Tropical Fish Keeping banner

New Tank :)

1K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  MoneyMitch 
#1 ·
I just got fish for my 37 gallon tank! Hooray! I got the tank from a friend last week. I bought some gravel and rocks Monday and filled it with water, also tested out the lights (they work). I put the filter and heater in yesterday and the temp is 80F and filter is working perfectly. I got my fish this morning. I got a 5 neon tetras for $5! Bought 2 plecos and 4 red tail sharks. I also wanted to get some angelfish and tiger barbs, which would have cost $20 but instead got 2 oscars (look like volcanoes) and a couple harlequin rasaboras. Total cost was a little more than expected but I got some really cool fish IMO.
 
#2 ·
And IMO is that you go buy an API master test kit, and watch your ammonia spike, and then watch your fish hit the bottom. Seriously, buy a test kit tomorrow (today), test the water every single day and perform a water change when ammonia goes over 0.25ppm. Keep it under that. Buy "Prime" to use with the water changes. After some time your nitrites will start to spike so test for that as well, and perform water changes. When your ammonia and nitrites have hit 0, and your nitrates go up, your fish will be safe... That is IF they make it. If you are actually worried, add a bunch of plants, since they will help with ammonia.
I think, don't take my word for it because I'm not sure and do not feel like searching, some of those fish will outgrow your tank.

Now go read some articles on a freshwater "cycle"
 
#5 ·
And IMO is that you go buy an API master test kit, Now go read some articles on a freshwater "cycle"
+1 def get a test kit asap cause you've chosen some very sensitive fish to cycle this tank(the tetra's) so let's pray for you they'll make it!
The Pleco's will as adults gorw out of your tank, if they make it this far. The Red Sharks you chosen aka Epalzeorhynchos bicolor will grow to be5-6" and become increasingly territorial as they grow and will soon develop high levels of aggression, specially in such a lil tank, they're recommended for no less then
70g.
Your Oscars are to be kept in no less then 100g....However having added them in mixture with the Neon's you'll no longer need to worry about whether or not the Neon's will survive the cycle, cause they'll just become snack food now along with your Harlequins.

To sum it up and I know this is not what you wanna hear, but I will be this honest with you: You have totally chosen the wrong fish for your tank size and to top it off the wrong mixture of fish that simply will not survive! This could have easly been avioded reading up on these fish before buying them :|
 
#4 ·
There are some very nice articles on this site, I found the one you need:
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/member-submitted-articles/freshwater-cycling-methods-3067/

If you look through the Member Submitted Articles, or through some of the threads here you will get a LOT of information about cycleing and how to possibly correct it and save some fish. With the bio load that you dumped in there though, I wouldn't be too optimistic for all of them... If you want to do right, see if you can return all the fish and only hold on to the tetras until your cycle completes, maybe then the spikes can be managed.
 
#6 ·
+1 for all the above. I assume you bought your fish from the local pet shop. if so they should close down and do something else to make money because they should have asked if all these non-communal fish can live in the same tank. Someone took your money for earning a profit.

Sorry dude. tough lesson here.
 
#7 ·
WOw man all of these fish are going to die or your oscars will kill everything IF the ammonia doesnt kill them all first. heres what i HIGHLY SUGGEST, get rid of the oscars or they WILL EAT ALL THE OTHER FISH or get rid of the other fish, point blank that is one of the worst things you can do is go splurge and buy what looks cool. This just goes to show that you cant trust ANY LFS. when i sell anything aggressive i ask questions before i bag the fish but not all people do that or care at all really. your oscars if they are juvys which i suspect they are you will have 6 months ish untill you need to go to a 55 with two oscars ONLY. if you want more than two oscars get ATLEAST a 125 and then you may be able to add a pleco. but untill you retify your stock problem it is pointless to help with anything else when you fix that then try posting again.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top