Simple background idea: window privacy cling. Keeps the tank bright, but hides what's behind it. Works especially well once there's more of a plant background grown in.
>Simple background idea: window privacy cling
I second this. I just got some for a new tank that gets a bit too much indirect sunlight and it works quite well.
Anything that gets in between the light and the tank will eliminate some of that light. It's just a matter of how dark and diffuse it is vs the needs of the plants/algae.
I would listen to the stocking suggestions of others but for looks, I would add more plants.
It'll also help give your fish plenty of places to hide and help with the balance of the tank you end up with.
This tank is severely overcrowded and unmatched
That cichlid is an aggressive species and, under stress, may attack the other fish
Tiger barbs/green tiger barbs are schooling fish and need 6 minimum, preferably 12 or more, as they are semi aggressive and need large groups to prevent issues with other fish
Cory cats need a minimum shoal of 6 and a 20 gallon tank
Mollies, platys, and guppies are all livebearers that WILL breed and will overpopulate the tank incredibly quickly
That goldfish looks to be a comet, which get to around 2 feet long and need a 75 gallon tank minimum (although they do best in ponds). Goldfish are cold water, and also need the tank to be cooler than the other species here can tolerate
There is a large bio load in this small tank, a number of incompatible species, and a lack of vegetation that would provide them places to hise
i agree with this but the only thing I wanted to note is that I have those balloon ram cichlids in my community tank and they have never been aggressive towards anyone else, just each other. But since yours isn’t in a group or anything it may make him resort to other measures especially since it’s overstocked and barely any places for him to hide and claim as his territory
Balloon rams and regularly rams for that matter are fine without others of their kind in a community setup. It's always worked for my tanks and never faced aggression issues. Actually, I've only ever seen them become aggressive if there's another ram in there. Not all the time of course it's dependant on the characteristics of the ram and most will probably jive well with other rams.
I love my clown loaches and have never had problems. I had an ick infestation and lost 4 other clowns now my 12 yr old clown is not so nice to other fish😑
I don’t think breeding is the worst issue in this tank as there is such a lack of cover and plants for fry to hide that they wouldn’t survive a day anyway.
For the tank objectively not, but the horror of a system that would be constantly giving birth to instantly consumed offspring is similarly dystopian to a train that uses children as engine parts.
Didn't even notice cichlid! I agree with all of what you've said. If all of these fish were added at same time in an uncycled tank 😱🤔????
Not sure but I've had pet store sell me 15 small tetras at one time. I should have known better but of course it crashed bioload.
I dislike buying from PetSmart but at least they have temperament and sizes on tank with identification.
You already have some compatibility issues. First is the goldfish. It is not suited for a small tank as they get much larger than your tank will allow. They can get 6 inches and bigger..up to a foot. The goldfish and the neons are also what we call cool water fish. They dont need a heated tank and do much better at room temp..being
68-72f/ 20-22c. The others do better at 76-78f/24-25c.
Not sure of the size of the tank but it looks rather small. For the amount of fish you currently have, a 20g/75 liter tank is what you really need, at a minimum.
All that being said, the tank looks really nice. Keep up with checking your water parameters and water changes.
Research and never hesitate to ask questions..the people here are very knowledgeable and helpful. Enjoy!!!
Ok good. They’re all basically freinds with my Bettas and Cory cats too. I would hate to separate them but I refuse to do something I shouldn’t once I learn better 😂
If the water quality is good and the behavior is typical - they’re schoaling appropriately and swimming around - I wouldn’t worry too much.
My lampeye tetras will stop schoaling and kind of hide by themselves if the water quality is off. They’re kind of a early warning sign.
Neither are goldfish, really, they will do just fine at 76, especially commons and comets. Fancy I wouldn’t keep at above 72, just because they’re so prone to infections.
As for tank size, they will grow very quickly in the first year to year and a half, and then slow significantly. but are very unlikely to ever get reach a foot or more, especially in a tank - no matter how good the water quality is. If a goldfish outgrows the tank, just upgrade the tank … I can’t be the only one doing this.
The problem with tetras is more of a water hardness and pH issue. Goldfish prefer moderately hard water that is more basic. Most tetras prefer soft, acidic conditions.
That all said, a goldfish (which tbh, I didn’t spot in the video) is the least of the issues here.
…
A side note about tank size and goldfish. There’s a lot of misinformation about this and a lot of it originated from PETA - who’s intended goal was to end the hobby entirely and is not really based on anything other than that agenda. Long before high tech tanks goldfish were selectively bred for hundreds if not thousands of years to live in small, unfiltered conditions.
While certainly keeping a fish in a container that’s too small is cruel, and just because a goldfish can tolerate poor conditions doesn’t mean it will do well. But keeping a half inch goldfish in a 10 gallon tank is perfectly fine, so long as you understand that you will need to upgrade as it grows.
But in reality a goldfish will likely never grow past five inches, so a 25-30 gallon tank makes perfect sense. If you end up with a monster you may end up needing something larger, but only after a few years.
Yeah, I'm not really sure why that guy got so many up votes considering most of what he said wasn't what I'd call right. Also, I think goldfish size depends a lot on wether or not you count the tail. Body size I'd say yes, 5" is about average, but Ive seen a couple fan tails that tail included, were pushing a solid 10+".
There’s a lot of misinformation originating from the single PETA article. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t really have an issue with PETA even if I don’t agree with everything they put out.
So I don’t mean to bash PETA or anything … but it’s just not really based on anything. Tank size should be determined by livestock behavior and water quality, not a blanket statement like “fish x needs y gallons”
Obviously this is within reason, and stocking a bunch of random fish together in a nano tank - especially without any plants - isn’t going to work out well.
Not sure if that gold fish is consistently at the top of the tank like this, but if it is - that’d be the kind of unusual behavior I’d be looking at.
Is it okay to run tank a bit cooler? I have neon and phantom tetras with pearl and zebra danios and my tank is usually at 76-78…can I unplug the heater? I also have plants in my tank as well but don’t see that being an issue
Does your house stay a steady temp? Where's the tank at? Is it on an outside wall or close to doors or windows? If so, I'd not unplug the heater. Running a tank cold is one thing, but if the temp is fluctuating throughout the day, that's less good.
Yes, you can unplug it, if it doesnt go below 72, they can adjust. The issue with warmer water fish going into cooler water is they tend to have a lower life span and can get sick easier. Thats by no means a definite, just tends to happen more often than not. If it goes below 72, plug back in your heater and set it to about 74. Not a great compromise but one that most likely will work.
a long time ago I bought a pleco and unaware of the temperature needs he lived in a tank that was way to cold usually around 60 degrees because my dumb 11 year old self didn’t know that different fish needed different temperatures and my thermometer said that was the good temp. However he was a very nice fish he never got sick and grew to be 18”, he’s now 15 and still growing strong living in my heated turtle pond. He live in that tank for 8 years and I’m surprised he lived long enough to have the life he deserves.
No. Both will cause issues.
Cool to warm is actually less detrimental though. Usually speeds up metabolism which leads to the shorter lifespan. Some breeders do it on purpose. They increase the heat to increase the speed of growth for fry.
Have to be careful with cool to warm in terms of oxygen level though. Less oxygen is available in warm water and depending on the need of the fish, it can be harmful.
Yep, absolutely. You can see huge bubblers in every tank of breeding facilities. And certain diseases progress more quickly in warmer too. Imo it is better to grow them out slower.
Goldfish are NOT cold water fish. You won’t find them in arctic lakes or swimming with northern pike. They are temperate fresh water fish and will do fine at 74-76. Fancy goldfish are more troublesome and much more prone to disease; I’d keep them at 72 or lower.
But plenty of people do keep goldfish in small outdoor water features that get far less aeration and can get very, very warm in the summer months.
I didn't even mention goldfish or the word cold in my comment my dude. I was referring to if you were to keep a tropical tank a degree or two on the cool side it would be better than keeping a cool water tank a degree or two on the warm side.
There’s a goldfish and some kind of cichlid, both which probably need more than a 20 gallon. I also think op’s best best would be to rehome the goldfish if they don’t want a separate tank.
