Help Me ID My Fish! Any problems?

[greenhat06]

Sorry guys, I have been monitoring this forum for awhile and finally decided to post. I have had my 30 gallon freshwater aquarium for about 9 months now and really have learned a lot (mostly through mistakes unfortunately, but hey, it's the best way to learn). Anyways, now that I am finally getting into this amazing hobby, I have some questions. First and foremost, I need to keep an accurate list of the species of fish I have. I have gone to pet stores and my local fish store and buy anything that appeals to my eye. Yet, nothing ever seems to stick in my mind once I put it in there and throw away the receipt. So please help identifying the pictures!

Secondly, are there any fish that "can't be in this same tank?" They all SHOULD be community fish but again, I never paid too much attention to it (although I will never buy another labeled aggressive fish, learned from that mistake as well). The reason I ask is because I recently made my first "nice purchase" of the Ram. It's gorgeous, however, I feel like it is scared in the tank. On day 1, it was chased all over by the black shark with the red tail. He? seems like the "owner" of the tank since he is the biggest, but he mostly hides in the cave along with my pleco. But since that first day, my Ram won't leave the top corner of my tank (where the airbubbler and heater are --> would that have something to do with it?). So I guess are there any obvious contradictions in my tank?

Lastly, here are my latest water profile tests (from the API Freshwater Master Kit):
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10-20
Ammonia 0
pH 7.4-7.6
(Temperature is set to 80, but don't have a thermometer/device in there to measure for sure)

Looking forward to getting to know all of you, seems like a great community!
What an addicting hobby...

Here is a link to the fish pictures (haven't figured out a way to post them directly to the site):
Flickr: greenhat06's Photostream

 

[Fishperson]

The black shark with a red tail is a red tailed shark, and it is very territorial and will grow too big for your tank. I suggest returning him, and if you do the ram will be a lot less shy. What other kinds of fish are in there? Can you post pictures?
Your water parameters are fine, but I suggest getting a glass thermometer. Petsmart has a good one called "top fin floating glass thermometer" for $3, and it works well (I have had mine for 2 months now). The ram is most likely either a golden ram or a bolivian or a german blue. Can you post pictures? Look up golden ram on google images, if it looks nothing like that then it is either german blue or bolivian. Can you also post pictures of the pleco, because if it is a common pleco then it will grow to far over a foot.
Hope this helps!
to aquarium advice!

 

[azmodan]

Hi greenhat!

I spy a...

German blue ram
kribensis
denison barb
black phantom tetra
red-tailed shark
black neon tetra
tiger barb
scissortail rasbora
and some sort of pleco (hard to tell)

Someone will chime in soon with possible compatibility/size issues soon. Welcome to AA!

 

[greenhat06]

Thanks a lot for the quick reply. I will try to take more pictures tonight and post them, so please stay tuned. Also, that's a bummer to hear about the Red Tail Shark, he was definitely one of my favorites and I've had him the entire time from day 1. He's definitely gotten bigger throughout the months and more aggressive, so I can understand. So just a last time, I should remove him if I want to be stocking it with more "pricey" and beautiful lookers like the Ram? I wouldn't want to compromise fish like the Ram by having something that isn't compatible.
But again, more pics on the way, thanks for the help!

 

[Fishperson]

I think that a ram and a shark in a 30 is not a good combo. The ram will come in peace, and end up in pieces. I agree with azmodan on the fish, but there is no scissor tail rasbora, that is the denisson barb, and I'm not completely sure that is a german blue ram. It might not be, I would need to see more pics. AHA!
I am awesome!
I think the pleco is a clown pleco. I would need a full body pic though. Can you try and maybe make a video? I know it sounds like a lot, but we need to see how many of each fish are in there. Or you could make a list. The tiger barbs are the ones that are black and orange. Denisson barbs yellow and black tails, with a neon orange and black stripe down the middle. Kribensis are the grayish-blue ones with really dark blue stripes. Black neons have the red on their eye. Black phantoms are silver with a black vertical stripe near the gill, and black fins. And obviously the shark is the scary looking black one with a red tail.

