Info Wanted On A Couple Of Fish

[Rochiie]

Hi all, im still full to the brim with questions before i add fish to my tank so ill apologise now if im getting on peoples nerves lol! I got my water tested today and everything is perfect, so the next step im assuming would be adding fish! Wich were planning to do this weekend. But theres a few of them im hoping someone can give me some info on, iv searched the internet but id like some first hand advice about the breeds etc.

First of all DISCUS! Im not sure if i should wait before getting one, but my parnter, also new to fish keeping has asked if i could get him one for christmas, hes fallin inlove with them!

See through cat fish? Im not sure of their proper name, but i find them beautiful, all you can see is their long skeletons swimming around.

Kissing gourmi, i love these as a friend has them, but i havent taken note of what their living with.

Theres only three for now, but id like to know what their like, what they like and what theyll live with, and could they live together? I have a 4foot tank with over 120 litres, live plants and bogwood. Thanks in advance!

 

[sebn]

First off, is your tank cycled? Have you been feeding the tank with ammonia for the past 4-6 weeks to ensure that the beneficial bacteria has grown in the filter? You say that you have had your water test and it is "perfect", unfortunately this doesnt mean anything as a tank that hasnt had any fish in or ammonia being dosed will read fine because there is nothing in there creating waste. Have you read the guide on this site relating to "cycling" your tank? it is all in the beginners resource section you can find here http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/

In terms of fish, im afraid Discus are a very specialised fish and your tank isnt big enough, they require PERFECT water conditions and are considered to be one of the harder species to keep. It is mainly very experienced fish keepers who take on the challenge of caring for disucss. The first thing you need to do is to find out the ph and hardness of your water as this will have some bearing on what type of fish you will be able to keep. If you can come back with that information i am sure people here will be willing to make some suggestions.

 

[phoenixgsd]

i agree, sorry

discus require different temperatures to other fish, the glass catsfish you refer to are quite sensitive


ive just noticed in another thread you say your tank is only a week and half old, that isnt cycled and isnt ready for fish, please read the link given then ask any questions you may have, we will be happy to advise you through the process of cycling

 

[Rochiie]

The tank i have isnt brand new and is second hand, a friend had it running for about 2 and a half years and sold it to me as they wanted to downgrade to a smaller tank, so the filter media and gravel all held the bacteria, and i never used raw tap water so that i tried to keep as much of the backeria as possible, she didnt empty the tank either till about an hour before i collected it and kept the filter in a bag so that it didnt dry completely. The PH is 7, wich iv been told by someone at Tall trees aquatic centre in nottingham is perfect for most of the fish, I cant remember the readins i was given today but the guy who did the test assured me the water was perfect for tropical fish. All the water was clear too that he shown me after doing the test.

Thank you for clearing that up about the discus, i was quite nervous as to buying one as i assumed they where difficalt and challenging fish to keep, but my partner fell inlove with them the moment he saw them, and i was told by the same guy who told me my ph was at 7 that discus were fairly simple to care for, but like i said in the thread start, i wanted first hand advice... im sure alot of people wanting to make a sale and grab some money would say that most fish where simple to care for.

We were planning on getting a few fish this weekend, but i think i want to get my water tested again at the weekend for piece of mind, i want to do it all properly so just trying to get as much info and advice before we go running out and getting fish for it all to go horribly wrong.

Sorry if i appear ignorant to it all, im trying to learn about it all as it is a hobby im greatly interested in getting into and started up!

 

[sebn]

Unless you have been feeding the bacteria in the filter over the past week or so it is likely all dead and you will have to start the cycle again. If your friend didn't have fish in the tank directly before giving it to you, i.e they removed all fish a week before giving you the stuff then the bacteria will almost certainly be dead. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

 

[ColR1948]

when the person tested your water did they use strips or a chemical in a test tube, not saying your water isn't OK just that those strips are not very accurate and some aquatic shops do use them, they should know better.

 

[Rochiie]

he took three different samples, and put a liquid in each, i cant remember what he did for the ph because i was handing my daughter her juice while he was doing that one, but i know the rest where mixed with a liquid and then compared to a chart on the colouring after a min or so, both where pretty much clear.

 

[JenCliBee]

Unless you have been feeding the bacteria in the filter over the past week or so it is likely all dead and you will have to start the cycle again. If your friend didn't have fish in the tank directly before giving it to you, i.e they removed all fish a week before giving you the stuff then the bacteria will almost certainly be dead. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

This strictly isn't true.... if the OP has kept the gravel and filter media without cleaning either of them, then there will always be waste within them that will degrade producing ammonia.... yes bacteria will die off but as long as the tank has always been running and the bacteria has always been oxygenated... a certain amount of bacteria is always likely to survive.... just monitor and stock slowly just to be cautious and you shouldn't have to many problems

 

[Rochiie]

Unless you have been feeding the bacteria in the filter over the past week or so it is likely all dead and you will have to start the cycle again. If your friend didn't have fish in the tank directly before giving it to you, i.e they removed all fish a week before giving you the stuff then the bacteria will almost certainly be dead. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

I was told to add fish flakes every so often to the water to feed the bacteria, not sure if its strictly true but i cant see any harm itll do so iv been doing that, the fish were transfered into the other tank that morning before this one was emptied and ready for me to collect, they bagged the gravel up in some of the tank water too and told me not to clean the gravel, witch i didnt, i just set the tank up as soon as i got it, added the gravel and the water, and then dechlorinated tap water and left it to run, iv set the water slightly warmer too as i was advised to do this and lower it a couple of days before adding fish.

