Help identify new fish please? New 55g tank

[outofwater]

Hi everyone,

Recently I bought a used tank setup and it came with 4 inhabitants... I took them because it seemed that they were going to get rhe royal flush treatment if I didn't want them, and I'm thinking of keeping them, although lfs said it would take any if I wanted to re-home them

Anyway, here they are, I just want to confirm exactly what they are your help will be appreciated.

One is a small tetra... what type? The other 3... unsure.

The largest one... a molly?

If I keep them all, they'll move to the bigger tank (going from a 29g to a 55g) along with my 14 neons, 3 ottos, and 4 cories.

Thanks!

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I see a black skirt tetra, an albino black skirt (?), and a black neon. Not sure about the guy in the last picture.

 

[Ichthys]

Buenos Aires Tetra, last picture.

 

[outofwater]

Buenos Aires Tetra, last picture.

This guy?

 

[Ichthys]

This guy?

Yes

 

[outofwater]

Thank you @WhistlingBadger and @Ichthys

Follow up question is what to do about these 3 bigger fish...

The black neon seems to do well with the others.

From what little I've read so far about the buenos Aires, he'd do better in a group of at least 6, might be a plant forager, and might get a bit aggressive toeards smaller/slower tankmates. I don't think I want that. I like its looks though.

And the other 2? Similar quick reading also indicates they would do better in a larger group, although there is no mention of aggressiveness, except -maybe- for long finned fish, which I don't have nor plan to.

 

[Ichthys]

They would all be less stressed in groups of their own species. Buenos Aires just want cooler temperatures than the rest. I've found them very peaceful, but if they're too warm they can be a little feisty.

 

[emeraldking]

The white one is not an albino but just a white breeding form of the normal skirt tetra. Overhere, those white ones are offered more this year in comparison to before. But if I listen to the comments of those store owners in my area, they don't sell that well in comparison to the normal variety.

 

[Colin_T]

Follow up question is what to do about these 3 bigger fish...

All tetras (except splashing tetras) need to be kept in groups of 10 or more of their own kind. If you want to keep them, get more of each. However, the black widow/ skirt tetras and Buenos Aires tetras are renown fin nippers and can't be kept with slow moving fishes or fish with long fins.

I would take the black widow and Buenos Aires to a pet shop and give or trade them in for some more black neons. The black neons will be fine with normal neon tetras and other fish you have.

 

[outofwater]

All tetras (except splashing tetras) need to be kept in groups of 10 or more of their own kind. If you want to keep them, get more of each. However, the black widow/ skirt tetras and Buenos Aires tetras are renown fin nippers and can't be kept with slow moving fishes or fish with long fins.

I would take the black widow and Buenos Aires to a pet shop and give or trade them in for some more black neons. The black neons will be fine with normal neon tetras and other fish you have.

Thank you, @Colin_T one last question/comment.
I have 2 dojo loaches that will move to the 29g tank. From what I've seen online, it seems like the dojos will do fine with either the buenos Aires or the black skirts. I may add one more dojo too. Any comments on that?

I will increase the numbers of either fish that stays with the dojos in that tank. And the other would go in the 55g with the rest of the fish (ottos, neons and cories) and I would also bring their numbers up to recommended levels. It seems the consensus is at least 5 for either (buenos Aires or black skirts).

Thank you!

 

[Colin_T]

I wouldn't keep dojo loaches with Buenos Aires tetras. About the only fish I would keep with Buenos Aires tetras are barbs and tetras that grow to a similar size and maybe some central or South American cichlids that are tough enough to live with them (convict, firemouth, blue acara, etc).

No angelfish, discus, festivum or Apistogrammas with Buenos Aires tetras.

Dojo loaches get big too (10-12 inches) and will need a bigger tank as they grow. They also do best when given cold water for several months each year.

---------------------

Virtually all tetras (except splashing) live in groups consisting of hundreds or even thousands of individuals. Having 5 is stressful to the fish. Even 10 is not that good but it helps the fish behave more naturally and feel less stressed. Ideally tetras should be kept in groups of 50 or more but that simply isn't practical in most aquariums.

Back in the 60s and 70s shops would sell tetras individually (1 neon, 1 black neon, etc). In the early 80s shops started selling them in groups of 5 or 6. It was more of a sale's ploy but was better for the fish too. You could still buy 1 fish but it worked out cheaper per fish if you bought a group. (eg: neon tetras $1.99 each or 6 for $10.00). More recently scientists have actually been doing research on minimum numbers for schooling fishes and they tested barbs, danios, tetras and other fishes that naturally live in groups. They found the fish did a lot better when kept in groups of 10 or more, and anything less than 5 was bad for the fish, who regularly showed abnormal and aggressive behaviour (even for peaceful species).

 

[outofwater]

Thanks again for the input. I am finishing the touches on the 55g tank. I had moved some floating plants and placed filter media from my other active tanks in it for 2 days now. Today I moved more plants and decorations from the 29g. I closed up the small 15g tank where I had the 2 loaches (they're still small), and moved the sand from that tank to the larger one, and placed its filter media in that tank too.

The plants and decorations from the small tank went to the 29g, along with the loaches, so foe now I have all my fish in the 29g. Feeding time was a treat, seeing all the fish swim around for the food was what I always envisioned feeding time would be like.

This got me thinking: what if I move ALL my fish to the 55g tank?

I still need to ensure it is cycled (ammonia is reading at 1 ppm, nitrites and nitrates at zero) Andy only concern are the otos, the new tank doesn't have any algae growth yet, and I know those are finicky fish to put in a "new" tank.

Thoughts??

 

[outofwater]

Here are pictures of each

 

[Colin_T]

I wouldn't trust adult Buenos Aires tetras with neon tetras. The neons actually look pretty stressed in the picture. They are hiding under the plant and wood.

You can help speed up the filter cycling process by adding some established filter media/ material to the new filter.

You can encourage algae in the new tank by leaving the lights on for 16 hours a day. Once you get a decent layer of algae on the glass, reduce the lighting time to 10-12 hours per day, or whatever you normally have it on.

 

[outofwater]

Cycling was completed last Tuesday.
I gave the buenos Aires to lfs, and moved the 2 loaches and skirted tetras to this tank.
Still thinking about whether to increase the tetra group, or also take those to lfs and select some other fish for this one. Thinking of adding one more loach too.

The heater doesn't seem to fit the bill for anything above 70°F. I know the loaches are good with that, but it seems the tetras would do better in higher temps... that is weighing on my decision too.

I like how the tank looks, I'm hoping the plants do well in it, considering this one only has the "default" LED lights that originally came with it. I got used to programmable, daylight cycle type of lightning, but I don't see how that will work for this tank unless I change the cover itself.

Anyone has any ideas oe suggestions on that?