 

[Fishperson]

If this is pretty much your pleco, then it is a clown pleco.

 

[greenhat06]

Can't thank you enough. I'll put up pictures and video when I get back tonight, no problem at all. I just googled the fish that were mentioned and I actually am pretty sure that they are scissor tail rasboras (only because that name sounds familiar when I bought them at the store). But I will post better pictures tonight (learned some simple tips from the DSLR technique post on here: turn off filter and air-bubbler haha, should help a bit). Anyways, truly appreciate the help! More questions to come as well: mainly, is it a problem if I only have 3 Tiger Barbs, as a website say they are not recommended even in community tanks if below 6 as they will nip and chase other fish, especially slow moving ones. Also, is the kribensis cichlid a problem? Had no idea it was a cichlid when I bought it, and now I'm reading it's not a community fish. Just let me know, I am here to learn! Thanks

I think that a ram and a shark in a 30 is not a good combo. The ram will come in peace, and end up in pieces. I agree with azmodan on the fish, but there is no scissor tail rasbora, that is the denisson barb, and I'm not completely sure that is a german blue ram. It might not be, I would need to see more pics. AHA!
I am awesome!
I think the pleco is a clown pleco. I would need a full body pic though. Can you try and maybe make a video? I know it sounds like a lot, but we need to see how many of each fish are in there. Or you could make a list. The tiger barbs are the ones that are black and orange. Denisson barbs yellow and black tails, with a neon orange and black stripe down the middle. Kribensis are the grayish-blue ones with really dark blue stripes. Black neons have the red on their eye. Black phantoms are silver with a black vertical stripe near the gill, and black fins. And obviously the shark is the scary looking black one with a red tail.

 

[Fishperson]

I think that kribs are supposed to be nice, but I don't have any experience. Tigers need at least 6. I don't think that those are scissortails, the ones with an orange and a black stripe down the middle are definitely denissons. Scissortails don't have yellow on their fins. Is the pic I posted your pleco?

 

[greenhat06]

So I shot some more photos which can be found here:
Fish 2 - a set on Flickr

Also, I took 3 videos which can be found here:
Patrick Greenwell - YouTube


After my "amateur analysis" here is what I have in my tank:
German Blue Ram
Kribensis cichlid
Denison Barb
Black Phantom Tetra (1)
Red Tailed Shark
Black Neon Tetra (2)
Tiger Barb (2)
Scissortail Rasbora (1)
Clown Pleco

The thing that concerns me is only last week when I purchased Ram (German Blue?) I also got 3 Scissortails (?), 3 Black Neon Tetras. And before that, I used to have 5 Tiger Barbs. I am not sure what the cause of this is but I do not think that it is water-quality related. I perform weekly 25% changes and check my levels once a week (see first post). I am thinking it must be the combination of fish I have in there. Now that I think about it though, there have been times when I notice a small dead fish in my Aquatech 20-40 filter (it's not possible for them to be sucked up into it, assuming the water quality is correct and the fish are healthy, right?). So there is my situation, hope some people can shed some light onto my issues. I don't mind getting rid of fish or adding new ones, I just want to be doing this correctly. I can't keep wasting money on small fish that just end up in the filter. Thanks you guys!

 

[bettaowner]

Kribs are peaceful unless a pair spawns.

 

[azmodan]

Ahhhh I just had a long response typed out but lost it when my computer conked out.

Anyway, here's an abridged version of what I wrote:

Dead fish in your tank is likely a result of bullying by a few culprits. I'd look to rehome these fish:

Red tailed shark - Ideally should be in something like a 55 gal as they get very territorial.
Tiger barbs - Very nippy, needs to be in a school of 6+ to help spread out aggression. Does best with larger tankmates or in a semi-aggressive tank (or a species tank).
Denison barb - Fairly peaceful but its adult size needs a much bigger footprint to really be happy as they need lots of swimming space.

