13 Gallon Tank - Any Suggestions For Fish?

[michaelb_123]

Hey, my rather smallish 13 gallon tank has two VERY hardy CHinese Sucking loaches, or whatever you like to call them. For ages now me n dad have been doing water changes every week with the test kit showing red each time. Got seriousely depressing after a while yet the loaches have managed to survive the stress of everythin, very proud of 'em
We decided not to a week ago n now it shows an extremely beautiful yellow!!! waited so long!!
So we're going to get some more fish and maybe other reptile/water critters.
Free to any suggestions you have!! Much onfo welcomed.

Btw -
Tank size: 13 gallons
Has a fake and a real plant
few small rocks at the bottom
Submersive heater
Undergravel Filter with yes, gravel. And an airstone, etc.
Light in hood
And, erm. . Ah yes treated tap water with a couple of Chinese Sucking Loaches in the middle of it all

As said earlier welcome lots of info

 

[Ethos]

Well....tetras. Maybe and ADF?

 

[OohFeeshy]

The problem is, the loaches (if they are the generally sold sucking loaches) will reach 11" and get very aggressive.... Not the best inhabitants for a 13g

 

[Mo_loves_fish]

tetras platties smaller side community fish would work!

 

[liverpool]

guppys

 

[Ethos]

Well....Lots of tetras and livebearers.
I'd suggest going to your LFSs (Plural) and eyeing a few fish. Right them down in the order you like them, then bring the list on here.
Thats what seems to be affective for me.

 

[penguinpimp1990]

mo, for a second i thought your platy was a dalmation molly with reverse colorations (white body and black spots)

 

[sylvia]

Nothing!!! Sorry to be so blunt but everyone is suggesting fish when you aren't ready for them at all.

First of all - this 'red' color. I assume you are reffering to a test kit for ammonia or nitrIte that shows a different color. Please post what red and yellow actualy mean. Does yellow mean no ammonia? If so, you still need to wait for it to show no nitrIte as well. Your tank won't be cycled until there is no ammonia and no nitrIte.

Next, something that's already been mentioned, chinese algae eaters/sucking loaches are NOT community fish and terrible choices for such a small tank. As they grow older, they become considearbly more aggressive. Eventualy they will not tolerate each other at all. They also start to develop a prefference for their tankmates' slime coats rather than the algae they are generaly advertised as eating. Once they are at this stage, many fish may end up with their eyes sucked out and small fish will start to dissapear. Considering they get to 10", they aren't going to be happy themselves either.

If you want to get some community fish for your tank, first work out exactly what readings you have for ammonia, nitrIte and nitrAte. Post those here. Buy yourself a liquid-based test kit while you're at it - the test strips you have right now are innacurate and don't work well after a certain length of time.

Then, once your readings show you have no nitrItes and no ammonia and a reading for nitrAtes that is below 40ppm (do a water change if nitrAtes are high), take those two suckers back and replace them with a small school of harlequin rasboras or something like that. Keep in mind you won't realy have room for more than 6 or so 2" fish. If you'd like a suggestion, I'd go for one male honey gourami (colisa chuna/sota), 6 neon tetras (add these last and only once the tank is mature) and 4 male guppies. That would render your 13 gallon fully stocked.

 

[Torrean]

read the first three links in sylvia's signature. Then go to the FAQ section for beginners and read some more. Don't feel bad by the way. This is how most of us get started. It's only really your fault if you do it again. =)

 

[michaelb_123]

probz gonna take the loaches back to the LFS due to amount of bad reviews there are over the web and in books, quite literally hundreds.
The kit is a nitrite testing kit(NO2) n the yellow means it has bellow 0.3 mg/l. It isnt a test strip one, you put the water in n add drops of dif. solutions. LFS said it is quite accurate. We're gonna have the water tested for other stuff when we get to the LFS as to make sure the tank is ready for them.
Thanks 4 the ideas

 

[sylvia]

Make sure your LFS gives you exact readings. 'It's good' is realy not enough. Also, what you're looking for is NO ammonia or nitrIte. I'm also going to suggest you make a big water change now just in case your nitrAtes are high. While you're at your LFS, buy a test kit for all three parameters (NO2, NO3 and NH3) as you'll want to be monitoring everything while you are adding fish.

Last thing - don't take the loaches back until you get your next few fish. If you leave the tank with no fish for more than a couple of hours (ie no source of ammonia), all the good bacteria will die and you'll have to start the cycle from scratch, waiting another couple of months for ammonia, and then nitrIte, to drop. Make sure that the fish you do get are suitable for your tank and DON'T rely on your LFS for that info. Do as Ethos said - write what you like down and come back and ask.

Good luck

 

[jolaf]

Whatever you do get fast moving fish. Chinese algae eaters are well known for being agressive and can grow quite large. I have one that is only about 2 inches at the moment and he keeps going after my 4 inch blue gourami who doesn't let him attach but it is a wierd thing to watch. The slower the fish the more chance that sucking fish has of attching and removing some of the fishes slime coat.
barbs would do nicely with them since they are a bit agressive if they are the larger of the fish. MIne doesn't let that sucker anywhere near him hehe. Good luck


quote name='Enthusiast' date='Dec 17 2005, 01:19 PM' post='1006067']
Hey, my rather smallish 13 gallon tank has two VERY hardy CHinese Sucking loaches, or whatever you like to call them. For ages now me n dad have been doing water changes every week with the test kit showing red each time. Got seriousely depressing after a while yet the loaches have managed to survive the stress of everythin, very proud of 'em
We decided not to a week ago n now it shows an extremely beautiful yellow!!! waited so long!!
So we're going to get some more fish and maybe other reptile/water critters.
Free to any suggestions you have!! Much onfo welcomed.

Btw -
Tank size: 13 gallons
Has a fake and a real plant
few small rocks at the bottom
Submersive heater
Undergravel Filter with yes, gravel. And an airstone, etc.
Light in hood
And, erm. . Ah yes treated tap water with a couple of Chinese Sucking Loaches in the middle of it all

As said earlier welcome lots of info
[/quote]