Hello, new here, and already crashed my tank :(

[e30 gangsta]

Umm...you may want to reconsider the bgk. I was looking at these guys last week (they are really neat fish!!) and they grow VERY large- as in up to 15-20inches & need a very large tank. I dont know if there are species of bgks that do not get this big but the ones i saw did. Im sure someone with experience with them will know!

O_O This is the only fish I didn't do research on. How big are we talking like a 75g? Thanks for the heads up.

Excuse me if I come across as rude, but I laughed when I read a gangsta was keeping mickey mouse mollies. Didn't read through 12 pages so don't know if this is your kids tank? Any way, congrats on sticking to it and fixing things after jumping in blindfolded. At that point, a lot of people realize that it takes work to keep fish, and quit the hobby before they start. Next things next, read up on stock compatibility, and research each fish before you buy (What water parameters they need, temp, tank size, etc.). Most stores post a minimum tank size, but after any experience, you will know it is the minimum of minimum. If it says minimum 20 gallon tank, put it in a 25-30 at least, preferably more.
You're stocking makes me worry about the blue ram. If that DG wants to, it will tear it to shreds.

When feeding, only feed what they can eat in 1-2 minutes, not 5. Overfeeding is never a good idea.

Your fish also appreciate plants for a healthy life, some of them NEED plants to thrive. Not a fake saltwater set up.

And yeah, e30 gangsta. Seeing as I am into e30's. But you may or may not know anything about that. Its been my screen name on forums since the late 90's. Why change it now?

The tank is me and my gf's so I don't really have a full say on what I get to stock.

DG? I take it you mean my gourami. Hes pretty calm, and doesn't mess with anyone in the tank.

And thank you for being so negative towards my decoration, its my first tank. Its a learning process. Instead of being negative, why not be positive and help the new people who enter the hobby?


Big thanks, to library girl,Jeff, and JLK you guys have been extremely helpful.

Any answer on the ammonia going up so fast?

 

[Koikid88]

How was telling you they will do better in a tank suited for them rather than corals negative? I thought I gave you some useful info, I'll skip your post next time, no worries.

 

[jlk]

Your learning & doing a good job!!! My first tank was a box setup from Petsmart-colored gravel & all! We all have to start somewhere & this forum is a great place to learn so you dont make some of the dumb mistakes we all did to get where we are right now.

In respect to bgk, I dont know how big of a tank they need, but i read anywhere from 100g to 150g- i would post a question in general discussion for advice from members that actually own them.

Just a guess on your ammonia, but you may be a bit overstocked or your bb just needs to catch to what you have stocked. As i dont keep tropicals & have no personal experience with them, I am not going to be of any help in respect to stocking. I am sure someone else can advise. Just stay on top of your tests & water changes as needed in the meantime.

Plants are not necessity- yes, they help keep a tank healthy but there are many members on here without a single plant & no desire to keep them either. They are not for everyone, so dont worry about not having plants. If its something you want to try in the future, do your research for lighting, fertilizer, & general care info- theres lots of low-tech, low-light plants you can keep with no special care needed. Keep up the good work!

 

[e30 gangsta]

^ thanks so much. And yes I have seen tons of non planted tanks. Its not a necessity.

And yeah I read up a bit on them just now that they only get 4 inches long.

I could be wrong, or read up on the wrong species but it was multiple sites. :/

 

[librarygirl]

I'm sorry to say that you're severely overstocked (which also accounts for the toxin spike); you were overstocked even before adding the new fish. A 10 gal tank isn't very large and a cylindrical one is worse because it limits the amount of horizontal swim space.

I hate to say but none of the fish you have now are really suited for your tankI(except the guppy). Black Ghost Knifes can get LARGE so unfortunately you'll have to return it (unless you want to get a 75+ gal tank). What kind of tetra do you have? if it's a larger tetra (which it sounds like) it wont' do well in the 10 gal and they should be in a small group which you can't fit in there now. ALso the Tetra could be aggressive toward the guppy. The Ram also won't do well in there long-term, same with the Gourami. You'd probably need at least a 30 gal tank (minus the Ghost Knifes) to keep all of those fish together and even then I'm not sure, I'd need to know what kind of Gourami for example.