Your scissortail rasboras, black neon tetras, and black phantom tetra are all schooling fish that should be in groups of 6+ (or ideally 8-10+). Their current small numbers leave them stressed and more susceptible to bullying and disease. I'd rehome one of them and up the schools on the other two. Actually I'd probably rehome 2 of the 3 and opt for something more colorful (seeing as how the three current fish all share similar colors -- black and silver) like rummynose tetras, cardinal tetras, lemon tetras, diamond tetras, harlequin rasboras, dwarf neon rainbowfish, and so forth.

So that would leave you with...

Clown Pleco
German Blue Ram
Kribensis
8-10 schooling fish
8-10 schooling fish

That's a pretty good stock right there. You could possibly add another ram of the opposite sex to maybe get them to mate but it might be a bad idea with a krib in the mix too. For now I'd recommend gravitating toward rehoming the fish I mentioned and then building up a few schools of fish. If you can I'd also recommend adding another filter to double up what you currently have (you just have the one running now, right?). More filtration is always good.

Also, a bit off topic but have you considered live plants? The lowlight types are extremely easy and also good for your fish.

Anyway, great job so far!

 

[Fishperson]

Oh, my bad, I did not see the scissortail. You have both a denisson barb and a scissor tail. I would rehome the shark, denisson, and 2 of the other 4 schooling fish in there (tiger barb, black neon, black phantom, scissortail). Then add more of the schooling fish. Of the 4 I listed in parentheses, which 2 do you want to keep in a bigger school? I recommend the black neons, but the phantoms are cool too. Or you could rehome 3 of the types and buy a new type. Whatever you want.

 

[greenhat06]

Wow, so it seems like I have some work cut out ahead of me. Here are my thoughts so far, please let me know if you agree/disagree or other directions I should go:

- Currently, I am stuck with my 30 gallon tank. However, I am moving in July and planning on upgrading to a 50 gallon. When I do that, I will be able to add 2 filters and address the "more filtration issue." And when that happens, I will be back on here taking suggestions for a second filter!

- The fish that I will be KEEPING for sure are: Clown Pleco, German Blue Ram, Kribensis.

- As for the Denison Barb, I would love to keep this fish any way possible. Especially since I will be "almost definitely" getting a 50 gallon tank in July, this will give him more room to swim around. Do you think it's okay to keep him in the tank until then?

- I will be taking the Red Tailed Shark to my LFS to see if they can give me any sort of credit or anything for his exchange; if not, they will be getting him anyways haha. Sad to see him go, he's gotten so big and there since the beginning; however, he scares the hell out of the Ram (who I think is dead half the time behind the heater) and probably the rest of the fish.

- I will also be getting rid of the Tiger Barbs. They are way too "nippy" (I had heard this before and ignored it, my fault) and definitely not enough to be in their school.

- Now, here is the next dilemma: STOCKING --> I am entirely open to re-starting my schooling community in this tank. I've never actually researched a fish before buying it (again, my own mistakes; learning though!) so would love to have some input as to a group group of schooling fish. Colorful, well-behaving, interact well with the other fish in my tank, and HOW MANY!? And a sub-question: if I decided to stick with something like my Black Phantom Tetras, would it just be easier to get them all at once instead of using the 1 or 2 I have left in my tank. Seems like they would form a more "natural community" if purchased and imported all at the same time, but I do not know? Also, would like to get some other "lookers" in the tank like my Ram (who I am praying finally opens up out of it's corner once the Red Tail Shark leaves). Any suggestions? I have seen Angel Fish before and love them. Also other Rams are gorgeous like Electric Blues.

