I'm new to all things fishy,

[Bren]

My tank was gift to my partner who isn't interested in looking after it, just looking at it. It's a 16 gallon fish box (uk). I just set it up according to the instructions with Filterstart and Stresscoat. after a week I went to get some fish, I know now how wrong this was. I started with pelican tetras, they were fine, then a few weeks later I got 5 neons, one pelican turned into a bully, I took him back and swapped him for a neon, another pelican tuned into a bully, while I was catching him, the other pelican jumped out and the dog caught him in his mouth. Me and all the fish were pretty stressed by now. I took the last pelican back and we had a couple of weeks rest. Then I went and got 6 harlequins, I have the water checked every time I go to Lfs they use api kit. It always seems ok, once it had slight trace of ammonia. everything was great for another couple of weeks. I do pwc every 2 weeks and Hoover the gravel I swish the filter out in the tank water. Then another disaster struck, brown algae, not much as yet and I just clean it off the glass and do pwc. but even worse, I noticed one of the tetras going pale, it stopped swimming with the others. I researched and found out about neon tetra disease, it seemed a dead ringer for this and all the websites said no cure, euthanasia only way. I did it with vodka like they said but I feel so bad. The other tetras seem ok but I know they could die as well. I feel very disheartened. My profoundly disabled daughter loves this tank I just want to have two little shoals of fish, of about 5 or 6 and two others a bit bigger and golden coloured if possible.is this unrealistic? My tank is about 10 weeks old now I have gravel in the bottom, a couple of plants, a couple of plastic plants and two holey rocks.I use stress coat and the Filterstart as recommended at every water change

 

[Bren]

Oh, I've just noticed, I meant PENGUIN tetra, not pelican!

 

[AquaOne]

Bren,
I would say drop the filter-start, you have natural bio-waste from the fish now. As an addition to your tank, maybe some platy's. Also you would do well to get a bristlenose plec, it will help clean algae and it's a really fascinating fish.

 

[Bren]

Thank you Aqua One, would my tank support two platy's and the plec? do platy's swim quite slowly? I ask because I would like tish, my daughter to be able to follow them with her eyes, and contrast them with the relatively fast moving shoals.

 

[Hubert90]

Thank you Aqua One, would my tank support two platy's and the plec? do platy's swim quite slowly? I ask because I would like tish, my daughter to be able to follow them with her eyes, and contrast them with the relatively fast moving shoals.

Pleco wouldn't be suitable for Ur tank, they get big quick

 

[AquaOne]

Bren, I would think 2-3 platy's okay and BN pleco (make sure it's a bristlenose 'cause they only grow to 4½" or so). Platy's come in a range of colour, some very nice and vibrant oranges, electric-blues and black to name but a few. Albino BN plec's are 'different' more of a pink/orange (well mine is). It's good to have a mix of fish that normally occupy different areas of water too, so maybe a couple of Cory's (bottom dwellers) in addition. Loads of varieties out there, I have bronze and pepper cory's, you would want two or three as they like their own company.