Help

tiffianylynn

Ok I've had my tank established for about 2 months maybe almost 3. I started out with 1 Gourami, 1 Bala Shark, 2 Mollies, 5 Red Eye Tertas, and 2 Black Skirt Tetras, and 2 common plecos, and they all got along just fine no picking at each other or nothing, about 3 weeks ago I added 2 lace gouramis, 1 opaline, 1 red tail Black Shark, 2 tinfoil barbs, 2 silver dollras, and 1 more Common Pleco. Since then they all have gotten along fine, no picking or nothing, they just swam in their groups or solo. Well tonight I come home and the red tail shark is sucking on the side of the orignal gourami. What is causing this? What should I do, they all look fine, and healthy, also he has started going to other fish and do the same.

herefishy

Red-tailed sharks are somewhat aggressive. I would try to get rid of him. The rest of your neighborhood looks ok. However, any live plants might get demolished with by the tinfoils, silver dollars, and gouramis.

tiffianylynn

Ok thanks. Any clue as to why it just started after being in there for awhile? I feed them a few minutes ago and that's seemed to have worked so far. I do have some live plants attempting to grow from a bulb but its my common plecos who are bothering them. Also how often do you guys recommend me feeding the fish? I've rotated from a few times a week, to every other day, to daily, they seem to do better and be more active when I feed them daily. I don't feed them alot. I also drop in algae disks daily for the algae eaters but so far just about all the fish go and eat on them, is this common? The gouramis, sharks, tin foil barbs, and sometimes the silver dollars go after them.

jeaninel

Once a day is fine. I feed once a day, sometimes skipping a day. Feed only as much as they'll clean up in about 2 minutes. With 3 plecos you'll probably have no problem with left over food on the bottom.

By the way common plecos will get huge and with three of them you'll have to either get them a larger home or give them away. They also create alot of waste so be sure to watch your nitrates. The tinfoils also get very large and will need a bigger home eventually.

Oh, yeah. All my fish go nuts for algae wafers also. I have boesemani rainbows, black skirts, cories and a pleco.

TrashmanNYC

I have a rainbow "shark" (very similar to a red-tail "shark") in with my African cichlids and he seems to be the most aggressive, "defending" his caves.........although I am pretty sure he will get an ass kicking when the cichlids get bigger............