-Finally, AqAdvisor says that Denison barbs are recommended in groups of 5 or more?? I'm pretty sure I bought this fish for around $20, that would be a tough community to start (even if I did it in the 50 gallon tank where they belong), is this a "requirement"?

This is your turn, I trust you guys! Thanks

 

[Fishperson]

Yeah, all barbs are pretty much going to want to school. If you plan on keeping the denison, then you could keep it in the tank until early July, but it will get lonely probably. I think you should return it, unless you plan on spending 100$ on 5 more.

It doesn't matter that much if the fish are put in at the same time or not, believe it or not they quite often can't recognize each other anyway. In nature, they live in schools of 1000+ sometimes, so yeah.

Your filtration is not an issue with this tank, but when you get a 50 it would be wise to add another filter in. If you really have the Aquaclear 70, then you have more than enough at the moment.

 

[greenhat06]

Ahh, bummer about the Denison barb. I think I'll keep it in my tank for a bit longer and then try to figure it out (possibly see if the LFS will "trade" for it). Regardless, I will be going on Monday afternoon to give them my Red Tail Shark, along with the random community fish. Any takers on good looking community fish to get? I am kind of leaning towards black phantoms as I like their bold black color; but on the flip side also lacking any other colors. Thanks

 

[Fishperson]

I like black phantoms, and would go with a school of those and some other tetra. You could go with bloodfins. They get a bit aggressive with smaller fish if they aren't fed enough, but are EXTREMELY hardy, can easily tolerate your ph and just about any water temperature you throw at them.

 

[greenhat06]

Oh no, big problem. So I woke up today to feed the fish and as usual, was looking around to find my Ram who is always hiding (typically in the top corner behind the heater). Except today, he was nowhere to be found. Then, I check my filter and it was not flowing "thoroughly" and had a very weak stream. Unfortunately, through some of my previous mistakes, I knew that only meant one thing. I am about to unclog the filter but am 99% sure what's in there. Before I did so, I took my water levels with the API Master Kit and they are:
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20
Ammonia: 0
pH: 7.4-7.6 (depending on pH or high pH test)
Temp: 78F

I am currently blaming it on the Red Tail Shark. I have a huge exam on Monday and couldn't go to the LFS until Monday afternoon to return the shark. Unfortunately, it seems like it's too late. Obviously I did not see it happen, but just to make sure, there is no way it got "sucked up" my filter when it was alive right? This would only happen if the fish was unhealthy? The water levels seem fine, so that wouldn't be it. Maybe it was unhealthy because it was so scared and couldn't swim around a lot and maybe even couldn't eat enough of the flakes? I'm struggling for answers right now and so frustrated. I know I have a bad group of fish together in there right now (which you all pointed out in this thread) but I am just so sick of these fish dying, especially when I try to take such good care of my tank and water levels. Part of me wants to just start from scratch with all new fish. Any advice, could there be something else going on? Regardless, definitely still returning the Red Tail Shark and the Tiger Barbs on Monday. Just upset and frustrated right now

 

[Fishperson]

Yeah, that would be the shark. Red tailed and rainbow sharks (very similar) are both similar in coloration, and both look pretty awesome, so people generally get them a lot, when they are around 2-3 inches long. Then they grow 4 inches and kill everything in the tank.
It was probably the shark, 'cause your params look fine. Once you rehome the shark, you could get another ram.

 

[Fishperson]

What filter do you have? It shouldn't be able to suck up a ram!!

 

[greenhat06]

So after a long hiatus (big exam that required months of studying), I am finally ready to get back into the fish game. Only problem, I still have that **** Red Tail Shark. And during my time off studying, it has literally killed every fish in the tank except for the Dennison (and the pleco). So I am going to my LFS tonight around 7 to give them the shark, and I guess the Dennison, although I really don't want that one to go (he really doesn't seem aggressive at all, at least compared to the shark). But in terms of re-stocking options, any suggestions/thoughts I should be on the lookout for? Thanks

Patrick