Suggestions for next fish?

[danielt]

Have a 160 litre tank, with;
- two bumblebee gobies
- two balloon mollies
- two platys
- five neon tetras
- a red tailed shark
- a Betta splenden
- a yomato shrimp

The tank is planted with plenty of what I believe to be coral rock? Fine substrate also. The tank has two external filters and is at 24-26 degrees C.

Here's a picture:

 

[librarygirl]

160 liters is about 42 gallons. Um.....none? lol

I could be wrong but I think you have some issues:

• I think the Bumble Bee Gobys require brackish water
• Not sure what your Male to Female ratio is for the Mollys but there could be aggression issues there with just two; same with the Platys
• The Betta with Gobys, Mollys and Shark may not be compatible
• The Shark shouldn't be in with the Neons; they're likely to become dinner
• The Shark should be in a larger tank, IMO

 

[danielt]

The fish guy said the shark will be fine, and he is. I have none of those problems. And yeah, gobies do prefer brackish waters but pet shop bought ones are raised in fresh water. Mine are really happy. Have been for three month now :s

 

[LyndaB]

The fish guy said the shark will be fine, and he is.

Fish guys say a lot of stuff. Most of the stuff they say leads to fish death and unhealthy tanks in general.

You've been given great advice and, if I were you, I would heed it. Brushing it off will get you nowhere fast.

Having had a shark before, I can tell you that they belong in no less than a 75 (some will say 55). As they mature, their aggression level skyrockets.

The hardest rule to follow in fishkeeping is this...... it's not about you, it's about the fish.

 

[Gboy66]

The fish guy said the shark will be fine, and he is. I have none of those problems. And yeah, gobies do prefer brackish waters but pet shop bought ones are raised in fresh water. Mine are really happy. Have been for three month now :s

The fish guys are wrong most of the time, the gobies are far less active in fresh, and +1 to lynda, that shark isnt going to work either. How do you know if your fish are happy..?

 

[danielt]

Thank you for all the comments, but how do I rectify this? I can't just dispose of the fish. Do I take them all back?

 

[LyndaB]

You have multiple options:

1) ask the store if they'll take the stock

2) you can sell on Craigs List or give away on Freecycle

3) you can ask friends who might have fish tanks

4) you can ask any local fish clubs if they'll adopt them

 

[danielt]

Thank you. But I can help think that you've all been really blunt with me. I'm kinda new to this so I'm sorry. If I've got the wrong Impression, I apologise.

 

[LyndaB]

Think of it as a form of "tough love"...... there are some wonderful people in this forum with decades of fishkeeping experience. I only wish I'd found these folks right when I started my first tank.

Lucky for me, I'd done tons of research first so knew about cycling, researching species requirements, etc. I wasn't in too bad shape. It's much better to start off as right as you can, even if it means giving up some fish you've become attached to.