Should I buy more fish?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

FishieKeeper429

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Jun 25, 2013
Messages
523
Location
Virginia
I have a 10g tank that I have been running for almost 3 weeks. I'm pretty sure it's cycled and I would enjoy getting some more tank buddies. Right now I have one female lyre tailed mollie, three albino pristella tetras and one baby female Betta. Do I have enough room to get another mollie and pleco? Any suggestions for fish I should get? Should get anymore at all? Thanks!
-FishieKeeper429
 
no pleco should go in a ten gallon so thats out of the question i wouldnt suggest another molly because they have a huge bioload and should be kept in at least 20-30 gallons. does your lfs carry exotic species? rainbow nothos are a beautiful fish and can go in a ten gallon they just have a shorter lifespan
 
I'm sorry, no. The molly needs a minimum of 15 gallons alone in my opinion. Pleco will get too big. Sorry, I hate telling people to sell fish, but your going to have to sell your molly. I also should add that you need a school of 5 or 6 tetras... they are very social and they are schooling fish.
 
Without testing your water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates and honestly I doubt the tank is cycled in 3 weeks. You need to get an API master test kit and start doing testing.... here's a good article to read... I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice.

Also it is true all pleco's are too large for a 10g and it needs to be rehomed. The mollies may be small now but they can grow upwards of 5+ inches, especially males and have too high a bio load for a 10g as already stated.

The tetras will also do much better if there are at least 6 of them. A 10g tank really doesn't have much room for fish. If you kept your tetra's and upped their school and then added something like a Dwarf gourami or Honey gourami you'd be fully stocked but it would be a nice little tank.
 
no pleco should go in a ten gallon so thats out of the question i wouldnt suggest another molly because they have a huge bioload and should be kept in at least 20-30 gallons. does your lfs carry exotic species? rainbow nothos are a beautiful fish and can go in a ten gallon they just have a shorter lifespan

I'm buying a Pygmy pleco and my LFS said that that was a good idea. Also, I read a book about Mollies that said they do not REQUIRE 20-30 gallons, they just will not grow without more than 5. My LFS also said that another Mollie would be a good idea. Ill just have small fish, which I am fine with.
 
Without testing your water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates and honestly I doubt the tank is cycled in 3 weeks. You need to get an API master test kit and start doing testing.... here's a good article to read... I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice.

Also it is true all pleco's are too large for a 10g and it needs to be rehomed. The mollies may be small now but they can grow upwards of 5+ inches, especially males and have too high a bio load for a 10g as already stated.

The tetras will also do much better if there are at least 6 of them. A 10g tank really doesn't have much room for fish. If you kept your tetra's and upped their school and then added something like a Dwarf gourami or Honey gourami you'd be fully stocked but it would be a nice little tank.

I actually have been testing my water daily to make sure the normal spike and bring down happens and I wasn't planning on adding them for another 4-6 weeks. Anyway, I only ordered three from my LFS because that's all they said I'd need and I can't add anymore now because they won't be from the same place and that can cause stress to them. I already have realized that they need to be in schools of 6.
 
I actually have been testing my water daily to make sure the normal spike and bring down happens and I wasn't planning on adding them for another 4-6 weeks. Anyway, I only ordered three from my LFS because that's all they said I'd need and I can't add anymore now because they won't be from the same place and that can cause stress to them. I already have realized that they need to be in schools of 6.

Fish do not need to come from the same place. Hate to say this but your getting some not good advice. Just because people work in a fish store doesn't mean they are overly knowledgeable or that they have any amount of actual experience. You can add fish from 20 different places, all the same species and they will be fine. That will in no way "stress" them.. that is a load of hog wash. I've been doing just that since the 70's and have a lot of experience. And just what are they calling a Pygmy Pleco? There is no such thing as a Pygmy Pleco. Even Bristlenose, Bulldog, and Rubberlip Pleco's which are the smaller pleco's are not suitable for a 10g. Just as mollies "won't grow if they are in a smaller tank"... that is a crock. You know stores are there to "sell" you fish so of course they are going to say it's fine to add them. Thing is you asked for advice BUT you want to argue that you know what your doing and have read or gotten advice that you want to hear so that makes it right. Well it's your tank and your going to do what you want anyway. So if you've made your decision quit trying to defend or argue or try to convince others that what your doing is fine.
 
