Help required with new tank setup

[yogi]

Hi
I am newbie here , always planned to buy aquarium but finally got it this time and have bigger confusion now.
Bought a relatively small tank (acrylic) 18inch wide , 16 inch tall and 11 inch depth.

quite overwhelmingly bought following fishes : 2 goldfish , 1 black goldfish , 4 angelfish and 2 sucker fish (1 black like cat fish and another Yellow stripes).

Now the tank looks overcrowded and am i confused that did i buy the right combination and number of fishes.

I understand that there are knowledgeable members who can guide me further.

[fireblade]

hi,

welcome to the hobby...

First of all, goldfish and angelfish will grow big, so you should think of how to take care of them in future.
Depends on what suckers you get, they might attack your angelfish and goldfish. I have a normal sucker that killed few of my adult angelfish before.
Now, come to goldfish and angelfish, anglefish might nibble on goldfish tail.

goldfish bioload is quite high so be prepared to do more frequent water change.
Did you install any filter?

the other 2 fish you mentioned, might cause harm to goldfish.. do take note of that. if possible, bring to the shop and ask if you can change for other types of fish.

maybe you can take a picture and show us what you've got.

[yogi]

Hi There

Thank you for a prompt reply..As mentioned i am a complete beginner here. Until about 2 weeks ago i had no clue about fishes and aquarium.

To answer your question :

I am not planning to upgrade to a bigger tank in near future so i have to adapt to fishes that can stay in current size.( I am ok if i have to return them and get new ones as they are just 1 week old except sucker fish which are just 1 day).
Yes there is a filter on the hood with a motor inside the tank that pumps it on the top with 2 sponges ( 1 hard and 1 soft) to filter. I also have additional air pump to create bubbles.
I just bought the fishes based on what i saw and did not think about the next steps, hence looking for your guidance.

Attached is the photo for your further help. Thanks in advance.image1 (3).jpgIMG_4086.jpg

[fireblade]

tank size looks ok ... think better change the goldfish...
the orange and black fish is a clown loach...will disturb the goldfish as well....

[yogi]

Thanks

How about the big black goldfish.. remove that as well..

also noticed that Angelfish continuosly poking and chasing orange/black fish and another sucker cat fish...

Any recommendation if i get rid of Angelfish as well and add some guppies ?

[Griffith DreamWalker]

Here's the main problem with your tank. You did not bother to read up and gind out more about your fish, not to mention that this seems to be an 'impulsive' purchase. Let me ask you a few questions. Is the the tank cycled? What food do you feed your fishes? What is your tank size?

Now, lets get to the bigger problems. Goldfish, angelfish, Pleco (suckerfish), catfish and clown loaches all grow to large sizes, so unless you plan to upgrade in the future and not to mention provide seperate tanks for the fishes, return them. A single goldfish needs at least 30G, adding more goldfish would need an extra 10G per fish. Your tank dosen't even have half that space for four goldfishes, much less a bunch of incompatible fish. Angelfish will also get large and are able to reach 6inch(across) by 10inch (height), not to mention they are carnivorous. What do you think feeder fry were sold for? You can hear the 'popping' sound an angel makes when they swallow a (guppy) fry down. Longfinned fishes are always at risk of being nipped by tankmates and each other too. Last thing you should know about angels is that once they grow up and start pairing, they become super aggressive, chasing all fish out of their territory.

Pleco- or better known as suckerfish do not eat algae, with the exception of BRISTLENOSE Plecos, are all vegetarians but have been documented to attack fishes like goldfish, angelfish etc. I have seen such things with my own eyes. Also the thing that no one tells you is that the cute suckerfish you purchased will grow to the size of your forearm and eat like a pig.

I can't see the catfish unless you get a better picture but they're guaranteed to grow to an enormous size and many, if not all, are carnivorous.

Clown loaches will grow to a size of 40-50cm (16-20inches) and need a minimum of 75G or more. The main problem with clown loaches is that they're social animals and need to be in groups of six or more, which means you'll have to get a 100G aquarium (actually, much, much larger than that).

Basically, your tank has very poor planning and may not be filtered, plus the fact that many of the fishes have clashing diets. My advice to you is to remove and return all fishes, cycle your tank(if uncycled), read up on what fish suitable for your tank and budget- like this nice website here. http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/blog/w...-for-beginners

[Ingen]

What Griffith said is harsh but true. Due to our home restrictions, most of us end up getting tanks that are no bigger than 3ft and yet there are those types of fishes that we always adore when we were kids, goldfish, angel fish, oscar etc, but what we don't know is that these grow big and really big if you manage to keep them alive that long.

Now that we know, it's best to get fishes that fit your tank size or upgrade to a huge tank we intent to keep these type of fishes. There are many types of tropical fishes for your tank size, more common available tetra, rasbora, danio etc. We all learn the hard way in this hobby, most important is patience. Do cycle your tank before getting any fishes. Since you did no use active substrate, you will need to find ways to introduce ammonia to start your cycle.

[grandweapon]

Unfortunately, your tank is way too small. In fact, it is too small for any single one of the fish that you currently have, much less all of them together.

For your reference, 18"x16"x11" works out to 13.7 us gallons.

A single goldfish needs minimum 30 gallons. A single Angelfish needs minimum 20 gallons, and they are aggressive. Common plecos quickly grow to over 20"+, and will need at least 80-100 gallons conservatively. Clown loach grows to 16", and needs minimum 75 gallons. Clown loaches also need to be kept in small groups.

Your tank is most probably also not cycled. Your best alternative is to give them away before they all start dying. Start cycling your tank and read up more before you even consider buying new fish.

Here are some resources for you to read up more on:
Cycling: http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/article...ng-article.htm
Beginners guide: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/guide-...ium/Page1.html
Aqadvisor (to use as a rough planning guide): http://www.aqadvisor.com/

[yogi]

OK .. Now tank looks relatively clean..

This is what i have now

4 colured skirt tetra ( 2 blue and 2 yellow)
1 male betta..

They are in there for a week now... any suggestions for tankmates ?

[tohtruck]

White vinegar looks exactly the same as tap water, but they are different.

Your tank looks clean doesn’t mean it is safe for your fishes. Unless you possess the special ability to look at chemical compounds such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, etc..

Bettas are aggressive and likely to nip on fins of other fishes

[yogi]

The way things are going and getting responses in all directions.. looks like i have to give up this hobby soon...


I know as a newbie will do mistakes and that's how you learn..Can someone be kind enough to advise the right combination of tankmates .

[WingCher]

The way things are going and getting responses in all directions.. looks like i have to give up this hobby soon...


I know as a newbie will do mistakes and that's how you learn..Can someone be kind enough to advise the right combination of tankmates .

Relax bro, everyone here just trying to let you know the how painful the experiences they once have. This hobby has a steep learning curve, and you are now at the steepest tangent, so don't give up so soon. Enjoy the process.

Currently due your tank's small volume, you can't keep many fishes or big ones. If you have no intention to upgrade anymore, just stick to what you have now.

[yogi]

Thanks .. Appreciate the response.
I would like to get used to it before committing to a bigger tank.. So probably spend some time with smaller friends and once everything is going fine , introduce the big ones . Right now tank looks quiet so wanted to add some tiny ones for company.

[tohtruck]

read up more before buying any new fish. there are some useful links shared in this thread. when "beneficial bacteria" no longer sounds alien to you, take a walk at the fish shops to see what sort of fishes you like. simply do an online search of the fish before buying the fish. no point asking questions after getting the fishes as there is pretty much nothing else you can do about it if they are not compatible with each other.