rescued 2 female betta's today, should I consider rehoming the cherry barbs?

[ashleynicole]

neither cherry barbs nor female betta's were in my original plan. The cherry barbs seemed like a good idea at the time but now I am wondering if they are too active with the bolivian rams and now with the addition of the 2 female betta's. I was at the pet store today and my kids were fawning over the betta's in their sad little bowls. So... i let them each pick out a female, and they are tickled to death at pointing out 'their' fish in the tank. (My kids are age 2 and 4). So the female betta's are now a definite permanent addition and I will be working around them. They seem to be getting along fine with everyone so far... I just don't know if I am pushing my limits. I am definitely NOT adding anything else.
I currently have (and this is in my 29 gallon):
8 cherry barbs
6 spotted cory's
4 oto's
2 Female betta's
2 Bolivian rams
1 bristlenose pleco
1 apple snail






UPDATE***** I took the cherry barbs back to the fish store this morning. which leaves my current stock as follows:

5 spotted cories (Lost one this morning)
4 oto's
2 Female betta's
2 Bolivian rams
1 bristlenose pleco

I am also considering setting up a 10 gallon tank for the female betta's. Either that or two 5 gallons, one for each of their rooms. each with a sponge filter. As of right now I am not going to add any more fish. However if I set up a new home for the female betta's, because as I said they were not in the original plan, I would most likely add a group of some sort of peaceful schooling fish to the community tank because when I look at it, it just looks so empty. Currently am considering Harlequin rasboras.

 

[Tigroscr]

IMO you are probably ok since at least 1/2 of your fish are bottom dwellers but I'm not so sure about the cherry barbs with the bettas, thats questionable? They might nip the fins possibly on the bettas.

 

[Tigroscr]

IMO you are probably ok since at least 1/2 of your fish are bottom dwellers but I'm not so sure about the cherry barbs with the bettas, thats questionable? They might nip the fins possibly on the bettas.

Just keep a very watchful eye on them for the next couple of days you might have to rehome the cherry barbs possibly or the bettas. Do you have a back up tank?

 

[ashleynicole]

Just keep a very watchful eye on them for the next couple of days you might have to rehome the cherry barbs possibly or the bettas. Do you have a back up tank?

Yes I do, and I just moved my cherry barbs to my 10 gallon QT tank with the sponge filter I had in my 29 gallon. As I was watching my Betta's enjoying their freedom, I noticed my cherry barbs were not as active as normal... and they have the beginnings of ICH on their fins. I removed them and put them in QT, but I am also raising the temperature in my 29 gallon. What is the temperature that kills ich safely without salt? I don't want to risk salt with my plants. However I did add salt to the QT tank which is bare bottom with just the cherry barbs.

I was doing so good, perfect water parameters, and now ICH, yuck. I think I am going to be on the safe side and take the cherry barbs back to my LFS, that way the other fish have more space, I would rather be a little understocked than overstocked. I can always add a school of tetra's or something at a later point.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Ich does not infect new fish at 29.4°C/85°F, stops reproducing at 30°C/86°F, and dies at 32°C/89.5°F.

 

[ashleynicole]

Ich does not infect new fish at 29.4°C/85°F, stops reproducing at 30°C/86°F, and dies at 32°C/89.5°F.

Thanks, my tank was already about 82, I will work on getting it up to 89. Can all of my fish tolerate temps that high? I thought ich dies at 86...

EDIT: does anyone have the link to the tool that allows you to put in your tank, filtration, and the fish you have to check compatibility?

 

[ashleynicole]

awe crap, my apple snail is dead That makes me sad. Just did a water test, Ammonia 0, NitrIte, 0, NitrAte 5 ppm. (NitrAtes were between 10-20 before I added a bunch of plants yesterday). I then did an 80% water change, to hopefully remove any free floating ich.

The cherry barbs and the apple snail came from the very same fish store. I don't think I will be buying from them ever again. They were the first fish I added to this tank, I didn't quarantine them because they were added first thing with the seeded filter to check and see if it would be cycled. Once I saw the tank was cycled, I bought the other fish from a different pet store and some from a member online a few days after that. Hopefully removing the cherry barbs, and raising the temps will prevent any other fish from getting infected.

 

[GuppyLover]

EDIT: does anyone have the link to the tool that allows you to put in your tank, filtration, and the fish you have to check compatibility?

I beleive you are talking about www.aqadvisor.com

 

[ashleynicole]

I beleive you are talking about www.aqadvisor.com

yes that's correct, thank you. Can anyone chime in and make sure I'm not missing anything treating the ich? I am going to do 50% water changes twice a day until it clears up. Should I remove the plants and salt the main tank? Or should I just let the heat do it's job?
Thank you guys so much, I am definitely going to QT all new fish for a LONG LONG time from this point on. I really don't want to lose my bristle nose or my rams. They are looking and acting fine, but I am worried about the heat.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Thanks, my tank was already about 82, I will work on getting it up to 89. Can all of my fish tolerate temps that high? I thought ich dies at 86...

EDIT: does anyone have the link to the tool that allows you to put in your tank, filtration, and the fish you have to check compatibility?

I just finished treating one of my tanks with just heat at 86 or maybe a smidge over. I wasn't game to take it any higher. It won't reproduce at 86 so once it falls off the fish it won't multiply then reinfect. So if I where you I'd stick to 86. Just remember to add extra aeration. The warmer the water the less oxygen it will hold.

 

[ashleynicole]

How long do you leave the temps elevated to completely eradicate the ich? 7 days?
Temp was at about 84 this morning and is at 86-88 right now.

UPDATE***** I took the cherry barbs back to the fish store this morning. which leaves my current stock as follows:

5 spotted cories (Lost one this morning)
4 oto's
2 Female betta's
2 Bolivian rams
1 bristlenose pleco

I am also considering setting up a 10 gallon tank for the female betta's. Either that or two 5 gallons, one for each of their rooms. each with a sponge filter. As of right now I am not going to add any more fish. However if I set up a new home for the female betta's, because as I said they were not in the original plan, I would most likely add a group of some sort of peaceful schooling fish to the community tank because when I look at it, it just looks so empty. Currently am considering Harlequin rasboras.

 

[jespenguin]

You'll defiantly want to get the female bettas in their own or a divided tank. With 2 they end up eating each other alive. You can keep females together but it requires more so they can determine a pecking order. It's called a sorority, I had a nice peaceful one with 5 females for 6 months till last week until BOOM I'm down to 3 very torn up ladies and 2 that got shredded. Needless to say their 10 is getting divided. A good indicator is horizontal striping it'll show how stressed they are. Plus I'm sure your children don't want to wake up to see their ladies are now missing all their fins.

 

[ashleynicole]

You'll defiantly want to get the female bettas in their own or a divided tank. With 2 they end up eating each other alive. You can keep females together but it requires more so they can determine a pecking order. It's called a sorority, I had a nice peaceful one with 5 females for 6 months till last week until BOOM I'm down to 3 very torn up ladies and 2 that got shredded. Needless to say their 10 is getting divided. A good indicator is horizontal striping it'll show how stressed they are. Plus I'm sure your children don't want to wake up to see their ladies are now missing all their fins.

yeah I know about the striping, I tried breeding them at one point, Horizontal is bad, vertical is good. They have no stripes right now and seem to be staying pretty far away from each other in my 29 gallon.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

How long do you leave the temps elevated to completely eradicate the ich? 7 days?
Temp was at about 84 this morning and is at 86-88 right now.

2 weeks should do the job.