This is another one of those instances where someone asks for advice/help. Then totally debunks every piece of advice given. If you don't like the answers your given then don't ask. You were given very solid advice by everyone who responded. TAKE IT!!! You won't suffer one bit for your actions with your tank, the fish will. To paint a picture scenario for you here, go stand in a closet for a while, see how it makes you feel. If it feels crowded, then cram several more people in there with you. That is exactly how the fish are going to be feeling. A ten gallon tank is NOT large enough for any pleco, not even one of the smaller Ancistris, which is what I believe you were referring to as a Pygmy pleco. Like you were told, the mollies can grow to 5+" Too big for even one in a ten gallon tank.
You have just been given advice by 2 people with over 50 yrs. of experience, + the years of experience the other posters have. Now who do you think knows more about fish keeping? All of us or a person in a LFS that is there to make money, no matter what the outcome for the customer, or the livestock. I would strongly suggest you find another LFS, and start listening to seasoned aquarist's that know what their talking about.
 
I just read through this thread and my response is going to be very direct.
Fishiekiller what do you want from these people!? They have been very patient in trying to help you make good decisions about your tank & fish. People with vast knowledge and experience learned, many times, the hard way. Apparently you need to go and learn your lessons the same way and stop wasting these people's time. The fact that they have read your thread and spent time typing you their answers should command your courtesy and respect whether you agree with them or not. I'm not going to waste my time with you. I am unsubscribing to this thread and recommend all others to do the same. Good luck in your "all Knowing" quest. Old Scales
 
QUOTE=Old Scales;2536114]I just read through this thread and my response is going to be very direct.
Fishiekiller what do you want from these people!? They have been very patient in trying to help you make good decisions about your tank & fish. People with vast knowledge and experience learned, many times, the hard way. Apparently you need to go and learn your lessons the same way and stop wasting these people's time. The fact that they have read your thread and spent time typing you their answers should command your courtesy and respect whether you agree with them or not. I'm not going to waste my time with you. I am unsubscribing to this thread and recommend all others to do the same. Good luck in your "all Knowing" quest. Old Scales[/QUOTE](y)
 
I'm buying a Pygmy pleco and my LFS said that that was a good idea. Also, I read a book about Mollies that said they do not REQUIRE 20-30 gallons, they just will not grow without more than 5. My LFS also said that another Mollie would be a good idea. Ill just have small fish, which I am fine with.

Just because a 400lbs person can fit in a smart car doesn't mean it's the right car for them! Sometimes I wish people would use common sense. It's sad that animals always get the shite end of the stick. If you have the ability to post on a forum then you probably have the ability to google these fish before you purchase. Try it
 
I just read through this thread and my response is going to be very direct.
Fishiekiller what do you want from these people!? They have been very patient in trying to help you make good decisions about your tank & fish. People with vast knowledge and experience learned, many times, the hard way. Apparently you need to go and learn your lessons the same way and stop wasting these people's time. The fact that they have read your thread and spent time typing you their answers should command your courtesy and respect whether you agree with them or not. I'm not going to waste my time with you. I am unsubscribing to this thread and recommend all others to do the same. Good luck in your "all Knowing" quest. Old Scales

I wasn't trying to be mean :( I'm sorry. Yes, I am still a noob, yes I am really stupid when it comes to this. But I actually did take their advice; I'm bringing back my mollie to the pet store and only getting three more tetras. All this thread has become is cyber bullying and its hurting me. Please stop :(
 
