Lots Of Help Needed Please!

[Aconite]

Hi again,
Well, phase 1 of the great fish frenzy has now taken place!

I have an old 35 ltr tank that now has the guppies, 3 female betas and my dwarf frog living in there.
I hand feed froggy loads of bloodworm today and have made quite a few hides for him, so I hope he will get nice and healthy soon, as he has lost a lot of weight lately.
The 3 betas are arguing a bit, but I guess they are just establishing a hierarchy.
I have the small tank right in front of my computer and so I can watch them as I type. I am very happy with the new arrangement!

The 60ltr tank is now a temporary home to the barbs! I have spoken to the shop and I can return all the odessas. I am sure they will be happy to take on the tiger barbs too. But now I have realised, if I take them all back I will have an empty tank in my kitchen! Arrgghh!

The 120 ltr tank has the knife fish (who I have decided to keep!) I will watch him grow and upgrade to a 300Ltr as soon as he needs the space. But for now he is still small.
I managed to hand feed him loads of bloodworm and he was cruising around the tank very happily. I think all the fish are smiling now that the barbs have gone.
Everyone is out and about.
So in that tank I have the 2 plecs, which I guess I can keep if I am getting a 300ltr.
I have 2 angel fish, but I might rehome the 1, as I don't think they get on.
I have the bichir and the 3 weather loaches.
I also have 2 rainbow fish. (Do I rehome them or add to make it a shoal? (bearing in mind I am not planning on a new tank till later this year.)
My husband is disappointed as the only fish now on show are the angels and the butterflies. Is there any other fish that might be well suited to this set up. As most of the other fish hide all day! So I need to have something to look at as the tank is in the lounge and looks a bit bare in the day.

Thanks again for all your advice! I had a busy day, but it was worth it. Now I just need to beg your help so I can fine tune it.
I like all my animals to have a perfect set up, look good and most of all be happy.
So hopefully I can get it sorted now with your help!

 

[snake007]

Okay a few things here - firstly a 35 litre isn't really enough for 3 females bettas and guppies, also ADF are social and should be in groups.
A 300 litre is not enough for 2 common plecos, angel fish are social and need to be in groups.
Im pretty sure weather loaches are temperate fish.
You need to upgrade now, don't wait.
The common plecs will be stunted as will the other fish.What type of bichir is it exactly?
Im afraid to keep all of the fish you have, you need to go bigger than a 300 litre, at least 600 litres is needed.

 

[Aconite]

Okay a few things here - firstly a 35 litre isn't really enough for 3 females bettas and guppies, also ADF are social and should be in groups.
A 300 litre is not enough for 2 common plecos, angel fish are social and need to be in groups.
Im pretty sure weather loaches are temperate fish.
You need to upgrade now, don't wait.
The common plecs will be stunted as will the other fish.What type of bichir is it exactly?
Im afraid to keep all of the fish you have, you need to go bigger than a 300 litre, at least 600 litres is needed.

Hi again,
Gosh this is a bit of a learning curve!!!
Back to square 1!

OK, well then it sounds like I am going to have to ditch the bulk of my fish!
I have a few homes they can go to. So it won't be a huge issue, it is just a bit sad, as I wanted my fish tanks to be as stunning as my reptile vivs.
It is more about finding the right mix to go in the tanks. As I want them to be active and have fun and interesting fish, but also be safe for the fish involved.

The frog was the only one in the shop and I have never found another few to go with it. I would be very happy to get more, or to rehome this one to a family that have a few more. (I can find classified for equipment, but not for rehoming fish on here. Can you help me find the link pls? )

Normally with reptiles I tell people to do their research first and I get really cross about it. But with fish it is so hard, as to keep each fish you need to have knowledge of pretty much everything and then of you want something to go with it the learning has to start all over again.

My head is about to explode!

 

[snake007]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/forum/116-livestock/http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/forum/122-livestock/

 

[Aconite]

Thanks!
Do I cut and paste the sales from and then fill it out before I post it?
It is not something I am used to.

 

[snake007]

Yeah cut and paste and fill it out, then post.

 

[Aconite]

Thanks!
About to do it now!

 

[Aconite]

The betas will go into a 60ltr tank as soon as the barbs have been re-homed.
Hopefully I can find a new home for the frog, or get it a few friends. If I can order some new frogs then I would keep them alone in a frog only tank. (But the pet shops only ever have clawed frogs)
The guppies should be going to a friend soon too.

