New to this

[Sammm11]

Hey everybody! I'm a 17 year old girl who just got her first 10g tank. I'm extremely new at this and don't really know what I'm doing. I keep my temperature at around 80 degrees and have a bala shark and a parrot cichlid. Any advice for me?

 

[Try-na]

Welcome to the hobby. I hope you enjoy it cuz it's totally addictive! 10gallon is a great starter tank & they can be awesome but I might have bad news for you.

1st - Bala Sharks grow huge (over a foot) & have a minimum tank requirement of 70 gallons

2nd - Parrot Cichlid (if its the kind I think it is) grow to 8" & have a minimum tank requirement of 50 gallons.

You might want to look at returning them? If the store that sold you the tank also sold you those fish they should be held responsible.

The best advice I can give you is always always research the type of fish before you buy them. I stand in the isle of every pet store with my iPhone & I google everything. It will save you money & heartache in the end. Good site for you the check out is www.liveaquaria.com

Good luck!

 

[Sammm11]

Thanks! Could I keep the tank with the fish until I have to upgrade or should I get new fish? Cause I spent so long at the pet stores deciding because I like the cool looking fish I don't want little fish either you know what I mean?

 

[Try-na]

If you're not interested in little fish then you definitely shouldn't have a 10g aquarium. If you truly want to keep these fish then you better pick up a large aquarium. If you like your fish then you will want to give them the best environment for them. Take a little time to research these fish. They are both semi-aggressive & even if you get a large tank you will be limited to what you can put with them. I have a 55g & wouldn't have either in something that small. It's up to you in the end but your fish won't last very long in that small of a tank.

 

[Scottyhorse]

If you want 'larger' fish for a ten gal, go with a Honey Gourami and 5 Panda Cory Cats. Make sure to get rid of the other fish you have currently, like Try-na was was saying.

Make sure the tank is cycled.

 

[Sammm11]

Okay thanks guys I'm going to look into a 75g. How would I switch them?

 

[Mebbid]

If you are able to return your fish to the pet store I would take a look at this article before adding any new fish to the aquarium.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...guide-and-faq-to-fishless-cycling-148283.html

AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor

Research is the best thing you can do in getting a fish tank. Also, taking things slowly is also a very good step to take.

I would also HIGHLY recommend buying an API master test kit for your tank to make sure things are safe.