish and BGK are smaller than the mollies and keep themselves to themselves and haven't caused any problems. the problem I had with the angel fish was because the betta had long flowing fins and they are fin nippers. after speaking to my lfs they told me that sometimes even though they like to be in two's or more that two together can fight. since the other one died there has been no problem.
I'm not being snotty about the reply you gave me as I wanted honest answers but just dont feel at the mo that my tank is aggressive, there is no fights at feeding times i feed once during the day for the majority of the fish and the loach and BGK get food at night as they dont like to be out in the light. as the biggest fish is only at most 3 inches atm (clown loach after looking at him again he looks bigger) will it still be classed as overstocked??

 

[vinylman]

You might not be badly overstocked now, but as several other posters have said, you have several fish that will grow far too big for your tank. When fish grow larger than others, and the large fish are predators, only one thing is going to happen. The sooner you remove the aggressive/predatory fish, the better. If the people at your LFS have told you that the fish you have are compatible in any way, shape or form, they really should be working in a different industry. It's up to you whether you take our advice, of course, but taking action to remove certain fish now will save a lot of grief in your tank.

 

[TerraDreamer]

1 clown loach (I know he will get big but been advised by 3 lfs that they grow about 1 inch a year)

I've always read that clown loaches should be kept in groups of 5 or 6, and in very large tanks (75 gallon+) due to their eventual size.

http/www.loaches.com/species-index/clown...ia-macracanthus

 

[Breeze7050]

Even though your fish are small now, you are still overstocked. A loose stocking guideline is 1" of fish per gallon - again this is a loose guideline, you can't stick a 10'' fish in a 10 gallon aquarium. When you are adding fish to your new aquarium and trying to keep yourself just right for stocking, you need to take into account the fish's ADULT size.
A BGK adult size is somewhere around 12" +/-, a clown loach's adult size is somewhere around 14" +/- and even though they are slow growers and probably will do okay for awhile, he will eventually need a much bigger tank and preferably friends. You still don't know what kind of catfish you have so we could be looking at anywhere from 3"-30" at adult size!
A 30 gallon aquarium is really only fit for smaller fish - some of which you already have, which is great! But, the big growers and semi-aggressive fish, which you do have really should be re-homed before disaster strikes.
They are living in stressful conditions, even though the don't fight and appear to be just fine. They need room to grow and unfortunately you can't provide that right now in a 30 gallon.

 

[double-trouble]

Have found out the cat fish is a synodontis eupterus so isn't a common plec he looks exactly like this pic at the moment


http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/speci...?species_id=121

 

[Breeze7050]

If that is the case, then you are still looking at another 9 inches fish in a tank that is only 3 x 1 x 1...

 

[my fat fish]

thers only 1 solution get a biogger tank (my favriot solution :)

 

[newtotropical]

thers only 1 solution get a biogger tank (my favriot solution :)

 

[double-trouble]

That is the soloution i am going to use the Hubby wont be happy heehee!!!

I am going to take the BGK back. The LFS shop didn't tell me he would get so big yes I know you are meant to research your fish before you buy them but everytime I do this when I go to the LFS they never have the one I want in stock.

Has everyone not been guilty of looking in the shop and falling in love with a fish and buying it on impulse?

I only went in to get some live food and came out with the BGK he was so cute and was in a nasty tank with hundreds of others I felt sorry for the little guy as he was the smallest. I have a problem with feeling sorry for them and buying them. when I bought my betta it was because he had really tatty fins and in a really grotty tank and I couldn't leave him like that once I got him home his fins grew back and his personality came out.

I'm def guilty of being a soft touch these fish must see me coming and make themselves look all miserable.

Dont worry I wont take the BGK back to the shop I got him from couldn't do that too him my friend has a hundred gal tank and she might want him of I have another LFS which will buy fish that people cant accomodate.

 

[~T~]

Yup taking back the knife is a good idea, mines 12"+ and in an 80gal and hes still too big for the tank.

 

[double-trouble]

Thought i'd pop a picture on for you all to see its on its side as its the only i could fit it all on!!