Any info would be great!!

[BEAR81]

hey guys,

i have recently just got a massive tank compared to my last one!!
and i want to keep this one in good condition, my little tank i had to empty and clean every two weeks, how long do i keep the lights on? and when will i start putting my fish in? i mean how long will i let the tank settle and build up bactertia before letting fish in it? AND SORRY ABOUT THIS!! i have a black molly which gave birth two months ago, we managed to keep three fry alive which was great, until i got a puffer which my LFS told me i could have and it ate alot of them. but the female is very aggresive towrads my other fish and bullying them, hence thats why they are diseased and very stressed, she Is eating all the food and not letting the others have any, two of my fish are very buckled, what i mean by that is, it is like her back is crooked and she can't swim very well, and she is getting nipped at by the black molly....can anyone give me any advise, it would be greatly appreciated.

Bear.

 

[The-Wolf]

Firstly I'd suggest reading all the pinned topics in this forum.

If after that you have any specific issues then, by al means, ask away.

Large tanks are better to keep as once the enviroment is established it should stay more stable than smaller tanks.

HTH

 

[kev_kb]

Please read all the posts about cycling, basically nothing will happen if you don't add Ammonia or fish to the tank, so leaving it sit a few weeks achieves very little. Return the Puffer if you haven't already as these are not suitable for a community setup.

The fish with curved spines are deformed, I'm not sure if this happens from birth or develops later, I'm sure someone will help you out with that.

 

[sylvia]

First of all, the fish with bent backs probably have fish tb. Try to keep your hands out of the water as much as possible. You'll probably have to euthanise the infected fish or risk spreading the disease to all your other fish.

Now concerning your new tank... Just how big is it (in gallons if you can) and what fish do you already own and in what size tanks.

The new tank will need to cycle. Bacteria will only grow in the tank if there is a source of ammonia. I would add pure ammonia and test your water regularly. When ammonia and nitrites are at 0 and your nitrates are high, do a large PARTIAL water change (never wash out the whole of your tank, don't change your filter media unless absolutely necessary - and then only a part of it - and only vacuum parts of your gravel at any given time, never all of it at once). Your nitrates should now be at a reasonable, safe level, and you can add the first FEW fish. NEVER add many fish at once or your bacteria will not have a chance to ajust and you will be faced with a re-cycle... Also, make sure all water changes and top-ups are made with DECHLORINATED water or you risk killing off the bacteria.

With tropical fish, you should leave the lights on for 12 hours. 10 is also sufficient. I keep mine on from 7 am to 7 pm.

One last tip... don't listen to LFS's advice. Though some are helpful and know what they are talking about, most have absolutely no clue . Always research the fish you are going to buy first and don't buy fish that will outgrow your tank (calculate using adult sizes whether you plan to upgrade or not!).

 

[BEAR81]

thanks alot for all your replys they will be put to good use, i will answer all your questions in one reply, regarding the tank in gallons i am not sure, the little tank i have got i think is 45 litres and the new one i have i think is 75 litres. it is 39 inch my 16inch so a fairly good size, i have amonnia so will be introducing that when my tank is sealed properly!!

i returned the puffer as soon as it happened so he is not there anymore,
once my tank is sealed and i can get the water back in it and build the bacteria up i should be okay,

at the moment in my little tank i have 7 tetras, two tiger sucker fish, a cat fish, two dalmation molly's (one is buckled) one black molly and three black molly babies( two are male, one is female)

are darios okay to put in with other fish as long as there is alot of them?

thanks again for all your help it is much appreciated,

from the total beginner,

one more thing the fish that is buckled, what should i do with him? my girlfrind will go off her head if she comes home from work and sees he's not there anymore, but i don't want him infecting the other fish!!
thanks again
bear!!

 

[sylvia]

I think the first tank is approximately 10 gallons and the new is approximately 15 gallons... I'm just estimating, may be completely wrong

Your tank may be over-stocked so you would be better off not adding any new fish even after you move them to the new tank.

