Newish Tank and residents..(evil??!)

[karen21]

Hi,
I recently set up a second-hand 260litre tank, and transferred my few fish.
I then got greedy, and added 2 discus.
My Discus have settled..
My residents were..5Tetra Neons, 3 female Bettas and 1 male. 2 Guppies. 1 Bristlenose pleco, 1 Ghost shrimp, 1 mountain shrimp and 2 Pakistani Loaches.

My Q is, have I got it wrong with the mix..My gut feeling says yes..The Bettas.(Seem fine with the Discus, but not the Guppies! Should be the Tetra being a problem surely??)
The Discus seem happy enough, though I suspect they would prefer a calmer surrounding than such active fish around them?
My Betta male's tail is splitting.. I haven't SEEN nibbling, and my females tails are great..(1 female has quite a tail, and hers is fine..)
I used to dose my Bettas with salts, and have my Discus when they arrived,(a slight tear) and they always healed quickly. Now I hear I shouldn't with Discus.
A Newbies desperate "ask!" Please give me your advice! Thank you! x:thanks

P.s, I have a strong filter/pump, more than enough for the tank, and an air-stone. it is a planted aquarium. I check my parameters daily at the mo.

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Approx. 68.8 gallons. Your tank is not overstocked. However I would reccomend a few things:
1. If you haven't already boost your temperature up to the low 80s. Discus like high temperature and you'll see better coloration and more activity in that range.
2. Fill out your schools. Unless the discus and loaches are pairs I would reccomend adding three more to each school/shoal, they'll be very happy.
3. Get rid of either the bettas or guppies. They are too similar-looking and your betta will attack the guppies because they're similar-looking and he'll mistake them for a rival.
4. If you see nibbling you should try adding more tetras, if they are in fact the nippers more of them will help reduce nipping.

Just my 2 cents. Good luck!

 

[karen21]

Approx. 68.8 gallons. Your tank is not overstocked. However I would reccomend a few things:
1. If you haven't already boost your temperature up to the low 80s. Discus like high temperature and you'll see better coloration and more activity in that range.
2. Fill out your schools. Unless the discus and loaches are pairs I would reccomend adding three more to each school/shoal, they'll be very happy.
3. Get rid of either the bettas or guppies. They are too similar-looking and your betta will attack the guppies because they're similar-looking and he'll mistake them for a rival.
4. If you see nibbling you should try adding more tetras, if they are in fact the nippers more of them will help reduce nipping.

Just my 2 cents. Good luck!

Thanks for getting back so soon! x
My Discus are paired, and so are the loaches..
My Guppies need to go..(I kept them for their fry, gave the Bettas something to eat, until I sat up watching my guppy give birth, and I got all emotional..)
My gut feeling is the Bettas and Discus are happy..They both like higher temps.(Thanks, yes, temp is up.)
I also agree, my Bettas don't like the Guppies. Is it causing my male Betta stress/tail to shred? Never mind, the guppies will have to go.
Get more Tetras? I don't see any nibbling.. Should I just let them go too?

I suppose I am heading for the Discus "love-in" I will end up with a tank of Discus... Hate to say it but, my guilty pleasures are fast becoming Discus and Betta care..

(Male Betta a recent addition)

As I said, I used to dose my Bettas with salt, and keep a higher temp @28 degrees. now I have discus, I have been told NOT to dose with salts..My Ph is rock-solid 7.. Nitrates near 0

 

[Fishkeeper26]

Monitor your water quality carefully, discus like very pristine water.

 

[daileene]

the tetras are okay. i have them with my betta and they are good, so yes, you can get more of them. the guppies on the other hand is a different story. the male betta normally will think they are another male betta coz of their flowy tail and probably would attack the guppies, or vise versa. and aside from that, the guppies are known to be the rabbits in the fish world. they will multiply like crazy.

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Mmm okay. For now, my prime suspect is guppies. If they are gone and no more damage is done to the fin then don't add any tetras I guess.

I know, I've always wanted a discus tank! Sadly these guys need massive tanks, which is something I will never have...

 

[karen21]

Monitor your water quality carefully, discus like very pristine water.

Thanks!
Read up on it, and terrified! Even got a recipe to make for them. Do you want it?x
Thankfully, my tank does not have many fish, and I am OCD about it!!
It is my challenge to keep my Discus happy! (They came from a place that had had them for 4 weeks, so I saw them insitu..) not just shipped in.
they are amazing fish aren't they?!
So **** tempremental tho!.. I put some new plants in and they went hiding on their sides. so I turned the lights off and patted on the glass for them to come out. They did.

 

[karen21]

Also..!
One of my female Bettas keeps hopping into the filterhousing.. I have a lid, so she is sneaking in through a tiny gap from the out-let tube! 6x in last 12hrs. how can i safely block it? (What materials.. what sealant?) thankyou!
I really don't know what I would have done to-date with out solid advice off here! xxx

 

[Fishkeeper26]

What kind of filter do you have?

 

[karen21]

juwel. Internal. She is not jumping, she is sneaking in through a small gap x
A big black box!

 

[Fishkeeper26]

Hmmm I'm not familiar with that filter, can you post a pick with where she keeps going?

 

[karen21]

when my son gets home I can. I have no knowledge to post a pic!
I will describe tho? It is a big black box that sits at one end of the tank. It houses all the filter stuff. A plastic tube comes out at the back of the tank and sprays all the clean water. THAT is where she gets in. She goes in all the time, and all the other Bettas sit round the filter housing when she's in there.
Thankfully the top of the filterhousing is relatively clean, and little motion to the water..but she is habitually doing this now, so I must seal it?

 

[Fishkeeper26]

Try putting mess over it

 

[karen21]

Try putting mess over it

? I have no "mess" do you mean floating stuff,like java moss or something? I don't have that, as my tank is new, and so am I.
I have taken some pics of my tank, and will upload when my son gets back, but mess..?/ what u mean?

 

[Fishkeeper26]

Sorry I mean mesh, putting java moss there might work

 

[karen21]

Thanks Fishkeeper26 x
Brainwave.. Used a bit of filter "mess"(mesh) ; ) THATS upset my ickle Betta!

 

[GuppyLover]

? I have no "mess" do you mean floating stuff,like java moss or something? I don't have that, as my tank is new, and so am I.
I have taken some pics of my tank, and will upload when my son gets back, but mess..?/ what u mean?

I'm gonna be a nerd and check, is your tank cycled?? While your at it why don't you throw in a few discus pics?? :} I am so jealous, I've always wanted a discus tank but there so darn expensive and need big tanks!!

 

[Batt4Christ]

In my experience, guppies can be surprisingly aggressive fin-nippers.

 

[karen21]

I'm gonna be a nerd and check, is your tank cycled?? While your at it why don't you throw in a few discus pics?? :} I am so jealous, I've always wanted a discus tank but there so darn expensive and need big tanks!!

My tank was set up in an emergency...
the filters, gravel etc were used,(rinsed, but defo not washed.) and I put in "Cycle." I know this is bad, but leaving my fish as they were was worse..
The Discus were a greedy buy..ops
I am still learning, and my impulsiveness does NOT help

Don't be jealous, I am paying the price! I just had a nitrite spike, so am doing 10% water changes a day
Will do my best on the pics.x

 

[karen21]

In my experience, guppies can be surprisingly aggressive fin-nippers.

thankyou, and you may well be right.. Tho, I am finding my Pakistani loaches keep tailing my Discus..so maybe nipping at my Bettas..