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FAQs on Freshwater Livestock Selection... Criteria,
Examples
Related Articles: Freshwater
Livestock by Neale Monks, Freshwater
Livestock Selection by Bob Fenner,
Acclimation of New Freshwater Livestock, by Bob Fenner
Fishes, Amphibians,
Turtles,
Related FAQs: Livestocking
Freshwater, Freshwater Livestock,
FW Livestock 2, FW Livestock 3,
FW Livestock 4,
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You must investigate enough to find out the individual
temperaments, foods/feeding, size, and growth rate of all species you
intend to stock... Couple this with the space you have, water chemistry, the type of
gear... and your willingness/ability to maintain the system |
What would you do? Stocking 20 gal. 9/9/08
Hello Crew!
<Hello Audrey,>
I am in need of some guidance. We have recently upgraded our tank to a 20gal. We
moved the plants and snails to the new tank. After a while, we decided to get
some Pseudomugil Furcatus. We brought home 6 of them. All was well for the first
36 hours or so.
<Lovely little fish; hitherto very rare in the trade, but thankfully starting to
appear a little more often.>
After about 36 hours I found fuzz on one of the males - not ick, one big
infection spot. The fish was still active and eating at that point so I moved
him to a treatment tank and treated with what I had around (Furan - supposed to
treat mouth fungus, cotton wool and infections so I thought it would work). I
found him dead the next day. I examined the body and saw a big red zone, an
injury under the fuzz, so I think he died as a result of a mechanical injury,
either in transit or at the store (they're too small and fast to do a thorough
exam at the store).
<I'd be treating with a combination Finrot/Fungus medication such as eSHa 2000
or Maracyn. This should handle the "big three" -- Fungus, Finrot, and Mouth
Fungus -- all of which are possibilities here.>
The day I found the injured male dead, I also found a dead female in the main
tank, this one with no visible sign of illness or injury.
<Do check other issues: water chemistry, oxygen, temperature. It is possible
they simply travelled badly, but still, for the sake of your peace of mind,
check the tank.>
Now I am left with only four fish. I think they would be much happier in a
bigger group. I'm also worried because I have a trio and a solo, and, although
the lone female comes out for food, I have a feeling she'd be more happy if the
dominant fish had more fish to chase away.
<Indeed.>
It has barely been a week and, while the other 4 fish seem happy, I'm worried
they'll die suddenly like my female.
<Always a concern when you're keeping an apparently delicate species for the
first time.>
Now, this is my dilemma. This LFS where we bought or fish is the best close to
us, they're the only serious, specialized fish store around, but we haven't been
happy with the fish we've bought there so far. There is a pet store that has
healthy-looking, vigorous fish, but their selection is limited, and they don't
have any Furcatus. There is also a very new fish store a little further away who
insists heavily on the virtues of wild-caught fish - I'm weary of them because
the seller told me I was crazy to have a heater for my Betta (another tank), and
was rambling on some nonsense about UV sterilization. I know this doesn't mean
they have bad stock, but I don't know if I can trust their husbandry. I also
don't know if they have Furcatus in stock.
<You pays your money and you takes your choice... In this case, I think you need
to focus on the matter at hand, grabbing a few more female Blue Eyes. Get them
from whichever store has them, or online if you prefer.>
So, do I wait a few weeks before I get new fish until I'm certain enough my
current 4 are going to make it? But if I do that, should I worry about my lone
female?
<Depends on the price. If getting another batch only sets you back a few
dollars, then go for it. I'd be looking to see that my existing stock are
settled in and feeding. I'd like them to have nice rounded bellies -- and just
for once, I'd perhaps overfeed slightly with live daphnia or whatever just to be
sure. If this was all in the positive, I'd order/buy some more Blue Eyes.>
If I do get more fish should I go back to our usual LFS and risk buying another
half-dozen, and hope those make it?
<Ask if he can get a batch in just for you, and you pick them up when they
arrive before they're unboxed. Otherwise, buy a decent size group, factoring in
a certain amount of attrition. Maybe get twice as many females as males, just to
be on the safe side.>
My other choice is mixing the Furcatus with long-fin rainbows (those are easy to
find) - would they even interact, given they're not the same species?
<Not even the same family, so doubt they'd have any meaningful interaction.>
What would you do?
As usual, I appreciate your guidance. I have options, I just don't know where I
should go from here...
Thank you,
Audrey
<Good luck, Neale.>
Re: What would you do? Stocking 20 gal. 9/10/08
Hello again,
<Ave,>
I'm including the previous correspondence below for reference.
Well, things didn't work out. I lost another male a day after I wrote you, then
yesterday night one of my remaining females pineconed (I euthanized her when she
started swirling). I have two Furcatus left. I'm wondering if I should put my
misfortunes down to bad stock or bad husbandry.
<Maybe both...?>
My tank is 20 gal standard, with Fluorite substrate, plants (Bacopa, Anubias,
Amazon chain sword, Dwarf Hygrophila), two Coralife T5 bulbs. pH is steady
around 7.4-7.5. Temperature was a bit high, hovered around 80 but is now going
down with the cooler weather coming in, is now steady around 78 - this is with
the heater set on low, if I remove it, it goes down to 70-72.
<In summer I have to confess I tend to switch the heaters off; leaving tanks to
daily fluctuate slowly from 68-78 F is entirely in keeping with the wild, and
nothing most tropical fish can't handle. Overheating, and the resulting loss of
oxygen from the water, is more critical.>
No detectable ammonia, nitrite or nitrate (the algae must use it all). Filtered
with two Aqua-Clear Minis (each rated up to 20 gallons), with sponge. One with
added ceramic media, the other with carbon (I know what you think of carbon -
I'll explain myself later). We were good in the last few weeks and did weekly
water changes, about 25% each time. Not much vacuuming because the plants were
new and there were only three snails in the tank. We had a problem with BGA
these last few months, but with the new substrate, new plants and new lights
it's slowing down radically. We still remove it manually.
<Very good.>
The first thing we tried keeping was Mollies, but they all died of Camallanus
over the course of a few months. They were in brackish water too. We now know
the tank was too small anyway.
<Ah, yes, Mollies can be sensitive. Camallanus is not common among the (Asian)
fish I see in the UK; it seems to be more of a problem with (perhaps) the
Mollies bred in Florida?>
The Amano shrimp lasted a long while (several months), and we used to have
Cherries also. At some point, they started dying too. The only thing I changed
was that I stopped using carbon, so I put it back. No luck. Our new batch of
Cherries didn't make it past two weeks either. The Apple snail seemed to fare
better, he's been with us for about 6 weeks and seems happy.
<OK.>
The Nerites, though, are with us since the beginning and growing at a steady
rate. The beginning was when we got our Betta, over a year and a half ago. He's
his usual increasingly-grumpy old self, in another filtered, heated tank of his
own.
<Interesting; Nerites are quite good "bellwethers" and will climb out of the
tank if oxygen drops or they get too warm. So if they're happy, the tank can't
be seriously hostile.>
Basically, even if we know that Bettas are resilient, I'd be surprised we kept
it this long (even neglected it at some point along the way) if our husbandry or
water was this bad. And snails are sensitive to contaminants, or so I hear, but
they seem to be doing fine. But we seem to be serial shrimp and fish killers.
<Well, shrimps are sensitive to copper. Snails are to a varying degree, but
shrimps usually react immediately and fatally. But as you say, this mix of
fatalities and survivors is interesting.>
What is our problem? Did we start with bad stock?
<Always possible. Fish are often bred to a price rather than a standard, and
couple that with ropey husbandry in some stores, and the track record of many
species is poor. None of the fish you're keeping is "delicate" by default, so
poor stock is certainly something I'd consider.>
Or are we doing something wrong?
<Difficult to say; if you're doing things by the numbers, keeping on top of
water quality and feeding issues especially, I can't imagine you're doing
anything fatally wrong.>
Can you point us in the right direction?
<The first thing would be to leave the tank as it is for a couple weeks. Don't
do water changes. Every 2-3 days, do nitrite and pH tests. Keep a record. Ditto
water temperature. Try and develop a picture of how the aquarium is operating in
terms of environment and stability. By the end of two weeks you can return to
your normal maintenance schedule. Slight variation in pH over time is normal,
but if it's great (e.g., from 7.0 to 6.0) then you may have a problem there.
Carbonate hardness is often overlooked in this regard.>
What would be your absolutely easiest, sturdiest, non-plant-eating, compatible
with inverts, non-aggressive, easily available fish for a 20 gal tank?
<Many options. Depends what you're after. At the moment in my 10-gallon tanks
with shrimps and snails I have peacock gobies, Aspidoras pauciradiatus catfish,
bumblebee gobies, and Limia nigrofasciata. Wrestling halfbeaks are also good,
being able to adapt to a very wide range of water chemistry values.
http://homepage.mac.com/nmonks/Projects/freshwaterreef.html
Most of the smaller tetras should be good too, though they usually prefer soft
water. If you have hard water, then the smaller livebearers are better choices.
Endler Guppies for example should be easy to obtain and tend to be quite robust.
Don't overlook "feeder Guppies"; these are much hardier than fancy Guppies and
have added benefit of more natural colours.>
I doubt we'll have the heart to try Furcatus again any time soon.
<Oh.>
We're at the point where we barely glance at the aquarium anymore because we
always expect to see some tragic event taking place. This is supposed to be a
fun hobby...
<It IS fun... but sometimes it seems otherwise. Once a tank is stable and
working, and provided you haven't added too many fish or the wrong type of fish,
they're pretty much autopilot things that need little maintenance. Do be
patient, and go slowly, leaving things to settle for a while before rushing out
to buy some more livestock.>
Thank you for your guidance,
Audrey
<Good luck, Neale.>
The Responsible Fishkeeping Initiative –
6/4/08
Hi Bob --
Just like you, I am very concerned about the future of this hobby that we all
love so much, and I am about to launch a program that I would like your support
on. Similar to your CA on your website, the Responsible Fishkeeping Initiative
is something I am very concerned about on the freshwater side. I have enclosed
here the description of the program, and the posters that we are in the process
of designing for participating stores. The thrust of the RFI is to get stores to
agree not to carry Pacu piranhas, red tailed cats or iridescent sharks, the
three major problem fish in the hobby, and also to agree to euthanize any fish
that cannot be rehomed, hopefully ending the release of non-native fish into
native waters.
Would you be willing to lend your support, either as an individual or through
WWM.com to the RFI. I am not asking for any money, just that we put your
name/WWM.com on our literature and posters as a sponsor, and that you would put
a link to us on your website. I really hope you will support this effort, as it
is a major problem in the industry, and unless we do something about it from
within I am really afraid that we will wake up one morning and find out that
they have passed a law making it illegal to keep any fish that are not native to
each area, and the entire industry will be ended in the blink of an eye.
Hope you will come aboard. Thanks for your time and consideration.
Take care,
David
<Please do send the entire document along for reading. I am of a very similar
mind here. Thank you for your efforts. Bob Fenner>
>Hi Bob --
The description and the layout for the posters is all that I have right now. We
are working on the piece that will go out to stores soliciting their
participation, as well as the copy for the BowTie pubs to use. Hope you will
join us.
Thanks.
Take care,
David< You inspired me to write a
companion piece... 3/1/08
Hi Bob,
I like it! Very nice. The one addition I'd make would be to the Plants
section: those slow-growing species have no impact on algae-control;
indeed, they're veritable algae-magnets in my experience, quickly get covered
with the stuff.
