Okay...I have threatened my family...

[Raven Wood]

Actually fish maxed out!!! We went to the store and I found some testing kits and grabbed some. I also grabbed some PH regulating stuff as well. For those emergencies as it also cuts down the amonia and chlorine too. I am eye balling the bigger tanks and drooling...ya know..the 55 and up gal tanks. We now have two female rosie barbs to hang with our two males, a black knife, 3 mini puffers, 2 more Tiger barbs (which I agree is a good idea as the one was begining to do some really weird OC stuff like swimming in circles) and now my tank is going crazy...The puffers are doing their own thing and kinda hanging out with the baby Mollies. The knife fish is bumping into everything and every one...almost like he does not notice he is in a tank!!! The two male rosies are chasing the girlies on and off and our established tiger barb is now chasing the other fish away from the two newer ones. Has my family just sent my poor tank into a crazed mess..or are they gonna calm down after a little while?

 

[Gix]

Why do you have a BGK in with puffers and tiger barbs??
The Black Ghost Knifefish shouldn't be kept with fin-nipepers, and most puffers and (especially) tiger barbs are perfect examples of this. If you only have 2 TB's, you should get some more to make it 4-6. IMO, you should return the BGK It's probably stressed from the other active fish in the tank.

What size is your tank anyway?

 

[Gix]

Oh...also, if you keep the knife then you're probably going to lose the baby mollies. Nothing under 3 inches is safe with a black ghost for very long.

 

[OoHeatheroO]

Since you said you were "Eyeballing" tanks 55 gallons and up i assume that you have a BGK, freshwater puffers, barbs in something smaller.

The BGK gets up to a foot and a half long! Also it is a carnivore and is semi-electric so if he gets pissed one day he might kill his tank mates with his shock.

Furthermore like Gix said...The barbs and probably all the other fish even the puffers are going to be lunch for the BGK. You need a tank of at least 70 gallons to properly house the BGK. As well as larger tankmates that go with them.

My advice to you would be to get a larger tank or give the BGK back to the LFS you got it from because that is seriously overcrowding.

He's bumping around because he has no room to move freely.


This is why you do your research on t he fish before just throwin a bunch in there together because YOU like them.


**EDIT**
Also your ph and ammonia levels are way up due to overcrowding as well. Too many fish..too much poo..

I'm sure you didn't properly cycle it either.

 

[Raven Wood]

*I* did not get the extra fish..I would rather wait to get a bigger tank. Personally. *I* would rather do my homework than grab stuff cause I do not want to loose fish. Which is why this is labeled I threatened my family. I was thinking about taking a loan out witht he credit union as I am looking at a couple hundred dollars worth of health testing next weekend for two of my dogs. I think I am going to raise what I was going to origionally get out to obtain possibly over 100 gal tank. I will be paying that off for some time But I am not happy with what they snagged while I was looking for supplies and bigger tanks. I do NOT want those puffers in with my beautifully finned fish such as the Betta and the Rosy barbs. I do not want that fish muncher in with my baby Mollies either as it took a lot of work and TLC to get them this far (They are over a month old now). SO far every one has calmed down. The BGN is actually in a bigger tank than what the store had him in. He likes the ship...he can hide in it. I am goign to find him a cave or something later today. All baby mollies are accounted for and I have seen him munching flakes amazingly enough and checking out the decorations and live plants. I am also going to hunt the poor thing down some ghost shrimp at one of our LFS. The Tigers are hanging together and swimming around together not bothering anyoen now. The Rosy Barbs are doing the same...just hanging and swimming together ignoring every one else. The puffers are playing in the plants and just kinda hanging around. MY plan was to get a bigger tank and obtain a couple of Oscars and maybe transfer the Pleco's in with them. Along with maybe a couple of larger sharks/cats. Especially considering the white tips are going to get huge themselves. Which *I* did my homework on those. But now I have no clue what I am going to do with the BGN and those darn drawf Puffers!!!!! Unless I just get a tank for that BGN..still leaves me with no clue as to what I will do with the puffers cause I do NOT want them around the nicely finned fish. Oh..and it is also 4 RBs all together. I might have a seperate tank for the Mollies and puffers in the meantime. How should I split these guys and gals up? I will also be back at work tomorrow and a friend of mine I work with is a fish nut...which is where I would get a lot of my info from. I would ask her to hold the BGN for me till I got a new tank, but she has Oscars and Piranahs. I do not think those would be a good match for the BGN either.....Phhhhbbbbb...I am guessing I am going to have to hold off on *MY* tank for a while to give this BGN a good home. THEN..I will get MY tank going. I will probably end up with tanks from one end of my house to the other BUT...I am going to make everyone in the family sign a dang promise to NEVER buy another fish until they have shown me the research they have done on said fish and show that it is compatible with in one of the tanks with the other fish we have. UGH!!! I kept telling my daughter no on the BGN...but Pet Smart said it would be fine.....bleeehhh...they said it does not eat live fish..bleeeehhh. Oh..the family heard an ear full when I got back to the van and saw they had more darn fish. And the types of fish. AND that they actually listened to these know nothing HS kid employees who have done NO home work on fish!!!!