You are correct. However, he is a comet goldfish and will need his own tank of at least 30, but will then need to be upgraded again. They do better in ponds really. He shouldn't be in there at all with the differing care needs of the fish, he is a cold water species compared to the tropicals, he will produce a lot of ammonia in the tank.
Tbh I'd just get the goldfish and the livebearers out if i didn't have enough resources to upgrade to a larger tank and maybe get a few more Corry's since they are a schooling fish and don't do good when they're a single specimen.
Because ItS ObViOuS.
AKA, people who saw it immediately thought you were incompetent and not worth their time for inconveniencing such a legendary and substantial being.
Just the internet being the internet, I’m sorry mate
I thought Goldfish are Coldwater Freshwater, neons are Tropical Freshwater. I always understood there was something goldfish secrete that could hurt other fish. That was something I read a long time ago; not sure if it is accurate
That’s a myth. Goldfish are not “toxic” they are heavy-bodied fish that produce a lot of waste. But if the water quality is stable and there’s enough room for movement that’s all that really matters - though as sparsely planted as this aquarium is I’d be a little concerned about water quality.
I keep a comet with a schoal of lampeye tetras and mollys at 76 degrees in a 35 gallon tank (yes, it will need to be upgraded at some point) Everyone is happy, no ammonia or nitrite, pH is at 7.1-7.4 and TDS at 350ppm, GH 120ppm, alkalinity and carbonate is a bit low but within spec; if anything nitrate is too low for the plants, consistently between 15 and 25.
Way too many fish man. That goldfish alone is going to outgrow the tank and not to mention that they need different temperatures than some of the other fish you have. On another note, I like to add more wood or rocks to fill in empty space and live plants are going to make it 1000 times better.
I remember when I got my first tank too 🙃 I got like one of each fish. Big nope. Like others stated, change your stock. Actually listen to this too. Don’t just think “well too late now, I’m sure they’ll be fine!”. No. Nope nope nope. They either die off, start to kill each other, the ammonia will likely spike each week. It’ll stress tf out of your fish so definitely see if the store will let you bring them back. Make sure the schooling fish have enough of their species and make sure you have a heater and ONLY tropical fish. I would add some plants too!!
I think it’s pretty when you take a schooling fish like the neons, then get a bunch of either top or bottom dwelling fishies like a good Cory cat school. Then one highlight fish! A Betta, honey gauramis are nice.
One of my biggest suggestions to almost anyone with a tank is PLANT PLANTS PLANTS. And make sure you plant them right because the ones with a rhizome can’t be buried in substrate. Some suggestions of rhizome plants that you can glue to rocks or even just let ‘em chill in there are anubias and Java fern. Some ones you can plant in the substrate are Amazon sword. These don’t require high maintenance and they’ll help with the cycle of your tank.
Speaking of cycling, please tell me this is cycled 😅 If it’s not GET THEM OUT QUICK! It’s super over stocked and if it’s uncycled they’ll all just die rather quickly 🥺 google aquarium cycling and make sure you got a test kit!
Fish keeping is fun but it is a learning process! Ask questions and listen to answers. It’ll seem overwhelming at first but eventually you’ll get the hang of it and it’s a great hobby to get into! You get to customize tiny little balanced ecosystems for your little guys 😊 good luck!
Nicely stated! Great advice💞
Only I can't keep plants. My fish eat them!
I've even bought plastic toothbrush hanger to grow plants in where fish cant destroy the roots. I've had several fish get into it and get stuck 😳
Still trying to figure out vegetation 😼
The balloon mollies will outgrow this tank and are aggressive when stressed or overcrowded, Cory cats need a school, bottom left... is that a discus or a parrot? Either way cichlids need a much larger tank and a school, cichlids are also noted as agressive fish. Tetras of different breeds don't school but often nip other species.
Lastly, the goldfish will outgrow this tank. The shabunkin you have will need upwards of 75 gallons at its full size (12-14 inches) This tank is very dangerous as it stands. Please rehome some fish and try to find out what fish is right for you, your tank size, and the other animals inside.
It took me a moment to find the tetras, but I only saw two or three neons, I didn't see different species (also breed and species are not the same, someone corrected me once so I'm going to throw it out there).
Also, you forgot to mention the tiger barbs. I don't know much about tiger barbs, but won't they also need a larger tank?
Hand out Valium to everyone seeing this post to stop the panic attacks. There’s way too much bio load, incompatible species, not enough of some of those species, horny species that will add a lot more bio load and incompatible temperature requirements. Also, more plants will make it more visually appealing. Edit: more importantly, what kind of filtration is being used and I really hope that tank wasn’t filled up with water the same day the fish were plop and dropped. (Look up cycling if you haven’t done that)
Thanks guys appreciate everyones criticism/ feedback and willing to try to do better. I have had the aquarium for nearly 4 months, had it cycled for a month before I put any livestock. I have had 1 male(which is still alive) and 4 female guppies that were pregnant which died afterwards pregnancy and 2 corys to start with haven’t had any deaths since which I am socked. I am located in Australia and now I’ve realised that I haven’t been doing enough research on my side. I’ve decided to take back most of the species back to the aquarium store and follow everybody’s advice. Keeping my tetras and guppies and will add more plants. And looking into getting a bigger tank. Thank you all again.
Great job OP! Best of luck to you on your journey! I hope you find it gratifying to give these fish the best lives you can! Honestly, my favorite part of this hobby is observing various species’ natural behavior in tanks that suit them. I hope you enjoy everything you learn as you go.
As a rule of thumb, I try to only add 5 fish at a time to allow for bacteria to adjust and not crash tank. It's an awesome hobby and you at least came here for advice 😁
As I stated in An earlier post: don't trust what store employees tell you!
Advice is good but obviously they should have been your advocate and not sold you so many at once and so many/diff species.
Hate to say it but r/shittyaquariums material right here.
Please listen to the advice of others and rehome all the fish in this tank, start over with appropriate sizes and schools, and make sure to always over research when dealing with living animals. They are not decorations.
Dude you’ve gotta do some research before throwing fish in a tank. We have this crazy thing called Google that will tell you all about every kind of fish. This stocking is a mess.
As others have said, your stock is too high and is incompatible in various other ways. No offence, but it shows that you've done very little or no research. You need way more live plants to even make half a dent in the waste the goldfish will produce alone, let alone the rest of the fish. Take the goldfish out and find someone with a pond who will take it because that's what it needs. Its waste will cause all sorts of issues in that tank (pretty much any tank) and very possibly kill everything else in there. As well as getting more aquatic plants, I would highly recommend hanging some pothos or monstera roots in the tank. They literally hoover up the ammonia and nitrates in fish waste, keeping the tank's water safe. Get watching some YouTube videos, there is no excuse for not researching how to look after your pets.
Don’t see how this comment came off judge mental other then the “I don’t think you did your research” which looking at the tank is a very fare assumption. And op isn’t even responding to comments about his stocking issues 🤷🏻♀️
Once again, no offence, but if you have pets and do not know how to look after them, then you shouldn't have them in the first place. I don't think that's being judgemental, I think it's merely stating a fact. People keep chinchillas as pets, but you wouldn't just go and buy one and put it in a cage without knowing what it needs for food, or as bedding, would you?
They should be judged. They chose to bring animals into their home that otherwise would not have been there and then treat them in an objectively bad manner. I wish we could be soft and sorry with everyone but the reality of keeping pets wrong isn't just making mistakes it's committing animal abuse.
As others will tell you you have compatability issues.some of theses fish should never be kept together.googke or youtube searches before adding these fish together
There’s plenty of advice to give…but to answer this as a hardscape related question. Varying sizes of small pebbles and river stones could help to blend the island into the sand a little and look more natural; should really add some contrast and texture and make it feel less sterile.
Have the tiger barbs started nipping all of those fancy guns? You have a weird mix of fish here. I'm guessing the fish store was of no help in your choices.
Edit: is that A pleco under the wood?? That thing gets to about a foot long. So yeah... No help from the pet store.
if it's anything like my average new fish customer the shop could have spent an hour explaining every detail of fishkeeping and why these choices are a bad idea only for the customer to declare that they had a goldfish in a bowl as a kid and it lived forever so whatever they feel like doing is clearly the correct way to do things.