<Mmm, even Crinums? If the water isn't too nutrient laden...>
So I'd *highly* recommend adding something fast growing alongside
them. And what could be better than Indian Fern? Ceratopteris
thalictroides is in fact found in Africa despite its common name, and the
Pantodon will love having the shade. Ceratopteris cornuta is, I believe,
native to Africa. Floating plants do well where there isn't much water
current -- just like the Knifefish and Pantodon! Cheers, Neale
<I do like this genus of plants to the extreme... and will add this note and
suggestion. Cheers, BobF>
|
Mixing Discus, rams,
Apistos tetras and Corys. -02/25/08
Hi Bob, Found the site Glassholes.com and liked the recent
information on dwarf South American cichlids. I have been keeping rams
and Apistos in 6.3 PH and 6 GH. This has been a challenge given our
local water is 7.8 PH out of the tap.
Needless to say most everyone including LFS here are into African
cichlids so I don't find much advice.
<I bet.>
I have been maintaining two 75 gal tanks. One has three 2.5" Discus ,1
adult Angel, an Apisto Agassizi trio (1 M and 2 F), 2 yellow Rams, 1
Bolivian ram, 3 neon, 2 black neon and 3 Glowlight tetras and several
species of Corys. The water maintains at 82-85 Fahrenheit.
<Surprised all those fish are doing well: that's way too warm for most
Corydoras, and somewhat above what Mikrogeophagus altispinosa and most
tetras want.>
The other has a male German ram, 2 adult male Apisto Algedons with
several juvi fry, a male cacatuoides, 2 Nannacara, 3 Angels, 2 dozen
cardinals and Rummynose tetras and several species of cories. The temp
of water is 80-82 Fahrenheit.
<Ditto. I'm not a big fan of mixing fish from different thermal regimes:
at least some of those fish will be suffering. Whether they actually get
sick because of it is an open question. But they'll certainly be shorter
lived.>
I want to combine them into a 135 gal adding 5 more discus a couple pair
of Apistos and a female German ram. I do not plan on keeping it planted
but I will have some fake plants and driftwood. I will keep one of the
75s for Angels, tetras , and probably Nannacara. Can I mix all the
Apistos, Rams, Discus, cardinals, Rummynose and some of the Corys in a
new 135 tank I am setting up without asking for trouble?
<Other than the fact the temperature will be wrong for half those
fishes, these fish are likely compatible in terms of pH, hardness, and
social behaviour. The one exception is Mikrogeophagus altispinosa, which
does actually prefer water on the neutral rather than acidic side.>
Thanks, Jim
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Mixing Discus,
rams, Apistos tetras and Corys. -02/25/08
Neal,
Thank you for your quick response. I have a snail problem in 1 75 and am
going to introduce several Botia striata till they have cleaned up most,
then I will do move.
<Do be careful mixing Botia with Discus and suchlike... botiine loaches
tend to be, at least, boisterous. Even the supposedly peaceful species
like Clowns and Striata.>
I understand the temp issue
<Good.>
2 last questions then.
<Yes?>
1. What can I get to be bottom cleaners with discus, Apistos, cardinals
and Rummynose and German rams? Or do I need to put Apistos in 75 with
those in question 2?
<There's no such thing as a "bottom cleaner" beyond you and your siphon.
Everything else makes it dirtier. Basic physics here you can't escape.
If you want to add a catfish of some kind, fine, but don't imagine for
one nanosecond you need to or that it would somehow make the tank
cleaner. It most certainly will not (more fish = more faeces + more
uneaten food + more ammonia). Anyway, that said: Corydoras sterbai are
the classic "Discus Tank" catfish, but I'm sure you know that already.
Besides them, I'd think any of the medium-sized Rineloricaria whiptail
cats would be worth trying. They're omnivores but unlikely to go for the
flanks of the Discus in the same way as the more robust Hypostomus-type
things. The common Ancistrus bristlenose is also a safe bet for the
Discus tank, as would Farlowella spp, though it is a pure algae-eater
and completely useless as a "scavenger". From the other side of the
world, Kuhli loaches would be worth a shot, though some species are
touchy in excessively warm water, so watch them. Over here in the UK
there have been some interesting Kuhli loaches on the market, including
the extraordinary silver and black Pangio sp. "Panda". Horseface Loaches
would be a possibility I suppose, assuming you had a sandy substrate and
made sure you avoided the more aggressive look-alike species Acantopsis
octoactinotos.>
2. Will 75 be big enough for 6 angels, Bolivian ram, 2 Nannacara, about
15
corys, Botia striata, 2 small leopard Plecos, 1 6" bristlenose and 13
Bleeding heart, Black neon, neon and Glowlight tetras?
<Yes, will be fine except of course there are no "small" Leopard Plecs,
only baby ones, and a pair of Angels might decide to take over half the
tank in which the other Angels might need to be moved.>
Thank you for your time,
Jim
<Cheers, Neale.> |
pH Level While Using Red Sea
Floralbase 11/07/07
Hi,
I have recently set up a new 72gal FW tank. I have had water in it, Rena xp3
filter, heater, and Corallife 65watt x2 for lights. I presently have 15 goldfish
in it to help with the cycling.
<<A poor idea. Too much stress and likelihood of parasitic infestation... RMF>>
My ph level has been at 6.0 from the start. I am
using red sea Floralbase, that's all, as I have a planted tank. I am wondering
how to raise the PH level to at least 7.0 for the types of fish I want (I have a
10gal that has been established for 2 years now & I would like to take those
fish and move them over to the new one, that PH has been 7.0 - the fish in the
10gal is neon tetra, black skirt tetra, 2 Danios and 1 Chinese algae eater). Is
there some sort of PH up that I can use safely? I do have several kinds of
plants. My ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are all within the proper range & are
great.
Thanks
Kim
<Hello Kim. Two things here. Firstly, what sort of fish do you want to keep? An
acidic pH of 6.0 is actually very good for a wide range of species. Most South
American fish will thrive here, as will most of the fish from Southeast Asia.
Secondly, you need to clear up the difference between pH and hardness in your
head. Fish don't "feel" pH directly and don't really care about it all that
much; what matters is how much mineral content the water has, because this is
what has an impact on osmoregulation (how they balance salt and water in their
bodies). So, what you want to check first is the hardness of your water now, and
the preferred hardness of the fish you want to keep. I'm guessing your water is
quite soft (i.e., a low hardness around 5 degrees dH). That's fine for tetras,
angelfish, Gouramis etc. But if you want to keep livebearers or Rainbowfish,
they need a higher level of hardness, at least 10 degrees dH and ideally well
above that for livebearers especially. Once you take care of hardness, then the
pH will adjust itself pretty well automatically. Hard water tends to have a high
pH, and that high pH is pretty stable. There are various ways to raise the
hardness. The simplest is to incorporate some calcareous material into the
filter. Crushed coral is one such medium. As the water washes past, the coral
dissolves, raising the hardness. Periodically you clean the coral to wash away
slime that coats it, and maybe once a year replace it with a bunch of new coral.
There are other methods too; any aquarium book should discuss them, but if you
want some more ideas, let me know. Cheers, Neale.>
Which one is my aggressor? 10/04/2007
Hello-we are "missing" fish and aren't sure who the culprit could be. We have
had a rainbow shark and a Pleco from the very beginning of this 30 gal. tank
(They were moved into this, both from another tank, about 2" in size). Then we
added 2 ghost catfish and about 6 tetras (neon and scarlet). About a month after
the last tetra was added we put in 2 gouramis- a striped and I believe a sunset.
Pretty soon we started losing small fish. First a tetra was gone-just gone, no
sign of it, then about a wk later we found another floating and pretty much
dead. A little while later, we found a ghost catfish the same way, with the
other just disappeared again. The timing tells me it's maybe the gouramis but
everything I read say they are non-aggressive. Any clue? Thanks! Deena
<Deena: it's almost certain the your fish aren't killing each other. While
rainbow sharks are notoriously aggressive non-community fish, they buffet things
to distraction rather than kill and eat them. Ditto, while a Pleco is totally
unsuitable for a 30 gallon tank (the common Pleco grows to 45 cm/18 inches) it
doesn't kill fish, though it happily eats their corpses. It is almost certain in
my mind that you have either water quality or water chemistry problems, and your
fish are simply dying because of that. Corpses will be disposed of quickly by
the Pleco. Net result -- vanished fish. So, review your stocking (some of those
fish will HAVE to go) and review water chemistry/quality. Reflect on your
purchasing methods too -- tetras should always be kept in groups of 6 or more,
and glass catfish simply pine away when kept singly or in pairs. Schooling fish
SHOULD ALWAYS be kept in schools. Keeping fish isn't like choosing candy from a
pick-and-mix bar: you need to respect their biology, and act accordingly. If
that means 6 Neons instead of 2 Neons, 2 black widows and 2 tiger barbs -- then
that's the way it has to be. Anything else is cruel and ultimately pointless,
because unhappy schooling fish die quickly. Hope this helps, Neale>
|
My poor catfish!! Corydoras
dis., use 8/22/07
Good morning, we are fairly new aquarium owners, we have 2 gravel cleaner
Corydoras and one of them has a very swollen belly, we thought it might be
pregnant but today it is finding it very difficult to swim and keeps going to
the surface. Sometimes it falls back down to the bottom like its dead but then
will swim back up. Not keeping it's balance very well. The other one looks fine
and is sat on the bottom as normal. Please could you give me some advice on what
to do. I can't seem to get a clear enough picture but will try if you really
need one. They are a grey colour with a pinkish tone, about 2 inches long.
Thank you so much
Sharon
<Hello Sharon. Corydoras aren't "gravel cleaners" -- that's your job. Indeed,
forcing catfish of any kind to root about dirty gravel causes infections to set
in, typically associated with eroded barbels (whiskers) and, in serious cases,
reddish sores on the belly. A photograph will help, but my assumption without
one is that your catfish are suffering from poor water quality. In a new
aquarium the ammonia and nitrite levels quickly reach toxic levels. Catfish will
try and mitigate the problems by gulping air, which is the dash to the surface
your catfish are doing, but eventually the ammonia and nitrite cause damage to
the fish, which is the odd behaviour. Even in the short term, prolonged exposure
to nitrite and ammonia will kill them. Using your test kits (which I hope you
have!) ensure the ammonia is 0 and the nitrite is 0. If this is not the case, do
a 50% water change. Repeat the water test and, if required, 50% water change
every single day until you get 0 ammonia and nitrite for two or three days on
the trot. At that point, you can scale things back to 50% water changes per
week. Cheers, Neale>
Re: my poor catfish!!
8/22/07
Thanks for the reply, the poorly one has got a red sore on his belly. The
other one is fine, sorry about the gravel cleaner thing, that's what we were
told at the shop we bought them in and we certainly don't force them to feed
from the bottom and we clean the gravel with a suction thing (haven't quite got
the hang of that task properly yet!!) Can't get a decent photo as he is laying
on his back at the back of the tank but is still moving. Water test levels are
as follows ammonia and nitrite are at 0ppm ph levels are slightly high at 7.4
and nitrate is in between 0 and 5 ppm. Tank is about 3 months old now and we
have a variety of fish including mollies, tetras, a betta, Plecos, silver shark,
clown loaches and one of our guppies has just given birth to 18 fry ( which are
in a nursery tank) all other fish are fine we have only lost two Tetras (one
zebra tailed and one gold) since we started.
