Critique a newbies setup and routine

[helicopter]

I am relatively new to keeping an aquairum (about 3 months) + a year of a beta. I currently have a 6 gallon eclipse tank with white sand and a bunch of plants, sorry I don't know the names of the plants except the java moss. I also have a few shells in there. I usually try to put some ghosht shrimp (3-4) in there when my petsmart has them, but recently I killed all of them + my apple snail by using an algae remover which didn't say it on the bottle, but I looked it up online and it says it kills inverts. So currently I have 1 dwarf puffer (i had two but the other one died) two pristella tetra, and a pygmy catfish. I know this is a lot of fish for the tank but as they grow I will move them to another tank. Also I know about the aggrassive behavior of dp's (the other dwarf puffer used to terrorize my current one before he himself died, found him with a bloated stomach after eating way too many brine shrimp, my mistake). Currently this dp does not act aggessive at all to the other fish (probably female), although sometimes, I don't know if its intentional, the pygmy catfish torpedos the dp (as he goes to surface). I feed them tetras flake food and the catfish algae wafers. I also feed them frozen bloodworms, blackworms, I just received 50 pond snails which I am going to breed and feed to my dp, and every so often freshly hatched brine shrimp (which I am trying to perfect my procedure to not over feed them my fish with them but also not waste them). I also have another 2.5 gallon bowfront which I had a beta in before it was moved to a bioorb at my gf's place. I might have to move the tetras there if fighting starts.

I do a %50 PWC about once a week (sometimes more often) and check the water parameters regulary. My additives to the water are
-Tap water conditioner
-Kent's Marine Iodine (for the ghost shrimp when they are in there)
-A little bulls eye pH stabilizer
-flourish iron (I think I should have gotten flourish excel)

I keep the water temp at about 82 (have an all-glass 50 w heater)

After the DP showed signs of parasites (sunken stomach and listless) I decided to treat with Jungle Antiparasite tabs + increase the water temp to 88 degrees. I will do this for about a week and a half.

Some things I am thinking about
-Flourish Excel
-Removing my biowheel
-If there are parasites in my snails
-My fish seem happier lately
-I like DP's

 

[lyquidphyre]

If you think your DP has a parasite, there is a food that you can feed him that is antiparasitic.

 

[helicopter]

Food

Food, yeah I heard about the food, but with DP's being such picky eaters I figured he wouldn't eat the food. I soak the bloodworms in liquid with the Anti-Parasite tabs.

Update- Spoke too soon. Just as when I get home today I find one agitated catfish and one fin hunting DP. The DP followed the catfish everywhere and nipped his fins. I had to move the catfish to another tank.

 

[Fish Kid]

wow you have really done your research i am quite impressed (if you are a newbie to the hobby)(wich you say you are) you seem to be doing REALLY well! the only thing i have to say is that you might be doing a little to high of a percentage PWC... but other than that your doing great for a first-timer. and kudos to you for realizing your mistake on the alge killer.... (most just get upset and think they die for no reason)

i am a little confused why you would get rid of your filter? but as long as you have one you should probably reduce your PWC's to 25%

 

[JustOneMore20]

Welcome to AA!

You are doing alot right, but I also see some problems, which you have already discussed.

I would get a 20g tank atleast, for the tetras and cories. Both are schooling fish and need a tank bigger than the 2.5g you have available. The tetras especially need atleast a 20g because they will grow pretty big. I would get another tank soon and get more tetras and more cories. Then you could keep your DP singly or possibly try to introduce a second puffer. Either way, I'd get the tetras out of there. You have seen the aggression DPs can have. Its only a matter of time before it goes after the tetras. I'd go ahead and move them to prevent any fin damage. And a 2.5g isn't big enough.

I'd definitely get some Excel. Adding Iron to the tank is ok, but it would be better to add regular Flourish and Excel, as you'd be getting a trace fertilizer mix plus some carbon.

50% water change is fine if that has been working for you. DPs are messy little guys and with the overfeeding you have noticed, I'd defintely stick to the same routine.

With the temperature at 88, watch the fish for signs of distress. If they start gasping at the surface, add an airstone.

Your plan for the parasite treatment sounds good! I'm glad you did your research. Now you'll be all set once you give the tetras a bigger tank.