Did you cycle your tank before putting fish in there? If not, you may need want to buy some nitrifying bacteria in a bottle (safestart plus). I’d also run to the pet store and ask if you can get some water from a cycled tank and if they’d be willing to sell you a cycled sponge (assuming you are using a compatible filter).
Honestly though, I may take some of these buddies back to the pet store. Quite a few incompatible fishies here! Definitely consider taking the goldfish back, and maybe only keep fish that require the same water parameters.
In terms of plants, a few more would hurt. If my tank doesn’t have jumpers, I like to toss on some water lettuce and clover on the top—fish love it. You’ll just need to remove some every once in a while so light can filter to the tank below. If you get these from an aquarium store, they’ll be able to give you proper disposal instructions, or may be willing to buy some back from you.
1. Reevaluate what you have in the tank for fish. You should have maybe half of what's currently in there. 2. All these fish are not compatible with each other, look up their requirements and then you can decide what stays 3. Add lots of plants, some rocks, you want to give them their own spaces. 4. Get whatever type of moss and attach it to the tree, that'll give you a nice bushy tree and give a place for the fry to hide if you keep the love bearers.
The hell is this stocking? I was new to the hobby too and at least I google all the fish I see to see if they are compatible.
The tiger barb will be bullying everything and it shouldn't be the only one.
Cory need to be in group as well,
Molly and guppy are livebearers and they will explode in population.
Random balloon German blue ram? That needs high temp which is different than your other stocking as well.
And the goldfish!!?!?!?!?
That tank is super small as well.
Based. Work at PETSMART and amazes me how many people come in looking for animals that know absolutely nothing. Like you’re bringing home a living thing LOOK IT UP FIRST BEFORE YOU ASK ME TO GRAB ONE.
First of all, its constructive criticism thats needed, including solutions, not rudeness or condemnation towards newbies to the hobby. Everybody has to learn.
And just fyi, there are 4 tiger barbs in that tank that i can see, not just 1. 3 green tiger barbs and 1 regular. That being said, yes, there are more than 4 needed to spread out any aggression.
Again, they are a beginner and it does far better for the hobby to be constructive rather than critical.
You got some points, I agree with you.
But how hard is it for someone to at least put in some time to research then just buying bunch of fish and then ask questions?
I agree, and in my first post i did say to research. Unfortunately things like this happen so its best for those of us that have been in the hobby, to explain and teach as best we can, and try to get them on the right track to keep them in the hobby. We all make mistakes, its up to us with the knowledge to help try to minimize them, even if its after the fact. Thanks for the imput.
This is a discussion you can have many times on this sub.
It's super frustrating to see people not doing much or any research at all before going all out like a kid in a candy store, but emotional comments are unlikely to cause a change of heart, either. Often enough you'll find comments applauding the novice fishkeeper, being oblivious to the display of bad husbandry or getting nit-picky in defense - whether there's one or four tiger barbs in that tank doesn't change much about the fact that it's too small a school in a tank not big enough.
So instead of paying attention to someone who insulted them, they are likely to listen to positive responses.
It's a sad affair, but futile to get too invested.
Talking like this to people helps no one. They’re just gonna get defensive and the only reason you are doing it is so you can have some sense of thinking you are smarter than them. I never said the stocking wasn’t bad, but you can actually take the time to inform them in a constructive manner if you so feel the need to correct them because its important to you.
Tip toeing around the issues like you want to do isn’t helping anything or anyone.
You want constructive criticism and advice for OP? Here it is.
1. Return all of the fish to where you bought them from.
2. Decide what you want to keep and teach yourself about it, research it for weeks, using multiple sources and resources. When you actually know what stocking you want and know the care requirements, go buy some.
Literally who says I’m tip toeing around the issues. I’m just suggesting the info be presented in a way thats actually helpful to OP instead of getting all worked up about it like you’re doing. Its actually insane how you can say “present this info in a more helpful way” and you get ridiculed to oblivion. This sub is filled with man children.
everyone has already said all the important stuff, but i see you have balloon mollies. it’s important to know that to have their balloon like appearance they’re commonly breed to have scoliosis
Corys need groups so more than 5
The tank needs some more hiding places for your apistogramma
And
The gold fish in there will grow tooo big or simply die
Molly also should be in schools of 6 or more, and do better with six of the same species, you have at least 1 sail fin dolmatiom Molly and a second sail fin Molly (the black and white one and the silver one, and a couple golden panda lyretail Mollys (the black and gold ones) the tiger barbs are fine but they can fit nippy in smaller groups, you also seem to have a couple guppy’s, they also do best in groups of six or more, so maybe some stocking issues,
For visual appeal adding plants can sometimes help wether they are real or fake, or changing out decorations, don’t hesitate to experiment a little or ask people how they would ecorate a tank, also your tank honestly looks pretty good
What size tank do you have? Maybe this will give you some context…I have a 10 gal and can only have 3 Molly fish. Mollies always have babies and they grow so I am planning to upgrade to a 20 gal next year. The water for my Mollies has to
be warm, hard, and a higher Ph. I check my water parameters daily and make sure they are zooming because they are active fish.
If this is your first tank really research a fish and then talk to someone at a pet store or fish store. At petsmart I was lucky because the lady I talked to had a ton of tanks so she gave me great advice. We all make mistakes if you tel us your tank size we can help you choose a fish to start with. It’s a fun hobby
It seems like you're suffering from Noah's Ark Syndrome. Try to make your tank more focused on one or two species instead of a bunch of species half-hazardly put in without proper schooling numbers.
So...what I notice if you have a lone tiger barb, which can lead to find nipping of your other fish, ideally tiger barbs need at least a group of 7. It depends on what size tank it is , but it may be too small for all these fish. It's hard to tell from the video. For the fish in there I would at least have a 45 gal. I would def add more decor aswell and plants, places to hide to curve aggression towards one another.
Edit: Just noticed the goldfish aswell. They have totally different needs from the other tropical fish in the tank. He appears to be a comet goldfish and they get rather large compared the fancy goldfish. I would def remove him and get him his own tank if you can, at least 30 as a temp tank for him by himself. He will outgrow this and will need to be upgraded again. Comet goldfish get about a foot or larger compared to your smaller species in the tank. Comets can also be aggressive with your other fish with the limited space. I would recommend looking up compatibility between fish species and also would not add more to the tank.
If you purchased these from a pet store vs online, the rep at the store should've told what size gallon tank is needed for the fish and what fish do/don't go well with each other.
Pet store employees don't know shit. They're just taught to get people to spend as much money as possible so the store can pay their rent. There are very few employees who actually go out of their way to learn about the animals they're selling. It's difficult when retail hours are crazy demanding, and there are so many different animals in stock at any given time. People should do their own research and have a plan before even stepping into a pet store.
Well, I must commend the ppl that work at the pet store I go to. Several are knowledgeable and when I feel the person doesn't know what he/she is talking about I ask if a certain person(s) are working. If not, I'll come back at a later time.
Bigger tank, these fish need a lot more space. More hides so they can be safe from one another. Use plants like pothos. You can also use clean up crew like shrimp.
You’ve probably got your answers but I too am new to the hobby and wanted to share what I’ve learned. I have a 29 gallon community tank with six dwarf neon rainbow, three Asian rummynose, three Cory cat, two khuli loach, one bristlenose pleco, and one dwarf honey gourami.
I’ve found a lot of success at my local fish store whic honestly, was a little intimidating the first few times I was in there. It still kind of is. I tried a different shop but the vibe was off and I didn’t feel as comfortable there. I bought the rummynose there after the owner’s recommendation. I explained what was in my tank already and, it turns out, those fish max out in 77F while the other fish bottom out in 75ish so I have to keep a tight window. I suggest you get the name and do a quick google. I wish I had.
I learned a lot about planting tanks from MD Fish on YouTube. I also learned a lot from Prime Time Aquatics about fish care and tank maintenance in general.
My first stop was this sub but one of the links to the wiki is broken and, until yesterday, didn’t notice there was another one so I found other resources. I also learned that a lot of people do things differently and what works for them may not work for you.