Thanks Sharon
<Water chemistry/quality sounds fine. pH 7.4 is perfect for Corydoras. Your
selection of fish is a bit random though, and likely to cause problems in the
long term. I personally don't like keeping Corydoras in tanks with gravel; they
are much happier in tanks with sand. But clean gravel shouldn't cause Corydoras
to die. Do check the water quality once or twice more today. Ammonia and nitrite
can "spike" after feeding, while dropping down to zero a few hours later. Also
check the other fish for signs of problems. If they're all healthy, I'd be
tempted to just sit back for a month and not add anything new to the aquarium.
Leave things be. Only afterwards, once you're happy the sick Corydoras was "just
one of those things" consider adding more fish. Cheers, Neale>
Re: my poor catfish!!
8/22/07
Hi again, I think the poor little thing has finally given up the ghost and
has passed away, i have read these are social fish so should i go and get
another partner in case the one left gets lonely!! Any other advice would be
greatly received.
Thanks again for all you help so far
Sharon
<Corydoras do indeed need to be kept in groups, but I personally wouldn't add
anything else to your tank for another month. Let things stabilise, and get a
sense of how the tank is working out (or not, as the case may be). Ultimately,
keep at least four Corydoras, preferably six. Ideally all one species, but they
do often mix quite well, so you could get three of one kind and three of
another. Cheers, Neale>
Re: my poor catfish!!
8/23/07
Hi Neale, thanks so much for all your advice, to be honest we just went for
the fish we thought nice to look at, obviously we checked if they were suitable
to be in the same aquarium as each other. If you've got time could you possibly
tell me where we might be going wrong with the choice of fish. We have got fine
gravel in our tank, would it make the bottom feeders happier if we bought a bag
of sand and put that over the top or should we replace the gravel completely? As
I said we are fairly new to this and are going on advice from shops and other
people really. Oh by the way the Corydoras that I have left and the clown
loaches still forage in the gravel is this normal if not how could i possibly
stop them from doing so?
Thanks again
Sharon
<Hello Sharon. I just went over your stock-list... mollies, tetras, a betta,
Plecos, silver shark, clown loaches and guppies. Right? OK, here's the low-down.
Mollies and guppies need hard, alkaline water. Mollies 9 times out of 10 do
better when the water also has a little marine salt mix added too. Tetras, on
the other hand, almost always prefer soft and acid water. So right out the box
you have fishes that need mutually exclusive water conditions. Bettas aren't
great community fish because of their long fins -- they can't swim well, and end
up starving or being nipped. Plecs (plural!) are large (typically at least 30 cm
long, often 45 cm) and territorial fish. When kept in confined spaces they can
and do fight, to the point where the aggressor will literally scrape the skin
from the weaker fish. Yes, they're skinned alive... nasty or what? Oddly, they
form schools in the wild. But for whatever reason this doesn't happen in the
average aquarium. Silver sharks are also big fish (30 cm or so). They aren't
especially predatory, but they're not stupid either, and if a small tetra or
guppy swims in front of a 30 cm silver shark, that tetra or guppy stands a good
chance of becoming dinner. Clown loaches are sociable and big (30 cm). They're
also extremely sensitive to medications used to treat things like whitespot.
What do I mean by "sensitive"? If you're unlucky, they die. This isn't to say
that your aquarium is doomed to disaster, but these are some of the issues
you're going to have to work around as time goes on. Now, as for the gravel.
It's fine. If you have plants, the gravel needs to be about 10 cm deep. If you
don't have plants, keep only enough gravel to cover the glass. Either way, clean
the gravel regularly by siphoning across it with the hose pipe. Some folks like
to use those "gravel vacuum cleaners" but I don't use them. I prefer to siphon
the sand, stirring the top level with a stick if need be. Up to you. Sand is
preferable, in my opinion, to gravel in tanks with loaches and catfish because
these fish simply enjoy digging into it. But sand is definitely an "advanced"
substrate because there are some possible problems to using it, so for now, feel
free to stick with plain gravel. I hope this helps. Cheers, Neale>
|
Leporinus fasciatus...
Potentially HUGE fish in Small Tank 8/15/07
Hello again,
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I recently purchased a Leporinus fasciatus,
<Grows to a foot, minimum tank size 70 gallons.>
as well as a Pangasius catfish,
<Grows to 4 feet!
See: http://www.planetcatfish.com/catalog/image.php?image_id=5186 These fish do
not belong being sold to the general public.>
for my 29 gallon tank. They are in there with a small Columbian shark
<A brackish schooling fish that grows to 18".>
and a plecostomus.
<Common Plecos grow to 18".>
Recently I noticed the Leporinus has torn skin [a large white/clear piece
hanging off one side]. I caught him in the net to have a closer look, and that
piece fell off as soon as I did. After letting it go, I removed the carbon from
my two filters, and added a dose of Melafix and some Stresszyme. Now there just
seems to be these white blotches on that one side. I'm wondering if maybe the
catfish and Leporinus are fighting, since both seem to like this one corner of
the tank. Or maybe there is something else wrong. I do know that the Leporinus
is a brackish fish,
<Not true.>
and I do keep the salinity at a constant level.
<Only helpful for the Columbian shark. Most folks assume a "little aquarium
salt" is brackish but this doesn't make brackish water. None of your other fish
will appreciate salt in their environment. If you're not using marine salt &
measuring it with a hydrometer, it won't make much difference to the shark
anyway. Even low-end brackish water would require around a cup of salt/5g.>
I'm hoping you can shed some light on this problem as I do not want him/her to
go belly up on me anytime soon! Thanks!
<My take on this is: The Leporinus is a very skittish, active fish (needs a
tight-fitting cover, to prevent jumping), that needs a lot of swimming room, as
is the Columbian shark & the Pangasius catfish. I think they are running into
each other trying to swim in a tank that is too small for them & running into
things. Please check into the adult sizes of the fish you plan on purchasing,
before you buy them. I think you have BIG problems ahead. Until you can return
or rehome your fish, Melafix & water changes should heal the wound. ~PP>
Water problem is overwhelming... FW mis-mixed
livestock
7/9/07
Hi!
<<Hello, Kim. Tom here.>>
I wrote someone about 5 months ago about molly in way overcrowded 10 gallon tank
for daughter.
<<I’m the “someone”.>>
We fixed molly and went about our business for a few months. We put contents of
tank in my cycled 46 gallon bow front tank. We woke up one morning and found the
larger Cory attached to the intake of the filter.
<<Not a good sign, as you might imagine. Healthy fish don’t get “captured” by
filter intakes.>>
Went to scoop him off and he swam away. So, put him in the 10 gallon
to rest.
<<Okay.>>
Then, the molly became aggressive (chasing every fish in the tank) and so the
day before yesterday put her back in the 10 gallon tank. We now have 2 cories, a
Dalmatian molly, and a female betta in that tank.
<<Kim, not that you need to add to your list of ongoing issues but, you’ve just
described three species of fish that are completely incompatible with one
another regarding water conditions. Mollies are considered to be brackish water
fish – falling between FW and SW conditions. Bettas and Cories are FW fish but
Cories can’t abide the temperatures that Bettas need nor can they tolerate the
salt levels that Mollies like.>>
Last night we noticed Cory was just laying there breathing very heavy. I thought
he was having issues with the tank temp (80 degrees), so I put a small ball
thing that makes bubbles (have old age going on right now... Can¹t remember what
those are called).
<<An airstone? (Don’t worry, I’ve got “old age” going on most of the time!) :)
>>
This morning he¹s on his side. I figured it was the end, but he was still
breathing. Put him in a small container with a little water and stuck him in
freezer.
<<I’d ask you to tell me that you didn’t really do that but… Many think this is
a good method of euthanizing fish. It isn’t. Please look at this:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-most-humane-way-to-euthanize-a-fish.htm.>>
After 15 minutes the top of the water was frozen, but he was still breathing.
This made me feel like crap, so I took him out and he moved around the cup. I
eventually put the cup back in the 10 gallon tank (I figured he didn¹t want to
die). I think he¹s barely clinging right now, so I took a water sample and
tested:
Ammonia = 0.5
<<Lethal.>>
Nitrites = 0.25
<<Ditto.>>
Nitrates = 40
<<Toxic at the very least.>>
pH = 8.0 (comes out of the tap at 8.0)
<<We’ll have to live with this one for now.>>
So, now I¹m overwhelmed. How do I fix all these problems at the same time?
<<To start, a MASSIVE water change! You must get the ammonia and nitrites down
to 0 ppm. The nitrates will get cleared up by the water change, anyway.>>
Should I take all fish out and put them back in bigger tank?
<<Absolutely. Like, five minutes ago, Kim.>>
Thanks!
Kim
<<Okay, let’s see where we’re at here. In my opinion, turning the 46-gallon tank
into a brackish system isn’t the way to go unless you intend to stay with
Mollies and other brackish water species. (There are a number of these but you’d
have to do some “hunting”.) So, once you’re confident that the 10-gallon tank is
back where it should be, purchase some Marine salt (not aquarium salt) and an
inexpensive (~$10) hydrometer. Move the Molly back to the smaller tank and
slowly begin raising the salinity (“specific gravity” to be more accurate), via
water changes with the salt added to the “new” water, to 1.011, or so. Should be
over a period of a couple of weeks, anyway. 1.015 would be about right but isn’t
really critical as long as you’re at, or above, 1.011. Keep the Betta and Cories
in the larger tank with the temperature no higher than 78 degrees. (The Betta
won’t really appreciate this but will fare a little better than the Cories will
at higher temps.) The 46-gallon tank is going to look really empty but research
fish that you’re interested in before making any purchases. For example, you
might think that Neon Tetras are little cuties. (They are!) But, they require
soft, acidic water, i.e. low pH levels (5.0-7.0). You don’t have that available
so these fish would not be an appropriate choice. Likewise, there are species
that are notorious fin-nippers. The Betta wouldn’t last long. I think you see
where I’m going. I hope this helps, Kim. As always, feel free to write back if
there are other issues/questions that spring up. Best regards. Tom>>
Re: Water problem is overwhelming...(additional info)
7/10/07
Hi Tom -
<<Hello again, Kim.>>
Maybe I should tell you what I have in the 46 gallon. I'm thinking I need
another tank or two - this hobby is getting WAY more expensive than golf!
<<Not if you keep putting Titleist Pro V’s into ponds, woods and, generally, OB
like I do! :) >>
2 dwarf blue gouramis, 1 dwarf fire gourami, 7-8 danios (mixture of zebra and
blue long finned), 1 neon (how it's still around I don't know), 3 red eye
tetras, 1 upside down catfish (the coolest fish ever!), 1 Cory, and 2 marble
mollies.
How will the betta work with these?
<<Not well, unfortunately. The Gouramis and Betta will be extremely problematic
with the Betta drawing the short straw.>>
I read on many posts that you can put molly and Corys in with betta - I actually
did this because daughter was insistent on getting betta and I didn't like the
idea of an unfiltered bowl... Water got cloudy in that thing after 3 days.
<<Many folks consider, and house, Mollies as strictly FW fish. This can work but
it’s not something that I personally adhere to. This animal’s tolerance for a
wide spectrum of conditions is often the cause for its downfall in aquariums.
