new aguarium questions

[Beta 93]

how long will it take for them to grow to full size

 

[sylvia]

It's difficult to get rid of big fish and the tank will be over-stocked once those fish reach 4" so get rid of the sharks, gouramies and plec while you still have the chance to save them. How quickly the fish will grow should be irrelevant.

The tiger barbs get to about 2.5" BTW.

Then add 4 more tiger barbs. Later you can think about getting a few (around 4) cories or a bristlenose pleco or a trio of platies or a small group of some kind of tetra, rasbora, barb or danio (5 or so). With 7 tiger barbs in a 20 gallon, however, you don't have a lot of room for additional tankmates so don't expect too much.

 

[MegTheFish]

Wouldn't the barbs pick on the platies?

 

[Beta 93]

ok cool, thanks for the info

 

[Katchan]

Do a double check on the fish with the long whiskers, make sure its not one of these

http/www.g-hoener.de/images/07%20Sonstig...us_pictus_f.jpg

http/www.fishforums.net/uploads/post-38-1087480915.jpg

a pim pictus, or more usually a pictus (cat)

very long feelers and FYI Meg the "shark" is actually a catfish

different varients on the specious are found from South America to Australia, they have the scientific name of "Ariidae" xxxx xxxx

and are often known as salmon tailed catfish, shark catfish, catshark and more than a few others

I have both a salmon tail (I think the look more like this, than shark like, and will move to a indoor pond when he gets bigger) and a pictus and they are great tank mates (they spend alot of time cruising TOGETHER)

Katchan

 

[Beta 93]

no it looks like the first one posted

ok, got ride of everything but the barbs, they took the polcein express.....just kidding, gave them back to the pet shop

did water test, results bad...changed water 60%, will test in about 4 hours again

thanks for all your help, my experitese is limited to cars and computers, not fish (or spelling) , but i learn pretty fast

thanks again

 

[Katchan]

Just thought I'd double check on that since when you said long wiskered catfish it was the more obvvious answer, me wrong but that nothing new

Katchan

 

[pica_nuttalli]

actually, big water changes are more stressful than a lot of small ones. its kinda the same principle as when you acclimate your fish when you bring them home. sensitive fish will keel over when moved directly from disgusting water to perfect water. its much better to slowly add clean water over a period of time so that the fish have a chance to adjust.

try performing 10~20% water changes daily or even twice daily if you think it necessary. your fish will do much better with many small changes than one equivalent large change.

 

[smb7676]

so, my question is, what should i put in?

Remember to STOCK for the full grown fish not what it is when you buy it !!! in a 20 high they suggest 24 inches of fish . So if you had say a neon tetra that grows approx. 1 inch you could have 24 of them.

Disclaimer this is not a hard and fast rule. some fish stress a fitler more or less and some need more space.

And pica_nuttalli is right about water changes very good point to make !!!!!!

 

[Beta 93]

ah that makes sense, thanks

 

[bbq1234]

that catfish you have or "columbian" shark will die if not in brackish water.. i had one of them in a freshwater community and it died from not being in brackish

http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Di....cfm?pCatId=936

This species prefers some aquarium salt in the water, and may also be acclimated slowly into a saltwater aquarium, as they live in both freshwater and saltwater during different times of their life

i bought one and it died right away and bought another and it died.. than i went to another fish place and they said its brackish..