How Long Will This Work?

[briielzebub]

My neighbor just got evicted so I'm taking his tanks and his dog until he has a home again. I ended up with one 20gL with a jack dempsey and around 10 1 inch convicts, and a 28gH with a 3 inch oscar, 3 guppies, 1 sword tail, 4 2 inch convicts, 2 common plecos, and an albino cory. Let me say I'm just happy I don't permanenty have to take these tanks and deal with what will happen when all the fish grow up. Hopefully my neighbor is not homeless for long.

But how soon do you figure I should remove the livebearers? I'd hate for my neighbor to not have any of them left by the time he gets the fish back. I have a 20 gal planted tank that isn't really stocked at the moment since I'm waiting until I can get a stock of A. Panduros. I don't do livebearers so hopefully they don't die anyways, haha. How long can they live with the oscar and the cons, do you figure? They take up totally diferent areas of the tank (livebearers at the very top, oscar in the middle, cons on the bottom), but obviously the fish will grow. I already saw the oscar eat a cichlid pellet the size of his face. He's so cute...I wish I had the space for an oscar. I wish the neighbor had space for one too.

All the cons are being left well enough alone in both tanks. The cons were all originall my fry and I was pretty desperate to get rid of them..little did I know my neighbor wanted them so he could feed them to the jack (seriously these fry are way too large for that). Do you think fights will break out soon? I'm considering just taking them to the LFS, maybe leaving a couple of the large ones with the oscar for when they update his tank size.

Or should I just not mess with his fish? I wouldn't at all if I knew they weren't going to be with me for that long /

 

[vancouver]

I'm surprised any smaller fish with the oscar are still alive.. Most oscars will try to eat anything and everything that will fit into their mouths..

Both tanks are severely overstocked.. You cant really keep any of those cichlids in those tanks long term..

I don't know what you're options are, sorry

 

[Mystix212]

Try and give him some advice, seriously. That or get rid of the big cichlids. I reckon the oscar may have another 2-3 months before he eats everything. The again they are slowish swimmers. But I also think livebearers are beginner fish anyway so loosing them isnt bad at all. Seriously who gets attached to a silver 2" guppy?

 

[briielzebub]

Well yeah, obviously the fish can't stay in the tanks long term. I was just wndering how long they'd last before everything was dead or before I'd just havce to yell at my neighbor.

The oscars such a funny "little" fish. He's knocking around the cons a lot today so I figure I'm going to have to move them around ASAP...but he's so funny when he does it. And its awesome that his mouth is jsut as big as a full grown cons, and he's still TINY. I want to keep him, haha.

I guess I get sort of atatched to livebearers...I sighed once when a platy died. Seriously, I've been more attatched to minnows. Once you go cichlid, you never go back.

 

[Mystix212]

I know that feeling. I've owned few cichlids, just convicts, angels, few rams, kribs and a GT. Although just reading, Theres no other fish I'd rather have.
Those and other oddballs, and your other greats.

I like it when livebearers die and thier eyes are gone. Cool.

 

[for_my_fish]

I like it when livebearers die and thier eyes are gone. Cool.

Seriously? or is my reading not up to much this time in a morning?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

at 3" the oscar is probably just about big enough to realise he can eat the little fish, as he's grown up with them he probably doesn't realise just yet that he is now significantly bigger than them, however trust me, it'll come soon!

i would have a serious word with your neighbour about the consequences of keeping these fish together, i'd advise you to re-home all the cichlids and the plecs as there are no tanks big enough for them.

 

[Nevergone815]

i would have a serious word with your neighbour about the consequences of keeping these fish together, i'd advise you to re-home all the cichlids and the plecs as there are no tanks big enough for them.

I agree. The cichlids will most likely create a war zone there. Not much to do. I wish i could take some off your hands, well your neighbors, but you seem to be the intelligent one here by asking these questions .

Honestly I'm surprised that everything in the oscar tank isn't eaten and I don't even want to know how the JD and cons get on... geesh I kinda feel bad for the jack in this situation... Hmm... where are you located, maybe I could help you out a little and move some of my tanks around... I don't know, I want to help you as you obviously know that this isn't right, but you're in a bad situation, hopefully the neighbor will understand

 

[briielzebub]

The jack and all the cons actually seem to get along pretty well. The jack just seems too depressed to do anything but just pretty much sit (in a swimming way) in one place. Last night he swam to the other side of the tank and back. Most movement I've seen out of him.

The oscar and the convicts in the other tank aren't doing so great with eachother. They seem to have to be together all the time, but every once in a while the oscar gets rowdy. Thank god all the cons in there are girls so I don't have any pairs to deal with. The cons won't stop attacking the plecos. One big happy family, haha. The livebearers are so far up in the tank and the oscar is so far down that he hasn't been noticing them at all. I think I'll at least move the swordtail to my other tank tho. He's kind of pretty, even if he is a livebearer. He should be fine there permanently I think.

I'm going to go to my LFS tommorow to pick up a couple rubberlip plecos and some plants and attempt to order my apistos, so I'll call ahead and ask if they'll take the cons. I'd get rid of the JD and Oscar too, but I don't know what the owners plans are and I'd really hate to get rid of his wet pets. I just feel so sorry for the jack. His new name is Sad Jack (I know, creative huh). If it is a he...I don't know how to sex jacks.

This is making me feel sorry for my own con, haha. He has his own 20 long but seeing these other fish I feel like getting him his own 55 gal so he has more room to swim.


Oh, and I'm in Colorado. A little far, I'm afraid

 

[Nevergone815]

Well you can post pics and I can sex the Jack for you. Hmm... shipping wouldn't be a problem, if you're willing to ship it. How large is it again? I have a 6"ish female. I love them. again I have to run through my tanks and run it by the Mrs. of course