issm81

so i am new to having fish i just thought you buy fish with a few friends so they wont be lonely did not konw anything about the cycle so i go 2 african cichlids 1'' each, 2 lemon labs .75'' ,each 1 red eye 1.25'' ,1 convict .5'' and two dwarf frogs. Is this a bad start? i feel like i did everything wrong. Is all these fish a bad mix?

Shawnie

welcome to fishlore!!!!

Now that you know about the cycle process, you will have to do the daily water changes until its complete...some prime water conditioner will help keep the toxins down for 24 hours until the next change...

Im afraid to say yes you are in disaster mode...id return everything but maybe the convict ...unless you can figure out what the the african cichlid at 1" is...the labs, and the frogs (frogs will be a snack once the fish get bigger) should be returned...im not sure what "red eye" is so maybe a pic of the unknowns would help? goodluck~

Hypnox

0.o a good number of those fish can reach 4"-6" full grown. I've made the same mistake too though. I had a 10 gallon with 2 angels in it at one point.

Red1313

Hmmm.... I can't say much about the fish since I'm not familiar with those species but I would have to agree with everyone above. I find that 10 gal tanks are nice but a pain to stock, (I like big fish and they don't fit ) We've all been where you are, buying fish without knowing much about them so don't worry. A good bit of advice is to google the fish before you take it home.
Good Luck and welcome!

Barbrella

I"m sorry the petstore sold you these fish - it's outrageous - but you really need to do research before bringing fish home. Petstores just want your money and don't care what you go through later. Researching will save you money, trouble and heartache.

You need to take all these fish except the cherry barb back to the petstore. I would return the frogs too, until you have more experience and knowledge to care for them.

You can get 3 more cherry barbs instead of all the others.

You cannot keep African cichlids in 10 gallons. Same goes for the convict.

I'm getting more and more disgusted with petstores. Aren't there any who have employees with one ounce of brains, conscience or integrity?

Lucy

Hi issm81 Welcome to Fish Lore.

Unfortunately everyone is correct, but I can tell you kind of found that out before you posted. I wish it were better news for you.

We're glad you're here and asking questions. There's a lot of knowledge on this forum.

You have some pretty aggressive fish. The frogs are in danger of starving. They're not very quick to find food and with all those hungry fish, they may not get any before the fish eat it all.

I agree with Barbrella, the fish store should have known better than to set you up this way.

I do hope you'll considering taking some fish back or getting a much larger tank and separating them. I don't know about
cichlid compatibility so even 1 more tank may not be enough.

Good luck and let us know how you do.

issm81

thanks for the info everyone. so if i get a 20 gallon tank will all those fish be ok? if i change the water every day and use prime till the tank is good and have a 20 gal tank cycling in the process, will they make it till the 20 gal is ready?

GouramiGirl1221

I know that the convicts don't get along with other fish as tankmates as they age. I'm not a cichlid expert, so I can't say for the rest of your fish, but most cichlids need more than 20 or even 30 gals to move around. I was considering making my new 30 gal a cichlid tank until I saw how limited my choices were for the fish to be comfortable at their full size. I'm sure someone more experienced will be along to give you more detail though.

pepetj

Hi issm81. Welcome to fishlore!

A 10gal tank is what I used to get back into fishkeeping. It is true that it doesn't offer too much options as for stocking, but still, if you do your research, you may be surprised what you can accomplish there.

If you can get a 20gal, I hope you do so keeping the 10gal you already have. That way you jump into MTS (multi-tank-syndrome) from the start, which I encourage everyone with passion in fishkeeping to experience. You won't regret it.

It will be easier to do a fishless cycle. If I were in your situation I would return the fish to the LFS, do a fishless cycle and make my mind while it completes (if done carefully, you could cycle both tanks simultaneously in 14 days, maybe 12).

Once your tank (hopefully tanks) is (are) cycled, bring your desired fish home, buckle up, and enjoy the ride.

Pepe
Santo Domingo