Tolerating isn’t thriving which is why I try to recommend brackish conditions
for Mollies. That said, your Mollies will fare better in FW than your Betta will
with the tank mates you’ve mentioned. In fact, you’d be better off doing the
massive water change we discussed and leaving the Betta in the small tank alone.
This is actually a great size for her, anyway. The fact that this is a female
Betta might change the complexion of the situation somewhat in the big tank but
I wouldn’t risk the fish’s life on a hunch.>>
I'm sticking all fish in 46 gallon tank as time is of the essence here, but I
don't want other issues by doing this...
Thanks!
Kim
<<Thanks for the follow-up info, Kim. Definitely makes me re-think/alter my
original suggestions. Stay the course! Tom>>
Re: Water problem is overwhelming...(additional info)
7/12/07
Hey Tom -
<<Greetings, Kim.>>
It's a bummer, but Betta and Dalmatian molly died yesterday! Now I have another
problem, I know you have the answer to :).
<<Sorry to hear about your pets, Kim. Let’s see if we can do better this time.>>
I live in the Seattle area where's it's freaking 100 degrees out there today.
This is not a normal phenomenon, and houses do not come with air conditioning
here.
<<Two “bummers” back to back, Kim, and so early in the morning. :) >>
I have a story that goes with that, another time...
<<Okay.>>
Anyway, I turned off the heater in the 46 gallon tank this morning and the water
temp is now up to 86. Is that going to kill the fish?
<<Not outright but it's going to stress the bejeebers out of them.>>
How do I lower the temp? I'm guessing a MASSIVE water change, but is it
necessary?
<<Simple enough. Place a small fan – a “cheapo” will do – just above the surface
of the tank and direct the airflow across the top, i.e. parallel with the
surface. (If the lid is a tight-fitting one, provide a small gap.) This will
increase evaporation and cool the tank. Keep the tank lighting, if any, off, of
course. Take some of the water out of the tank, as well, so that the output of
the filter agitates the surface more so than usual. Warm water holds less oxygen
and, along with the higher temperatures (until they come down), will stress the
fish further. Resist the water change here. Fish are more tolerant of somewhat
rapid increases in water temperature than they are of rapid decreases. For
example, an increase from 76 degrees F. to 82 F. can be accomplished over
several hours while a shift from 82 F. to 76 F. should be done over a couple of
days, perhaps longer.>>
Thanks!
Kim
<<You’re welcome. Should help the fish but I’d find some a/c if I were you!
Cheers. Tom>>
Compatibility? Mixing Species With
Different Water Needs, African Cichlid, Oto, Dwarf Puffer... 6/10/07
Dear WetWeb crew, I was wondering if Neolamprologus brevis (brevis shell
dweller), an Oto cat, and an Indian dwarf pufferfish would be compatible.
Thank you in
advance for your reply. Sincerely, Abby
< The shell dweller comes from Lake Tanganyika with a very high pH and
hardness. The Oto cat is an algae eater from South America that prefers soft
acidic water. The Indian dwarf puffer may be brackish or freshwater
depending on the actual species you are asking about. The puffer and the
shell dweller may go together but the Oto probably won't be able to handle
the hard water.-Chuck>
Need suggestions for new fish, FW 3/4/07
<<Hi, Mandy. Tom with you.>>
Right now in a twenty gallon tank I have 3 tiger barbs and 3 Cory catfish. I am
getting rid of all my tiger barbs because they have killed 4 of my other fish. I
don’t know who the culprit is so I'm getting rid of all of them.
<<Going to a nice home, I hope. When someone says that he/she is “getting rid”
of fish, it makes me a little nervous. ;) >>
I would like to get some more catfish and an algae eater and some top and middle
swimmers but I don't know what kind or how many. Please help me.
<<Getting more Corys won’t present a problem in a 20-gallon tank. Three or four
more would be fine. As to the “algae eaters”, there are only two varieties that
I would recommend for this size tank. You could go with two or three Otocinclus
(Otos) catfish or a couple of SIAMESE algae eaters. Please note the emphasis on
‘Siamese’. “Chinese” algae eaters (you may see these listed as “Golden” algae
eaters) should not just be avoided, they should be shunned! You may have to do
some hunting to find either of the two species I’ve mentioned since they’re not
always readily available at even high-end fish shops but they’re well-worth the
effort. Middle/top dwellers are going to be pretty easy to find, depending on
your tastes. Most any of the Tetra varieties would do well as would livebearers
such as Platys and Swordtails. Should you decide to go with Platys or Swordtails
(avoid Mollies as these require salt that your catfish won’t really appreciate)
make sure you stick with one male per two to three females. This will keep the
stress the male places on the females spread out. Whatever types of fish you
have your eye on, research before you buy. If you go to the store armed with
knowledge about what type of fish you’d be interested in, you’re far less likely
to get “misdirected” by an employee who doesn’t care about anything but a
“sale”. Stick with fish whose adult sizes are around two-three inches in length
and don’t add more than a few fish at a time (not sooner than every two weeks,
or so). You don’t want to compromise your water quality by overloading the tank
with more fish than your beneficial bacteria can deal with all at once.>>
Signed,
Confused
Mandy Leach
<<I don’t think you’re confused, Mandy, just a little overwhelmed at the number
of choices you have available to you. Be patient and don’t purchase a fish that
you know nothing about. One tip on researching fish is to seek out several, or
more, sources of information on them. Once you’re comfortable that three or four
different sources have provided similar information about a fish, you can be
confident that you’re not going to make an ill-advised purchase. Best of luck to
you. Tom>>
3 Gallon FW; What to add? 2/25/07
Hello crew!
<Hi.>
I would like to set up a small tank in my son's room, and the Eclipse 3 gallon
setup seems to fit the bill, size-wise (can't really go any larger in the space
available).
<Okay.>
Can you give me some suggestions on appropriate fish and what numbers I could
put in it?
<For a tank fo this size the only things that I would really suggest would be a
trio of white-cloud minnows or perhaps a single male beta.>
I would really like to put a goldfish or two in there, but everything I've read
here seems to say this tank would be too small for them.
<Affirm.>
There seem to be a million different types of goldfish out there
<Well artificially yes....some very "disturbing" strains out there from
selective breeding.>
-- are there *any* at all that would be suitable for this tank?
<No even **if** they did stay small they just create far to much mess.>
If goldfish of any kind are out of the question, I know a single betta would
work, but am not sold on that just yet
<Ooh....you haven't seen the **nice** ones yet.>
-- what other options do I have?
<The white-clouds are really cool....killifish are neat though relatively
short-lived.>
Some small tetras maybe?
<There are some that may be suitable size-wise, however most are a bit
sensitive, water quality wise...and that may be an issue with this tank.>
How many would I be able to add to this tank? I just want to be sure I don't
overload this system... (and I would rather do weekly, or preferably every 2
weeks maintenance if possible, rather than every other day water changes,
etc...)
<Weekly water changes for sure my friend.>
Thanks for any help.
<Of course.>
Meg
<Adam J.>
Q: What can I put in a 2 gal. tank? A: Not much...
2/16/07
Hello all,
<Hi there - Jorie here.>
I recently purchased a 2 gallon tank.
<Quite a small tank - won't be able to keep many fish in here...>
I have already put it through its fishless cycle...
<YAY! I'm so happy when people choose this option for cycling - much more
humane...>
...and am wondering what fish to put in. I was thinking of three platies
(as suggested by the person at my LFS). I decided to wait until tomorrow to
get the fish and when I got home was looking around your site and saw that
someone had already emailed in about this. I am having second thoughts
about it. I have a heater and if it means platies or no platies I am willing
to buy them a filter.
<Any fish should have a filter, in all reality. 3 platys in a 2 gal. tank
is pretty crowded...perhaps 3 fancy male guppies instead? (i say male
because their finnage is generally more attractive than females, and 2 gal.
is too small for a mixed-sex tank, as male livebearers relentlessly pursue
females...plus, you'll soon have loads of fry that you won't have room for!)
Alternatively, a single male Betta fish is a perfect match for a filtered,
heated 2 gal., and these fish are quite lively and will interact with
you...they are very "pet-like"!
Your input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again, Harry P.
P.S. If the platies are not a good option then what types of fish are, and
how many can I safely put in the tank?
<You really don't have many options. And, as stated above, you should invest
in a filter. If you're a first-time fishkeeper, keep in mind that "bigger
is better", in the sense that the larger the tank, the more stable the water
quality, etc. Here's a good link for you to start with -
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwset-up.htm
Small tanks can be some of the most challenging. I recommend going with the
Betta, but if you are set on livebearers, I'd suggest a couple of guppies.
Also, I like to recommend a book by David E. Boruchowitz called "The Simple
Guide to Freshwater Aquariums" - it does a really nice job of explaining the
basics, and providing various stocking schemes.
If you go the Betta route, here's a couple of my favorite Betta websites -
http://www.bcbetta.com/
http://www.siamsbestbettas.com/
And, for fancy guppies, here's a good link:
http://www.guppys.com/
Good luck, Jorie>
Mixing Coldwater And Tropical Fish, Not A Good Plan - 02/09/2007
Hi guys, sorry to bother you.
<Not a bother - Jorie here today.>
I have read some of the articles on the site about male platies being aggressive
but its generally toward other platies. My little guy however is being
aggressive to a larger fish.
<Not uncommon - I had a molly who bullied a knight goby more than 3 times his
size; eventually, the two had to be separated. Livebearers can be quite
territorial.>
I have a jumble of a tank that has being working well until this latest addition
of a comet. I am obviously a beginner, putting tropical and cold water fish
together but until the comet all was going well.
<You've gotten lucky. You truly cannot keep tropical and coldwater fish
together, as one (or both) species will end up suffering in the long run. Now
that you know better, you owe it to your fish to separate them into appropriate
habitats.>
In the tank I also have a 2 year old shubunkin, an albino paradise fish (male)
and 3 zebra fish.
<How large is this tank? You've got a fair amount of fish, some of which are big
waste-producers. And, as mentioned above, these are not all compatible. What
temperature is this tank kept at?>
I previously had several more platies but these have died and I put that down to
stress (we recently moved).
<Could be stress, could just be that you aren't providing a proper environment
for them. Read here for some info. their needs:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/poeciliids.htm . And, goldfish:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/goldfish.htm >
All of these jumbled fish seem to live fine together.
<Obviously this isn't entirely true...>
We recently wanted to add a couple of new fish to the tank to replace those that
died so we bought a sunset platy (female I think) and the comet.
<Quarantine? Not to mention, again, these two fish don't belong together...>
The comet is at least 3 times the size of the platy (which may be a dwarf as it
never grew like the others and is much smaller than the new sunset) but that
hasn't stopped the little guy chasing the comet constantly and taking bites.
<Yet one more reason to separate the two.>
It originally looked like the platy was trying to mate with the comet, until the
aggression began. The aggression is spreading with the paradise fish now showing
interest in it. Should I remove the comet or will the aggression subside? I
don't have another tank.
<Well, you need to set-up a second tank - one for tropicals, one for coldwater.
There's no way around it. And, obviously, this would solve the aggression
problem as well. If you cannot acquire another tank, then you need to chose - do
you want tropicals, OR do you want the coldwater fish? Once you've made your
decision, then you need to find alternative arrangements for the fish you can't
keep...>
Sorry for the long winded question!
