New here, wanna make sure my fish are ok

[nathan.boyles2]

Hey all im relatively new to the fish game. Recently decided to get a little ten gallon because the GF decided it was a good idea.

My numbers all seem fine
7.4Ph
No ammonia or if there is its less than .25ppm or whatever...
N02 or whatever is at 0
NO3 is lsss than 40 iirc.

According to my "drop" test kit those are all fine with Ph being a little high.

My tank has a semi large yellow submarine (badass) in the middle.

Appropriately sized fake coral in the back right corner.

Smallish no fishing sign in the back left.

I have plants that seem to be doing awesome, first try too. GF is jelly.

Some lilly pad things that have multiplied a LOT. Like 8ish of them

A sword plant? Has two roots things going on, has grown though.

Some other plants (5 of them.... look like a weed our something, 6th has recently sprouted) that have doubled in size.

Have a vine like plant with its leave in a circular fashion, he's grown to go across half the tank.

Recently added this grassy four leaf clover plant thing too.

 

[nathan.boyles2]

Fish are 3 albino tetras
4 neon tetras
1 red Mickey mouse platy
1 yellow cremicle lyretail molly. I butchered the spelling I know.
1 powdered blue dwarf gourami (spelling?)
1 otocin____ bottom feeder. He liKes algae a lot.

 

[nathan.boyles2]

Now I feed the fish depending on how hungry they look.

They looking fat and have had too much McDonald's and need to poop. They don't eat.

They look like they're starving and would go to McD's if they could.... I feed them.

It's usually every day or every other day.

Now for the actual reason for this post.

Pretty sure my pants are fine since they grow super fast. I've had the tank less than a month and they do awesome.

My tetras look happy and school together, break up, school together, etc. They seem to eat fairly well for their size.

Molly looks relaxed and is usually looking for more food even though he just ate a bunch and crapped it all out. He will sometimes grab his own poop and spit it out on accident... poop is absorbed and disappears. Probably to be filtered out later.

Red platy sometimes hangs out with the molly, sometimes with the albino tetras, but normally swims about the tank. Does not sit frightened like when he was introduced. He does not easy add much as the molly or blue D.G. but gets a meager amount of food. He ok?

Blue DG. Dude is fat and thinks he's the president of the United States of America. He gets along fine with the other fish.
He will sometimes push the molly or platy out of the way like a d bag but it's not very often at all.I've seen it once or twice.
Chases the tetras when they keep swimming around him getting in his way too much. Again seems to be rare. I've seen him do it once for a short period of time. More on him when I get to the oto something.

The oto is the fish I'm worried about the most. He tends to eat a lot of algae, chills in the plants, corners nooks and crannies as well as on my submarine.
I give him bottom feeder pellets once or twice a day. However he never really gets them since my fat molly finds it, tries to eat it, then my dbag blue DG steals it from him and eats it/spits it out.
Do you think with all my plants he's fine? Or how do I feed him with out my two fat *** fish taking his food?

I'll try to post pics in a few.

I'd rather not take any of my fish back or have them die as I'm content with the set up.

 

[nathan.boyles2]

Apologize for grammar, phone post
If I should add more info let me know.

 

[NigelK8485]

Even though you don't want to get rid of any fish it'd probably be best if you did or get at least a 20 gallon long. Your tank is pretty stocked. If it were me I'd get rid of the tetras since they're so zippy and like a lot of space to swim.

Otos typically don't go for algae wafers, they prefer actual algae. They also get stressed out really easily and prefer to be in groups of 5 or more, though with your size tank I don't think there would be enough for them to eat. Maybe look at returning some fish and adding two more otos? Or upgrading your tank size and adding more.


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[nathan.boyles2]

Tetras zip around not really caring about others space. Only fish that can be bothered is the platy and he usually chills by the fishing sign.

I thought oto were communal not schooling...? When they school I read they can be mean to other fish. Ask my fish are relaxed and non aggressive. Even the dbag DG, who are suppose to be mean and territorial.

Only thing DG is kinda territorial about is food. Just wants others to know what's his food and what's not.

Oto seems happy and fine, when I first introduced him he was supper scared.

If there isn't enough algae for one to eat why would I add more??

