gibber

Hi there. This is my first post - very glad to have found this site. We're new and quickly learning fish owners looking for help. We got a 10 gallon tank about 5 weeks ago and made some unfortunate stocking choices without realizing it, that we're now trying to fix. First of all, from what we understand the tank is properly cycled, which we did with 3 fish in. Readings from today are:

pH: 7.2
Amm: 0 mg/l
Alk: 25 meq/l
Hard: 150 PPM
nitrate: 15 mg/l
nitrite: 0 mg/l

First fish we bought to cycle with were 3 Fruit Loop Tetras. 2 died within the first 24 hours and we subsequently found out that they're dyed (much to our horror). Needless to say we didn't want to purchase more of those. So we bought two platys (red & blue wag tail), one of which turned out to be pregnant. So in our tank we now have 1 fruit loop tetra, 2 platies and one wee platy fry who made it and seems to be doing well.

Problem is our tetra is not happy and is really bullying one of the platies, who now is spending most of her time hiding in a corner. From what I've been frantically reading, this is likely because the tetra needs some friends - but from what I gather they're best in groups of at least 6 and we don't want to overstock the tank. We've got a second 10 gallon tank which we're in the process of setting up, but no other ready to go back-up.

So my most urgent question is... is there anything we can do immediately to make the tetra happier until we figure out our next steps? In the tank are a couple of live plants, a small pot and a piece of driftwood. Should I add some more of those short fake plants for hiding in? Any suggestions?

And then... what to do? Even if we move the tetra to the new tank right away, it will still be alone until it cycles, and I don't think the tank is big enough for a proper school anyway.... And what type of tetras would we buy that he/she (not sure) would be happy with? Sigh - so much to learn!

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks, Leigh

Lucy

Hi Leigh,
Welcome to Fish Lore. I'm glad you're over the cycling hurdle, but really sorry you lost fish in the process.
You can add more decorations to help you're little guy hide while setting up the new tank.

You can put the filter media (sponge and cartridge) to your existing 10g for about 2 weeks, that'll help seed the media with beneficial bacteria. Then you can transfer it into your new 10g along with your little tetra. Be sure to keep an eye on the water parameters.

From reading on this site, it seems your Fruit Loop is probably an Indian Glassy Fish. So you can get him a couple of friends, just add the fish slowly to give bacteria time to catch up to the increased bio-load (waste production). Be sure to quarantine and new fish before adding them to the tank.

You're right in saying a 10g probably won't be able to handle a full school. Maybe you can get a 20g and use the new 10g was a quarantine tank?

Good luck and enjoy the forum

AlyeskaGirl

I'd leave the tetra in the old tank until you cycle the new tank first, then add fish. But until then you can purchase 2 more differ tetras to give the other company. 2 glo-lights, 2 neons, 2 black tetras then when your other tank gets cycled you can move them over carefully and purchase a few more tetras to the 3 you will have. I have 5 black tetras and 5 glo-lights and they school together. But someone else should come along and have a better idea.



http://www.elmersaquarium.com/c106community1.htm

BlowPhish

Welcome to Fish Lore Gibber. I would look for a bigger tank myself. The classifieds are full of great deals. In nature a fish can flee as far as they want to get out of harms way. In a tank they run into glass with nowhere to run!.

cerianthus

Someone said to add the filter media in existing 10G. You should just run the new filter on existing tank temporarily. Set up half way with tap water into new tank. If aeration is possible, do so along with heater. About 2-3 days later, take 30 % of water from existing tank (it's like doing partial water changes) and add to new tank. If the water level is high enough to run the filter, you can take the new filter thats been temporarily on exisitng tank onto NEW. Now, you can acclimated the bully into new. Top off gradually until filled to desired level. Can also add handful of gravel from existing to new. If different gravel, put it in filter for easy removal later. Closely monitor the water condition and perform pwc as needed.

You can also start the new tank w/ new arrivals and do the trasfer of bully later or at the same time. Again closely monitor the water.
If all goes well, should not even see so called mini cycle via controlling amt of food, fish, pwc.

Lucy

I have to respectfully disagree with some of the above post.
Wouldn't running 2 filters in a 10g with small fish and a fry be too much current? There'd be enough bacteria on the seeded filter media to get started.
Also, if the 10g has a hood, it probably won't accomodate 2 filters.

From the post, I understand the platy is only bullying the lone tetra? Then no need to move the platy, just the tetra who's getting bullied.

gibber

Thanks for all your quick responses! In answer to your various questions/comments - it's actually the tetra that's doing the bullying, so the plan is to move him (?) into the new tank asap. At some point I have to learn how to verify whether it's a male or female since now I'm second guessing any info from the fish store, but that'll be another post if needed!

We're going to use some of your suggestions about using water from existing tank etc in the hopes of speeding up the transfer a bit. Running the new filter in existing tank won't work regardless of whether it's a good idea, so can't try that. We'll just have to do the best we can and move him over asap I guess.

We've looked at many photos and the best we can figure is he's a white skirt tetra. Last I checked the fish store didn't have white skirts, only black - do you think it's safe to assume he'd be happy with either type as tankmates? From the posts I think he'd be fine with similar sized tetras, is that right? And how many do you think are reasonable to put in a 10 gallon? Is 5 okay?

Despite our difficulties we're really enjoying the fish and have already started talking about getting a bigger tank - methinks we're hooked! Definitely going to wait awhile though and make sure we don't rush into our next purchase too fast - won't make that mistake again. Keep you posted on how it goes.

Shawnie

id just cut off some of the established media, subtrate, and decorations as beneficial bacteria isnt free floating in water enough to carry a cycle as much as the deco, media, and subtrate would be...i would then move either one to a new tank...

Fishies-for-me

white skirt or black skirt will all school together with the dyed one

gibber

Excellent news, thanks. That's what I was hoping.