America of Fish Tank

So I recently got a few new additions to my tank and have been watching closing to the fish and how they interact with each other.

Here is a list of some of the fish I have:
4 DemasonI Cichlid (still small, under an 1 1/2 inches)(swI'm in circles around each other....is this breeding or playing?)
1 angelfish (full grown)
5 goldfish (1 full grown about 3 inches)
1 Pictus catfish (terrorizes all the other fish especially the big goldfish)
2 Black Moores ( funny because they waddle when they swim)
3 Comets
Some Guppies
2 algae eaters

I don't have many problems with aggression with the fish and I do have several hiding spots and will add more later. Should I have any concerns for right now?

 

I mean this in the most respectable way possible, wow.

Consider the following:
DemasonI Cichlids are notoriously aggressive. They are mbuna which need to be kept only with other mbuna (or certain catfish). The swimming in circles is likely aggression between them trying to establish ranks and/or mates.

Angelfish is a South American Cichlid. Mixing Mbuna and SA is not a good idea.

Goldfish can get over 1 foot long, 3 inches is no where near full grown.

Pictus Catfish are shoaling fish and like to be groups of at least 4, 5-6 is better. Could explain the behavior

Comet goldfish can also get 1 foot or longer.

What kind of algae eaters? I assume they are plecos, in which some can get over 1 foot. If the SAE, they can also get big.

In my opinion, none of the goldfish should be in a tank. Here is why. They produce more waste per inch of fish than any other aquarium fish. Which means you will be doing a lot more water changes because of them. People think that fish will only grow to their environment and that's it. While on the outside that appears so, their internal organs never stop growing. This is referred to as stunting and is presumably very painful to the fish and will result in early death. These fish belong in a large pond where they can grow to full size, age and have room to swim.

Here is a link to Aqadvisor with your tank and fish selected (minus the algae eater since I don't know what it is) and it says you are at 350% stocking level. It also lists a lot of warnings, some of which I have addressed above. I would seriously consider returning some fish and doing more research before getting more.




EDIT: I would recommend the following stock for your tank
Angelfish is fine
Pictus, get at least 3 more
Guppies are fine, though if you have males and females, you will have babies.

Add:
1 x bristlenose pleco for algae eater
1 x Pearl Gourami
6 x tetras/danios/rasboras/rainbows with a maximum size of at least 3 inches.

 

I have read about some of the issues and am going to be moving them into a tank.

I have read that DemasonI Cichlids can be semI aggressive depending on the enviorment.

Mixing the angelfish with the DemasonI Cichlids will probably ultimately be bad and will rectify soon.

The goldfish is over 4 years old and has been this same size for a while.

Was thinking about picking up another Pictus Catfish.

I know goldfish are the biggest waste producers and I personally don't care for them but the girlfriend does so trying to get her her own tank.

Thanks for the link reference. I will use it in the future and hope to fix my current situation.

UPDATE* WHY can't my fish love each other? If they do show signs of aggression I will separate them by force if I have to. Maybe they might be the less temperate of each species I do not know but I will closely monitor them and see what happens, maybe with the large assortment of fish I created a utopia of friendliness?

I have 2 pleco's in my tank and am considering moving the cichlids to a tank on their own.

 

I have read about some of the issues and am going to be moving them into a tank.

I have read that DemasonI Cichlids can be semI aggressive depending on the enviorment.

Mixing the angelfish with the DemasonI Cichlids will probably ultimately be bad and will rectify soon.

The goldfish is over 4 years old and has been this same size for a while.

Was thinking about picking up another Pictus Catfish.

I know goldfish are the biggest waste producers and I personally don't care for them but the girlfriend does so trying to get her her own tank.

Thanks for the link reference. I will use it in the future and hope to fix my current situation.

UPDATE* WHY can't my fish love each other? If they do show signs of aggression I will separate them by force if I have to. Maybe they might be the less temperate of each species I do not know but I will closely monitor them and see what happens, maybe with the large assortment of fish I created a utopia of friendliness?

Some fish are just aggresive from nature. You can't control it. A large assortment of fish will create a bloodbath, especially with your stock now.
The goldfish never grew much but, it's organs did. The goldfish are most likely stunted by now.

I have 2 pleco's in my tank and am considering moving the cichlids to a tank on their own.