<That's OK. Take a look at David E. Boruchowitz's "Simple Guide to the
Freshwater Aquarium" - it's a very handy read for the beginning aquarist, and
will give you more suggestions on how to setup appropriate environments for the
fish you have. When selecting fish, pick 1 species that you really want, then
plan the rest of the tank around what will be compatible with that one fish. If
you only have one tank and the fish in question aren't a "match"
environmentally, behaviorally, etc., well, then, move on and select a different
fish.
Good luck, Jorie>
Over/Mis-stocked FW Tank - 1/25/07
Hi, we bought a tank (10 lt) and a few fish (2 Neons, 2 guppies, 1
bumble-bee goby and 1 Dalmatian molly) 2 weeks ago.
<Yowza! Approximately 2.6 US gallons -- you're overstocked by about 5 fish, not
to mention the brackish nature of the bumblebee goby!>
I've noticed that the Molly has become really fat and in the last 24 hours has
become very aggressive toward the other fish in the tank, and she seems to be
eating a lot. Does this mean she's due to have the "unwanted" babies some time
soon?
<Is a good chance, livebearers do seem to be perpetually.. erm... bearing live.>
Our tank is not even close to being big enough for baby mollies!
<Honestly, your tank is not even close to big enough for the fishes you have, my
friend. This doesn't even begin to factor in the poor mix of fish here; the
Neons come from very different waters than any of the others, the goby is a
brackish species, and the mollies do better in a brackish setting as well.>
Also, I found a web site that said that you should do a daily 20% water change,
is this correct?
<Normally, I would recommend 20% weekly, but in a tank as small (and
overstocked!) as yours, 20% daily is likely a necessity here... almost as much a
necessity as either a larger aquarium, or removal of several fish...>
Should the water be heated prior to putting it into the tank?
<Yes, the temperature should match the tank's as closely as possible.>
Also, how long before the babies are born?
<Can't help you on this one; only you can see them! Read here for more info on
mollies and pregnancy:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/mollyreprofaqs.htm and the linked
files in blue. Furthermore, I urge you to thoroughly research the fish you
currently have, and determine if you are willing to provide for their PROPER
care, from now through the future. If the response here is no, I implore you to
return the majority of your fish stock here. Do realize that your aquarium is
incredibly overstocked, and will never find a proper balance, either in waste
buildup, or aggression issues, due to the small size of the tank. -JustinN>
Stocking FW 12/16/06
Hey again your site is a great source of information. Okay time for the
questions
I have a extra ten gallon tank and I was thinking about stocking it with
Neons
or some other small fish could you recommend some fish for my ten gallon.
Thank you ahead for all the information.
<Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsubwebindex.htm
RMF>
Balas, Bettas and Catfish 9/2/06
I just bought a Bala shark and two pictus catfish. I was thinking about
getting a couple of the big goldfish too but the guy wasn't sure if they could
all be together in the same tank. Would they all be ok in the same tank?
< Goldfish are actually cool water fish. At the elevated tropical temperature
needed by your other fish the goldfish would not do well.>
Or if not how about a Betta fish?
< The other fish you have chosen get to be pretty good size. The Bala sharks get
up to 18 inches and the pictus cats get at least 6 inches. At that size the cats
would eat your beta while the big balas sharks would knock him around.>
Would the Bala shark be better off by itself or with another one?
< I believe that the Bala sharks don't mind company and may be schooling fish.>
How about the catfish?
< When they are smaller they are better of in a school. When they are larger
they can go as a group or as an individual.>
Are they better off being just two of them or should there be more?
< Two is fine.>
Because that guy at the store said they like to be in groups of 3's.
< That works for smaller schooling fish like tetras and not as much for these
cats.>
About how long would it take for the Bala shark to reach it's full grown size?
< A couple of years depending on the environmental conditions.-Chuck>
Fish Flashing and Stringy Feces in Some Tanks at LFS - Is this Common for
LFS's or Should I Buy Elsewhere? 8/2/06
Hi Crew,
<Cindy>
I have been fish keeping African Cichlids a little over 3 years now. I've grown
from one 50 g. tank to a total of 6 tanks. I get my livestock from a local high
end independent retailer. As my hobby has grown, I find myself spending more
and more time at my LFS buying supplies. I'm there once or twice a week. I
enjoy looking at the fish and visiting with the fish guys while I'm
there. Every time I've been there, over the past 6 months, I've noticed
problems in a few of their fish tanks. I'll see several tanks that have fish
flashing, maybe a tank with fish rocking, and I always see a few fish here and
there with stringy feces more than triple their size that
won't seem to detach. Is this common of all fish stores?
<Way too common, yes... There are myriad, continuous health issues in retail and
wholesale settings in the aquatic livestock business... too much "mixed" life
that goes un-rested, un-quarantine, untreated and mis-treated...>
Am I just becoming more aware, or should I be looking for another store for
future livestock?
<I strongly encourage you to "shop around", to take on all aspects of providing
preventative measures wherever you purchase new livestock>
I see this store occasionally take back large fish that have outgrown someone's
tank and immediately after temperature acclimation, release them into tanks with
breeder livestock. I realize they only have a limited number of backroom
quarantine tanks, but I would expect fish coming from someone's unknown tank
conditions to be quarantined before introduction to other livestock purchased
from distributors.
<This source of trouble pales in comparison with the weekly coming and going of
shipped wild and distant-cultured stocks... there are seasonal and permanent
pandemics that one can identify in our interest...>
I heard it can even be dangerous for a LFS to mix livestock from multiple
distributors.
<Yes>
The fish from one distributor have been exposed to and built immunity to
certain bacteria while the fish from the other distributor have been exposed to
different bacteria.
<One way of viewing, stating this... it's more "their" systems that have
expressed immunity if you will... akin to "A boy in a bubble"... Realize that
almost to a one, more than 100% of all the stock goes through any given
wholesaler/jobber/distributor's systems weekly...>
When you combine the fish, and the bacteria they carry, you risk illness as
they cross contaminate each other with bacteria
they have no built in resistance to.
<Nor much chance/opportunity to develop/acquire such>
What should someone look for when selecting a good LFS to purchase their
livestock?
Cindy
<The bazillion dollar question. Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwdis3setsfactors.htm
and the linked files above... Much to state here, and thank you for this
prompting. Bob Fenner>
BW Fish, FW Fish & Iodine Q 7/3/06 FW sel....
I have put this one of the forums that you have on your web site
already... Not to sound too blonde, but when I posted it (originally) I was
actually trying to send the question to ya'll... Anyway here goes the question,
please let me know if you can help. Thanks sooo much the awesome site!!! I
have really, really enjoyed reading it!!!
I have a 37 gallon brackish water tank. In the tank resides a green spotted
puffer fish (T. nigroviridis), a blue crayfish, three Bala sharks, three zebra
danios and four neon tetras.
<What exactly do you mean by brackish? There is only 1 brackish water species
in there--the puffer. None of any of your other fish would appreciate living in
true BW. As far as the amount of MARINE salt your puffer would need in it's
tank, a rough estimate would be around a cup of salt/5g (& that's just when it's
young). As it matures, marine conditions are recommended for a GSP.>
I know that it is a really weird combination, they kinda go together like
stripes and polka dots. I also know that you have reservations about puffers and
crayfish living together or puffers and anything living together for that
matter. My puffer, Calypso, is about 1 1/2 inches and my crayfish, Cozumel, is
about 2 inches in length.
<There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that your puffer will eventually
maim/eat the Cray, in addition to the neons.>
My Balas, Marga, Rita and Ville seem very happy they are apprx 2 inches in
length. There is plenty of room for them to swim.
<They will eventually grow quite large.>
My crayfish has even started to come up to me when I'm at the tank!! She and
Calypso have gotten along very, very well. As long as I keep them both fed and
plenty of hiding places. I also have a snail breeding tank, for Calypso and
Cozumel, which they just love the escargot treats!!!
Okay so I do actually have a point. I have yet to find this anywhere, but not
that Cozumel is having health problems, but just incase for whatever reason she
may come down with something in the future, and I do give her the iodine
treatment (Kent marine, one drop per every 10 gallons of water). Could this
somehow affect Calypso or any of my other fish, also could it maybe affect the
snails that I use to feed Calypso and Cozumel. I know that the snails are in my
tank for only a short time before Cozumel and Calypso can smell them. Even so,
would the iodine affect the snails and therefore in return affect Calypso and
Cozumel after consuming the snails???
Like I said before, things are really good and my water is not off balance but
if something were to happen this may help in the future... Thanks for your help,
if you can.
<As long as dosed as instructed & not overdosed, it should be OK to use. I'd
rethink your species combo seriously though. ~PP>
Also most of all thanks for the kick butt site!!! Not only is it informative but
it is also fun to read!!!- - Arlyn
FW Stocking Questions 6/20/06
Hi again :)
<<Hi, again, Donna. Tom with you this trip.>>
You guys/gals are an awesome resource, and I actually feel confident using the
advice you give (compared to other forums). So, I had couple more stocking
questions for you...
<<You're flattering us, Donna. We like that. Now let's see if I can help.>>
In my 10g tank, I use a new Penguin BioWheel 100 (good up to 20g) and have 3
platies and 2 otos. I used to have an Amano shrimp...but it recently died.
<<Sorry to hear that.>>
I was thinking of adding either another Amano shrimp or a cherry fire shrimp.
Is one of these shrimp a better choice over the other? Also, do you think it
would safe or a good idea to add 2 panda cories?
<<Either of these Shrimp choices would be good though I might personally find
myself leaning toward the Cherry Fire Shrimp (Caridina serrata) if only for the
coloration. As for the Panda Corys, I would advise that these little guys can be
a little more "delicate" than other varieties of Corydoras. Just a "heads up".>>
In my 35g tank, I use a new Penguin BioWheel 350 (good up to 75g) and have 2
Pristella tetras, 1 white tetra, 10 neon tetras, 10 harlequin rasboras, 3
platies, 3 mollies, 1 pleco, 4 otos and 1 golden snail. I was thinking of
adding between 2 and 6 panda cories (supposedly, they're better in groups??)
and either a Singapore Flower Shrimp or a Cherry Fire Shrimp. What is your
advice on these additions?
<<Again, on the Shrimp, it's a matter of personal preference though, as you
know, the Flower Shrimp can grow to, perhaps, twice the size of the Cherry Fire
Shrimp.
Something to think about regarding the size of your tank. The Panda Corys will
"group" more so than most. Generally, once the fish feel secure in their new
home,
the tendency to school, or shoal, seems to disappear since they, typically, do
this for safety, i.e. security in numbers. No threat? Everyone for
himself/herself!
This will be less evident with the Pandas, however. A couple of additional
thoughts here. Plecos come in a variety of types and sizes. Not
all are content to ignore other tankmates particularly if competition for
food/territory becomes an issue. Something to be aware of. Second thought? Your
Mollies will likely
benefit from salt in the water. Not an "absolute", necessarily, but it's a
pretty good bet. Some thrive, for example, in full marine conditions. (Go
figure.) That said,
even your Pleco and future(?) Corys will tolerate some salt. No more than one
tablespoon per five gallons of water, though. If you choose to add salt,
remember that your
35 gallons is a "gross" calculation, not "net". In other words, everything
inside your tank displaces water and subtracts from the gross amount. Better to
err on the
low end, say five tablespoons of aquarium salt at the maximum.>>
Thanks!
