Hi everyone 
I used to be really active here but I have not been around for a while.
I've been letting my tank coast for a few years as a lot of my fish were starting to get very old. I have a few fish that are only 2-3 years old but I have had some of them for 5-7 years and some were adults when I got them.
I am currently running a 135 gallon tank (6ft x 2ft tall x 18 inch wide) with 2 FX6 filters.
The fish I have right now are
1 Threadfin Acara
1 Uaru
1 Geophagus sp Tapajo Red Head
2 Annostomus Ternetzi
1 Agenesous sp.
1 Dwarf hoplo sp.
2 Flagtail Catfish
The youngest fish are the Uaru and the Geo, I used to have full schools of all the shoaling fish and the gregarious cichlids (though only 2 Uaru) I unfortunately lost a few of the younger fish when an old whiptail catfish died while we were away for a weekend - I assume the whiptail as they were the futhest decomposed and the eldest of the dead fish. This is one of the reasons I left the tank quiet for a while as I feel a few of my older fish are on their last legs so to speak.
However... the past few weeks I have had to replace some equipment (lights) which got me looking around an LFS for the first time in a while and it made me wonder about rekindling my tank. But I am wary of what options I have...
My initial plans are to rehome the Uaru and the Geo and possibly the Annostomus as they are quite young still but the rest of the fish are so old that I worry it wouldnt be the best for them. The flagtail is a bit over 7 years old, the hoplo and flagtails were adult when I got them and that must have been 6 years ago? The Agenisous (spelling) is probably a bit under 5 but again was an adult when I bought him.
An other factor I have to deal with is that after quite a few years with this big tank, I think Ive had it for 7 years now, maybe just under. I need to downsize as keeping up on maintenance is a big commitment and even just on time I want to get a smaller tank to take care of. Given the low stocking now I only change the water a few times a month now
Im currently thinking of a 3x2x2 foot tank so down to 90 gallons, or I may go to 3x2x20inch wide to 75 gallons my current water change system would be greatly reduced and I would get the smaller tank at the same time that we refit the kitchen (where the tank is now due to concrete floor) which is hopefully going to be in between 6 and 12 months time.
As a side note - do you think I would be ok with a 90 or 75 gallon tank on a wooden floor for 2-3 weeks, maybe less? Its probably a wonky floor as well as its an old house When we refit the kitchen we will need to lift the floor which will be impossible with a tank in there so it would need to go in an other room.
So I supose my main question is - does anyone have any experience with old fish and have you added to their community successfully? Or should I let the remaining elderly fish live out their lives? I feel that the catfish would all settle with other tank mates but I worry about the threadfin as they (never been sure on gender) are looking really quite old now, the colours have dulled and fin extensions dont grow as freely as they used to and they just look like an old animal if you know what I mean?
Thanks and sorry for the long post!
Wills
I used to be really active here but I have not been around for a while. I've been letting my tank coast for a few years as a lot of my fish were starting to get very old. I have a few fish that are only 2-3 years old but I have had some of them for 5-7 years and some were adults when I got them.
I am currently running a 135 gallon tank (6ft x 2ft tall x 18 inch wide) with 2 FX6 filters.
The fish I have right now are
1 Threadfin Acara
1 Uaru
1 Geophagus sp Tapajo Red Head
2 Annostomus Ternetzi
1 Agenesous sp.
1 Dwarf hoplo sp.
2 Flagtail Catfish
The youngest fish are the Uaru and the Geo, I used to have full schools of all the shoaling fish and the gregarious cichlids (though only 2 Uaru) I unfortunately lost a few of the younger fish when an old whiptail catfish died while we were away for a weekend - I assume the whiptail as they were the futhest decomposed and the eldest of the dead fish. This is one of the reasons I left the tank quiet for a while as I feel a few of my older fish are on their last legs so to speak.
However... the past few weeks I have had to replace some equipment (lights) which got me looking around an LFS for the first time in a while and it made me wonder about rekindling my tank. But I am wary of what options I have...
My initial plans are to rehome the Uaru and the Geo and possibly the Annostomus as they are quite young still but the rest of the fish are so old that I worry it wouldnt be the best for them. The flagtail is a bit over 7 years old, the hoplo and flagtails were adult when I got them and that must have been 6 years ago? The Agenisous (spelling) is probably a bit under 5 but again was an adult when I bought him.
An other factor I have to deal with is that after quite a few years with this big tank, I think Ive had it for 7 years now, maybe just under. I need to downsize as keeping up on maintenance is a big commitment and even just on time I want to get a smaller tank to take care of. Given the low stocking now I only change the water a few times a month now
Im currently thinking of a 3x2x2 foot tank so down to 90 gallons, or I may go to 3x2x20inch wide to 75 gallons my current water change system would be greatly reduced and I would get the smaller tank at the same time that we refit the kitchen (where the tank is now due to concrete floor) which is hopefully going to be in between 6 and 12 months time.
As a side note - do you think I would be ok with a 90 or 75 gallon tank on a wooden floor for 2-3 weeks, maybe less? Its probably a wonky floor as well as its an old house When we refit the kitchen we will need to lift the floor which will be impossible with a tank in there so it would need to go in an other room.
So I supose my main question is - does anyone have any experience with old fish and have you added to their community successfully? Or should I let the remaining elderly fish live out their lives? I feel that the catfish would all settle with other tank mates but I worry about the threadfin as they (never been sure on gender) are looking really quite old now, the colours have dulled and fin extensions dont grow as freely as they used to and they just look like an old animal if you know what I mean?
Thanks and sorry for the long post!
Wills
