A Bristle Nose who doesnt move around??

brentremble

Hi guys,

was on my other thread about my molly and thought i would ask you guys if you know about Bristle Nose Catfish?
When i got my thank i decided to get some catfish to keep the tank clean so i got a golden sucking catfish who is great, he swims around all day cleaning the gravel

But I also got a Bristle Nose as well as my girlfriend really liked them and in the tank in the pet shop they were on the glass and looked really nice,
However when i got 1 home all her does is hide,, he is either in under a the log or in behind the heater. but never to be seen unless you look for him.

Is this normal?? i would have thought they would be a bit more active then virtually nothing at the min.

Thanks Guys

marshallsea

How long has your tank been running? How big is your tank? How many fish are in your tank and what type?

brentremble

It is a 40L tank
The tank was about 6week in before i put them in and he has been in their about 3-4weeks now

Currently have:
2 Angle fish
2Ballon Mollies
7 Neon Tetra
1 Betta fighting fish

fish monger

Well, I don't think they're the most active fish in any event. Pet store tanks typically don't give you an accurate view of how they will act in the home aquarium. My experience has been that they're either eating or lying around. They like a place for solitude. It's probably acting more natural now than in the pet shop tank.

brentremble

ya i am thinking that but in the hole time i have had him, the only time i have not seem him in either of those 2 places was when i was looking for him with a small light and he fled from the light (for something that doesnt do much, he can move fairly fast ha)

wouldn't have thought it would be normal to be so quite.

marshallsea

A 40 liter tank is too small for your fish. Your tank is not cycled to the point it can handle a large number of fish. In an uncycled tank your fish create more waste than the bacteria in the tank can handle. You should read the 4th thread in Freshwater Aquariums on cycling a tank for beginners. Your cats are not hardy enough to withstand the cycling process without damage. Mollys need at least a 120 liter tank, as they grow large. Im not sure, but you may have different fish that require different water types. At top of the home page is a section on fish profiles. Study on your fish and decide which are best for you and return or rehome the rest. Im guilty of the same thing. Ive learned the hard way to research any fish before i buy it. Your cat is inactive because your tank is overloaded. You may start loosing fish until your stocking is right. Sorry to bring bad news, but until your tank is right you will have problems. Have you tested your water?

brentremble

I have tested the PH and it is neutral at 7.0ph,
not tested anything else.
in your experience what should i get rid of?
Going to have to have a word with the girl in the pet shop, she been walking me through the stages and she said the amount i have and mixture would be fine. she actually suggested getting a 3rd cat

marshallsea

Another fish is the wrong direction . You need to know your water hardness and alkalinity/acidity before you can know what fish to keep. Different fish require different water. Go to Aqadvisor.com and plug your tank and fish into the stocking calculator. It will tell you how many fish you can have safely and will tell you what water is required for a given fish.

marshallsea

Wow. I just put your info into the calculator. your tank is worse than I thought. You have a lot of work to do,but it gets easier as you research and learn. I dont think you can take most chain pet store advice. Ive learned more from this forum than I could ever learn at petsmart.

fish monger

Sorry, I see a number and I assume it's gallons. Really need to think in more metric terms ! Rehoming the Angels would give you the biggest bang for your buck. Believe me, I have and still do make overstocking mistakes. Unfortunately, the Mollies and Bristle Nose that you care so much about would be the next on my hit list. Hope I'm not discouraging you.