Donna
<<You're welcome, Donna, and good luck with your new additions. Tom>>
Advice... Raising RMF's Blood Pressure, Joshing? Super crowded incompatible
FW mix/es 6/14/06
Dear Mr. Fenner,
<Steve>
Hi, I hope you don't mind me emailing you, I saw your address on wetwebmedia and
thought it wouldn't hurt to try anyway :)
<Ends up here anyway... just takes more time generally>
After about a 16 year break from keeping tropical freshwater fish I have
recently bought an 84 litre tank, plenty of plants and twelve fish consisting of
two black ghost knives, two small plecs - not sure about their names, two
Reedfish,
<Yikes... all in twenty or so gallons?>
two silver sharks,
<... Pangasiids... get more than twice the length of this tank in size!>
two upside down catfish - Synodontis mal...?
<Likely S. nigriventris... these fishes all "like" very different water
quality... Are you pulling Bob the Fishman's fins here?>
and two Dutch rams - one of which is going back to the shop as he is way too
aggressive. Before I bought the Dutch rams I bought one of the Reedfish and a
Siamese fighter
<...>
- boy was he aggressive, I thought he might be okay in a peaceful environment as
the one I had years ago was fine but it didn't work out with this one. Anyway, I
took him back and went for the two rams. Whitespot soon developed despite doing
everything by the book e.g.
<... no quarantine...>
feeding them every other day with no more than a pinch of flakes and some live
daphnia or bloodworm. Once the disease broke out - on both rams and one of the
sharks I turned up the temperature to 28 C and did a 25% water change then I
purchased Protozin and have just started the treatment tonight after yet another
high % water change. Please could you pass on to me any pearls of your wisdom
and summarize for me the ideal soft / hard water / temp conditions for each of
the fish I have described.
<Is posted on WWM. Go, read there>
I appreciate the Plecos will be harder since all I can tell you is that they are
greenish, small, have light brownish bands on the rear end of their tails, lol.
Oh, I have also just added the phosphate remover and also used one of the
friendly bacteria restoring free medicines that came with the tank set-up kit.
I appreciate any help you can give me.
Many thanks,
Steve.
<... Steve... I wish we/you could start back at having just purchased this
tank... You have too much, too incompatible a mix to keep here... The present
treatment is/would be good... if you had these fish in three or four different
(water condition, quality) tanks... Read my friend... and quickly. Take back the
"sharks", separate these animals into "water" and "temperament" groups, decide
what you want to do, either get more tanks or return the animals you can't have.
Bob Fenner>
Advice... Raising RMF's Blood Pressure, Joshing? Super crowded incompatible
FW mix/es 06/14/2006
Dear Mr. Fenner, thank you very much indeed for your help, with the greatest
of respect to the shop I obtained my fish / kit from - if they had given me
the right advice then I wouldn't be in this pickle :(
<Yes... this is not an uncommon situation...>
I am going to take back the sharks as you advised along the Dutch rams and then
sort out in my mind what I want, probably will go for a scavenger
catfish or maybe look into keeping my ghost knives... time to get reading as you
rightfully said.
<Ahh! Thank you for this follow-up... I really did think your message might have
been a "practical joke" foisted by a friend... Bob Fenner>
Re: Advice... Fish water conditions / temp.s 6/16/06
Hi crew,
As I am now using your resources to educate myself better I thought I'd just run
through the fish types I have, any advice very much appreciated :
Black Ghost Knives 2, water - soft / acidic ? so therefore 6 -7?, temp 24 - 28 C
<... Please read here:
http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=12220&genusname=Apteronotus&speciesname=albifrons>
Silver / Bala Sharks 2, now realize my tank isn't big enough - thanks Bob,
water = middling ph = 6.5 - 7.2, temp 12 - 25 C? that's the temp I read...12?
<Okay>
Reed Fish 2, once again NO where near big enough tank, saddens me to think they
let me buy this fish and not properly advise me, my fault too for being
ignorant. One of them is already between 6 - 8 inches and its a 18 - 19 gallon
tank! Water = 6.5 - 7 , temp from 75 f to mid 80s.
<Yes>
Synodontis nigriventris 2, ph - 7 - 8 or 6 - 8 ? , at last a fish that may just
like my water, temp 22 -26C.
<Yes>
The next two types of fish I have got, Dutch Rams 2, and 2 small plecs (just
don't know their name) are harder for me to find the temps / ph for, even
harder for you to know what plecs I have.
<This is so. Most "enjoy" softer/acidic warm water>
Please advise on ph / temps. I'm starting to get a picture that could look like
: Synodontis and / or plecs, and / or ghost knives. Silver sharks
<Are these... Pangasiids... too large:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/pangasiids.htm
or a minnow shark:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/minnowshks.htm>
and Dutch Rams (why I want info for rams if they are going back I don't know)
<Here?:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/rams.htm>
and Reedfish to go back to shop due to space rather than anything else.
Is this a sensible approach?
<A beginning>
Thanks as always, will keep in contact as in your help I can trust, where as in
the shop I go to I think its a case of the left hand not knowing what the
right hand is doing - despite being nice enough folk.
Cheers,
Steve.
<Bob Fenner>
Re: silver sharks / freshwater minnows called sharks? Ongoing tribulations
from poor blindly accepted advice 6/17/06
The two silver coloured sharks are the minnow ones, just thought I'd add
that since starting the Protozin treatment both black ghost knives have
died, could have honestly cried when I first saw the state of them, and one of
the silver minnow sharks is on the way out.
<... very sorry to read, hear>
This is particularly distressing - as it appears to be suffocating to death and
there is nothing I can do.
The shop said to expect deaths and the only other thing they said was to give
6ml for the first 3 days then a day off then two more medication days
followed by a 40 % water change - presumably later on the last day of
medication. I did do a 25% change before I started. I have a filter attached
to my mains water supply that gives me two options : 1, filtered, hard water
with no impurities - filters finer than a blood cell. 2, soft water with
impurities that are 'legal' like fluoride or chlorine which I can of course sort
out with a dechlorinator tablet / liquid or something of that nature.
<The, your source water is not "the problem", or much of one... the over-mis
crowding, toxicity of the medicine... is>
One of your colleagues said that it probably would be okay to feed them on one
of the medicine days 'free', a relief as one or two of the fish were
clearly very hungry. I've been feeding them every other day and only once a day
since I started about three weeks ago - under instruction from the shop.
I would have emailed the crew email address but during your last email back to
me you were trying to clear up whether I had the minnow sharks or the
bigger ones...panglas....?
<Pangasiid catfish...>
As always - many thanks Bob,
Steve,
Sorry I didn't say hello at the top of this email, wasn't trying to appear
rude.
<No worries. Do read as much as you can before any action, purchase, please. Bob
Fenner>
Crayfish, Sturgeon, Stingray, and Unfortunate Tank Size - 05/26/2006
Hi -
We have a 28 gal fresh water tank with a blue lobster & crawfish.
<These are both crayfish, actually.>
Along with them are a sturgeon, flower stingray & a few goldfish.
<You have got to be kidding. I mean, sturgeon are ENORMOUS animals that need
ENORMOUS amounts of space. Pretty cold water, too. If this were a 2,800 gallon
aquarium, I might think you were serious about keeping a sturgeon. This tank is
grossly inadequately sized. Uhh, the stingray as well, even if it's a very
small juvenile, should be in 100 gallons at a minimum, with some serious surface
area. Even then, it will eventually outgrow the tank. They get *big*. And
those few goldfish - in this small tank, they will foul the water quickly. Your
sturgeon and stingray are utterly doomed in this space. I recommend returning
these to the store urgently unless you happen to have the money and space it
will take to appropriately care for them. You really, really need to sit down
and do a bit of research, here....>
Do we need to provide a closed shelter for the lobster & crawfish to molt?
<This is the least of your worries, believe me.... But yes, the crayfish and
lobster (again, is also a crayfish) need safe places to molt.>
We had (2) crawfish, and we found a piece of a shell, but now there is only one
crawfish. We're not sure what happened to it.
<One of the other Crays probably consumed it after it molted.>
Thank you
<Please think about the livestock in your system, and learn to research before
making a purchase. The animals you have will not survive long in your
aquarium. Research first, and then make a conscientious decision about what
animals are suitable for your system. You'll save yourself a lot of
heartache. Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
Stocking A 75 Gallon FW Tank - 05/22/2006
< In the center of the tank would be perfect. The Cory's would occupy the
lower areas while the Gouramis occupy the upper levels. The intake would not
interfere with either in the middle.-Chuck>
Thanks Chuck. How many of each do you recommend for 75 gal.? Thanks
again...DR
< This is a big tank and can easily handle a dozen Cory cats and a dozen blue
Gouramis.-Chuck>
Tank Compatibility - 05/21/2006
Hi there,
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I am new to this site and I have to say I learned a LOT from reading over
various questions from other users and such, so THANK YOU for having such an
informative site and for volunteering to help others out!
<You're very welcome! Glad to hear you're doing your research.>
Anyway my question is this (well actually a couple of related questions): I
currently have 2 tanks, a 29 gallon with 2 dwarf Gouramis, 5 silver dollars, 2
Plecos (one chocolate at about 5 inches, and one snowball at about 3 inches), 2
African dwarf frogs, and two small bala sharks (about 2-3 inches);
<Hmmm... (maybe not enough research?) hopefully they are all tiny juveniles &
you are planning on upgrading them to at least 100g. Silver dollars will grow
as large as your outstretched hand, bala sharks around 10", chocolate Pleco also
11", snowball Pleco 6 1/2".>
and a 20 gallon tank with 6 rosy barbs (2 males and 4 females) and one blue
lobster (which will be going in it's own tank soon, as I hear they like to catch
and eat small/slow fish, though no incidents yet). What goes well with rosy
barbs and do I have room for other fish for my 20 gallon tank? I also plan on
getting either a 55 or 60 gallon tank, possibly bigger if need be because I am
really interested in acquiring some discus (about 4 of them or so), and some
blue rams. Are these compatible? If so, I was also thinking of adding my bigger
Pleco to that tank. Does this sound reasonable for a 55-60 gallon tank?
<I'd forget about the discus & start saving for a much bigger tank for the fish
you already have. Please research the adult sizes of your fish, before you buy
them. ~PP>
Thank you for your time, I appreciate it!
Lindsey
Columbian Sharks, Use, Wal-Mart, Humanity
Sigh,
<<"Sigh", Patrick? Tom here and, we haven't even started yet. :)>>
As someone else mentioned in your FAQ for Columbian Sharks I went to
Wal-Mart and bought four of these beautiful creatures on a whim.
<<Never a good idea to buy on a "whim", Patrick, unless you're familiar
with the fish you're buying.>>
The display said they would grow to be six inches in length.
<<Virtually none of the Columbian Sharks sold at Wal-Mart will ever live
long enough to be six inches long because few, if any, of their
employees know enough about these fish to educate the customers about
them. The signs are deliberately mislabeled because only advanced
aquarists are going to buy an animal that will attain 13-14 inches in
length, perhaps more. (Thank you, Sam Walton, for yet another despicable
business practice.)>>
After reading a lot about them tonight I finally landed on this
website.