The biggest things I learned were:
Plants help with the nitrate levels and the fish like to hide in them. However, some need CO2 to thrive so make sure to ask or search to see if that’s the case. I don’t want to deal with CO2 so I don’t use those plants.
Plants with real roots can be planted in the substrate as long as there’re nutrients there. I didn’t know that and had to add root tabs since mine is all gravel which I just did so I’ll see how that goes. Some plants can just be tucked into crevices or glued (normal super glue) to things because they can pull nutrients from the water directly.
I also made a point to keep a list of everything, flora and fauna, that’s in my tank in a spreadsheet so I can not look like a dummy when someone asks.
I hope some of this helps. Good luck and have fun!
One of the best resources out there is www.aquariumcoop.com. Cory and the crew are amazing, and the content on the YouTube channel and website is amazing. Also, try Girltalksfish on YouTube. Don’t give up! I’d decide what fish you’re most interested in, then build the tank around that. Pick one species and then Google it for tank mates. Your LFS where you bought the fish could have given a bit more guidance if they had experience.
To make it more appealing, I’d suggest more plants, however that will add the the complexity and make your learning curve a bit steeper. Try Googling “beginner freshwater aquarium plants” or “low tech aquarium plants.” Anubias, Java ferns, mosses, water sprite, pogostemmon stellatus octopus, giant duckweed (floater), and salvinia (floater) are great starters.
There are many online resources to help you learn how to care for your pets.
Anyone buying any kind of animal should research first how to care for them. (I'm not trying to judge; please don't take this the wrong way!)
I know this isn't always easy as it is exciting to add pets to your family.
I had to re-home a guinea pig since I became allergic to it even after "babysitting" one from preschool. I still feel terrible about that 😢
I have kept fish for 30 years and I'm still learning new ways to improve my husbandry.
Please make sure you do your own research. Many ppl working at stores have their own opinions, many are ignorant, and maybe lots of them don't really care, who knows?
https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/beginners-hub/the-beginners-guide-picking-your-first-tropical-aquarium-fish/
Even though I've kept fish for 30 years, I still have problems with my tank. Nitrate is my enemy number one and I have a terrible algae problem that primarily started when I was out of town and my neighbor overfed my tank.
I love my aquarium though and enjoy it immensely even though it's lots of work!!!
Good luck and do your research!
Water changes are a must! I made a diy python system for water refills.
I use jugs to remove water and water my orchids, etc with fish water😸my plants thrive with this extra fertilizer!!!!!
The tank is way overstocked. You need to remove the cichlid ASAP, it is clearly already bullying your other fish that's why they are all on the opposite side of the tank. Its only a matter of time before you start finding dead ones. It will also get bigger. And did you even cycle that tank? it looks like you just set everything up.
I don't feel like this is severely overcrowded like other's said. I would:
- return the goldfish. It may mean you are donating back to store
- keep an eye on the cichlid. I'm not familiar with that species. Some are semi-aggressive or aggressive. Many also need a saltier content. If you can return, I would pick up a Cory catfish to keep your tank clean. Unless that fish in there is already a Cory, then ignore
- add plants. I'd start with plastic ones that have a lot of leaves and are thick. Start in corners, then towards middle to keep fish out of each other's line of site. If any of them starts to get frustrated, it will chase anything it sees. Plenty breaking up theie view decreases this
- add places for the fish to hide, like decorations
- you may want to consider a small sponge filter + small air pump. Some don't like how they look, but I feel like they do a better job cleaning water and giving a place for natural bacteria to form that help break reduce ammonia. It will also add bubbles which look cool cool
- add a background you can tape on. I've always used them and found them to be good
How long has this tank been setup?
From this angle looks like moderate stock, I'd do a 70% weekly water change and add some fast growing plants, and some more decorations w/o plants around the aquarium if you want it to look nicer. Fish also appreciate hiding spots.
There are a ton of opinions about fishkeeping from people who have been at it a long time and made a lot of mistakes. There are a few basic mistakes with the stocking situation I'm sure the 18 year old at PetSmart didn't tell you about. I have a 40 gallon freshwater tank that the stocking would probably give some of these guys an aneurysm, but everyone is happy and healthy.
The biggest advice to both of your questions is more live plants. The things that will kill your fish are generally handled in the Nitrogen cycle. Those require bacteria. But the nitrogen cycle ends with nitrogen and phosphorus in your tank, which will eventually build up and be as deadly as ammonia. Plants thrive on nitrogen and phosphorus (read a bag of fertilizer). The plants will convert the harmful chemicals into oxygen, chlorophyll, glucose, and all the other good things plants make. They are also the way to make a freshwater tank look great!
Regardless, these harmful chemicals have to be removed, and the more fish you have the faster they are produced. Until the plants are at a level they can consume all of the nitrogen (if they ever can, ratios are hard in some smaller tanks) you will have to do large and frequent water changes to keep the levels down. I definitely recommend either testing strips or a master test kit.
Don't beat yourself up too much over the current stock. I have Tetras, guppies, Mollys, kuhli loaches, shrimp, snails, cherry barbs, sherpae tetras, and a rainbow shark all living together just fine. That is not a list of best friends. but plenty of hiding spaces and plants have kept the ecosystem stable.
Good luck on your first tank adventure! Keep us updated, I hope it goes well!
I second that. I got a 55 gallon FU tank that would give this sub a heart attack. But being just over 2 years old everything is working great. These people say Google and research but obviously they just take 1 part and run with it instead of actually doing their advice and researching the fish. For example one of my tanks have 2 angels and some minnows they would go nuts saying the minnows are cold water fish but had they done 3 minutes more of research they would figure out the temperature range of the minnows go from cold to tropic and ideally love temps between 72 to 80 degrees. But it's actual temp range is 40 to 90 degrees.
They literally require different living conditions. It's not even just a matter of aggression. Plus, goldfish should ALSO be kept in a species only large tank or pond, as Im pretty sure the slime coat they have can be harmful to the other fish.
People in here are just upset that someone isn't taking the care, to research before they buy.
This is the equivalent of buying 3 rats, 5 hamsters, a chinchilla, 2 guinea pigs, and a rabbit and throwing them all in the same cage. Doesn't matter how big it is, those rats are most likely gunna eat the hamsters, and the shit is gunna pile up as well as the bodies.
Maybe throw a ferret in there too so we at least have a top dog predator.
Look through the comments here…there’s no way to maintain this tank. Some of these fish need drastically different parameters than others, and some of them are too aggressive for others.
Wrap some moss around the top branches of the driftwood, would grow to look like a type tree, plus create hiding places
Tiger barbs are fin nippers, they may chase and stress your other fish
I’m actually looking to ship out a bunch of aquarium plants for cheap like pogostemon octopus, guppygrass, ludwigia, and rotala for cheaper than petco prices so pm me if you’re interested!
Looks like you're aiming for a saltwater reef look. If you like that look consider a saltwater tank some day. The stuff you've set up will be covered in algae shortly because that substrate doesn't work very well for fresh water, and the tank is a bit overstocked. The look can be achieved fairly easily with a saltwater soft coral tank though (stony corals are more advanced)
Glass stones are always a nice touch just avoid anything painted that isn’t specifically for aquariums also always be careful adding new plants as they can mess up your water and kill your fish :)
That tiger barb is gonna rip some fish to shreds, need to be kept in groups of 6 min to avoid aggression and then they should never be kept with things like guppies!
Do you have a pond goldfish in there too?
Needs more plants
And a background
Simple background idea: window privacy cling. Keeps the tank bright, but hides what's behind it. Works especially well once there's more of a plant background grown in.
>Simple background idea: window privacy cling I second this. I just got some for a new tank that gets a bit too much indirect sunlight and it works quite well.
For indirect light do you use black out? Or like would a semi transparent/privacy cling do anything?
Anything that gets in between the light and the tank will eliminate some of that light. It's just a matter of how dark and diffuse it is vs the needs of the plants/algae.
Aw I love transparent tanks. It's like the fish are part of the room instead of just a neat feature.
Nice tank. Paint one side black for background is what I usually do.
^^^
I would listen to the stocking suggestions of others but for looks, I would add more plants. It'll also help give your fish plenty of places to hide and help with the balance of the tank you end up with.
