Lardeelion
Aquarium Advice Freak
Morning.
At the moment I'm considering my 55g planted tank and the inhabitants. I need some thoughts on how some of you would handle switching things up a bit.
In my 55 I have
4 clown loaches (yes, there is a bigger tank in the future...right now they are the tiniest things ever)
1 burmese loach
3 black skirts
2 white skirts
4 congo tetras
1 betta
The skirt tetras in the 55 are too small in number. There isn't fin-nipping, much, but there is some territoriality that I know comes from too few numbers. The white skirts don't school with the black. I've had them for ages, from way back before I understood about schooling. My gut instinct is to try to find a home for these guys and replace them with a school of something small like cardinals or rummynose, but I feel like a bad fish parent since I've had them for so long. Is it considered bad fish etiquette to trade fish in for something else? Am I dumping my fish like a dog at the pound? Ugh. I'd certainly have to find them the right home.
I don't believe there's enough room in the tank to extend the school of skirts to a sizeable number without pushing it. At the moment, all five skirts get along peacefully with my betta; I don't want to add more skirts and risk that. I'd rather get something smaller and bright. I have a canister filter for twice as much filtration as I need, which helps a bit.
Would you be willing to share your thoughts on a) what should change, if anything and b) what you would put in if I were to replace all 5 skirts? I'd like a colorful, peaceful school who won't harass my betta. He's rapidly become my little darling.
At the moment I'm considering my 55g planted tank and the inhabitants. I need some thoughts on how some of you would handle switching things up a bit.
In my 55 I have
4 clown loaches (yes, there is a bigger tank in the future...right now they are the tiniest things ever)
1 burmese loach
3 black skirts
2 white skirts
4 congo tetras
1 betta
The skirt tetras in the 55 are too small in number. There isn't fin-nipping, much, but there is some territoriality that I know comes from too few numbers. The white skirts don't school with the black. I've had them for ages, from way back before I understood about schooling. My gut instinct is to try to find a home for these guys and replace them with a school of something small like cardinals or rummynose, but I feel like a bad fish parent since I've had them for so long. Is it considered bad fish etiquette to trade fish in for something else? Am I dumping my fish like a dog at the pound? Ugh. I'd certainly have to find them the right home.
I don't believe there's enough room in the tank to extend the school of skirts to a sizeable number without pushing it. At the moment, all five skirts get along peacefully with my betta; I don't want to add more skirts and risk that. I'd rather get something smaller and bright. I have a canister filter for twice as much filtration as I need, which helps a bit.
Would you be willing to share your thoughts on a) what should change, if anything and b) what you would put in if I were to replace all 5 skirts? I'd like a colorful, peaceful school who won't harass my betta. He's rapidly become my little darling.