ok so once i get rid of the snails...now that we know what fish I do have...what needs to go and what stays and in the 55 gal what fish could I get?
remember we have ...
1 pleco
1 rainbow shark
1 of those funny cat fish
1 little cat
2 black veil tetras
and now those 2 eel like loaches
Help Identify???
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AlexisLeann
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Emma Turner
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Hi AlexisLeann,
The pleco, as you know by now, can attain a whopping 40cm+ and is going to rapidly outgrow your aquarium. You'd be best off returning it to the store and exchanging it for a dwarf species, such as Bristlenose (Ancistrus sp.) or a Clown peckoltia.
If the catfish that you have is indeed a Pim pictus, then they need to be kept in groups. They are very active and once they get big enough, will eat small fish (they have quite wide mouths). So again, I would suggest returning this fish if you plan on keeping small species such as tetras, rasboras etc.
Is the 'little cat' you mention a Corydoras species? (Have a look here: http://www.planetcatfish.com) If so, you need to get him/her some more of the same, as they are very social and need to be kept in groups of 5+. In the absence of you being unable to find a species that is excatly the same as yours, you can add other Corydoras species to the tank, as this lone fish will temporarily follow these around until you find some more that are the same. They are peaceful creatures and will get along fine.
The Rainbow shark will become more territorial as it matures and should be kept as a lone specimen. It may argue with other bottom dwellers over territory, so be sure to provide lots and lots of hiding places.
With regards to the Tetras, these need to be kept in groups of 6 or more due to their shoaling nature. I presume Black Veils are what we call Black Widows over here? I suppose they might be Black Phantoms though. Whatever they actually are, you need more of them.
Can you provide us with more details of your current set-up, and perhaps one or two photos? This will help us to give you some ideas of what you can do with re-stocking etc.
Emma
The pleco, as you know by now, can attain a whopping 40cm+ and is going to rapidly outgrow your aquarium. You'd be best off returning it to the store and exchanging it for a dwarf species, such as Bristlenose (Ancistrus sp.) or a Clown peckoltia.
If the catfish that you have is indeed a Pim pictus, then they need to be kept in groups. They are very active and once they get big enough, will eat small fish (they have quite wide mouths). So again, I would suggest returning this fish if you plan on keeping small species such as tetras, rasboras etc.
Is the 'little cat' you mention a Corydoras species? (Have a look here: http://www.planetcatfish.com) If so, you need to get him/her some more of the same, as they are very social and need to be kept in groups of 5+. In the absence of you being unable to find a species that is excatly the same as yours, you can add other Corydoras species to the tank, as this lone fish will temporarily follow these around until you find some more that are the same. They are peaceful creatures and will get along fine.
The Rainbow shark will become more territorial as it matures and should be kept as a lone specimen. It may argue with other bottom dwellers over territory, so be sure to provide lots and lots of hiding places.
With regards to the Tetras, these need to be kept in groups of 6 or more due to their shoaling nature. I presume Black Veils are what we call Black Widows over here? I suppose they might be Black Phantoms though. Whatever they actually are, you need more of them.
Can you provide us with more details of your current set-up, and perhaps one or two photos? This will help us to give you some ideas of what you can do with re-stocking etc.
Emma
East of the Sun, West of the Moon.
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AlexisLeann
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Well it's a long tank not a tall tank.
I have smooth medium gravel in it's rock form not the dyed type.
I have some rocks placed as caves and about 5 plants/fake
then theres a large cave that was amde by some company for tanks with plants off that....and a large bell to hide in also made by some company for tanks.
We have a great big filter with two large funny looking wheels that go round and round and you have to insert 4 of these big filter cartriges once a month.
We have a long bubbler wand and a heater of some kind.
We have well water that tests good except for a slight high lyme count.
We did buy salt for the tank because the aguarium guys told us even in a fresh tank you need a bit of salt.
I have smooth medium gravel in it's rock form not the dyed type.
I have some rocks placed as caves and about 5 plants/fake
then theres a large cave that was amde by some company for tanks with plants off that....and a large bell to hide in also made by some company for tanks.
We have a great big filter with two large funny looking wheels that go round and round and you have to insert 4 of these big filter cartriges once a month.
We have a long bubbler wand and a heater of some kind.
We have well water that tests good except for a slight high lyme count.
We did buy salt for the tank because the aguarium guys told us even in a fresh tank you need a bit of salt.
Chihuahuas are like Potato Chips, You can't have just one.
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AlexisLeann
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2006 4:08 pm
- Location: Michigan
- Contact:
I also don't know about turning these fish in for trade at the pet store...it seems to me this pet store totally does not know what it's doing...heck they've sold me several fish now claiming them to be something entirely differant....so I'm thinking that if someone wants to come get these fishes...you can just have em...I live in Michigan near Jackson. Just let me know if your interested.