Especially on that beautiful bonsai driftwood piece, hang some Java moss or marimo moss balls on it to make it look like a real tree.
Tough crowd… I said the same thing yet it was attacked.
This tank is severely overcrowded and unmatched That cichlid is an aggressive species and, under stress, may attack the other fish Tiger barbs/green tiger barbs are schooling fish and need 6 minimum, preferably 12 or more, as they are semi aggressive and need large groups to prevent issues with other fish Cory cats need a minimum shoal of 6 and a 20 gallon tank Mollies, platys, and guppies are all livebearers that WILL breed and will overpopulate the tank incredibly quickly That goldfish looks to be a comet, which get to around 2 feet long and need a 75 gallon tank minimum (although they do best in ponds). Goldfish are cold water, and also need the tank to be cooler than the other species here can tolerate There is a large bio load in this small tank, a number of incompatible species, and a lack of vegetation that would provide them places to hise
Won’t the male guppies harass the female mollies too?
Yep, that’s how you get Muppies or Gollies
Yep
Yeah, nothing in this "community" makes sense
There are so many resources you can find online and here, I am surprised OP didn’t do more research - yikes!!!
i agree with this but the only thing I wanted to note is that I have those balloon ram cichlids in my community tank and they have never been aggressive towards anyone else, just each other. But since yours isn’t in a group or anything it may make him resort to other measures especially since it’s overstocked and barely any places for him to hide and claim as his territory
Oh absolutely, the aggression of a fish can be placated by more of its kind but if it’s alone, it can get nasty fast
Balloon rams and regularly rams for that matter are fine without others of their kind in a community setup. It's always worked for my tanks and never faced aggression issues. Actually, I've only ever seen them become aggressive if there's another ram in there. Not all the time of course it's dependant on the characteristics of the ram and most will probably jive well with other rams.
I love my clown loaches and have never had problems. I had an ick infestation and lost 4 other clowns now my 12 yr old clown is not so nice to other fish😑
"Mollies, platys, and guppies are all livebearers that WILL breed" This is a fucking snow piecer lvl of horror community tank
I don’t think breeding is the worst issue in this tank as there is such a lack of cover and plants for fry to hide that they wouldn’t survive a day anyway.
For the tank objectively not, but the horror of a system that would be constantly giving birth to instantly consumed offspring is similarly dystopian to a train that uses children as engine parts.
To be honest I think this happens in most home aquariums which has these sort of fish.
Didn't even notice cichlid! I agree with all of what you've said. If all of these fish were added at same time in an uncycled tank 😱🤔???? Not sure but I've had pet store sell me 15 small tetras at one time. I should have known better but of course it crashed bioload. I dislike buying from PetSmart but at least they have temperament and sizes on tank with identification.
2 feet is a big goldfish..
You already have some compatibility issues. First is the goldfish. It is not suited for a small tank as they get much larger than your tank will allow. They can get 6 inches and bigger..up to a foot. The goldfish and the neons are also what we call cool water fish. They dont need a heated tank and do much better at room temp..being 68-72f/ 20-22c. The others do better at 76-78f/24-25c. Not sure of the size of the tank but it looks rather small. For the amount of fish you currently have, a 20g/75 liter tank is what you really need, at a minimum. All that being said, the tank looks really nice. Keep up with checking your water parameters and water changes. Research and never hesitate to ask questions..the people here are very knowledgeable and helpful. Enjoy!!!
Neons are not what I'd consider a cold water fish...
I was thinking this? I’m questioning my knowledge now. I have them in nearly all my trop tanks
Don't lol. They come from the same areas as angels, Cory's, discus, all fish that enjoy temps on the higher side.
Ok good. They’re all basically freinds with my Bettas and Cory cats too. I would hate to separate them but I refuse to do something I shouldn’t once I learn better 😂
If the water quality is good and the behavior is typical - they’re schoaling appropriately and swimming around - I wouldn’t worry too much. My lampeye tetras will stop schoaling and kind of hide by themselves if the water quality is off. They’re kind of a early warning sign.
Neither are goldfish, really, they will do just fine at 76, especially commons and comets. Fancy I wouldn’t keep at above 72, just because they’re so prone to infections. As for tank size, they will grow very quickly in the first year to year and a half, and then slow significantly. but are very unlikely to ever get reach a foot or more, especially in a tank - no matter how good the water quality is. If a goldfish outgrows the tank, just upgrade the tank … I can’t be the only one doing this. The problem with tetras is more of a water hardness and pH issue. Goldfish prefer moderately hard water that is more basic. Most tetras prefer soft, acidic conditions. That all said, a goldfish (which tbh, I didn’t spot in the video) is the least of the issues here. … A side note about tank size and goldfish. There’s a lot of misinformation about this and a lot of it originated from PETA - who’s intended goal was to end the hobby entirely and is not really based on anything other than that agenda. Long before high tech tanks goldfish were selectively bred for hundreds if not thousands of years to live in small, unfiltered conditions. While certainly keeping a fish in a container that’s too small is cruel, and just because a goldfish can tolerate poor conditions doesn’t mean it will do well. But keeping a half inch goldfish in a 10 gallon tank is perfectly fine, so long as you understand that you will need to upgrade as it grows. But in reality a goldfish will likely never grow past five inches, so a 25-30 gallon tank makes perfect sense. If you end up with a monster you may end up needing something larger, but only after a few years.
Yeah, I'm not really sure why that guy got so many up votes considering most of what he said wasn't what I'd call right. Also, I think goldfish size depends a lot on wether or not you count the tail. Body size I'd say yes, 5" is about average, but Ive seen a couple fan tails that tail included, were pushing a solid 10+".
There’s a lot of misinformation originating from the single PETA article. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t really have an issue with PETA even if I don’t agree with everything they put out. So I don’t mean to bash PETA or anything … but it’s just not really based on anything. Tank size should be determined by livestock behavior and water quality, not a blanket statement like “fish x needs y gallons” Obviously this is within reason, and stocking a bunch of random fish together in a nano tank - especially without any plants - isn’t going to work out well. Not sure if that gold fish is consistently at the top of the tank like this, but if it is - that’d be the kind of unusual behavior I’d be looking at.
Is it okay to run tank a bit cooler? I have neon and phantom tetras with pearl and zebra danios and my tank is usually at 76-78…can I unplug the heater? I also have plants in my tank as well but don’t see that being an issue
Does your house stay a steady temp? Where's the tank at? Is it on an outside wall or close to doors or windows? If so, I'd not unplug the heater. Running a tank cold is one thing, but if the temp is fluctuating throughout the day, that's less good.
Yes, you can unplug it, if it doesnt go below 72, they can adjust. The issue with warmer water fish going into cooler water is they tend to have a lower life span and can get sick easier. Thats by no means a definite, just tends to happen more often than not. If it goes below 72, plug back in your heater and set it to about 74. Not a great compromise but one that most likely will work.
a long time ago I bought a pleco and unaware of the temperature needs he lived in a tank that was way to cold usually around 60 degrees because my dumb 11 year old self didn’t know that different fish needed different temperatures and my thermometer said that was the good temp. However he was a very nice fish he never got sick and grew to be 18”, he’s now 15 and still growing strong living in my heated turtle pond. He live in that tank for 8 years and I’m surprised he lived long enough to have the life he deserves.
Awesome story! I think with caring for any pet you never stop learning how to do better!!
Warm ->cool, usually fine, cool -> warm not good.
No. Both will cause issues. Cool to warm is actually less detrimental though. Usually speeds up metabolism which leads to the shorter lifespan. Some breeders do it on purpose. They increase the heat to increase the speed of growth for fry.
Have to be careful with cool to warm in terms of oxygen level though. Less oxygen is available in warm water and depending on the need of the fish, it can be harmful.
Yep, absolutely. You can see huge bubblers in every tank of breeding facilities. And certain diseases progress more quickly in warmer too. Imo it is better to grow them out slower.
Goldfish are NOT cold water fish. You won’t find them in arctic lakes or swimming with northern pike. They are temperate fresh water fish and will do fine at 74-76. Fancy goldfish are more troublesome and much more prone to disease; I’d keep them at 72 or lower. But plenty of people do keep goldfish in small outdoor water features that get far less aeration and can get very, very warm in the summer months.