So unless you are planning to upgrade your tank very soon, I think it's best to rehome/return most of those fish and start over. Sorry.

 

[Sisserydoo]

Looks great

 

[e30 gangsta]

I'm sorry to say that you're severely overstocked (which also accounts for the toxin spike); you were overstocked even before adding the new fish. A 10 gal tank isn't very large and a cylindrical one is worse because it limits the amount of horizontal swim space.

I hate to say but none of the fish you have now are really suited for your tankI(except the guppy). Black Ghost Knifes can get LARGE so unfortunately you'll have to return it (unless you want to get a 75+ gal tank). What kind of tetra do you have? if it's a larger tetra (which it sounds like) it wont' do well in the 10 gal and they should be in a small group which you can't fit in there now. ALso the Tetra could be aggressive toward the guppy. The Ram also won't do well in there long-term, same with the Gourami. You'd probably need at least a 30 gal tank (minus the Ghost Knifes) to keep all of those fish together and even then I'm not sure, I'd need to know what kind of Gourami for example.

So unless you are planning to upgrade your tank very soon, I think it's best to rehome/return most of those fish and start over. Sorry.

Dont be sorry. Black ghost knife has been taken back to the fish store. As cool as he is I cannot deal with having a 100g+ fish tank.

The gourami when I bought him was labeled as a community tropical red flame gourami. He only gets up to 3-3.5 inches.

The eletric blue ram Ive read only grown up to 3.

Then there is a guppy, and a mickey mouse platy.

And this guy

I dont know the name of this species.

Seems to me like only 5 fish for a 10 gallon should do for now, until they start growing. I may be wrong though.

Thoughts?

 

[librarygirl]

It's not just the number of fish that need to be taken into account but also adult size, bioload (how messy they are), activity level, aggression, etc.

They're going to start feeling cramped in there which can lead to aggression. There's also some debate about the possibility of fish being stunted as they try to grow in a tank that's too small for them.

It might be ok temporarily as long as you watch closely for any issues but if you do want to keep them long-term you'll need to get a larger tank sooner rather than later. Also the yellow fish in the pic looks like some sort of rainbow and if it is they do best in a group, which you can't do now.

Besides, larger tanks are more fun.

 

[HeatherW]

I was thinking the fish looked like a Molly to me. Maybe a lyretail (not sure I spelled that right)

 

[ocminpin]

It's a Creamsicle Lyretail Molly like mine...

This is Suki:


View attachment 79422

 

[librarygirl]

Oops my mistake

 

[ocminpin]

Oops my mistake

.........

 

[e30 gangsta]

Correct it is a creamsicle. Tanks doing good guys just have a question.

Aquarium salt, should I put some in? I have a snail in the tank though. So I dont know if I should add some salt to the aquarium.

Also what is optimal temperature for a community tank, filled with tropical fish. I am at 77 degrees right now and all is well.

Should I go up to 80? Please let me know. thanks again!

 

[jlk]

Salt isnt necessary unless you are treating something- it can do more harm than good if used long term. Im sure someone will chime in on the optimal temp for your guys!

 

[e30 gangsta]

^ thanks. My electric blue ram doesn't want to eat any of the flakes or pellets I put into the tank. What else do you suggest I feed it?

Blood worms?

 

[HeatherW]

Your temp sounds fine. I think my lfs day they keep their tanks at 78 - 78.8 (they have a digital thermometer )

My gbr like the frozen brine shrimp. Actually I think that is everyone's favorite - either that or the flakes. They like those too

 

[xsryman]

The closer i get to 80 on my tank the worse my plants do. If you have live plants make sure the can handle this temp. I already blanched all of my anachris plants fiddling with my thermometer.