<<Glad to have you with us to share your experience.>>
As of reading all of this I have decided to return them to Wal-Mart. I
wish I could keep them because they are so beautiful but I do not
anticipate having the capabilities to purchase and maintain a suitable
environment for them.
<<Then you're doing the most responsible thing that I, or any of my
fellow crew members, could ask of you. Understand, Patrick, that these
fish are going to die. Someone who hasn't taken the time to research, as
you have, will purchase these fish - provided the store doesn't kill
them first - and their ignorance about keeping these fish will lead to
their demise. If that doesn't sicken everyone who reads this posting, it
certainly should.>>
I have also written Wal-Mart an e-mail urging them to change the
information on their displays. I realize that this will do little to
nothing but it's a start.
<<My hat's off to you, my friend!>> <Please do write corporate, RMF>
Thank you for the information that you have provided.
<<No, Patrick, thank you. I'm only along for the ride on this one.
You've provided everyone who reads this with an example worthy of
emulation. I only hope others follow it!>>
I'm very sad to lose these sharks as they are so beautiful and I have
been very excited about getting them.
<<There'll be another day, Patrick. You know what's required for these
fish and I'm betting that, in time, you'll have the resources
available.>>
This e-mail is obviously not a question but a thank you for the
information that you have compiled.
<<Consider this response a "Thank You" from all of us at WWM!>>
Sincerely
Patrick Steiner
<<Tom>>
Wal-Mart addy, prompting - 05/13/2006
I read on your site that you were urging your readers to contact Wal-mart to
ask them to stop carrying, or train their staff to care for the fish they
carry. Bravo! But the address would be helpful.
Wal-Mart Corporate Headquarters
702 S.W. Eighth Street
Bentonville, AR 72716
479-273-4000
If every one of your readers took the time to send a letter, we could make a
difference. If nothing else to alert the "powers that be" that they loose more
"product" (translation money) by not caring for their fish than it is
financially (in bottom line sales) profitable. Also, not buying fish from such
a place would go a long way to convincing them not to re-order this product. If
you sell glass, you invest in a lot of bubble wrap. If you sell fish, you
should invest in training sales staff to care for them.
One letter is worth 500 in store protests, by the way.
<Outstanding. Thank you for your interest, help here. Though there are (of
course) many fine people, and even some admirable business practices at this
largest of U.S.-based (for now) endeavors, I am given to avoid their
establishments out of personal disregard for some aspects... the lack of fair
representation, health benefits for employees... Some incidental information
I've been party to re their adventitious stock/pricing policies... and more to
the point here, the lack of regard for the livestock assortment, apparent lack
of training of personnel in their "aquarium departments". Am also cc'ing old
friends Nevin and Tom Bailey, who supply much of this mass merchandiser with
life... to urge their further input. Bob Fenner>
Freshwater Seahorses? No.... - 04/22/2006
Hi Mr. Fenner, my name is Danny,
<Hi Danny, Sabrina here in Bob's stead.>
I am looking to get freshwater seahorses for one of my tanks.
<Good luck! There are no such critters.>
Where would I be able to find some?
<There once may have been a species of freshwater seahorse in lake Titicaca, but
it is long extinct. There are, however, a handful of freshwater
Pipefishes in
the world, though they are VERY rarely available in the hobby. Take a look at
http://www.fishbase.org for information, species names.... and then seek
out a store in your area that can special order one of the species you are
interested in. Remember, though, that they will eat ONLY live foods, and can be
extremely difficult to care for as a result. Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
FW livestocking 4/18/06
Hello
<Hi there>
I am the new owner of a 30 gallon freshwater tank. I have a planted aquarium
with a Fluval 3 filter. I have three fancy guppies, two otos (midget
suckermouths), 3 ghost shrimps and a lot of unwanted snails.
<Heee!>
Everything seems to be going well (water testing is normal). I have had the
tank for 1 month now and I would love to add more fish.
I would love to add an angelfish, a yoyo loach and a bumblebee goby
<... the Angel will probably not be compatible in time... the goby is a brackish
water animal...>
plus a few other assorted community fish (tetras, guppies etc).
Can I add all of these types together safely and how many of each should I be
adding?
<Better to put together a long-er range stocking plan here... add the smaller,
easier-going species in your ultimate list first... a few at a time>
I was reading that I should always add loaches in pairs or in threes...is this
true?
<Depends on the species, but yes, these are social animals>
How many fish can I add at a time and how long should I wait in between adding
fish and which types should I add first?
<See above>
Can you suggest any other colourful fish that would be suitable with this
combination of fish?
Thanks for your time and what a great website.
Chandi
<Are listed... on the WWM site. Start that list, add notes re likely largest
size, how fast the choices will grow, their compatibility, feeding, systems
requirements... Bob Fenner>
Some very specific freshwater questions .. stkg. mostly 04/17/2006
Hello. How's the WWM crew?
<Mmm, am okay m'self... is this part of the above stated specifics?>
It’s been a year or so since my last email.
Anyway, I got some questions, and I would truly appreciate your group’s prompt
reply.
<I'll give you mine>
I currently have 2 clown loaches, 1 albino rainbow shark, 1 rainbow shark in my
75gal tank, and I’ll be transferring them to my newly setup 90gal tank
once it has fully cycled. The tank was setup just yesterday, and in it are some
green Cabombas, and what might be Vallisneria or sagittaria or
Eleocharis (LFS forgot its exact name, but it looks a lot like a clump of tall
green grass. Got the names from looking at WWM pics). Next week, I’ll
be buying some water sprites. Tank also has 5pcs of old bog woods (I bought this
3yrs ago) w/c I haven’t used in a long time (like for 2yrs). The filter
is Resun 808 canister filter with a pump output of 1500l/h and filter
circulation 800l/h. The tank is situated by the window and receives direct
sunlight in the afternoon. (By the way, I live in the tropics – Philippines
actually. Ave. temp. is 29 C.
<Toasty!>
I’m planning to add some more fish into the tank. I really have my heart set on
some cyprinodonts like platies, mollies and swordtails. Question is, are
they going to be compatible with the loaches and rainbow sharks with regard to
behavior and water parameters?
<The minnow sharks might go after the slower livebearing toothed carps... only
experience can/will show>
I know the livebearers love hard alkaline waters. I’ve no idea for the loaches,
and rainbow sharks.
<Their ranges for water quality overlap here>
Also, is it okay to have bogwood in their tank?
<Mmm, yes... along with regular water changes (20-25% a week)>
I know bogwood lowers ph and makes water soft, but I just love the aesthetics of
it. But, if it would be detrimental to my fish’s health, I will remove them. My
fish comes first. LFS and fish breeders tell me to add rock salt to a
livebearers’ tank. Will the loach and rainbow shark tolerate that?
<Enough to make a difference, yes. About a maximum of a level teaspoon per ten
actual gallons of system water. Replaced with water changes per volume changed
out>
While I’m at it, I plan to buy some tiger, rosy, Sumatra, and one spot barbs as
well. I might throw in some serpae, black skirt, and red cross tetra too.
What do you think?
<The Tetras are not likely a good mix here... for reasons I suspect you're aware
of>
Would that be too diverse a community tank?
<IMO, yes... I'd stick with a theme of similarly tempered animals, plants, that
"enjoy" similar water quality, or better, these characteristics and biotopic
considerations>
Thank you so much for taking time out to answer my questions. More power!
Paul
<Indeed! Thank you for writing/sharing. Bob Fenner>
Keeping Monos with Freshwater Fish 4/14/06
Hello Bob, how are you?
<Bob is great, you've got Pufferpunk here today.>
I wanted to put a few monos in my 75gal and was wondering if the current fish I
have in my tank will withstand brackish water? The fish are as follows: 6
tiger barbs, 2 rainbow sharks and a clown loach. I have read that they should
be slowly acclimated to full concentration seawater as they age, but for now I
wish to keep them in my FW tank (and later transfer them to my SW tank). Can I
do this with the fresh water selection of fish that I have?
<None of your fish will appreciate salt of any kind, especially the amount you
will need to even start out keeping monos. We're talking about at LEAST 1 cup
of salt/5g for juveniles. Also monos grow to around a foot & are schooling fish
(5-6). This means at least a 300g tank for all of them. ~PP>
Thanks
Ramblings re FW livestocking 4/14/06
Hi, I have 2 - 75 gallon tanks. In the latest one we have 2 clown loaches,
a knife,
<What species, family at least?>
a cat, a pleco, and a severum (very gentle) and a few dwarf
gouramis. I like
fish with lots of movement or play and color; not just the typical; any
suggestions. I have fun watching the clown loaches as they seem to play "tag" together. All
the fish are very well acclimated to each other and do very well.
The second large tank has 3 pacu that I am presently searching for a home
for so that tank will be clear to restock - more suggestions - I have
seriously been
considering discus.
<?>
Or, can the discus be added to the aforementioned tank?
<Not practically, no... have different temperaments, water quality needs>
I also have in another tank 3 Oscars that I am selling. For a while I had a
smaller live bearer tank but just enjoyed more of a variety of fish and the
larger tanks are the best so that I can put fish that can grow somewhat.
I just sold 2 - 55 gal. tanks so am now down to the 2- 75, 2 - 10 and one
30 gal. Lots of fun for my husband and I. We built a special cabinet that
house the smaller tanks recessed inside and the larger ones on top - a one
wall unit..........
Please respond,
Sincerely,
Nelwyn Mills
do you notify by email your responses?
<Yes... and post. Bob Fenner, a bit confused with what you're looking for here.
The basic requirements (Systems) and Compatibility of these and many other
freshwater organisms are posted on WWM. Please, go read there re. Bob Fenner>
Cool water Companions - 04/04/2006
Hi,
<Hey, Nate!>
I am looking for some companions for some white cloud minnows. My tank is
currently about 68 degrees. I have a heater, but I understand the white cloud
minnows don't like anything above 72.
<Right, best to keep it cool.>
Right now I have a 75 gallon with about a dozen minnows, so I have room for more
fish. I was thinking of maybe adding another dozen minnows. For other cooler
water companions.
<Indeed!>
I understand I can add guppies, swordtails, platies and mollies (should I bump
the temp up to 72 for these guys?)
<Actually, I'd skip on these and go for something a little "cooler" (pun heavily
intended) like Goodeids or Skiffia. Don't mix species from the same genus (for
example, Ilyodon xantusi can mix with Ameca splendens, but not Ilyodon
furcidens). You can find a number of Goodeids available on
http://www.aquabid.com now and often through local aquarium clubs. In fact,
if you're in the SF Bay Area, I know where you can get a few different species
pretty easily. Goodeids are big, beautiful livebearers that not only prefer but
ultimately *need* the cooler temperatures that you're working with. You could
probably be okay with some of the less heavily inbred swordtails, maybe mollies
as well, but the best bet for fun fish is the Goodeids. You can also swing
something like giant or zebra danios, as these fare quite well in cooler water.>
Are there other fish that like this temperature range (maybe a few bottom
dwellers).
<Bottom dwellers - yeah - try to locate Etheostoma species, if you can; these
are North American natives, kinda goby-like and very cute. Some are *quite*
colorful. I believe there are a number of North American natives available at
http://www.jonahsaquarium.com . For something more "common", your basic
weather/dojo loach will appreciate the cooler temps, as will some of the more
delicate and bizarre "hillstream loaches". There are even a few Loricariids
that can be found in cooler streams.>
I am most interested in hardy, colorful fish. Thanks.
