I think i may be a fool

[Torrean]

Nutalli that was much more productive. I appreciate your thoughtfull response to my question. The PH in the tank was ok until i put the fish in. Then it went up. Now it is right at 7.0. Right now all of the fish except the gourami are smaller than your estimates i guess i should put measurements for the fish up
Pleco-2 X 1
pictus-2 1/2 X 1
puffer-3/8 X 2
rainbow sharks- 2 1/2 X 4
cuhli- 2 X 1
danio- 3/4 X 10
Gourami 3 1/2 X 2
Gourami 2 3/4 X 1
So yes the tank is overcrowded.

Edit: I have learned not to trust the people working at pet stores I belive he wanted my fish do die so i would come back and buy a butt load of new fish and chemicals to keep them alive with it sorta sickens me. Why can't they conduct honest business and simply attract loyal customers

 

[pica_nuttalli]

i just wish productive wasn't so time demanding... i swear, 12 other people posted while i wrote that


...again, sorry i was a bit brusque. tell the truth, i rather thought you were yanking our chain with a tale like that. that has to be one of the worst "LFS sold me ___ " stories i've ever heard, just based on the sheer volume of it.

don't forget to pitch a major fit when you take them back.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Because they're stupid...

As to the tank, if you want some fish that will definetely munch other fish, I'm sure people would be glad to tell you what would be good, because most of the fish you do have in there just aren't really going to do that. If you can I'd take them back, and for some you can find replacements for, like instead of a common pleco you could get a bristlenose, which look awesome, especially the males, and the rainbows could be traded for more pictus, or something else. I don' think the gouramis would really fit into what your trying to do though, I'd take them back for sure.

Purple Spotted Gudgeons are neat, a firemouth could work in there toom they will eat smaller fish, the pictus, a tank of just ACFs, those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head, and they're plenty more.


Lol, if were close to where you live I'd take the puffers...

 

[Torrean]

scratch that. The final verdict is take all the fish back, cycle the water. Buy back the sharks and build a tank around them.

Edit and raise hell the whole time

 

[Torrean]

it's not possible to take some of them back and try to cycle the water with some still in there is it?

Edit: I know what you mean PICA now that i have some understanding of what the guy at the fish store did to me i have trouble believing it myself.

 

[Torrean]

What's even worse is that my sister and her husband have been keeping a tank for 3 years now. They went with me to help make sure that i didn't get scammed. I suspected they were full of poop (edited for younger audiences) NOW I AM SURE OF IT. Why do people have to talk all big when they don't know anything, it makes no sense it just means that when the person who took there advise falls on his face they will be exposed. It's so stupid and childish i just want to go wring a few necks

Another Edit: I asked them about changing 20% of the water once every two weeks and they said it wasn't necessary if you used distilled water

Yet Another Edit: Then i get on here and find out that not only will the ammonia skyrocket if you don't cycle the tank but that the best way to control ammonia is to change water. RRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH i'm getting rather angry

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Cycle with the danios, they're pretty hardy from what I've heard, and you already have them so....

I've known people whove kept tanks for years thinking they were experts, then you ask them when they vacumn the gravel, water changes... That's about the tim eyou figure out they have no idea what they are talking about, just because you can keep a fish alive doesn't mean its living well. I try to tell that to people with goldfish in bowls, but do they listen?


Hell no.




Hey, your tank is big enough to drown them in....

 

[Torrean]

Well i'll give them a little credit they did tell me i would have to get a rock vaccuum in like a year. VERY VERY LITTLE CREDIT. I assume they were wrong.

Edit: so i really have NO other choice than taking out all the fish except danios and cycling the tank

Another Edit: I just thought about this, I Absolutely cannot take back any fish until the day after tommorrow, they have already been in there for several days what should I do

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Yup, get a gravel syphon as soon as you get the fish, once a week do a 25% (estimate) water change by sucking all the crap out of the gravel, you get a water change and gravel cleaning all in one shot.

And you get to say 'holy gods, look at the poop!' at the same time too... it's really amazing how much can accumulate sometimes...

 

[Torrean]

If i get a piece of used filter and some gravel from a current tank and do water changes can i keep my fish cuz guess what, the store has a 3 day return policy
and it will be like day 5 or 6 before i can return them

Sorry for all the Edits: I used stress zyme I know you guys don't think to highly of it but would that make any difference

Another Edit: I think i may be screwed

 

[NinjaSmurf]

That will help a lot,

But the pleco really should go,... I don't know too much about the others except for what I already said.

If you really ever have to do this, and trust me, it's not something I would make a habit, but sometimes when the fish store screws a person over and they can't get another home for the fish or take them back, they stick them in a plastic bag and leave them at the fish store.... I don't know what would happen if you got caught though, it's not like you're stealing....

 

[Torrean]

I'm not going to leave my fish on the doorstep of a fish store sorry. I would set up my ten gallon and try to do something with it before I would even think of going to those extremes.

Edit: Well I'm going to bed, I don't have to many options here. I guess I will go to wall-mart tommorrow and buy a Vaccuum, would it be a bad idea to ask them for a piece of used filter because my access to used filter is in the same place as the fish store, I would not be able to get it until day after tommorow. Please respond to this

 

[pica_nuttalli]

its amazing the rules they will bend if you go into the fish section complaining in a very loud voice about specific issues... i'd try to take them back anyways and if they don't willing refund every last penny, i'd yell at the manager. if that works, write a nasty letter/email to customer service. and threaten to tell PETA about how the ignorance of their staff severely endangered the lives of some 22 animals. squeaky wheels generally get grease, especially in public locations.

even if you can't return the fish immediately, 45 minutes back in the bag can't make things that much more stressful.

i suggest you print out this thread and take it with you as evidence. (don't let them see this post )

i don't think stress zyme will do much one way or the other. water changes don't have to involve vacuuming your gravel. just remove dirty water and put in clean.

if you have another tank running, swap the filter media immediately! this will instantly introduce the majority of the beneficial bacteria necessary for the nitrogen cycle. this is called "cloning" a tank.

you still need to boot out a number of your fish. i'd keep all the danios because you do have the requisite number for them to be happy. i'd keep EITHER the four sharks or the three gouramis. everything else should go back, by hook or by crook.

also, don't blame your sister. it takes a lot of hours on the forums to know this much crap about fish.

 

[xXMrBonesXx]

i would advise against the group of rainbow sharks, get 1 max, they get meaner and meaner as they grow and they get around 6 inches, i have one and he chases any fish that is orange in colour all the rest he leaves alone i think he's racists

 

[Torrean]

thank you very very much Pica. I do not have a filter ready so I'm still screwed unless i can get one within a day or so right

Edit: I wouldn't get mad at my sister if this were a one time thing. She seems to know everything about averything which is usually a red flag for a liar. I should've known better than to trust in someone else. I should have figured out everything on my own. I really appreciate you guys helping me out.