Help please! ( stocking information 26 gallon )

[irishdaisy]

Hi I'm new to the hobby. . I have a 26 gallon fluval bow front. Inside I have..



2 adult female guppies

2 sucker fish 1.5 inch each (pleco)

4 guppy juvenile (6 week old)

20 guppy babies (2 or 3 weeks old)

2 young angelfish

(body about the size of an Oreo)



When my smallest guppy fry gets 2 months old, im planning on giving away all the female guppies.



So my questions are



is this tank overstocked at the moment ?



Can it stay with all these fish for 2 months ?

 

[irishdaisy]

picture of plants

 

[Nils]

First off, cool tank! I think you'll be fine for the next two or three months, but the plecos will grow quickly and assuming that they're the common plecos that most people are sold, then they're going to get huge (2'+) I'd return the plecos and depending on the gender of the angelfish, you might want to return one as well. Once the angel is full grown you might have some aggression problems between him and the guppies. Hope this helped!

Nils

 

[ImACoolguy]

Angels are not as aggressive as most people think. Though I feel Angels need a larger tank. Personal opinion if you have seen a full grown one.


Caleb

Sent via TARDIS

 

[irishdaisy]

Thank you! I will prob give away the plecos &guppies (in about 1-2months) and maybe make this tank just for the 2 Angels if they are getting along .. Do you know how to tell if angelfish are male or female

 

[ImACoolguy]

Thank you! I will prob give away the plecos &guppies (in about 1-2months) and maybe make this tank just for the 2 Angels if they are getting along .. Do you know how to tell if angelfish are male or female

Angelfish are near impossible to sex until they reach maturity and even then unless it's noticeable they have paired off its very hard to tell.


Caleb

Sent via TARDIS

 

[irishdaisy]

Oh,ok thanks!

 

[irishdaisy]

Aw one of my angel fish died (he was swimming upside down and his gills were red) the other one seems fine. I added lots more plants and some flourite substrate ( after it died ) I changed 90 percent of the water. in the 26 gallon one angelfish 12 guppy fry one pleco & 2 female adult guppies.

 

[irishdaisy]

Both angelfish died I guess my tank isn't cycled yet

 

[ImACoolguy]

It's likely not and Angelfish are more sensitive than you may think.


Caleb

Sent via TARDIS

 

[irishdaisy]

I will wait three months or more before buying anymore fish. When I test it ammonia always is 0 and nitrites low 0.1. Ph 7. I did not notice a spike yet in anything-though I've been doing regular changes maybe it's making it cycle slower. I guess the guppy and pleco is a much more hardy fish. I've had the aquarium for about 5 weeks.

 

[irishdaisy]

Since I changed pretty much all the water last night should I use the fluval 'cycle'bacteria in a bottle? I've never used it before. But it came with the tank

 

[TMRC Exotics]

Most people think its a waste.

I would take back the plecos now so that you have a smaller bio load being produced and give the tank time to catch up, once it cycles with your 12 fry and 2 guppies then try to restock with what you want provided the bio load is similar or you will go through a mini cycle.

Its possible to still do this with the plecos but in my opinion they have no place in a tank under 100 gallons. They bring nothing to the tank in terms of cleaning and are poop machines.

 

[ImACoolguy]

Most people think its a waste.

I would take back the plecos now so that you have a smaller bio load being produced and give the tank time to catch up, once it cycles with your 12 fry and 2 guppies then try to restock with what you want provided the bio load is similar or you will go through a mini cycle.

Its possible to still do this with the plecos but in my opinion they have no place in a tank under 100 gallons. They bring nothing to the tank in terms of cleaning and are poop machines.

Pleco's do poop a lot providing an ammonia source which the BB can feed on and multiply. That's what I see. People who keep smaller pleco's do it because they like the species not because they want it to eat the nasty stuff. Look up a Zebra Pleco and you will understand, it's one gorgeous pleco.

As for cycling the tank, if you go to Freshwater->Getting Started-> and click the sticky there is articles about cycling and how to do it with or without fish in the tank to help get you on track.


Caleb

Sent via TARDIS

 

[TMRC Exotics]

I know about the plecos, some are gorgeous, but they get big. My point in this instance about all the poop is fish in cycling which evidently this is can be very difficult with a large bio load, my only point was dropping the plecos would speed the process of getting the tank stable, then more load could be added. If the op just likes the plecos then I understand that fully.

 

[irishdaisy]

Thanks. I think my tank water would have been fine if I didn't change it. I might have made a very big error and I hope all the plants and fish don't die because of it. ( this morning when I saw the angel struggling I went to put it in a quarantine tank .. When I went to reach for my dechlorinator Where I always keep it I grabbed my 'cycle' liquid instead ) im not very sure if that's what I used last night after doing my water change (by accident) but there is a small chance I put the bacteria in all my tanks new fresh water instead of the dechlorinator ! this is a bad day. I might have restarted EVERYTHING. I really hope I didn't but might have. I put the dechlorinator in now. I hope the plants and dwarf frogs and guppies and plecos will be okay

 

[ImACoolguy]

Plants are fine. I cycled my big 75g with plants in there. Like the BB they feed off ammonia and some also feed on Nitrate.


Caleb

Sent via TARDIS

 

[irishdaisy]

There is only one very tiny pleco in my big tank I moved the other to a different tank. So I don't think it will make a very big difference as of now. I will be very careful from now on. (After everything I went through last night) I feel like had I never went and got the Angels the tank would prob be fine now

 

[irishdaisy]

Have you ever forgotten to put dechlorinator. ( or put the bacteria 'cycle ' product in instead) I hope I didn't. But I might have. The bottles are so similar

 

[ImACoolguy]

Have you ever forgotten to put dechlorinator. ( or put the bacteria 'cycle ' product in instead) I hope I didn't. But I might have. The bottles are so similar

Surprisingly I haven't yet. But I always add it before adding any water as well. I've made a habit out of it.


Caleb

Sent via TARDIS