 

[JenCliBee]

Unless you have been feeding the bacteria in the filter over the past week or so it is likely all dead and you will have to start the cycle again. If your friend didn't have fish in the tank directly before giving it to you, i.e they removed all fish a week before giving you the stuff then the bacteria will almost certainly be dead. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

I was told to add fish flakes every so often to the water to feed the bacteria, not sure if its strictly true but i cant see any harm itll do so iv been doing that, the fish were transfered into the other tank that morning before this one was emptied and ready for me to collect, they bagged the gravel up in some of the tank water too and told me not to clean the gravel, witch i didnt, i just set the tank up as soon as i got it, added the gravel and the water, and then dechlorinated tap water and left it to run, iv set the water slightly warmer too as i was advised to do this and lower it a couple of days before adding fish.

Sounds like you done everything that you should and i'm sure everything will be fine...except your fish choices lol ..... as mentioned the tank is to small for discus and you need to keep them in groups.... glass cats can be very sensitive and the gouramis get big and can be quite aggressive.... but apart from that it all sounds good lol.

 

[Rochiie]

Thankyou for settling that, amazing how many places will tell you that the fish you like will live perfectly in your tank! Ill look into some smaller species, although i have a few ideas of ones i like. Any suggestions on some suitable fish to look into will be appreciated.

 

[JenCliBee]

Thankyou for settling that, amazing how many places will tell you that the fish you like will live perfectly in your tank! Ill look into some smaller species, although i have a few ideas of ones i like. Any suggestions on some suitable fish to look into will be appreciated.

I'm not really up on the cichlid side of things but Rams would be a nice addition, blue's are a little more sensitive but Bolivian rams are quite bullet proof and suit most setups, then you have apisto's, some can be extremely stunning colour wise.... things like keyholes would be nice albeit a little timid so a group would be better and some shade of plants for them to hide amongst.

Is there anything really you have a preference for?...... livebearers, cichlids, cory's, plecs???.

125 litres is quite a nice sized tank to stock but with so many choices, it's quite hard to give recommendations without any sort of preference

 

[Rochiie]

Not sure what these would be classed as but the ones that iv taken quite a liking to are;

Bettas,
Pleco's (Not sure why, but iv fallen inlove with these little algi eating little fellas)
Clown loach
Tiger barb
As boring as it sounds, i quite like fancy guppies
Id like a redtail shark
Quite like the look of Kribensis are they?

So theres already a few i quite like, its just finding out more about them i guess. I just want a sea of colour, especially for my little one to watch, shes already confused lol bless her, keeps pointing to the tank and shouting fishes haha im such a mean mummy!

 

[JenCliBee]

Not sure what these would be classed as but the ones that iv taken quite a liking to are;

Bettas,....... these limit you with alot of fish, they can get ery aggressive towards longer finned fish and there requirements..ie slow flow, small tank doesn't make them a good choice or tank mate.

Pleco's (Not sure why, but iv fallen inlove with these little algi eating little fellas)..... although this is what they are portrayed as, alot of plecs actually dont eat algae lol and the ones that do can often get lazy and they stop eating it anyways...especially a well fed plec..... the other thing is make sure you don't fall into the hole of getting a plec to big for the tank.... most lfs stock the common variety which can grow 18+ inches... something like a bristle nose would work but there are plenty of other suitable species.... but the price can vary drastically.

Clown loach..... they get way to big for your tank size.... most would advise a 5 foot+ tank... and they prefer bigger groups

Tiger barb..... can be a nice choice, abit fin nippy and aggressive but larger groups usually even any aggression out.... for me i would say you tank would be just big enough... others will say they need bigger due to there aggressive natural and the fact they do need to be in groups.... and there are quite active fish.

As boring as it sounds, i quite like fancy guppies..... your not alone, they are one of my fav community fish and always a good choice for a standard community tank.

Id like a redtail shark...... steer away from this idea lol.... these can be super aggressive and can get to 8 inches.... most will say the have never had a problem when they first get them but as they get older they get more territorial and very aggressive and will hound fish to death.

Quite like the look of Kribensis are they?..... Nice fish, great for community, can be a little protective over a clutch of eggs but it's usually alot of chasing then pure aggression from experience.

So theres already a few i quite like, its just finding out more about them i guess. I just want a sea of colour, especially for my little one to watch, shes already confused lol bless her, keeps pointing to the tank and shouting fishes haha i'm such a mean mummy!

If you want colour, would an out and out community suit your needs... platies, mollies, guppies, swords, varying tetra's.... there are some great coloured community fish out there that i'm sure would impress you

 

[The Taffy Apple]

Bettas - possibly, if kept in larger groups (such as 2 femals, 1 male), or on it's own.
Plecos- there are many different types of these, most grow HUUUUUUGE and need alot of room, more in-depth research is required.
Clown Loach- as with Plecos, CAN get very big, very quick...your tank is too small in my opinion.
Tiger Barb- a possibilty, but due to their potential for aggressiveness, they need to be in big numbers, again something your tank may be a little small for.
Guppys- Most definately, but being livebearers will multiply very quickly in a healthy tank and potentially taking over it altogether.
Redtail Shark- Look lovely when they're small, but as with Plecos and Clown Loach WILL grow big.

What about Tetras? There are hundreds to choose from (Cardinal and Xray are very popular), maybe some kind of Rasbora?

Terry.