aspects

sorry, i think i was too vague in regards to the size.
my only concern about the size is that it would greatly determine the type of divider you can use.
cutting a divider out of eggcrate can be very cost effective, but with something like a RTS, the holes in the divider may be too small.

gazz2005uk

good idea, however the tank is in my bedroom and i dont fancy having to stare at a light all night lol. It seems to have calmed down a bit. I think they will be ok overnight, but i shall do the pot on top of the tank thing tomorrow while im at college.

gazz2005uk

and also, i have read on the internet and many pages have said they are ok for community tanks but only 1 per tank. My LFS also said it should be ok. I know sometimes they just want to make a sale but these people are genuinely helpful and would not have said it was ok if it wasnt.

Lucy

Oh I see, I was refering to the size of the shark.
Both are valid concerns.
Using the plastic craft sheets included in the link would solve the problem of any fish being able to swim through it.

Lucy

I would worry about a pot, you wouldn't want the rts to jump and I'm not sure the lighting would keep the water warm enough.
It would also be a concern if you put a tight fitting lid on the pot.

Red1313

RTS can be good community fish but they have a number of special requirements for that to be true. First the smallest tank size that they reccomend for RTS is a 55 gallon or a tank at least 36" long (usually the standard 33 gal). Also when it comes to tank-mates not every fish works. RTS are mean and bad tempered (generally) so they need tankmates that are up to the test of living with them. That mean they fit one of 3 catagories: 1) To big to bother. ex. Oscar's, Loaches. 2) To fast to catch. ex. Rainbows. 3) Mean enough to hold their own. ex. Convicts, or other fish that will hold their ground against the RTS.

gazz2005uk

ok well have you got any other ideas? Like i said it has calmed down now but when it comes to feeding them in the morning who knows? I just need something to keep the RTS away from the other fish but without causing harm to either. I'm a noob, weve all been there before.

Lucy

Some suggestions are given in your DIY thread:
Need to know how to make a holding net or divider, quickly!

We know you're new at this and the members are trying to help.
Many of our members have found themselves in the same position you're in.
Believe me, Red knows exactly where your at with your RTS. If I'm not mistaken, her first fish was a rts named Red

aspects

maybe its just me, but i got a dead link when i clicked it,

Lucy

Nope, it wasn't just you.
Thanks, the link has been fixed.

gazz2005uk

yeh it says page not found, the shark is about 3inches maybe 4, i know it would not be ideal to keep all them other fish in half of the tank but it might have to do.

Lucy

Looks like we posted at the same time. The link's been fixed.

iloveengl

Yes, you're correct red. I should have clarified that I meant nice community fish. Lol - I'm too used to my gups/platy community. I forget about the more intense kinds.

aspects

yup, that should do it.

gazz2005uk

thanks for trying to help, however its half past 10 on a sunday night, im not going to be able to get hold of anything like that right now lol, i think they might be ok until wednesday, i dont want to return the RTS but im going to have to, along with a few others as my tank is overcrowded. Do you think it would work if I put the RTS in the catching net whilst i feed the fish, and then feed the shark whilst he is in the net? He seems to be much more agressive when food is in the tank.

gmen4life

home depot ... plexi glass rubber tubeing....10 bucks

iloveengl

From the sound of the past 3 threads, there are no 24 hour stores available in the op's area.

Lucy

It's after 10pm there, nothing is open.

gazz2005uk, if the RST only gets aggressive at feeding time, it won't hurt to not feed your fish until you can divide the tank tomorrow.

gazz2005uk

i posted this in another thread so sorry if bits dont make sense with this thread.


thanks for trying to help, however its half past 10 on a sunday night, im not going to be able to get hold of anything like that right now lol, i think they might be ok until wednesday, i dont want to return the RTS but im going to have to, along with a few others as my tank is overcrowded. Do you think it would work if I put the RTS in the catching net whilst i feed the fish, and then feed the shark whilst he is in the net? He seems to be much more agressive when food is in the tank.

gazz2005uk

ignore last post.

what if i cant divide it tomorrow? would my net idea work?

Lucy

I've merged the threads since we're back on the same topic of the what to do with the aggressive RTS.

Because of this the questions and suggestions may seem out of kilter but it was getting seriously confusing with both threads going.

gazz2005uk

yeh i know lol thanks, what do you think to the net idea?

aspects

the net will be fine fo a temporary solutaion, as long as water can flow through it. it will serve the same function as a fry net would.

gazz2005uk

thanks for the help guys

gremlin

Put a bit of gravel in the bottom of the net to help it stay open. I've done that with a fish I wanted to watch for injury reasons. You would still have to figure out how to keep the shark from jumping out - maybe a piece of cardboard or something.

Do you have a plastic jug of milk (or juice or whatever)? Or an gallon (litre) sized water jug? If so, you could rinse it really really good and use an ice pick or nail to make holes in it and float that in the tank.

Or you could use a pot lined with a plastic bag and wrap towels or a blanket around it to help keep the water at a stable temp. Then when you do the daily water changes, use water that is a tad bit warmer than the water in the container to help warm it up. Putting the lid on would be okay, just use a piece of tubing or a rolled up piece of paper hooked over the edge of the pot to keep the lid from clamping on too tight. That way air will still get in. If you have an air pump and a divider, maybe put one of the hoses into the pot with the shark so there are bubbles for the air.

gazz2005uk

Thanks, i think i will try the milk carton idea.

I have him in a net at the top of the tank at the moment as I am not at home. Its not ideal as the net isn't very big but i think he should be ok for a while.

Also, the jumping out is not a problem as I have put the lid on the tank