My New Tank

[Paradise_2]

hi, i have just bought a small 60 litre tropical tank, i have 5 neons and 2 paradise fish, do you have any ideas what i can put in next, plus i have no plants or decor, any ideas accepted.

 

[paul_219]

Must get some ottos and tetras.

 

[Paradise_2]

any type of tetras in particular? cos i have no idea what an otto is.

 

[Paradise_2]

i was thinking about getting a clown loach or maybe a glass catfish

 

[Bozza]

Clown loach get big and need to be in groups of about 3. Not sure about the glass catfish. Welcome to TFF

 

[MojoDex]

otto's are a dwarf plec and they need to be kept in groups and your tank will need to have a ready supply of algae for them

they will drop dead for the slightest thing best left IMO

 

[LisaLQ]

hi, i have just bought a small 60 litre tropical tank, i have 5 neons and 2 paradise fish, do you have any ideas what i can put in next, plus i have no plants or decor, any ideas accepted.

The next thing you should put in then are plants and decor

If you've just bought it, how long have you had it set up? Has it been cycled yet? If not, there's a good chance those neons aren't going to make it (not sure about paradise fish, but unless they're hardy they might not either) - I'd read the beginners forums for info on cycling your tank, and wait to get any new fish until that's over and done with

 

[rob newland]

Yeah I agree with Lisa about paradise fish and neons - not a good combination. Paradise fish can be very aggressive (you'd be amazed).
Rob

 

[Paradise_2]

Yeah I agree with Lisa about paradise fish and neons - not a good combination. Paradise fish can be very aggressive (you'd be amazed).
Rob

well yea ive had mi tank 4 about a month and the fish in 4 a week the PH, KH, nitrogen and phosphorous levels are fine (for now) lol and my paradise fish came from a tank with red fin tetra in and they are a lot smaller than a neon as ive found out (one died because it got stuck in the filter) and they seem friendly enough. Also when i got the fish home i found one of the paradise fish has only one eye.

 

[rdd1952]

Yeah I agree with Lisa about paradise fish and neons - not a good combination. Paradise fish can be very aggressive (you'd be amazed).
Rob

well yea ive had mi tank 4 about a month and the fish in 4 a week the PH, KH, nitrogen and phosphorous levels are fine (for now) lol and my paradise fish came from a tank with red fin tetra in and they are a lot smaller than a neon as ive found out (one died because it got stuck in the filter) and they seem friendly enough. Also when i got the fish home i found one of the paradise fish has only one eye.

As mentioned, paradise fish get very aggressive as they get older and will probably eat the neons. Here is a pretty good profile on the paradise fish. Besides that, 5 neons and 2 paradise fish (about 13 to 15 inches of fish) is pretty close to fully stocked for a 60 liter (about 16 US gallons).

As for the water parameters, pH, KH, nitrogen and phosphorus aren't the things you should be concerned about. What are your readings for ammonia and nitrite? Those are both toxic and neons are not good in a cycling tank. Did you do a fishless cycle in the 3 weeks you had the tank before you added fish? If not, I'm sure your levels are elevated and will soon become a problem for your fish.

 

[Paradise_2]

As for the water parameters, pH, KH, nitrogen and phosphorus aren't the things you should be concerned about. What are your readings for ammonia and nitrite? Those are both toxic and neons are not good in a cycling tank. Did you do a fishless cycle in the 3 weeks you had the tank before you added fish? If not, I'm sure your levels are elevated and will soon become a problem for your fish.
[/quote]
i do not have a clue about those, my uncle set mi tank up so i am not entirely sure what the readings are myself. and as far as i know yes and does it matter whether the fish are store bred or wild to how aggresive these fish are?

also my paradise fish are no more than 5cm so i have only about 15 - 20 cm of fish!

 

[K.J.]

Hm. I would suggest investing in a master liquid testing kit. If your tank isn't cycled, the fish will probably die. If it isn't cycled you could attempt to keep them alive by doing 10% water changes each day. How much/often do you change the water?

 

[vinylman]

You REALLY need to know what your water chemistry is - it's the difference between success and failure in any tank.

 

[Paradise_2]

Does water chemistry really matter because to me it doesnt. My fish are fine, my tetras eggs hatched yesterday giving me 12 more so my water must be adequate

 

[rdd1952]

At the risk of sounding rude, water chemistry definitely matters and if you aren't going to heed the advice you asked for then, maybe, you don't need to worry with forums.

You asked what you could add next and everyone told you "nothing" and that your current fish aren't compatible. You said you had only had the fish in the tank for a week. It usually takes about 2 to 3 weeks for the toxins to build to a point that they are at dangerous levels. Your fish may be fine now but in another week or 2 when the ammonia reaches the 2 to 3 ppm level, your fish will start dropping like flies. Hopefully, your tank is cycled and you won't have any problems other than incompatibility but unless you have tested the ammonia and nitrite, you won't know until they start dying.