No one is trying to bully you, least of all me. I help a lot of people but understand our side of this also, trying to help and getting lip (for lack of a better word) back. This forum is for learning but one has to be open to suggestions to and not want to agrue about them. So that being said your not stupid, your obviously young, but if you don't ask questions to knowledgeable hobbyist then you won't learn. Just be open to what people have to say. If you don't understand what people are telling you just tell them you don't understand and can they explain why. We all started as newbies and many of us oldies made every mistake under the sun as there was no internet back in those days for you to learn from. We just want you to make good choices and learn that not everything you hear, read about, or are told by a fish store is good advice. Hope this post makes you feel better and BTW your making a very good decision with the fish.
 
I wasn't trying to be mean :( I'm sorry. Yes, I am still a noob, yes I am really stupid when it comes to this. But I actually did take their advice; I'm bringing back my mollie to the pet store and only getting three more tetras. All this thread has become is cyber bullying and its hurting me. Please stop :(

Sorry if I was a little harsh. The first thing you should always remember when in a pet store is that they are a store. They are there to sell things & to get you to buy things. They do not have the best interest of you or the fish in mind. Sometimes it's not malicious it's simply lack of knowledge on their part. They do not know everything about all fish. Now this is not the case at every store but until you become knowledgable yourself i suggest you approach it from this way of thinking. It's harder for someone to take advantage of you if you expect it.

We all started as newbies & have all done stupid things but that doesn't mean any of us or you are stupid. I have google in my hand at all times when I'm in a store. I also interrupt sales people if I hear them giving bad advice or selling inappropriate fish to people. I also suggest sites to people to make it easier to learn like www.liveaquaria.com

As with all living things, it is the responsibility of the purchaser to know what they're buying & wether or not they have the means to provide for it. It's that way with puppies so why not fish?

Good luck & again sorry
 
Guys, we were all beginners once, so lets try to be considerate okay! Fishiekeeper, like many of us, you were told wrong. No pleco should be in a 10 gallon, and neither should a molly. But now that you understand, make sure you trust this site more than a store. Stores try to sell you stuff, and they rarely know what they are doing. Just remember not to ask for advice at stores, because they often are people that have never had fish, and don't care about the fish themselves.
 
Okay everyone, I feel that went way too far. Let's all take a breather and just try to help the OP out in a civilized manner :)
Mollies CAN be put in a 10 gallon. However I do not recommend it at all. They have a huge bioload.

Also, any pleco can't be put in a 10 gallon. Mollies have a huge bioload. Pleco's have an even bigger one. A 10 gallon just simply does not give enough space for those kinds of fish. :(
I hate to break it to you. I hate telling people to get rid of fish. It's hard to get rid of mine.

I would suggest bumping your school to minimum of 5
You could add some shrimp to the tank to liven it up some ! Shrimp are scavengers and will also help with keeping your tank a little cleaner :) much better than a pleco will IMO.

Hope I can help you out. I'm interested in knowing what you plan to do with your tank stock.
 
Okay everyone, I feel that went way too far. Let's all take a breather and just try to help the OP out in a civilized manner :)
Mollies CAN be put in a 10 gallon. However I do not recommend it at all. They have a huge bioload.

Also, any pleco can't be put in a 10 gallon. Mollies have a huge bioload. Pleco's have an even bigger one. A 10 gallon just simply does not give enough space for those kinds of fish. :(
I hate to break it to you. I hate telling people to get rid of fish. It's hard to get rid of mine.

I would suggest bumping your school to minimum of 5
You could add some shrimp to the tank to liven it up some ! Shrimp are scavengers and will also help with keeping your tank a little cleaner :) much better than a pleco will IMO.

Hope I can help you out. I'm interested in knowing what you plan to do with your tank stock.

Sadly, my mollie died a few days after this was posted. I now have 3 tetras and a baby Betta. I plan on getting 5+ cherry shrimp and 5 rasbora danios when it's done cycling at the end of this month :)
 
Back
Top Bottom