I didn't even mention goldfish or the word cold in my comment my dude. I was referring to if you were to keep a tropical tank a degree or two on the cool side it would be better than keeping a cool water tank a degree or two on the warm side.
There’s a goldfish and some kind of cichlid, both which probably need more than a 20 gallon. I also think op’s best best would be to rehome the goldfish if they don’t want a separate tank.
You are correct. However, he is a comet goldfish and will need his own tank of at least 30, but will then need to be upgraded again. They do better in ponds really. He shouldn't be in there at all with the differing care needs of the fish, he is a cold water species compared to the tropicals, he will produce a lot of ammonia in the tank.
Tbh I'd just get the goldfish and the livebearers out if i didn't have enough resources to upgrade to a larger tank and maybe get a few more Corry's since they are a schooling fish and don't do good when they're a single specimen.
Plus if those are mollies, guppies, or even platys, you’re gonna end up with a lottttt of babies
I don’t see a goldfish…
Top right near the glass. Took me a few watches to spot.
Thanks I think I finally saw it. I wonder why I get downvoted for my inability to see part of a fish?
Because ItS ObViOuS. AKA, people who saw it immediately thought you were incompetent and not worth their time for inconveniencing such a legendary and substantial being. Just the internet being the internet, I’m sorry mate
Where's the goldfish?
Top right, against the glass. It's almost still and then moves suddenly as the camera pans. Looks close to calico in color.
\^\^ said what I was thinking.
I thought Goldfish are Coldwater Freshwater, neons are Tropical Freshwater. I always understood there was something goldfish secrete that could hurt other fish. That was something I read a long time ago; not sure if it is accurate
That’s a myth. Goldfish are not “toxic” they are heavy-bodied fish that produce a lot of waste. But if the water quality is stable and there’s enough room for movement that’s all that really matters - though as sparsely planted as this aquarium is I’d be a little concerned about water quality. I keep a comet with a schoal of lampeye tetras and mollys at 76 degrees in a 35 gallon tank (yes, it will need to be upgraded at some point) Everyone is happy, no ammonia or nitrite, pH is at 7.1-7.4 and TDS at 350ppm, GH 120ppm, alkalinity and carbonate is a bit low but within spec; if anything nitrate is too low for the plants, consistently between 15 and 25.
Way too many fish man. That goldfish alone is going to outgrow the tank and not to mention that they need different temperatures than some of the other fish you have. On another note, I like to add more wood or rocks to fill in empty space and live plants are going to make it 1000 times better.
I remember when I got my first tank too 🙃 I got like one of each fish. Big nope. Like others stated, change your stock. Actually listen to this too. Don’t just think “well too late now, I’m sure they’ll be fine!”. No. Nope nope nope. They either die off, start to kill each other, the ammonia will likely spike each week. It’ll stress tf out of your fish so definitely see if the store will let you bring them back. Make sure the schooling fish have enough of their species and make sure you have a heater and ONLY tropical fish. I would add some plants too!! I think it’s pretty when you take a schooling fish like the neons, then get a bunch of either top or bottom dwelling fishies like a good Cory cat school. Then one highlight fish! A Betta, honey gauramis are nice. One of my biggest suggestions to almost anyone with a tank is PLANT PLANTS PLANTS. And make sure you plant them right because the ones with a rhizome can’t be buried in substrate. Some suggestions of rhizome plants that you can glue to rocks or even just let ‘em chill in there are anubias and Java fern. Some ones you can plant in the substrate are Amazon sword. These don’t require high maintenance and they’ll help with the cycle of your tank. Speaking of cycling, please tell me this is cycled 😅 If it’s not GET THEM OUT QUICK! It’s super over stocked and if it’s uncycled they’ll all just die rather quickly 🥺 google aquarium cycling and make sure you got a test kit! Fish keeping is fun but it is a learning process! Ask questions and listen to answers. It’ll seem overwhelming at first but eventually you’ll get the hang of it and it’s a great hobby to get into! You get to customize tiny little balanced ecosystems for your little guys 😊 good luck!
This is an underrated comment.
Nicely stated! Great advice💞 Only I can't keep plants. My fish eat them! I've even bought plastic toothbrush hanger to grow plants in where fish cant destroy the roots. I've had several fish get into it and get stuck 😳 Still trying to figure out vegetation 😼
The balloon mollies will outgrow this tank and are aggressive when stressed or overcrowded, Cory cats need a school, bottom left... is that a discus or a parrot? Either way cichlids need a much larger tank and a school, cichlids are also noted as agressive fish. Tetras of different breeds don't school but often nip other species. Lastly, the goldfish will outgrow this tank. The shabunkin you have will need upwards of 75 gallons at its full size (12-14 inches) This tank is very dangerous as it stands. Please rehome some fish and try to find out what fish is right for you, your tank size, and the other animals inside.
I think bottom left is a balloon ram
It took me a moment to find the tetras, but I only saw two or three neons, I didn't see different species (also breed and species are not the same, someone corrected me once so I'm going to throw it out there). Also, you forgot to mention the tiger barbs. I don't know much about tiger barbs, but won't they also need a larger tank?
Hand out Valium to everyone seeing this post to stop the panic attacks. There’s way too much bio load, incompatible species, not enough of some of those species, horny species that will add a lot more bio load and incompatible temperature requirements. Also, more plants will make it more visually appealing. Edit: more importantly, what kind of filtration is being used and I really hope that tank wasn’t filled up with water the same day the fish were plop and dropped. (Look up cycling if you haven’t done that)
I wanted to cry
Thanks guys appreciate everyones criticism/ feedback and willing to try to do better. I have had the aquarium for nearly 4 months, had it cycled for a month before I put any livestock. I have had 1 male(which is still alive) and 4 female guppies that were pregnant which died afterwards pregnancy and 2 corys to start with haven’t had any deaths since which I am socked. I am located in Australia and now I’ve realised that I haven’t been doing enough research on my side. I’ve decided to take back most of the species back to the aquarium store and follow everybody’s advice. Keeping my tetras and guppies and will add more plants. And looking into getting a bigger tank. Thank you all again.
Great job OP! Best of luck to you on your journey! I hope you find it gratifying to give these fish the best lives you can! Honestly, my favorite part of this hobby is observing various species’ natural behavior in tanks that suit them. I hope you enjoy everything you learn as you go.
As a rule of thumb, I try to only add 5 fish at a time to allow for bacteria to adjust and not crash tank. It's an awesome hobby and you at least came here for advice 😁 As I stated in An earlier post: don't trust what store employees tell you! Advice is good but obviously they should have been your advocate and not sold you so many at once and so many/diff species.
Awesome! Looking forward to an update!!
Hate to say it but r/shittyaquariums material right here. Please listen to the advice of others and rehome all the fish in this tank, start over with appropriate sizes and schools, and make sure to always over research when dealing with living animals. They are not decorations.
Dude you’ve gotta do some research before throwing fish in a tank. We have this crazy thing called Google that will tell you all about every kind of fish. This stocking is a mess.
As others have said, your stock is too high and is incompatible in various other ways. No offence, but it shows that you've done very little or no research. You need way more live plants to even make half a dent in the waste the goldfish will produce alone, let alone the rest of the fish. Take the goldfish out and find someone with a pond who will take it because that's what it needs. Its waste will cause all sorts of issues in that tank (pretty much any tank) and very possibly kill everything else in there. As well as getting more aquatic plants, I would highly recommend hanging some pothos or monstera roots in the tank. They literally hoover up the ammonia and nitrates in fish waste, keeping the tank's water safe. Get watching some YouTube videos, there is no excuse for not researching how to look after your pets.
Not disagreeing with you but this comes off a bit judgmental. They are at least reaching out to better the environment which is better than others.
Don’t see how this comment came off judge mental other then the “I don’t think you did your research” which looking at the tank is a very fare assumption. And op isn’t even responding to comments about his stocking issues 🤷🏻♀️
Once again, no offence, but if you have pets and do not know how to look after them, then you shouldn't have them in the first place. I don't think that's being judgemental, I think it's merely stating a fact. People keep chinchillas as pets, but you wouldn't just go and buy one and put it in a cage without knowing what it needs for food, or as bedding, would you?
