The Aqua Shuffle

[korunks]

okay I need to do some fish shuffling. I think I have a preggers MM platy, but all 3 of my tanks are full for various reasons. I need help figuring out a way to shuffle all my fish around to open aup a tank to put the babies in. I also would like to do this with the least amount of fish moving as possible. What I have is:

20 gallon:
8 cherry barbs
2 blue gouramis(good size)
1 sailfin pleco
3 red tail rasboras


ten gallon #1:
5 longfin zebra danios
5 serpae tetras
1 sunburst dwarf gourami
2 MM platy (including pregger one)

tena gallon #2(hospital tank):
1 marble angelfish(small)
recovering from fin tearing for being in the 20 gallon(Blue Gourami's suspected)
I know the angel needs a bigger home and his fins are almost grown back. but I do not want to put him back with my blue gourami's. any suggestions?

*start aqua shuffle music *

 

[gourami_fan]

I hate to say it, but both your tanks are overstocked. Your 20 gallons might not look overstocked now, but that sailfin pleco will grow to about 20 inches and will need a larger tank. The rule of stocking fish is an inch of fish per gallon of water. If you rehome the pleco, then I would say you just have enough to keep the others in that 20 gallon tank without the angel. I would say the pleco would be your main problem in the future.

The only thing I can think of, if you want to keep all your fish is to get a larger tank for the angel, pleco, and some from the 10 gallon.

 

[afishdude]

I hate to say it, but both your tanks are overstocked. Your 20 gallons might not look overstocked now, but that sailfin pleco will grow to about 20 inches and will need a larger tank. The rule of stocking fish is an inch of fish per gallon of water. If you rehome the pleco, then I would say you just have enough to keep the others in that 20 gallon tank without the angel. I would say the pleco would be your main problem in the future.

The only thing I can think of, if you want to keep all your fish is to get a larger tank for the angel, pleco, and some from the 10 gallon.

their is many problems with this post,
1) the pleco will get 14" max not 20
2) the stocking rule is 1" per gallon. this is not a good rule to follow anyways
3) the pleco is not the main problem, their are many. the angelfish needs 20g all by himself.

you do need to rehome that pleco and the angelfish unless you can empty out the 20g and put the angel in there all by himself. if not you need to rehome him.

 

[poopsydrew]

afishdude, sailfins can and do get get longer than 14 inches. Ive seen you say stuff like this before so here some links to sort it out:

http/fish.mongabay.com/species/Pterygopl...s.html-"to 20 inches"

http/animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/catf...co.php-"to 24 inches"

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/speci...species_id=148- "17"

http/www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cl...articleid=2225- "19.5"

Please try to do some more research before handing out advice.

Drew

 

[afishdude]

well only one of your sites works and it says 17".
but thats still not 20"

 

[poopsydrew]

hmmm... unsure as to why they dont work, oh well you know how to use google right?

My point wasnt they would grow 20, it was that your "14 max" statement is incorrect as there are plenty of reports of them growing larger than that.

Drew

 

[korunks]

20 gallons for a single fish? I find that kind of hard to believe. The biggest angel fish I have seen has been in a 20 gallon with other fish he was about 3 inches tall in the body and was healthy. I was under the impression that moving the gouramis to a suitable tank might make the 20 safe for the angel. I am aware of the future length problem with the plec, but lets table that, he is not aggressive towards any of my fish. You think my ten is overstocked? I have pulled zero nitrite ammonia and near zero nitrate levels in the tank consitently. And my fish are all active and playful. I do not know what else constitutes a healthy tank. I have plans to upgrade my non hospital 10 to a 20 and rehome all the fish into it. then to move the gouramis in with the crew from tank # 1 and place the angel in the 20 with the crew in the listed tank. I do not understand how this is a problem. I am looking for short term re shuffle till my second 20 is installed($$ does not grow on trees).

 

[Mikaila31]

An angelfish has the potential to reach 12" in body hight. Below is a pic of a adult that was almost 12" high at a LFS near me. He was in a 20-30 gal tank all by himself.

 

[gourami_fan]

Well, I believe that you might be able to house a few fish with an angel in a 20 gallon, but not that many. A 10 gallon is not neccesarily a 10 gallon since if you have gravel, plants, decor, etc. Having that amount of fish means that they take up more oxygen, so if you plan to keep it that way, make sure theres good aeration. The pleco is peaceful, but in the end, you are still gonna need to rehome it somehow, or else it won't be able to move around or stunt its growth. I'm not sure if theres much option of shuffling your fish around for now. Maybe wait till you upgrade.

 

[merry78]

putting aside the question of stocking and size requirements for a momant (which i agree you will need to address very soon), why not just get a plastic cheapo storage tub of about 15 gall capacity and set up a small sponge filter with airstone in it?
it's probably one of your cheapest options right now, and will avoid the shuffle. (as fun as the shuffle dance sounds )