Hello I am new to the hobby

[Flash4203]

hello my names Richard and I am relatively new to the hobby.

I have some goldfish and some tropical fish

6 fancy goldfish I want to relocate when funds are available

1 vail tail beta fish I believe.

Community tank 70litre give it take
2 angel fish a young one and an adult.
5 neon tetra
3 black widow tetra
2 serpae tetra

And some snails I have no idea what they are. Was told they are zebra nitrate algae eating snails but they do not look like them attached are some pictures.

I'd love to know what the snails are and if they do actually eat algae lol


Richard.

 

[Essjay]

Hi!
No, those are not nerite snails. I have several nerites of different colours, and they are more like Malaysian trumpet snails in shape, but not in colour. I know there are other conical snails on the market now but I don't know much about those. Google rabbit snails and Sulawesi snails (genus Tylomelania) and see if the photos match yours.


You do have some problems with your fish, though.
70 litres is too small for angelfish. Besides needing a larger volume they need at least 45 cm water depth.
Tetras are shoaling fish that need at least 6 of the same species, with more than 6 being better. Both black widows and serpaes are nippy fish with serpaes being among the most nippy. These are both worse the fewer there are - 10 is the minimum recommended for serpaes as with larger numbers they keep their nippiness more or less confined to their shoal. But both angels and bettas bring out the worst in nippy fish with their long fins and should not be mixed with nippy fish.

I would rehome more than just the goldfish.
The angels also need to go unless you are planning a bigger tank in the immediate future.
The betta also needs his own tank of around 25 litres as they are not good community fish. They either pick on other fish, or the other fish nop their fins.
If you rehome these fish, you can then get more tetras, though personally I would also rehome the serpaes. I had some once, and never again. All the other fish in the tank had bits missing. They soon went back to the shop - I didn't even ask for any money I was just so pleased to get rid of them.

 

[Flash4203]

Erm the betta fish is in its own 20 litre tank which from all the research I have done is plenty big enough with loads of room to swim and play with some plants and moss balls.

The sarpae tetra I didn't buy for some reason where I got the black widows from sent me 2 sarpae instead of all the black widows.

How come there is not enough room for the angel fish when in comparison to the tank he is small and I believe he is full grown.

Attached is the betta tank and a picture of the angel fish in comparison to the tank.

 

[Essjay]

Sorry, I didn't realise the betta was in a different tank from the other fish. 20 litres is fine, that is just over 5 US gallons (athough some people reckon 2.5 US galls is OK I think 5 is better)

Angelfish are big fish; they grow to at least 15 cm long and 20 cm tall. It is this height that requires a tall tank. If your fish is smaller than that, it is a juvenile. The minimum tank size for angels is 100cm long x 40 cm wide x 50 cm tall, which is 200 litres. http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/pterophyllum-scalare/ Another thing to be aware of is that neons are the natural prey of angelfish. It is not unknown for neons to disappear from a tank with a fully grown angelfish in it.
If you rehome the angel, you could increase the numbers of your tetras. I hope you complained to the place that sent you the serpaes instead of black widows.

 

[Byron]

I concur with essjay, both posts. I would go one step further though, and recommend you remove the Black Skirt Tetras as well as the angelfish and Serpae Tetra. A 70 liter (under 20 gallons) is insufficient space for a decent-sized group of Black Skirts or Serpae, either. These species need at least a 30 gallon (113 liter) tank with at least 8-10 of the species, alone. If any other species are to be included, the tank must be much larger. Studies have proven that in smaller spaces and in fewer numbers, aggression is substantially increased. This is because the fish are not in the environment they "expect," something which is programmed into their DNA. Frustration occurs, and stress, and the fish lash out in the only way they can, aggression.

Combining different species is not as simple as fish store staff tend to suggest. Factors such as water parameters (GH, pH, temperature), aquascaping/decor, species, numbers in each species, water current, etc. As soon as we combine fish having different requirements in any of these areas, we set up failure, sooner or later, as these factors not being suitable to the species means the fish will be stressed. Stress is the direct cause of 95% of all fish disease. Healthy fish are happy fish, and they rely completely on us to provide what they "expect."

Welcome to TFF. Many knowledgeable members here are more than willing to offer assistance. This is a scientific hobby, and many leave it after their initial failures. But that can be avoided.

There are several species similar in colour/pattern to the Serpae, and Black Skirts. So if you were drawn to these fish because of their appearance, we can find others that will work without the negative aspects. How I wish we could have educated staff in all fish stores to avoid these mistakes.

Byron.

 

[dascrow]

Welcome to the forum Richard!