 

[nathan.boyles2]

I understand when all my fish are fully grown I'll need to upgrade (probably to a 30 gallon) but as of now I can't justify another tank.

Any small things I can do to keep the fish I will do.

More frequent water changes, bigger filter(prefer not, spent enough money on it recently)and stuff like that I'm all for.

 

[NigelK8485]

Otos are much more comfortable in groups. I was saying your tank couldn't house five or more like they prefer though, so adding just two more would be good. Getting him to eat an algae wafer may be a bit difficult due to your other fish snatching it, but if you were to blanch a piece of zucchini or cucumber you could lay that in the tank and leave it for 24 hours, I'm sure he'll find his way to it eventually and it'll be too big for your other fish to carry off.

As far as them being aggressive towards other fish, I've never heard of otos attaching to fish or eating their slime coats. There are other fish that often get confused for otos that are known to do this...but part of the reason otos are held in such reverence is the fact that they eat algae 24/7 and don't bother other fish.
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[ImACoolguy]

Nigel has a point. Can we get a picture of the Oto? I have seen people mistake them for CAE. That would end disastrously if you actually have a CAE they are mean dudes.

Also I didn't see it mentioned but please watch the language or you will have some moderators after you


Caleb

Sent via TARDIS

 

[TMRC Exotics]

This tank is already overstocked.

 

[matronmedusa]

Smaller tanks are actually much more of a pain in the *** to care for. I agree that your tank is already overstocked. Gourami's are very shy, and may not be comfortable sharing such a tight space with so many neighbors. Also, schooling fish, like Tetras, do best in groups of 6 or more.

 

[nathan.boyles2]

****, (that won't get a mod after me will it?) What fish would I have to take back? If its a little over stocked I'll be ok with that. If its like 50% over stocked, I'll take a fish or two back.

I'll post a pic of the oto soon. Still confused why they were listed as communal when they school? Or an I confused as to what the two words actually mean?

 

[nathan.boyles2]

I know im making a lot of post but meh.

I don't plan on adding any fish than what I got right now.

Here is the oto and the other two fat fish
http://imgur.com/a/SnbFW
Phone sucks.

 

[TMRC Exotics]

Its too overstocked. Return some or get a new tank. I would say return the dwarf gourami and platy, or platy and molly. Either combination. Maybe just one of the three will be enough.
There is no way you will maintain steady water quality with this many fish in a 10 gallon, period.

 

[Ricky 1]

Otto's should have a nice little fat belly, if you get a half coconut shell (lfs) put your algea wafers in there, other than that TMRC is correct your over stocked...........

 

[icydeath]

Otto's should have a nice little fat belly, if you get a half coconut shell (lfs) put your algea wafers in there, other than that TMRC is correct your over stocked...........

Why a half coconut shell?

Otos are notoriously difficult. This isn't to see they aren't too hard to care for, it's just a lot are wild caught and very stressed due to this. They also tend to have a limited diet for a while after you get them.

Regardless, a nice tool to use in the future is AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor It actually gives you a nice stocking number if you choose to check and see which removals get you into a stocking level that is more ideal.

 

[nathan.boyles2]

I have made arrangements for someone else to take my 3 albino tetras should they not fully adapt in a few days (after initial introduction they don't move like the neon tetras). Or if they do adapt and my water becomes unstable.
I will be sad to see them go as they are super cool dudes.

I am trying nigels advice with the zucchini for my oto.

Thanks for the tool!

Fun story, as I was putting in the zucchini and half buying it in a high oto traffic area my gourami was looking at my hands intently. As I was pulling it out I guess the gourami has gotten use to my hand = food and took a nip at it. Little jerk tried to eat me haha.
He's been looking at it like that for awhile but first nip.

 

[Ricky 1]

Why a half coconut shell?

Otos are notoriously difficult. This isn't to see they aren't too hard to care for, it's just a lot are wild caught and very stressed due to this. They also tend to have a limited diet for a while after you get them.

Regardless, a nice tool to use in the future is AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor It actually gives you a nice stocking number if you choose to check and see which removals get you into a stocking level that is more ideal.

stops the other greedy fish getting at them as the hole is small gives Otto a better chance, also I put pellets down the inlet for ground dwellers, they love it ........