Hello! And pleco help?

[Ch4rlie]

This may help you, a useful site is Seriously Fish for more research information on certain fish species.

Balantiocheilos melanopterus – Silver Shark (Barbus melanopterus) — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

 

[Colin_T]

Tin foil barbs, silver sharks (bala sharks) and oscars grow to about 1 foot long and can usually reach this size in 12-18 months. The tin foils and silver sharks should be kept in groups of 6 or more. However, the tank isn't really big enough for a group of each.

Your silver sharks are really skinny and not looking good.

The silver dollars need plant matter in their diet. the tin foils would enjoy some plant matter too.

The striped loach on the bottom of the tank is a Botia lohachata (yoyo loach). They do best in groups of at least 6 (preferably 10) or more. They tend to be nocturnal but in a well planted tank or a tank with lots of hiding places, they will come out during the day. They normally grow to about 5-6 inches but a friend of mine had some that grew to 8-10 inches in 12 months.

The roseline barbs (torpedo or Denison barb) do best in groups of 6 or more.

I can't think of the little brown cichlid but @Wills should know. Hopefully he can take a look and ID it for you.

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I would probably rehome the silver sharks and get a few more roseline barbs and loaches. Maybe look into rehoming the tin foil barbs and or silver dollars too or keep them and see how they go.

Do a bigger water change and do it every week. Cichlids can have problems with hole in the head disease if kept in dirty tanks. Your cichlids look fine now but you want to do more frequent water changes to keep them healthy. I recommend doing a 75% water change and gravel cleaning the substrate every week. You can do a 50% water change each week if you are concerned. You have sand on the bottom so you can gravel clean or hoover over the top each week and stir it up or gravel clean it monthly if you like.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Cleaning your filter in a bucket of tank water once a month is great. Keep doing that.

 

[Fishmanic]

That's a fantastic looking tank you have there. In February, we will have a Tank of the Month contest featuring tanks sized at 31 gallons or larger. Hope you enter that tank.

Meanwhile please vote in the present Tank of the Month contest. Just click on banner to the top right of the forum to view the entries.

 

[Saydums]

Tin foil barbs, silver sharks (bala sharks) and oscars grow to about 1 foot long and can usually reach this size in 12-18 months. The tin foils and silver sharks should be kept in groups of 6 or more. However, the tank isn't really big enough for a group of each.

Your silver sharks are really skinny and not looking good.

The silver dollars need plant matter in their diet. the tin foils would enjoy some plant matter too.

The striped loach on the bottom of the tank is a Botia lohachata (yoyo loach). They do best in groups of at least 6 (preferably 10) or more. They tend to be nocturnal but in a well planted tank or a tank with lots of hiding places, they will come out during the day. They normally grow to about 5-6 inches but a friend of mine had some that grew to 8-10 inches in 12 months.

The roseline barbs (torpedo or Denison barb) do best in groups of 6 or more.

I can't think of the little brown cichlid but @Wills should know. Hopefully he can take a look and ID it for you.

--------------------
I would probably rehome the silver sharks and get a few more roseline barbs and loaches. Maybe look into rehoming the tin foil barbs and or silver dollars too or keep them and see how they go.

Do a bigger water change and do it every week. Cichlids can have problems with hole in the head disease if kept in dirty tanks. Your cichlids look fine now but you want to do more frequent water changes to keep them healthy. I recommend doing a 75% water change and gravel cleaning the substrate every week. You can do a 50% water change each week if you are concerned. You have sand on the bottom so you can gravel clean or hoover over the top each week and stir it up or gravel clean it monthly if you like.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Cleaning your filter in a bucket of tank water once a month is great. Keep doing that.

Thank you for the info and help.

Certainly will do more research with regards to species as wasn't told the silver sharks like to be in bigger groups - I was told a pair would be fine! Will be doing my own research going forward rather than relying on the limited (apparently) knowledge of the reputable shops we visit.

I would love to get more of the torpedo barbs and loaches, just can't seem to get any other than very young ones and worry if they would be able to integrate or if they would be seen as food or prey. I will look into some plant based food too.

Can I ask why such a high percentage water change? Surely that doesn't do the eco system any good? I am more than happy increasing the water change frequency and only wasn't as that was what were advised - but I appreciate things change as the tank and fish mature.

Once again, I appreciate the info and support. We have only been at this for about 4 years - my partner is very impatient and prefers to see larger fish, whereas I would have been happier with schools of smaller community fish...

 

[Essjay]

Regular water changes remove the many waste products which build up over time and replace the minerals used up by the fish and plants where the tank has live plants. Weekly large water changes also prevent the water conditions drifting too far from the source water (usually tap water).
Large weekly water changes help to maintain stable water conditions.

Regular Partial Water Changes

Byron Hosking November, 2010 (rev April 2021) Nothing is more important when it comes to aquarium maintenance than regular partial water changes. The adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” certainly applies here. One frequently reads of products that will reduce the need for...

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