Edited: I checked the water...we are amazingly enough...right on track. All levels are in the good. I am going to keep a close eye ont hat now that *I* bought testing kits. Especially with the extra fish. )

 

[OoHeatheroO]

Here is what i recommend you do...


Get a 70 gallon tank for the BGK by himself. Do research on what can go with him..im sure larger other oddball fish will do

do NOT get oscars unless you want to get 100 gallon tank..50 gallons per oscar is recommended because of how territorial they are.

Keep roseybarbs, plecs, tiger barbs in the 29 gallon

Move your puffers to at least a 40 gallon tank.
Because they too are territorial, keep them housed with lots of snails for them to eat.


If you dont wanna get all those tanks....take the fish back or have your family take them back.

 

[Raven Wood]

OKAY...I rechecked and they said it is an African Brown Knife..not much better..but yeah...I am going to be getting tanks for all over the house as I do not think Pet Smart really takes fish back unless they are dead and will offer to replace them.

 

[corykitty516]

HI!

Yeah you cant get a chain to take a fish back but here is what you might try. My local mom & pop LFS will take in any fish for any reason and give you a credit for it. I dont know of any right off in the Atlanta area but you might check the yellow pages. I get my supplies at petsmart(actually on their web site ... its cheaper) but I'd rather get my fish from a smaller place. They also will ususally ask questions that prevent you from making mistakes like that in the first place.



BTW: Awesome doggies you have there !!!! We used to have a lot of intersting dogs... had an Anatolian(sp?) Shepherd once. My mom also used to raise german shepherd for the local police department for seach & rescue/drug/cadaver purposes but she doesnt even have one dog right now

 

[Gix]

Wow I'm really glad you found out it's an African Brown Knife. That's a lot better. It'll get 8 to 10 inches long, and can go in a 50 gallon. I optimally wouldn't have it with barbs, but at least you don't need to buy a bigger tank for just your knife. It'll still probably eat your baby mollies (and anything else that fits in its mouth) during the night.

I agree with Heather about moving the puffers. I don't know a lot about puffers, but in general they should just be kept alone in species or specimen tanks, depending on the kind of puffer.

Also, did you say you have a betta in with tiger barbs? I'd move the betta to its own, smaller tank if I were you. Those delicate fins are just asking to be nipped, and TB's are just the fish for the job.

Oh, and don't put oscars in the 55 gallon. It's not enough room for them.

 

[MammaKitty]

Petsmart does take fish back and give you credit. Especially if you have a reciept thats if you wanted to bring him back just tell them they sold it to your kids w/out your permission.

 

[Raven Wood]

He he he...I was looking for the 55 gal for those I have now and on up for the Oscars I want to get The Betta has been in there the longest and basically all fish aviod him and leave him be. It seems the rest of this family want nothing more than to obtain fin nippers though. But I would not want to put him in anything smaller now that he is used to such a large tank. Which is where the 55 gal would come in. I really want some thing bigger than 55 though as my white tips will get pretty large and so will the plecos. I have read that plecs are fine with Oscars and I think I have read that large cat fish are as well..but as temperamental as Oscars are....it would probably be just Oscars. Of course in about a 100 gal or more tank. The puffers...they are what they call Dwarf puffers. Very tiny things...Ia m suprised we still have the buggers. I am going to go through tanks in the shed to see if I have a smaller one for the puffers. With the being small and aggressive I am guessing there is NOTHING that can go with them except maybe snails?

Pppppphhhhhhhbbbbbb....I had wanted to get a few tanks going..later on...looks like I will be doing so much sooner. I have thought about taking a few back that do not mix...but considering where they came from and as little info as they have to give to possible buyers. I would rather just obtain more tanks and keep every one so they do not end up in a similar situation or worse situation when they do what they naturally do(nip at other fish and eat smaller fish). I have learned with the breed that I own and also being a half way home for many different reptiles and small animals such as ferrets...people do not always try to understand the nature of animals and tend to be of the throw away mentality when they do what they were born to do or what is a part of them. I would rather dump money into proper set ups for every one and keep them than to hand them over just to end up in a home who may end up killing them or flushing them ya know. Just my opinion and thought process. Plus I know this warehouse that sells tanks and stuff to LFS, and since I am Po Po (police department) they will allow me in and I can probably get stuff at cost I already asked around work about tanks and they all said to go there as that is where they get their stuff. They will only sell you what you need and will help you as far as set ups and comaptible fish go and such. Usually they are closed ot the public though.

 

[MammaKitty]

It sounds like you have it all under control. I brought home a fish and had some problems with him and thought about bringing him back and went as far as calling to find out if they would take him back and they said sure , BUT I could not bring myself to do it and now he is doing much better healthy and happy as could be. I am real glad I didn't bring him back now he is one of my favorites (Big Blue) He is so cool.