What are the plecos?
Assuming that they are common plecos, those also can't be in the tank. They grow huge (1 ft) and have a large bioload. Think of a 150 gallon for a common plec, and that's for a single one! A 200 gallon is needed for 2 common plecos




I would rehome(give them back to the petstore) the plecos, ALL the plecos, and the 4 demasonI cichlids.

EDIT: I would rehome ALL the fish, since the aquarium start date was on March 29th. That is no where near cycled. Look up the nitrogen cycle.
Take out all the fish, or else they will suffer ammonia burns.

 

If this is all in the 55 I'm surprised you haven't lost most of them yet. Please take this all to heart and we mean it in the best way possible, but the plecos, goldfish, and moors really need to be rehomed. And the others should be rehomed until you get the tank cycled.

You could convert the tank into a small mbuna tank or have an angel pair.

 

My tank is mostly cycled right now as I did add bio media from another tank and i've seen my ammonia levels drop over night and I am going to remove 1 pleco and the mbuna's since there is some signs of fin nipping on the goldfish tails. Surprising the angelfish is perfectly fine. I will let you guys know my later update.

This is what happens when you let your girlfriend go to the store willy nilly and buy fish she likes....looks like I'm going to have to get a second tank.

 

So you are down for 500 gallons (or more) in your house? I doubt your girlfriend would even want that. I would just give them back

 

Well I moved the DemasonI to a tank of their own for now since they are still fairly small. I think I can run with this setup till I get another bigger tank since the majority of my fish are under 2 inches in size.

 

Ok. Now you have to work on rehoming the goldies.

 

All those 7 goldfish need to be kept in a 75 gallon minimum.
The comets, however can't be kept with the fancies, since the fancies will get outcompeted by the comets speed for food.
So the 2 comets will need 150-200 gallons. I recommend a pond
No matter what, DO NOT release the goldfish into a natural pond. They can get invasive

 

Then with the plecos, a 300 gallon or more is recommended, because of their size and bioload

 

Then with the plecos, a 300 gallon or more is recommended, because of their size and bioload

I did read that a 55 gallon and up is okay for 1 pleco but I am going to give the other one away to a friend.

 

We had our pleco in a 55. Had to re-home him. He was just too messy...

He's better off, too.

He also sucked a hole straight through my Black Moors side, causing us to have to euthanize our Moor.


^Disaronno ; my pleco who I lovingly rehomed so he could have a better/proper environment.

And as you can see on a few places he hurt himself all the time on our decor since he was SO big & hid during the day.

 

Then with the plecos, a 300 gallon or more is recommended, because of their size and bioload

I did read that a 55 gallon and up is okay for 1 pleco but I am going to give the other one away to a friend.

What type of plecos? A 100 gallon is minimum for commons.

 

What type of plecos? A 100 gallon is minimum for commons.

Personally, I think 100 gallons for one common pleco isn't enough, the size and bioload is too much.
So I would do 150 gallons for one, then another 150 gallons for 2. So that's 300 gallons

 

Personally, I think 100 gallons for one common pleco isn't enough, the size and bioload is too much.
So I would do 150 gallons for one, then another 150 gallons for 2. So that's 300 gallons

If you kept up with water changes it'd be fine. Size isn't an issue unless the tank is custom...... 300 gallons for two doesn't really make sense to me at all.

 

If you kept up with water changes it'd be fine. Size isn't an issue unless the tank is custom...... 300 gallons for two doesn't really make sense to me at all.

Similar to the 20gal for one fancy + 10gal to add a 2nd, I would think you shouldn't need to add another 150gal to add a 2nd pleco.

I agree though that they need LARGE tanks, because not only do they grow to be very large, they also have an overbearing bioload.

 

Similar to the 20gal for one fancy + 10gal to add a 2nd, I would think you shouldn't need to add another 150gal to add a 2nd pleco.

I agree though that they need LARGE tanks, because not only do they grow to be very large, they also have an overbearing bioload.

What I meant by size shouldn't be a problem is in a 100 gallon tank. Unless the tank is custom and has weird dimensions.....

 

I just have one of the Meijer's store plecos and they recommended a 55+ gallon tank. Both are fairly small under 3 inches each so I will retank them grow bigger but for now I am keeping up on water changes and my filtration so I don't see a problem until later in the future when I can invest EVEN MORE MONEY! <3

Update* I just read and found that the pleco's grow around 1/2 to an inch a month roughly and that people have said in about a year it will grow to be 12 inches. At that rate I can easily still have him for a good long while.

