hiddencat

I have a 10 gallon tank I inherited from a coworker who was moving cross country and didn't think her fish would make the move. Of the original 5 fish, only the plecos is left. About 4 months ago, I added a tiger barb (and another fish, but that one died right away).

About a week ago, we added 3 scissor fins (who are doing fine) and one fish that I'm having a hard time identifying- I think it's either a rainbow shark or a chinese algae eater (It looks like this: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...64&pcatid=1564 except the horizontal stripe is only at the eyes and there's a vertical stripe right before the tail).

The mystery fish is relentlessly badgering our tiger barb, who is apparently the most mild mannered tiger barb ever and doesn't really stick up for himself. He used to swim around the tank, but now hides in a corner behind plants (the mystery fish claimed the other hiding places we got to try to help out the barb) or gets chased by the new fish. The barb's dorsal fin is starting to shred- there are 3 vertical tears and one small hole on it.

I don't really know what to do- the new fish is too slow to bother the scissor fins and leaves the plecos alone, but we don't want it to kill our tiger barb. I've added lots of hiding places and fake plants, some stress coat. I have the mystery fish separated for now (took him out this morning), but I'd really like to try to make it work out because the new fish is fun to watch (swims upside down inside the hiding places to get algae) and pretty.

Any ideas?

Shawnie

welcome to fishlore !...sorry this is happeneing but a few things to consider...says you dont know about the nitrogen cycle which is way way important with a tank ...heres the link.... http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm you dont want to poision the fish by any means....

second, tiger barbs like to be in schools of 6 or more...but your tank isnt big enough so he wont be the normal fin nipping take care of ourself kinda fish...

I think your mystery fish is indeed a siamese algae eater..I just bought one about an hour ago~! they get up to 6 inches so he is going to take up alot of your 10 gallon room...the norm is 1 inch of adult fish per 1 gallon of water... now I mite be wrong but they arent normally agressive...but with your tank maybe not cycled, no normalness can happen as ammonia is lethal to fish ...

I hope some of this helps....

hiddencat

Thanks- we definitely sorta jumped in to this with no preparation. We picked up a water testing kit when we got the extra hiding stuff, and we do partial water changes (we learned about that when we had problems with a scummy tank.

I'll read up on the nitrogen cycle- could an unbalanced tank make the fish act aggressively?

Shawnie

yes...as well as many other unusual things..but being overstocked isnt a help either ...do you have a test kit that tests for all 3? ammonia, nitrites, & nitrates??

I know what its like to take over tanks...specially not knowing the past of them ...plenty of ppl here to help when you need it..goodluck

hiddencat

No- I thought we bought a testing kit last time we were at the petstore but apparently not. We're going to go today though.

Is there anything I can do to speed up the cycle for the fish already in the tank?

Also, it sounds like it would be a good idea to get a quarantine tank for either the barb or the chinese algae eater for the time being?

It sounds like we definitely need a bigger tank, but we can't afford that immediately. Do we just do more frequent water changes until we can upgrade?

Shawnie

if you can get bio-spira, that would help withing 24hours of a tank cycleing...hard to get sometimes because its gotta be refridgerated...but thats the best ..other wise, 50 % water changes a day until you get the readings required..if you have city water, you would want to treat it with prime before you put it in the tank ..
quarantine tanks are always great to have on hand...it has to be cycled as well first...hope this helps some

hiddencat

Thanks! We're going to the store now.

hiddencat

Eeek, ok. I tested the water and this is what I got:

Ammonia: 2.0 ppm
Nitrite: 1.0 ppm
Nitrate: 80 ppm (was between 80 and 160 in color)
pH: either 6.0 or 7.4- it tested positive for both so I'm thinking 6.0
Temp: 84.2 F

They didn't have bio-spira, but I bought Stress Zyme cause I thought that would be better than nothing. Nitrate is off the chart- daily water changes then?

susitna-flower

Just thought I would chime in briefly on this one.....the learning curve is brutal....sorry you are having problems with your 10 gallon tank....

I agree with Shawnie, you have too many fish for that size tank. If your SAE is really an CAE.....they are the most wicked fish on the face of the plante! OK that is MY opinion...and maybe a little skewed with my own personal experience....but I think they are evil!

What might be cute now, can turn down right mean and hateful as they attack other fish.

Well you have a test kit now, and you know what to shoot for. 0 for ammonia, and nitrites....and below 20 on nitrates. Lots of water changes, and do some research on each of your fish. Find out what their ADULT size will be, and that tank can hold 10" of fish (figure this at what they WILL be, not what they are right now) My count is that you have between 26 and 33 inches of fish, depending on what kind of pleco you have.....Your fish should be in a 30 - 55 gallon tank....

Good Luck.

Shawnie

I think its a siamese..or at least the pic she showed is...heres my guy I got today ...

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...rgirl/sae2.jpg

as Susitna said, now that you have the test kit, you know where you are heading...yes do daily water changes of at least 50% a day...seeing how you didnt get bio, vaccuum the bottom a bit to get some waste up..changing the water will help and keep your fish in fresh water daily...its a total pain, but well worth it in the end...

bio-spira does cycle the tank in 24 hours, heres the link where I had to get it..its expensive but well worth it...goodluck http://www.aquariumplants.com/Bio_Spira_s/47.htm

hiddencat

I think it might be a rainbow shark- it looked like the picture they had at the petstore, but honestly, I have a hard time telling the two species apart.

On the daily changes, should I vacuum with each change, and if so, are you supposed to remove the fish from the tank when vacuuming?

**EDIT**

My fish kinda looks like this: http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Shark,12.jpg

And I think I have a common plecos.

Shawnie

No you dont need to vaccuum the gravel each time..just intially a lil bit to get rid of poo...then daily just do the water changes as the bacteria sets up on gravel, decorations, filter media, etc..it doesnt hang in the water itself once its established...

heres a rainbow shark..which is nothing like the pic in your first post...
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...&ct=image&cd=1

also as susitna said, you are over stocked..so you got to get some fish out before hand so u arent doing all this work for nothing..how bout returning the tiger barb and the pleco to the fish store?

hiddencat

Oh, I can't take Trooper or Maria back! They're the old guard. If anything, Red Tail will have to go, which makes me sad. Could I just do frequent water changes until we can get a bigger tank? We've decided that's what some of our tax rebate can go towards- bigger tank and a tank stand.

And yeah, I think I'm getting confused by the red fins. Or I'm a little fish-blind I'm pretty sure it's a rainbow shark.

Shawnie

best thing would be to take a pic for us...if you can...and as far as keeping or getting rid of any, thats totally up to you all..I know its hard and you love them, but you are about 13" minimu overstocked as susitna said ...goodluck tho on whatever you decide

hiddencat

Ok, try this link:

http://img221.imageshack.us/my.php?image=redtaileg4.jpg

Shawnie

ya thats a rainbow shark not a siamese algae..and he will be 6inches alone ...they are nippers or at least mine is a lil raskaalll!

hiddencat

So would they all be ok in a 29 gallon tank? Or will the tiger barb (Trooper) always not be quite right unless we get 5 more barbs?

Shawnie

trooper would love tank mates...as ive said 6 or more...but I only have one as I lost the others and he hangs out with a mollie....so best you choose what you feel will be right for him