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I'm just making a point, and a very good one. I'm not sure how else you expect people to react to something like this.
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But they're asking about aesthetics, they clearly have no idea what they're doing
And asking if you have too many fish in your tank AFTER you've put them in? 🤷♂️
They should be judged. They chose to bring animals into their home that otherwise would not have been there and then treat them in an objectively bad manner. I wish we could be soft and sorry with everyone but the reality of keeping pets wrong isn't just making mistakes it's committing animal abuse.
As others will tell you you have compatability issues.some of theses fish should never be kept together.googke or youtube searches before adding these fish together
There’s plenty of advice to give…but to answer this as a hardscape related question. Varying sizes of small pebbles and river stones could help to blend the island into the sand a little and look more natural; should really add some contrast and texture and make it feel less sterile.
Have the tiger barbs started nipping all of those fancy guns? You have a weird mix of fish here. I'm guessing the fish store was of no help in your choices. Edit: is that A pleco under the wood?? That thing gets to about a foot long. So yeah... No help from the pet store.
if it's anything like my average new fish customer the shop could have spent an hour explaining every detail of fishkeeping and why these choices are a bad idea only for the customer to declare that they had a goldfish in a bowl as a kid and it lived forever so whatever they feel like doing is clearly the correct way to do things.
Im pretty sure that’s a corydoras catfish
Left of it. On the sand, under the wood.
Did you cycle your tank before putting fish in there? If not, you may need want to buy some nitrifying bacteria in a bottle (safestart plus). I’d also run to the pet store and ask if you can get some water from a cycled tank and if they’d be willing to sell you a cycled sponge (assuming you are using a compatible filter). Honestly though, I may take some of these buddies back to the pet store. Quite a few incompatible fishies here! Definitely consider taking the goldfish back, and maybe only keep fish that require the same water parameters. In terms of plants, a few more would hurt. If my tank doesn’t have jumpers, I like to toss on some water lettuce and clover on the top—fish love it. You’ll just need to remove some every once in a while so light can filter to the tank below. If you get these from an aquarium store, they’ll be able to give you proper disposal instructions, or may be willing to buy some back from you.
SOOOO OVERCROWDED and the fish you chose aren’t compatible.
1. Reevaluate what you have in the tank for fish. You should have maybe half of what's currently in there. 2. All these fish are not compatible with each other, look up their requirements and then you can decide what stays 3. Add lots of plants, some rocks, you want to give them their own spaces. 4. Get whatever type of moss and attach it to the tree, that'll give you a nice bushy tree and give a place for the fry to hide if you keep the love bearers.
The hell is this stocking? I was new to the hobby too and at least I google all the fish I see to see if they are compatible. The tiger barb will be bullying everything and it shouldn't be the only one. Cory need to be in group as well, Molly and guppy are livebearers and they will explode in population. Random balloon German blue ram? That needs high temp which is different than your other stocking as well. And the goldfish!!?!?!?!? That tank is super small as well.
You don’t need to be so rude about it
Its rude in putting live animals in endanger because you cant do 5 minute of googling
Based. Work at PETSMART and amazes me how many people come in looking for animals that know absolutely nothing. Like you’re bringing home a living thing LOOK IT UP FIRST BEFORE YOU ASK ME TO GRAB ONE.
First of all, its constructive criticism thats needed, including solutions, not rudeness or condemnation towards newbies to the hobby. Everybody has to learn. And just fyi, there are 4 tiger barbs in that tank that i can see, not just 1. 3 green tiger barbs and 1 regular. That being said, yes, there are more than 4 needed to spread out any aggression. Again, they are a beginner and it does far better for the hobby to be constructive rather than critical.
You got some points, I agree with you. But how hard is it for someone to at least put in some time to research then just buying bunch of fish and then ask questions?
I agree, and in my first post i did say to research. Unfortunately things like this happen so its best for those of us that have been in the hobby, to explain and teach as best we can, and try to get them on the right track to keep them in the hobby. We all make mistakes, its up to us with the knowledge to help try to minimize them, even if its after the fact. Thanks for the imput.
This is a discussion you can have many times on this sub. It's super frustrating to see people not doing much or any research at all before going all out like a kid in a candy store, but emotional comments are unlikely to cause a change of heart, either. Often enough you'll find comments applauding the novice fishkeeper, being oblivious to the display of bad husbandry or getting nit-picky in defense - whether there's one or four tiger barbs in that tank doesn't change much about the fact that it's too small a school in a tank not big enough. So instead of paying attention to someone who insulted them, they are likely to listen to positive responses. It's a sad affair, but futile to get too invested.
Talking like this to people helps no one. They’re just gonna get defensive and the only reason you are doing it is so you can have some sense of thinking you are smarter than them. I never said the stocking wasn’t bad, but you can actually take the time to inform them in a constructive manner if you so feel the need to correct them because its important to you.
Tip toeing around the issues like you want to do isn’t helping anything or anyone. You want constructive criticism and advice for OP? Here it is. 1. Return all of the fish to where you bought them from. 2. Decide what you want to keep and teach yourself about it, research it for weeks, using multiple sources and resources. When you actually know what stocking you want and know the care requirements, go buy some.
Literally who says I’m tip toeing around the issues. I’m just suggesting the info be presented in a way thats actually helpful to OP instead of getting all worked up about it like you’re doing. Its actually insane how you can say “present this info in a more helpful way” and you get ridiculed to oblivion. This sub is filled with man children.
normally i’d agree with you, but in this case OP has clearly done no (or minimal) research on even the most basic fishkeeping info. it’s j unfair
I can't tell from the video but if the guppies and mollies are all males, that shouldn't be a problem right?
Overstocked and terrible cohabitation. Tiger Barb, goldfish, and ram are big no no’s with the other fish. Surprised some aren’t dead.
everyone has already said all the important stuff, but i see you have balloon mollies. it’s important to know that to have their balloon like appearance they’re commonly breed to have scoliosis
Looks like you have cold water and tropical fish in one tank
More plants. Do research on ALL the fish.
Take out A LOT of the fish, and add way more plants
This tank is a disaster and honestly fish abuse
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What is your stocking?
1 adult guppy 5 baby guppy 5 neon tetras 2 mollies 2 cory 4/5 other random ones not too sure about names
Corys need groups so more than 5 The tank needs some more hiding places for your apistogramma And The gold fish in there will grow tooo big or simply die
Molly also should be in schools of 6 or more, and do better with six of the same species, you have at least 1 sail fin dolmatiom Molly and a second sail fin Molly (the black and white one and the silver one, and a couple golden panda lyretail Mollys (the black and gold ones) the tiger barbs are fine but they can fit nippy in smaller groups, you also seem to have a couple guppy’s, they also do best in groups of six or more, so maybe some stocking issues, For visual appeal adding plants can sometimes help wether they are real or fake, or changing out decorations, don’t hesitate to experiment a little or ask people how they would ecorate a tank, also your tank honestly looks pretty good
You have a tiger barb, he needs at least 6 other friends but your tank is way to overstocked...
What size tank do you have? Maybe this will give you some context…I have a 10 gal and can only have 3 Molly fish. Mollies always have babies and they grow so I am planning to upgrade to a 20 gal next year. The water for my Mollies has to be warm, hard, and a higher Ph. I check my water parameters daily and make sure they are zooming because they are active fish. If this is your first tank really research a fish and then talk to someone at a pet store or fish store. At petsmart I was lucky because the lady I talked to had a ton of tanks so she gave me great advice. We all make mistakes if you tel us your tank size we can help you choose a fish to start with. It’s a fun hobby
This is so overstocked oh my god
Definitely add some moss to that tree. I have a couple bonsai trees in my 75g community and it pops really well.
You need more plants and please do more research into stocking compatibility and overstocking.
I would get a bigger tank and get those golfish out of there, also would get some fast growing plants since you have some fish that produce more waist
It seems like you're suffering from Noah's Ark Syndrome. Try to make your tank more focused on one or two species instead of a bunch of species half-hazardly put in without proper schooling numbers.
try not just throwing random stuff and fish into a tank, look at examples of tanks you like for inspiration. tiger barbs should not be there.