 

That is a dangerous mentality to have in this hobby. We can have the biggest of plans for the future, but things can come up that prevent us from making those plans happen. You lose a job, you are forced to move, you decide you don't want to be in this hobby, you need a new car, etc. I think most people on here would tell anyone that they shouldnt get a fish unless they can provide its lifetime home from the start.

Do we know what kind of Pleco it is? Some only get 3-4 inches, some a foot or longer and some in between.

I will say you are trying to do the right thing. The fact that you are here shows you have an interest in the hobby and your fishes health. We aren't here to correct you on everything and point out everything wrong you did wrong, though it may seem like it. We are here to provide you with the best suggestions of living conditions so your fish survive and do so in a happy and healthy environment. Ultimately they are your fish and it is your choice what you do with them. We will provide you with advice based on our own experiences, experiences of others, and research we have done. I understand you want the fish that look cool and act a certain way, but what's the point of keeping them if they won't all live passed the first year?

Best of luck to you, and I hope it all works out in the end.

 

I believe it is the Plecostomus. I do truly love the help and Deeply wish I found this site way before I started my jump into a hobby I realize I was not ready for. Typical mindset, they are fish how hard can it be...Truth: its like taking care of any other animal, patience, time, compatibility and most of all willingness to adapt.

 

So it's a common pleco...... they need at least a 100g.

 

So it's a common pleco...... they need at least a 100g.

uhhhhh. Why do LFS have so much false advertisement,


During the summer when I get more money I will invest in a bigger tank probably a 125 or bigger if the price is right. That should give me enough time for him to not outgrow the tank and let him be happier.

 

uhhhhh. Why do LFS have so much false advertisement,


During the summer when I get more money I will invest in a bigger tank probably a 125 or bigger if the price is right. That should give me enough time for him to not outgrow the tank and let him be happier.

They're just trying to make money, that's why. I don't usually trust their advice.....

 

Well that's why I am here to live, learn from my mistakes that are happening quite frequently I must say, and then hopefully teach others about the wrong doings they are making. I already am telling some of my friends what they are doing wrong in their tanks now from what I have learned on here.

 

such a shame though how people can't find homes for common plecos the have such a great personallity when they grow up

 

such a shame though how people can't find homes for common plecos the have such a great personallity when they grow up

It is a shame, if people were not in it for the money but for the better well being of the fish then we would have a much better planet.

 

yeah you could put a piece of zuchhinI in the water even at time petting him I think its a him but yeah some pet store employes like in petsmart want money others want people to join the excitement of keeping fish and of course they need money but sometimes people are to dessprate for the money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! for example one day a.k.a yesterday an LFS had tadpoles so I asked what type of frogs will they become bullfrogs american bullfrogs the owner says you want one there really cute! i'm thinking in my head are you crazy the have been known to eat birds let alone my goldfish ( I was planning for some frogs for my pond) some people just don't care about the fish and that makes me angry !

 

IMO, goldfish are by far the biggest problem in your tank. At least plecos are tropical fish.

 

In this day an age when almost everyone has a smart phone there is no reason to blame a LFS. When you see a fish that interests you google it. Then you will have access to a large library of information on the care of a particular species.

 

In this day an age when almost everyone has a smart phone there is no reason to blame a LFS. When you see a fish that interests you google it. Then you will have access to a large library of information on the care of a particular species.

While I whole heartily agree that the information is readily available we generally agree with what stores do tell us. Otherwise its false advertisement and that's a whole mess on its own. Maybe I'm just too gullible to take a LFS for their word on what they have advertised.

 

Even with my most trusted LFS I head to google and fishlore before a purchase.

 

There should be a electronic interface system in all fish stores where you can look up information about a specific fish so everything is standardized and you aren't getting bad info. I tried counting the number of errors on the tags at one of my pet stores and I stopped counting at 20 (they probably have 100 tanks with anywhere from 1 to 6 species per).

You would think that they would be more willing to do this because it will lead to long term health of the fish, happy fish keeper who is willing to spend money on food and other supplies, and more tanks. But no, they want your 9.99 for a fish that won't survive in your tank now, rather than 100's of dollars (or more) down the road.

 

yeah are smartphones,computers e.t.c is good but think about it in an LFS we fish keepers are kids in candy shops we all think there bueatiful but the may not be the best choice we get excited so we think we probbably can find a solution to this problem and we end up like this ( well me as a newbie to the hobby I felt like this)