Looking for stocking ideas to pair with phoenix rasbora

[Richee]

Those are T. hengeli. They are not suitable for a 10 gallon tank, I'm afraid. That's why Byron suggested taking them back to the store.

One of the most important lessons in fish keeping is don't believe anything a shop worker tells you. Most of the workers haven't a clue about fish keeping and will say anything to make a sale. If they told you the T. hengeli are suitable for 10 gallons, that demonstrates the point.

The other alternative is to upgrade the tank - you need one at least 24 inches long, and 10 of each of the fish you have.

The reason they are sticking together is because they are stressed. Fish which are not stressed go their separate ways. They are new to the tank, the #1 reason they are currently stressed. It takes several days, sometimes a few weeks, for fish to settle in. They've just been through a very stressful time. member Colin_T has written about this

Fish Importing, from the farm to the home

If any of you have wondered how aquarium fish get to the local pet shop, the following will give you some insight as to what they have to go through to get from the fish farm where they are bred and raised, to the pet shop where you can buy them. The stress they go through is quite...

www.fishforums.net

There are also not enough T. hengeli which makes them feel stressed. Shoaling fish are programmed to expect a large group. Think of it like this. In the wild they live in groups of hundreds. When there are not enough of them their instincts tell them that something has eaten the rest of the group and they're next on the menu. They don't know there's no predator lurking outside the tank.

I have a 20 gallon tank but no filter and it’s not set up yet I will have to get it set up sometime in the future and I’ll switch them to the 20

 

[Richee]

I have a 20 gallon tank but no filter and it’s not set up yet I will have to get it set up sometime in the future and I’ll switch them to the 20

Should I get a couple more for the time being or would you just keep it like it is

 

[Essjay]

Don't get any more fish for the 10 gallon, it's overstocked now.


Can you move the filter into the 20 gallon, it's not built into the tank or anything? if it can be moved, just move everything into the 20 gallon - substrate, decor, filter, water and fish then fill up with new water. To the fish it'll just be like a water change. Then get more fish so there are 10+ of both of them.

The filter may be OK in a 20 gallon; if not, when you get a bigger filter put the existing media into the new filter.

 

[Richee]

Don't get any more fish for the 10 gallon, it's overstocked now.


Can you move the filter into the 20 gallon, it's not built into the tank or anything? if it can be moved, just move everything into the 20 gallon - substrate, decor, filter, water and fish then fill up with new water. To the fish it'll just be like a water change. Then get more fish so there are 10+ of both of them.

The filter may be OK in a 20 gallon; if not, when you get a bigger filter put the existing media into the new filter.

Well the 20 gallon that I have used to be a reptile tank so I am not sure of its water holding capabilities . I do have a 55 gallon tank that currently has a bearded dragon in it , it would take a lot of moving around but the filter I have now is only rated for up to 10 gallons it’s a Marineland 75 biowheel filter . I’ve taken the wheel out and have my own media in there

 

[Richee]

Don't get any more fish for the 10 gallon, it's overstocked now.


Can you move the filter into the 20 gallon, it's not built into the tank or anything? if it can be moved, just move everything into the 20 gallon - substrate, decor, filter, water and fish then fill up with new water. To the fish it'll just be like a water change. Then get more fish so there are 10+ of both of them.

The filter may be OK in a 20 gallon; if not, when you get a bigger filter put the existing media into the new filter.

You think the filter would be okay in a 20 gallon? Its rated at 75 gallons per hour

 

[Richee]

Don't get any more fish for the 10 gallon, it's overstocked now.


Can you move the filter into the 20 gallon, it's not built into the tank or anything? if it can be moved, just move everything into the 20 gallon - substrate, decor, filter, water and fish then fill up with new water. To the fish it'll just be like a water change. Then get more fish so there are 10+ of both of them.

The filter may be OK in a 20 gallon; if not, when you get a bigger filter put the existing media into the new filter.

Alright I’m setting up the 20 gallon now the filter fits perfect and I think the 75gph will work for the time being . The tank is completely silicones on the inside just like a normal aquarium so it shouldn’t be a problem the only problem now is the lid and the light

 

[Byron]

You think the filter would be okay in a 20 gallon? Its rated at 75 gallons per hour

Yes. These fish are accustomed to fairly slow-moving water, so less filtration in terms of water movement is always better. I used sponge filters in my tanks up to 40g for such fish. You have live plants, and they are your primary source of "filtration" in the sense of clean water. The filter is responsible for "clear" water, these are two different things.

 

[Richee]

Yes. These fish are accustomed to fairly slow-moving water, so less filtration in terms of water movement is always better. I used sponge filters in my tanks up to 40g for such fish. You have live plants, and they are your primary source of "filtration" in the sense of clean water. The filter is responsible for "clear" water, these are two different things.

Okay I have them switched over , it doesn’t look very good right now . I think I rushed it and didn’t do the substrate right . I got some soil from my back yard , cleaned it and put a layer of sand on the top of it . I’m worried now I shouldn’t have used that soil, it’s red dirt , so clay based , I’m hoping that it doesn’t keep the water cloudy and the sand will stay on top of it . The sands a lot lighter than the soil .

Yes. These fish are accustomed to fairly slow-moving water, so less filtration in terms of water movement is always better. I used sponge filters in my tanks up to 40g for such fish. You have live plants, and they are your primary source of "filtration" in the sense of clean water. The filter is responsible for "clear" water, these are two different things.

okay so can I get 4 more of each and 2 goiramis now ??? Maybe 2 honey goiramis

 

[Byron]

Fortunately you can resolve this serious issue...get rid of the soil, all of it. Soil has a number of issues affecting water quality, and the red may well be iron and this could kill everything in the tank.

Soft sand is all you need for these fish. What type of sand is it? You are in the USA so one inexpensive but ideal sand is Quikrete Play Sand, available from Home Depot and Lowe's. Make sure it is Quikrete Play Sand. About 1.5 inches overall is fine.

 

[Richee]

Fortunately you can resolve this serious issue...get rid of the soil, all of it. Soil has a number of issues affecting water quality, and the red may well be iron and this could kill everything in the tank.

Soft sand is all you need for these fish. What type of sand is it? You are in the USA so one inexpensive but ideal sand is Quikrete Play Sand, available from Home Depot and Lowe's. Make sure it is Quikrete Play Sand. About 1.5 inches overall is fine.

That’s the exact sand I am using . And the red in the clay is iron indeed

 

[Richee]

That’s the exact sand I am using . And the red in the clay is iron indeed

Also I don’t think the iron in the clay is enough to kill the fish . It would take ALOT of iron in the water to kill fish . Most tanks out there actually suffer from not enough iron, I am hoping the sand and the rocks will keep the soil below and it shouldn’t be an issue

 

[Richee]

Also I don’t think the iron in the clay is enough to kill the fish . It would take ALOT of iron in the water to kill fish . Most tanks out there actually suffer from not enough iron, I am hoping the sand and the rocks will keep the soil below and it shouldn’t be an issue

I believe they used to recommend red clay like south eastern United States soil for aquariums as it IS high in iron

 

[Byron]

OK, please listen. The "iron clay" substrates like laterite that were popular back in the 1980's are now seen as useless which is why very few (if any) use them. They were not the same as iron in garden soil. Iron is a heavy metal, and conditioners detoxify heavy metals including iron for very good reason. Dump the iron, it is not going to benefit and I can assure you it will cause deaths.

To your question earlier..."okay so can I get 4 more of each and 2 goiramis now ??? Maybe 2 honey goiramis." No. Get the tank aquascaped and running, before adding any fish. If you want honey gourami, make sure they are honey gourami, and a trio of one male and two females.