<Ilyodon xantusi, Ameca splendens, zebra danios and weather loaches would make
fine additions for active, colorful, fun critters.>
Nate Terry
<All the best to you, -Sabrina>
Hard water system choices for livestock 3/29/06
My parents have a 55 gal. aquarium with 2 serpae tetras, 2 silver
dollars, one 9 in Pleco and their water is hard well water. I'm trying to
switch them over to fish that handle this water better , but I am also
looking for fish that are peaceful. I'm not there to watch these fish all
the time and my parents just want to look at a pretty aquarium and don't pay
attention to any problems that may arise. I've been looking into rainbow
fish and I am not sure what kind to get or if there are even better choices
for these circumstances. Do you have any suggestions?
<A Rainbowfish system... perhaps with some SAE's and relatives (see WWM re)
would be very nice. As might be a larger livebearer (Swordtails, Mollies)
display... And must plug my favorite... some large fancy goldfishes... There
are many more such themes that might be employed. Bob Fenner>
Aquarium stocking, FW 3/15/06
Good Afternoon,
<And to you>
Great site!! It’s always on my “to read” list while I eat my lunch at work.
<It's my first thing in the AM... to get it done/over!>
Seeing as you provide such great advice, I thought I would pass some plans I
have for my two tanks (both are cycled, and ready to go) by you and get your
reaction/thoughts.
I have a 20 gallon tank that is well planted on one half, and open on the other
half (with a few ornaments/cave/driftwood). I have one dwarf Gourami in it, as
his tank mates died about a month ago (other Gourami died of a bad infection of
some kind, and clown loaches caught ick). I isolated this tank, raised the temp
to 86 and treated with salt to clean it of any further infection. I plan on
getting another dwarf Gourami, a Gold Gourami, a Pearl Gourami and about 6
Harlequin Rasbora for this tank (and probably 1 snail).
<I'd stick with just two Gourami species here>
I have a 10 gallon tank that I would like to use for a livebearer tank. I plan
on having 3 fancy guppies and 3 platies. There are the usual plastic plants and
ornaments in this tank. I plan on using a ratio of 2 tablespoons per 5 gallon
of sea salt in the tank.
Do these set-ups seem reasonable? I don’t want to over populate, and make the
space stressful for the fishes.
Thanks
Adam
<Should work. Bob Fenner>
Reviving and Stocking FW System 3/14/06
Thanks in advance for taking my question. I’ve tried to look through the
FAQ’s for answers, but I haven’t had any luck. I keep a 6 gallon Eclipse at
work. Until last week, I had a male Betta and a Platy. They had done well
(enough) together in a 1.5 gallon tank with an aerator but no filter. But I
decided that they would be happier with more room and some filtration, and
upgraded to the 6 gallon tank.
< Goo Idea>
The tank was looking a little empty with just the two of them in there, so last
week I went to the pet store and got a guppy and a Dalmatian molly. When they
got home, the guppy started eating immediately but the molly
wasn’t too perky. The molly was close to dead the next morning. He’d stay
really still, and then freak out for about 5 seconds and swim in spirals.
Then he’d stop and fall back to the bottom of the tank and lay on his side.
I removed him from the tank and put him in some fresh water, but he was dead
within about 15 minutes. Since the guppy seemed to be working out ok, I went
back and replaced the molly with a second guppy. The next day, I came in and
the original guppy was dead. His fins had been bitten off, and I don’t know
whether that
happened before or after he was dead. I’ve now come back in to work after the
weekend and the 2nd guppy and the original Betta are dead. The platy seemed
pretty weak, but alive, so I quickly put the old 1 ½ gallon tank back together
and got him into fresh
water over there (I keep bottled water for the fish in my office so that
it’s the same temp). He perked up within a few minutes and is now eating
and active. I’m thinking that something foul came in with the new fish.
< That is why we always recommend a quarantine tank for new fish.>
I was back in the pet store over the weekend, and almost all of their freshwater
tanks are
empty (they were all full and had new arrivals on Friday).
< Should have asked where all the fish were.>
I had checked my water quality right before everyone started dying, and
everything but iron
was in normal range, and I think that’s just for the plant anyway.
My question (finally!) is what to do now with the tank. I’ve done about ½ a
water change and have it cycling now, but should I dump the whole thing and
clean it out?
< Let the tank sit for a week with no fish. Most parasites will soon die off
without a host. Check the water. Ammonia and nitrites should be zero and the
nitrates should be under 25 ppm.>
Is there something I can do to make sure that in the future
new arrivals don’t bring the fish plague in with them?
< Make the older smaller tank a quarantine tank. Search the WWM website for
details.> Whatever this disease was, it took fish from being fine and active one
day and killed them
overnight…I’d rather just keep the platy alone in the small tank if there’s
nothing I can do to keep from being the fish version of Typhoid Mary in the
future. Any advice you have will be appreciated…I’m very new at this.
Thanks, Jen
<Instead of buying brand new fish at the store over the weekend try buying you
fish on Thurs. before they get a new shipment in. This way the fish have been in
the store nearly a week. Most of the weaker fish will die off at the store and
not in your tank. If they do get sick then the store will have to treat them and
not you. If you do this and quarantine the new fish this will greatly reduce
your problems in the bigger tank.-Chuck>
Large FW aquarium stocking 2/6/06
I have been asked be our local hospital to take over their 300 gallon
tank. About 10 yrs ago I had set it up for them and made it an African
Cichlid tank. I then got sent to 6 mo of training out of state and transferred
the account to a LFS. They promptly pulled out all of my
large specimens and sold them in the LFS and replaced it with a juv. They
typically put in red zebras so they ended up with a tank full of
red zebras which everyone thought were comets. (It is actually kind of fun to
listen to all the fish experts working in the hospital
explain that the tank is having problems because goldfish are such dirty fish,
when its a tank full of Africans). The administrator
wants nothing to do with cichlids now, and that was usually my standard for a
large freshwater tank. I have some good ideas for
filling that tank up, utilizing schools of little flashy guys like neons and
such, but thought I would see what you guys thought since I
have been away from tanks for quite a whale
<Thar she blows!>
and you play with this stuff daily. Any suggestions? His only demands are that
it be colorful, active and have lots of variety...and no red zebras. Thanks.
<... some sort of theme... biotope. Show some pix to whoever really makes the
decision here... Something suited to the prevailing water (tap) quality. Bob
Fenner>
Stocking A Large 300 Gallon FW Tank 2/7/06
I was thinking on adding the following:
Top water: Hatchetfish, Zebra Danios, Pearl Danios
< All very active and look good in schools. The hatchets tend to jump when
spooked so may not be a good choice for a very active area.
Mid: Cardinal Tetras, Neon Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras, Rosy or Bleeding Heart
Tetras, Kribensis or rams.
< All good fish as long as they are all going to be about the same size.>
Bottom: Cory cats, Pleco, Clown loach, Kuhli loach, Otocinclus
<Some Plecos get big. Go to planetcatfish.com and get a species that will not
get too big for the other fish. Clown loaches get very big over time and can be
aggressive. Go to loaches.com for a smaller more suitable species.>
I ran across this combo in one fish book a long time ago. Any thoughts about
adding guppies, mollies, swordtails?
< They really prefer hard alkaline water to look their best but larger ones will
go after smaller fish.>
I have always shied away from these and leaned more towards the African cichlids
as it doesn't seem like their home aquarium that way.
Also, I was wondering if gouramis or a betta would do well. I wasn't sure if
all the quick little tetras would pester them too
much. Also wondering if you could put both in, or if the gourami is to
betta-shaped and would get attacked?
<Bettas have these nice long flowing fins that other fish can't seem to resist.
Soon the fins are ragged and the fish is hurting. Gouramis have these little
ventral fins that have been transformed into little feelers. Other fish always
tend to pick these off and they never regrow right.>
Any input as to species you would add or omit?
< The cardinals would look great but need soft clean soft acidic water to
thrive.>
How many individuals would you recommend for a 300gal?
< Many factors involved like water changes, filtration etc... I think your
biggest problem will be disease control. I would quarantine all fish in a
smaller tank for at least two weeks and add each species slowly over time. This
will allow you to see how each are adapting to the new tank. Nothing causes more
trouble in a public aquarium than sick dying fish and green water.>
Would you use plastic or live plants?
< Live plants in the areas that get light and plastic in the darker corners.>
Either way, in a 300gal it is going to take a lot. I wasn't sure if the live
plants would look nice enough for a display tank. I have seen some live planted
home
tanks that look stunning, and some where the plants look shredded.
I haven't done much with live aquarium plants, and will definitely have a test
tank at home either way.
Thank you. The site is great. Lots of good information in there.
I wish I had accessed all this information years ago. I learned everything the
old-fashioned, expensive way - “Whoops, that didn’t
work. Better go back to the pet shop.”
< Good luck with the project and thank you for you kind words.-Chuck>
20 gallon tank - How many fish?!? 1/10/06
Hello!
<Hi there>
My boyfriend and I have just set up a 20 gallon tank with 4 plastic plants, a
small cave and a small rock. I have a bubble curtain set up in the background
which seems to help the water circulation considerably, and of course I have a
good working TopFin Filter set up. I use a water heater to keep the temperature
between 76-78 degrees. I heard that it is better to add half the fish you plan
to have to your tank first, and then add the other half later, for adoption
reasons:
<Yes>
So, today we went to a tropical fish store
<Wait! How long has this tank been up and going? Has it cycled?>
and purchased a male swordtail and a female swordtail, two Bala sharks,
<Get way too big for this size system...>
and 6 zebra danios. I tested the water before they went in and all levels are
stable (nitrite, nitrate, pH, alkalinity, etc.) so right now all of the fish are
looking extremely happy and energetic, but the tank still looks really bare. We
were thinking of adding 1 Angel fish (because i also heard that you should
either put one angel in or more than 3 to prevent bullying), 2 gouramis and 4
glass cats.
<I would hold off on adding more fish/es till this system has been running a few
weeks more>
I am hoping that would fill the tank just fine, but i wanted your advice (since
you seem to answer everyone's questions so well!) on whether or not you think
this is overload for my tank and whether or not all of these fish are compatible
with one another and the ratios for each separate species of fish seem okay.
<The Angel/s are a wild-card... may work out fine or be agonistic>
I still have a lot to learn. I have been doing research on the web, and so far
it seems as though they should be compatible, but desperately want expert
advise!
<Best to proceed slowly... especially at first, and in making stocking
selections>
Thanks so much in advance for all of your help!
Jaime and August from Baltimore, MD
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>
"Freshwater Lionfish" 1/7/06
Hello I have had trouble learning what the species requires I searched your
site an your crew says its a Sculpin or something but here is the fish that I
have. This is the scientific name Batrachus trispinosus. This is a picture of
the fish your pictures weren't the same thing. There are numerous common names
as with all fish, but I get the best results on google using the name Freshwater
Lionfish.
>> Sorry I hit send too early my cut and paste is all garbled by Word:
Batrachomoeus trispinosus (current valid name) comes from Brackish water, in the
Mekong and around Indonesia.
There is a very similar fish from the North and Atlantic coast in the mangroves
of South America called Batrachus surinamensis, also found around the mouth of
the Amazon in Brazil and points south. As suggested they will need some salt in
the water. They get quite big, I have seen them over 16 inches. Other than that
they have the same requirements a |
