My Little Tank

I've got
5 Gold Barbs
4 Neon Tetras
3 Marbled Hatchet Fish
Blue Gourami
Bosemani Rainbow
and a Chinese Algae Eater.

I know it's a little overstocked (only 10 gallons :blush:)but I got the Barbs from a friend, and I try to take really good care of the water.
 
Yeah, I wish I could get a larger aquarium, but I'm in college now and need something small enough that I could move it without too much trouble.

BTW I just decided to put a shell in the tank that I picked up at a beach about 6 months ago (hopefully this is not a bad idea?).. and all the barbs are picking at it. I'm not sure why.. but they seem to be enjoying it.
 
More than just a bit. At the very least, try to rehome the CAE. It's got the largest adult size out of the bunch by a good margin and as they grow, they turn aggressive. People have had them do damage in far larger tanks, particularly to slow moving fish like gouramis, but in such a confined area, it'll be a real terror, since even the more nimble fish won't have room to get away. I'd also advise trading in the rainbowfish - if you want something similar, dwarf neon rainbows have a similar look in a package about a third the size (a bit bigger than neon tetras full grown). The rest, I think could be managed. Not ideal for the gourami, but they're not highly active fish, so maybe, provided excellent water quality.

The barbs probably just taste something on the shell or are looking for food, nothing to worry about there, but monitor your pH. Most saltwater shells will dissolve in fresh water. In a small tank, it might cause a pH fluctuation, but chances are it'll just start to look ragged over time. Depending on how close you are to the beach, you can always just toss it and go find a new one when that starts to happen.
 
Thanks for the advice -- I didn't realize the CAE would get so big. They actually told me at the lfs that it was already full size.... I've never 'traded in' a fish before, but I'll look into it I guess.
 
LFS are notoriously bad for stuff like that. There's a good chance they simply didn't know or were misinformed, bu t there's also a chance they're just trying to offload hard-to-sell fish before they eat more than they're worth. Most local fish stores will take trade ins, though you might not get much, and probably just store credit. Places like PetSmart can be convinced to take returns if you haven't had the fish too long, but their general policy is to refuse.
 
ll it will be fine if u maintain u tank weekly on. Pretty nice tank.
No, I'm afraid it wont Paul. A lot of the fish in that tank grow too big for it :(.

It's a lovely tank, but it seems the LFS has recommend fish that are ill-suited to this size and shape of tank.
The only fish I would recommend you to keep are the neons, unless you can somehow get a bigger tank within the next few months.

It's a bit odd the hatchet fish aren't at the top too, I presume this is just because they are new to the tank, but it's unnatural behaviour.

The rainbowfish should certainly also be rehomed, they prefer to be kept in groups, grow very fast and are very active swimmers.

That said, it is otherwise a lovely tank.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone, I actually have been looking on craigslist for a bigger tank. I'll let you know if I end up getting anything.
 

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