The one angel fish is not being friendly to the other, so it is being rehomed tomorrow, hopefully.
The knife fish is possibly going to a friend with a 700ltr tank later this week.

The weather loaches! Heck I forgot they need it to be colder. I sort of forgot about that as they are part of the furniture now. They were my first fish. They are all quite large and very active. Not quite sure where I can move them to. I love them and would hate to have to rehome them. But I think the 60ltr tank is too small for such active fish.

Thanks of the help!

 

[onidrase]

Okay a few things here - firstly a 35 litre isn't really enough for 3 females bettas and guppies, also ADF are social and should be in groups.
A 300 litre is not enough for 2 common plecos, angel fish are social and need to be in groups.
Im pretty sure weather loaches are temperate fish.
You need to upgrade now, don't wait.
The common plecs will be stunted as will the other fish.What type of bichir is it exactly?
Im afraid to keep all of the fish you have, you need to go bigger than a 300 litre, at least 600 litres is needed.

35 is fine for 3 female bettas just as long as they don't kill each other.
honestly, not much is big enough for 2 common plecos. chances are getting rid of the plecos isn't going to get them a bigger tank. they'll be fine in 300 liters given supply/demand.

in a perfect world, we could just send off any fish that we can't keep in our own tanks and know it's going to a better home and upgrade a tank right away. But this world is not perfect. in comparison to what common plecos are usually shoved into, a 300 liter tank is going to look like paradise. Don't steer people into giving them back to stores and stuff just because they don't have a tank that's 150 gallons. A common pleco costs 2 bucks and can be bought just about anywhere. If anything giving them a 300 is doing a little good. Granted, not perfect, but it's better than the 10 gallon algae ridden tank with spongebob decorations and pink gravel. Common plecs are just a crime in the aquarium trade. It's better to stop people from buying them than it is to give them back after they're already bought.

 

[Aconite]

Wow, what a change! My tank is so tranquil now without the barbs! Everyone is out and it is a really active, friendly community tank.
I have just put the light on and no one has hidden. The loaches are out playing, the 2 angels are no longer bickering. It is so relaxing!
Thanks!

Today I will rehome all the barbs. I love them, but they don't work for the type of tank I am now wanting.

 

[Aconite]

HI there,
Thanks again for all your help!
Just a quick update.
I have decided to keep the knife fish, birchir and plecs, but have rehomed the barbs. So now the tank is very peaceful.
I have been watching the 2 angelfish and they seem to be together a lot, often swimming alongside. They have not nipped at each other at all. So I will keep an eye on them, but hopefully they will be ok together.
(If you think they are better alone then let me know, as I have someone who can take one of them.)
I have bought more rainbow fish, so now I have a shoal of 7. They all seem happy and the 2 I had have gone very bright and seem to have found best friends in the shoal that they shadow.
So I am looking into getting a 300ltr at some time soon. I have my eye on a jewel corner tank that I will probably get as current one is jewel and I like the filter.

As for the 60ltr tank:
The guppies have been rehomed, as I never liked them. The betta has been joined by other females and they are all in a group now of 7. Only one fish seems to be grumpy and displays a lot, all the others are fine and they just avoid her.
I have ordered 5 dwarf aquatic frogs and should get them within a week or two.
The frog has been hand fed twice a day and although his back still seems a bit bony, his tummy is quite fat. I have also lowered the water level so that he can get up to the top easily.
I plan to buy a small tank just for the frogs next week. (Just researching what suits them best and I need to set it up before they come.)
That means the betas will also be alone.
So all seems great now and I am really happy to have finally had some advice I can trust!

Thank you all so much!
I will be asking you a heck of a lot more questions though, as I have a lot to learn, but for now thanks for getting me closer to the right path.
XXX

 

[Aconite]

I have just had my new froggies delivered by a friend!
They are on my desk in a 35ltr tank with a 20cm water level. Soft sand bottom and live plants.
I now cannot tell which one was the original!
But they all look happy- except one very small one that is doing the floating thing. He swims occasionally, so I hope he is just getting his strength back after being transported here.
They have a few caves and things, so I hope they will be happy in their new home!
If you have any more tips for me, to make their life easier please let me know!
I am going to give them some food now!
Thanks as always to the guys on this forum for the advice!!!