I'll wait awhile first and see if a real fish person wants them before I take them back where they came from....heck those people at the fish store may try telling me I'm turing in poodles for all they know about fish...lol
I'll wait awhile first and see if a real fish person wants them before I take them back where they came from....heck those people at the fish store may try telling me I'm turing in poodles for all they know about fish...lol
Chihuahuas are like Potato Chips, You can't have just one.
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Emma Turner
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Hi again AlexisLeann,
First off, you'll need to do a bit of research to find out what sort of fish you really want to keep.
For instance, a lot of the loach fanatics here like to stick to themed aquaria, so that all the fish they keep come from the same part of the world e.g. Asia. Of course you don't have to do this, providing that all the fish species you choose require the same conditions and all get on fine together.
Your best bet is to have a good look on the internet, books, fishkeeping magazines, or in a decent aquatics store (if you can find a different one to this one that you've been to before!) to get an idea of what sort of aquarium it is you really want to create. I could suggest many types of fish, but you really have to decide what it is you'd like yourself, as you might prefer other fish to what I or the next person might suggest. http://www.fishbase.org is one of the best sources of information on fish available - you just have to input either a common or latin name, and it will bring up lots of information about that particular fish. When it comes to information on loaches, our species index here on LOL is the most accurate and in-depth available. If you plan on keeping the two kuhli loaches, you'll need to get them some more friends of their own kind, and possibly change your substrate over to something finer like aquatic sand and add some live plants for them to hide amongst.
As for the salt, it is not needed in a freshwater tank, and certainly not with loaches. It sounds as if this aquatics store is dispensing terrible advice just to make a sale.
Emma
First off, you'll need to do a bit of research to find out what sort of fish you really want to keep.
For instance, a lot of the loach fanatics here like to stick to themed aquaria, so that all the fish they keep come from the same part of the world e.g. Asia. Of course you don't have to do this, providing that all the fish species you choose require the same conditions and all get on fine together.Your best bet is to have a good look on the internet, books, fishkeeping magazines, or in a decent aquatics store (if you can find a different one to this one that you've been to before!) to get an idea of what sort of aquarium it is you really want to create. I could suggest many types of fish, but you really have to decide what it is you'd like yourself, as you might prefer other fish to what I or the next person might suggest. http://www.fishbase.org is one of the best sources of information on fish available - you just have to input either a common or latin name, and it will bring up lots of information about that particular fish. When it comes to information on loaches, our species index here on LOL is the most accurate and in-depth available. If you plan on keeping the two kuhli loaches, you'll need to get them some more friends of their own kind, and possibly change your substrate over to something finer like aquatic sand and add some live plants for them to hide amongst.
As for the salt, it is not needed in a freshwater tank, and certainly not with loaches. It sounds as if this aquatics store is dispensing terrible advice just to make a sale.
Emma
East of the Sun, West of the Moon.
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AlexisLeann
- Posts: 20
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- Location: Michigan
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I'm telling you their crack pots at that store...thats why I'm not going back they've lied several times now...yes to make a sale ...as my dumb butt went in and spent about 400 the first time and about 50 each time after...I know I'm a sucker.
Anyway I don't care what kind of fish so long as they don't get to big...they don't fight...their are easy to care for...and they like to swim around and not hide.
They don't have to be loaches...I found your site because those fish store people sold me loaches to clean the tank and I knew they didnt look like what they said they were. So I looked up loaches online and got you.
Anyway I don't care what kind of fish so long as they don't get to big...they don't fight...their are easy to care for...and they like to swim around and not hide.
They don't have to be loaches...I found your site because those fish store people sold me loaches to clean the tank and I knew they didnt look like what they said they were. So I looked up loaches online and got you.
Chihuahuas are like Potato Chips, You can't have just one.
We're glad you're here... 
A nice sized school of some tetra species can look fabulous in a 55. You'd need fairly hardy species, with a bit of color, and a close schooling habit. I personally don't like danios because they are frantic and schkitchky fish. They always look confused an panic stricken to me.
Day glo tetras (help me with the scientific name here, Emma) I've found hardy and pretty mid-level swimmers. when they face you head-on their eyes are like neon orange headlights. they really do 'glo'.
Image from Badman's tropical fish gallery
A nice sized school of some tetra species can look fabulous in a 55. You'd need fairly hardy species, with a bit of color, and a close schooling habit. I personally don't like danios because they are frantic and schkitchky fish. They always look confused an panic stricken to me.
Day glo tetras (help me with the scientific name here, Emma) I've found hardy and pretty mid-level swimmers. when they face you head-on their eyes are like neon orange headlights. they really do 'glo'.
Image from Badman's tropical fish gallery
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AlexisLeann
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Michigan would be quite a hike for me...and I have no room, either!
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AlexisLeann
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