Could you tell us what kind of tetras you have?

The mollies will get to 3 inches each so these alone are too much for your tank. Unfortunately, you will need to re-home some of those babies and maybe an adult as well. They also don't share the water requirements of your other fish. Mollies like hard, alkaline water whilst tetras and catfish like softer, slightly acidic water. Mollies also like some salt while catfish hate it. Luckily, mollies are very adaptable.

The molly that is 'buckled' should realy be euthanised. Clove oil is the best method. If you cannot euthanise it immediately, I would move it to a temporary container (unless you have a quarantine tank). Make sure the container is large enough for it and keep it warm. You should euthanise the fish as soon as possible or it will just suffer and spread disease. Note that you can also catch it! I would wait until your girlfriend comes home and explain everything... then euthanise the fish within the next day or two. The quicker the better.

I would think your 'catfish' is a corydoras cat. If this is the case, it is also a shoaling fish and would realy benefit from a friend. If you can re-home several (if not all) of your mollies and, depending on your tetras and 'tiger sucker fish', you should add a couple more once the fish move to the new tank.

Danios are not aggressive. Some may nip but rarely cause serious damage. However, they should be kept in a shoal of at least five and are much too active to be kept in anything less than a 20 gallon tank. Also, you don't realy have room for any more fish.

Lastly, what exactly are the 'tiger sucker fish'? I have never heard of these... Are they some kind of pleco or 'algae eater'?

 

[BEAR81]

sorry sylvia i am not up with the fish names yet sorry!! it is an algae eater, the ones that stick to the windows!! i think my tank is bigger than a 15 gallon tank!! i will check for you and get back to you!! the new tank is big enough to hold all my fish i have now and more!! i think the are cardinal tetras!!My tank is now sealed and there is no water this morning so delighted with that!! so i think i will be putting some fish in it this weekend if everything is going well! the little buckled fish died last night!! so i done a full water change and put the fish back in!! the rest of the fish are looking happy and energetic!!

i will get back to you about the proper size of the tank.

cheers

Bear

 

[The-Wolf]

If you don't know the volume of the tanks, please post the exact dimensions and we can work it out for you.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Sounds like your catfish is some sort of pleco, as I've never seen a cory sucking on the glass.... As to the tiger sucking fish I have no idea what they are... The mollies should be fine, they really are good at adapting. As to the full water change, you didn't change all the water in the tank did you?



Yea for a bigger tank!

 

[BEAR81]

the size of my tank is 39inch in length by 16 inch wide and 18 inch deep.
that would be much appreciated.

no i didn't do a full water change!! left about a quarter tank!!!
what does it mean when the tank is cycling!!

i ahve just re-sealed the tank i have and filled it up last night!! i added dechlorinated liquid to the water and a small dose of friendly bacteria and some fish food!! i checked this morning and the tank is not leaking and the water is warming up nicely!! when should i introduce my tetras to the tank!! should i check the water levels fist?

 

[technium]

I think with those measurements your tank volume is approx 40 UK Gallons or 49 US Gallons.

 

[BEAR81]

yeah i just checked the measurments on a link and i think it is about 50G.
so i would have enough room for the fish i have and more!! just need to look around for some nice ones.
cheers

Bear!

 

[Aquamick]

If you want more info about deformities check this topic here. Scroll down until you get to the relevant part.

 

[sylvia]

Those algae eaters could be plecos (which grow realy big and are territorial)... or they could also be chinese or siamese algae eaters. If they are chinese algae eaters, you have a problem.


If you have added fish food to the empty tank, your tank should begin to cycle. Test regularly until ammonia and nitrites are 0 and nitrates are high and continue to add fish food if necessary. Then do a large water change to remove as many of the nitrates as possible with a partial water change and then you can add the first few fish. Don't add too many at once though.

 

[The-Wolf]

Bear is there anyway you can post some pictures of your fish?

That is the only way we can help you ID them.