Too Much Fish.. Not Enough Tank.. Whoops

[mrsjhozer]

Hmmm.. Well, of course I am new to raising fresh water fish so here go's. My husband bought an odd sized 13 gallon tank.. 2 swordtails and a mini fresh water puffer. Obviously puffer bad idea so I don't need to hear it! Puffer died, 1 swordtail also dead. Had water tested.. everything ok. Husband currently avoiding adding new fish as he is still bummed puffer died. Waited about 2 weeks and yesterday I decided "Hansel" the remaining swordtail needed a friend. At our aquarium store the swordtail is rated at a 'BC' for compatability. So I picked out 2 more male swardtails. The girl there talked me into a plecostomus and a small catfish as well to clean up waste. I got a small crab (that is supposedly not aggressive.. so far so good). Also got 1 medium silver dollar and another type of catfish which is skinny and about 3 inches long. All BC's.

So they are all swimming in harmony. Kind of.

They look slightly cramped.

I feel aweful. The folks at the pet store told me this would be fine for the size tank I have!

I don't want to take any back because they are my responsibility now.

I went to a different pet store today and spoke with them and oconfirmed I will need to get a larger tank soon.

So how big is this plecostomus supposed to get? I am hearing 24". Is that a joke? Also, lady at 2nd pet store said skinny catfish will get to 5" and silver dollar 5-7". Does all of this sound accurate? She said a good size tank to accomidate all of these fish is a 29 gallon. Does that sound right? Also, given the size of these fish.. how long do you think I have before I will need this new tank?

I've told my huzzie the news and he says he'd like a larger tank anyway. Is the 1" of fish per gallon rule true? Also, does one need to think about the approximate amount of space foliage and other ornimentation takes up and subtract that from the total # of gallons?

 

[Spader]

take the plec back before its too late! they get way too big, if its a common pleco specially. yeah u are going to need a much bigger tank, not sure how much bigger. ill wait till someone with more info posts, as im really tired. good luck!

 

[carrera]

without knowing the type of pleco, its hard to make a suggestion. some grow to 4", others to over a foot.

the inch per gallon rule only applies to small slimline fish in small quantitys so doesnt apply here.

silver dollars are schooling fish and should be in groups of 5 at the least.

the crab will need some sort of out-of-water spot, or it will die, and as a rule usually, fins and pincers dont mix.

hope this helps some

 

[mrsjhozer]

the crab they sold me was in a regular tank with fish and other crabs... completely submerged? does this sound right?

also my recipt says the pleco is a "small plecostomus." i've been going to this pet store for a long time.. he is just a dark grey (if that helps).. all of the others they have are fairly small.. the larges I have seen is about 5 in I'd say. How fast do they grow?

 

[fish_fetish65]

the crab they sold me was in a regular tank with fish and other crabs... completely submerged? does this sound right?

also my recipt says the pleco is a "small plecostomus." i've been going to this pet store for a long time.. he is just a dark grey (if that helps).. all of the others they have are fairly small.. the larges I have seen is about 5 in I'd say. How fast do they grow?

is the store petsmart? (just wondering)

anyhow, take the pleco back ASAP. small plecostomus is the term for "young common pleco". which means that, yes, it will reach 24" quite easily. not only that, but as others have said, the things produce far more waste than they clean up.

as others have said, you need quite a few more silver dollars if you want the little guy to be happy.

the male swordtails may end up fighting, especially when confined to a small tank... but things shouldn't get too out of hand unless you throw a female swordtail into the mix.

the crab needs to go.

about your catfish- the second one mentioned sounds like it may be a more aggressive catfish. this could prove to be a problem in the long run. i would go back and return the two you have now for a few small cory catfish. they're absolutely adorable and won't pick at your other fish.

"So they are all swimming in harmony. Kind of." <--- sorry, that made me giggle. nice way of putting it.

 

[mrsjhozer]

no.. i got them at jacks aquarium.. i dont know where you live but this is in ohio and i believe they are also in other midwestern states.

 

[BrookeLea]

Hey, it's brooke. I found your post, and figured I'd reply and post some info that might help others to help you.

I'm assuming that this is the pleco that you have, because it is the one that is sold most commonly at petstores.

And here is some info about it: Common Pleco

Also, you told me that your crab was a gold claw fiddler, and I have read that those "are truly aquatic and do not need to get out of the water." This same site also says that the crab will try to catch the fish, but it is usually too slow to do so. Crab info

Here's some info on silver dollars. Silver Dollars

Here's some info on emerald green cats. Cats

I hope you can get the tank straightened out, and that the people here can help!

 

[mrsjhozer]

oh hell its giant

 

[dwarfgourami]

Another word of warning: if you have more than one male swordtail you will want to watch them. These fish are very highly sexed, which can lead to aggression. The recommended ratio is either females only or 1 male with several females. If you keep a male/female pair, there is a risk that she will get worn out by his incessant demands for sex. And two males may fight. Just keep an eye on them.

Shame about the plec- I wish the stores didn't sell them, or at least only sold a few to specialised collectors. We have so many forum members that have conned into buying these! Once he is grown up, even a 55 gallon won't do him. And yet there are lots of smaller catfish that would fit beautifully into a 55, or even a 13 gallon.