Looking For Tank-Mates

[mandapanda080785]

as I added to my collection I would present my current fish list to the associate at petsmart and they would tell me their recommendations on tank-mates and if I would need more then 1 of a certain kind, however while researching to find more colorful fish I found that alot of my fish arent compatible with each other even though they coexist quite happily together. I would like as I mentioned to add some more colorful fish to my 55 gal tank and was looking at purple parrots and jellybean cichlids but I hear they can be quite nasty so I'm not sure. If anyone has an idea of some pretty colorful fish aside from cichlids plz help.I'm not looking for something I need too many of bc I dont want my tank to be too over populated
I currently have :
1 black moor goldfish
3 black skirt tetra
1 m guppy
1 x-ray tetra
1 balloon molly
1 silver molly
1 mixed silver/dalmatian molly
1 rubber lip pleco
1 albino pleco
1 oto
1 dwarf frog
-thank you

 

[willowstwin]

Right, I will warn you now (in a smiley friendly way) to be prepared for a LOT of people telling you your setup is bad, and to rehome/house fish... I'm no expert, however in the time I've been into fish, I can give you some pointers (and hopefully someone will back me up).

Point 1 - The black moor needs a COLDWATER tank. By having it in a higher temperature, you're not only increasing its metabolism (ie, making it poo even more than a normal messy goldfish would), but also shortening its lifespan. They also need a 20 gallon (minimum 15) ON THEIR OWN due to the size they get (see pic below - I've seen bigger moors than that). So as a coldwater tank, your tank could hold 4, possibly 5, fancy goldfish (going on the 20gal for 1st fish then 10gal per fish after that). Please please please rehome him (and acclimatise him properly into a coldwater tank).
Black moor:

Point 2 - Tetras are shoaling fish, which means they need to be in groups of 6 or more OF THEIR OWN KIND (no mixing neons and bloodfin and thinking it's ok).

Point 3 - Pleco's get HUGE... and I mean HUGE!!! I think your tank is probably big enough for one (again, need back up here from someone), but you need to look into the type of pleco you have, and what it's tank size requirements are.

Point 4 - Live bearers (your guppys and mollys)... You don't state what sex your mollys are. If one is female and 2 are males, then that female is going to be seriously harrassed. If 1 is male and 2 are female, then that's better, however be prepared for fry. If they're all males then that is fine

I know nothing about oto's, so I'll also be waiting for info on those.

So, I think main priority here is to rehome the black moor, making sure to carefully climatise it to a coldwater environment.
Then you need to up your tetra numbers. A 55 gallon would make for a nice community tank so don't get disheartened if people tell you to rehome your fish. Firstly, we want what's best for your fish, but secondly, we want you to become knowledgable enough to make the right decisions, and to end up with a tank you can look at and go "WOW". Nothing is nicer than seeing the fish showing normal happy behaviour (like schooling tetras for example).

 

[wirralbull]

ottos also like to be in groups. and i guess youre frog will be finding it difficult to get any food

 

[willowstwin]

wait... I just read another post... it says you have 2 pregnant guppies.... are these in this tank too??

 

[panda_cory]

I agree with everything willowstwin says, rehoming that black moor is the most important thing.

Also if you find out that your plecos will outgrow your tank then try a Bristlenose pleco as they wont grow as big.(only to about 5 inches)

 

[mandapanda080785]

ottos also like to be in groups. and i guess youre frog will be finding it difficult to get any food

in the big tank i have 1 male guppy all of my females are in a 5 gal tank together (2 guppy's 1 molly)

 

[mandapanda080785]

honestly my little albino pleco im not exactly sure what kind he is, my neighbor gave it to me bc he already had a bigger one and got rid of his small tank. his is about 6in long and hes had it around a yr now. I did ask them at petsmart when i got my black moor, as he was one of the first batch of fish i got to cycle the tank, if it would b ok have him with the warmer water fish and they said he would b ok to about 76º which is what i try to keep my tank at. I recently noticed my black moor had a greyish spot on his fin and asked once again at petsmart what i should try and they told me as per usual aquarium salt and if that didnt work come back. i have been doing alot of research as to what it could b and it looks to me like fin rot, could this be caused by the warmer water since none of my other fish are showing any problems, even my m guppy whos fins were ate by the betta which was previously in the tank is heeling nicely? I did originally have 3 xray's but 1 died and the 2 seemed to be doing good together and then one of them just poofed out of the tank and now he seems to hang out with my platy whos mate passed. my froggy gets fed frozen blood worms and i use a turkey baster to squirt them basically on his head since i have read that they do not smell their food as much as have to see it. i do try to keep up and find good matches for a community tank hence my posting here about the possibility of adding a cichlid to the family.

 

[willowstwin]

goldfish CAN live in warmer waters, but that doesn't mean they SHOULD. As I said, you're speeding up his metabolism, and thus making him have a shorter life span, which isn't really fair when you think about it is it? The higher temperature is probably a factor in his finrot, but there is nothing you can do until you get him out of that tank. I hate to say it, but places like Petsmart (like Pets at home here in the UK) are not knowledgeable and just want your money. Who cares if your fish die, because you'll go back to the nice smiling man behind the counter, who will persuade you it was something YOU did, and then sell you another bunch of fish. *sigh* PLEASE, for the love of all that is fishy, rehome the moor.

 

[mandapanda080785]

goldfish CAN live in warmer waters, but that doesn't mean they SHOULD. As I said, you're speeding up his metabolism, and thus making him have a shorter life span, which isn't really fair when you think about it is it? The higher temperature is probably a factor in his finrot, but there is nothing you can do until you get him out of that tank. I hate to say it, but places like Petsmart (like Pets at home here in the UK) are not knowledgeable and just want your money. Who cares if your fish die, because you'll go back to the nice smiling man behind the counter, who will persuade you it was something YOU did, and then sell you another bunch of fish. *sigh* PLEASE, for the love of all that is fishy, rehome the moor.

ok question for u then how to i lower tank temp without spending $200 for a tank cooler as i do not have the heaters plugged in on any of my tanks?

 

[emzy991]

black moor could do with that tank to himself tbh and yes sadly be much better in cooler water - is there nowhere cooler in your home that might bring temp down for him? Would mean another tank for other fish tho. no parrots in with what you have at all or they will be dinner for him. depends on the cichlids - kribs love to eat guppies - if you mean any malawi types, then, again - your other fish are dinner. they really are lovely but need a species tank and are quite dirty fish to keep. they also grow quite big so to have enough to prevent aggression would need around 200 litres minimum x

 

[mandapanda080785]

black moor could do with that tank to himself tbh and yes sadly be much better in cooler water - is there nowhere cooler in your home that might bring temp down for him? Would mean another tank for other fish tho. no parrots in with what you have at all or they will be dinner for him. depends on the cichlids - kribs love to eat guppies - if you mean any malawi types, then, again - your other fish are dinner. they really are lovely but need a species tank and are quite dirty fish to keep. they also grow quite big so to have enough to prevent aggression would need around 200 litres minimum x

i have the tank in a darker corner of my house and in the summer the water stays around 77º. right now my 5 gal i have the pregos in is at 80º with no heater. someone i was talking to locally said the only way he can keep his under that is to put ice cubes in the tank and its only a temporary solution. my husband did get me a Cichlid for my birthday but asked around and got a blue ram and she is doing "swimingly", not having any kind of problems.