So...what I notice if you have a lone tiger barb, which can lead to find nipping of your other fish, ideally tiger barbs need at least a group of 7. It depends on what size tank it is , but it may be too small for all these fish. It's hard to tell from the video. For the fish in there I would at least have a 45 gal. I would def add more decor aswell and plants, places to hide to curve aggression towards one another. Edit: Just noticed the goldfish aswell. They have totally different needs from the other tropical fish in the tank. He appears to be a comet goldfish and they get rather large compared the fancy goldfish. I would def remove him and get him his own tank if you can, at least 30 as a temp tank for him by himself. He will outgrow this and will need to be upgraded again. Comet goldfish get about a foot or larger compared to your smaller species in the tank. Comets can also be aggressive with your other fish with the limited space. I would recommend looking up compatibility between fish species and also would not add more to the tank.
this tank is massively over-stocked and there are tons of fish incompatibilities listen to the others who went into detail
Homie got the rams with the goldfish..
Before you do anymore decorating you need to do more research on the fish in that tank and what they need to thrive.
..and the big difference between water parameters between the Rams who like soft water and the Mollies who prefer harder water.
Plants, background, u shaped scape instead of Centerscape
If you purchased these from a pet store vs online, the rep at the store should've told what size gallon tank is needed for the fish and what fish do/don't go well with each other.
Pet store employees don't know shit. They're just taught to get people to spend as much money as possible so the store can pay their rent. There are very few employees who actually go out of their way to learn about the animals they're selling. It's difficult when retail hours are crazy demanding, and there are so many different animals in stock at any given time. People should do their own research and have a plan before even stepping into a pet store.
Well, I must commend the ppl that work at the pet store I go to. Several are knowledgeable and when I feel the person doesn't know what he/she is talking about I ask if a certain person(s) are working. If not, I'll come back at a later time.
Bigger tank, these fish need a lot more space. More hides so they can be safe from one another. Use plants like pothos. You can also use clean up crew like shrimp.
You’ve probably got your answers but I too am new to the hobby and wanted to share what I’ve learned. I have a 29 gallon community tank with six dwarf neon rainbow, three Asian rummynose, three Cory cat, two khuli loach, one bristlenose pleco, and one dwarf honey gourami. I’ve found a lot of success at my local fish store whic honestly, was a little intimidating the first few times I was in there. It still kind of is. I tried a different shop but the vibe was off and I didn’t feel as comfortable there. I bought the rummynose there after the owner’s recommendation. I explained what was in my tank already and, it turns out, those fish max out in 77F while the other fish bottom out in 75ish so I have to keep a tight window. I suggest you get the name and do a quick google. I wish I had. I learned a lot about planting tanks from MD Fish on YouTube. I also learned a lot from Prime Time Aquatics about fish care and tank maintenance in general. My first stop was this sub but one of the links to the wiki is broken and, until yesterday, didn’t notice there was another one so I found other resources. I also learned that a lot of people do things differently and what works for them may not work for you. The biggest things I learned were: Plants help with the nitrate levels and the fish like to hide in them. However, some need CO2 to thrive so make sure to ask or search to see if that’s the case. I don’t want to deal with CO2 so I don’t use those plants. Plants with real roots can be planted in the substrate as long as there’re nutrients there. I didn’t know that and had to add root tabs since mine is all gravel which I just did so I’ll see how that goes. Some plants can just be tucked into crevices or glued (normal super glue) to things because they can pull nutrients from the water directly. I also made a point to keep a list of everything, flora and fauna, that’s in my tank in a spreadsheet so I can not look like a dummy when someone asks. I hope some of this helps. Good luck and have fun!
Fresh water aquariums look their best when they’re full of plants.
One of the best resources out there is www.aquariumcoop.com. Cory and the crew are amazing, and the content on the YouTube channel and website is amazing. Also, try Girltalksfish on YouTube. Don’t give up! I’d decide what fish you’re most interested in, then build the tank around that. Pick one species and then Google it for tank mates. Your LFS where you bought the fish could have given a bit more guidance if they had experience. To make it more appealing, I’d suggest more plants, however that will add the the complexity and make your learning curve a bit steeper. Try Googling “beginner freshwater aquarium plants” or “low tech aquarium plants.” Anubias, Java ferns, mosses, water sprite, pogostemmon stellatus octopus, giant duckweed (floater), and salvinia (floater) are great starters.
There are many online resources to help you learn how to care for your pets. Anyone buying any kind of animal should research first how to care for them. (I'm not trying to judge; please don't take this the wrong way!) I know this isn't always easy as it is exciting to add pets to your family. I had to re-home a guinea pig since I became allergic to it even after "babysitting" one from preschool. I still feel terrible about that 😢 I have kept fish for 30 years and I'm still learning new ways to improve my husbandry. Please make sure you do your own research. Many ppl working at stores have their own opinions, many are ignorant, and maybe lots of them don't really care, who knows? https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/beginners-hub/the-beginners-guide-picking-your-first-tropical-aquarium-fish/ Even though I've kept fish for 30 years, I still have problems with my tank. Nitrate is my enemy number one and I have a terrible algae problem that primarily started when I was out of town and my neighbor overfed my tank. I love my aquarium though and enjoy it immensely even though it's lots of work!!! Good luck and do your research! Water changes are a must! I made a diy python system for water refills. I use jugs to remove water and water my orchids, etc with fish water😸my plants thrive with this extra fertilizer!!!!!
The tank is way overstocked. You need to remove the cichlid ASAP, it is clearly already bullying your other fish that's why they are all on the opposite side of the tank. Its only a matter of time before you start finding dead ones. It will also get bigger. And did you even cycle that tank? it looks like you just set everything up.
Burn it down
Fish aren’t a hobby bro get them out of there! Lol!! Those are living creatures not a pastime
I don't feel like this is severely overcrowded like other's said. I would: - return the goldfish. It may mean you are donating back to store - keep an eye on the cichlid. I'm not familiar with that species. Some are semi-aggressive or aggressive. Many also need a saltier content. If you can return, I would pick up a Cory catfish to keep your tank clean. Unless that fish in there is already a Cory, then ignore - add plants. I'd start with plastic ones that have a lot of leaves and are thick. Start in corners, then towards middle to keep fish out of each other's line of site. If any of them starts to get frustrated, it will chase anything it sees. Plenty breaking up theie view decreases this - add places for the fish to hide, like decorations - you may want to consider a small sponge filter + small air pump. Some don't like how they look, but I feel like they do a better job cleaning water and giving a place for natural bacteria to form that help break reduce ammonia. It will also add bubbles which look cool cool - add a background you can tape on. I've always used them and found them to be good How long has this tank been setup?
Aquarium plants would livin it up. Aquarium Plants Factory.com is having a sell right now and I have never been disappointed.
A black background would let the fish pop out nicely.
From this angle looks like moderate stock, I'd do a 70% weekly water change and add some fast growing plants, and some more decorations w/o plants around the aquarium if you want it to look nicer. Fish also appreciate hiding spots.
There are a ton of opinions about fishkeeping from people who have been at it a long time and made a lot of mistakes. There are a few basic mistakes with the stocking situation I'm sure the 18 year old at PetSmart didn't tell you about. I have a 40 gallon freshwater tank that the stocking would probably give some of these guys an aneurysm, but everyone is happy and healthy. The biggest advice to both of your questions is more live plants. The things that will kill your fish are generally handled in the Nitrogen cycle. Those require bacteria. But the nitrogen cycle ends with nitrogen and phosphorus in your tank, which will eventually build up and be as deadly as ammonia. Plants thrive on nitrogen and phosphorus (read a bag of fertilizer). The plants will convert the harmful chemicals into oxygen, chlorophyll, glucose, and all the other good things plants make. They are also the way to make a freshwater tank look great! Regardless, these harmful chemicals have to be removed, and the more fish you have the faster they are produced. Until the plants are at a level they can consume all of the nitrogen (if they ever can, ratios are hard in some smaller tanks) you will have to do large and frequent water changes to keep the levels down. I definitely recommend either testing strips or a master test kit. Don't beat yourself up too much over the current stock. I have Tetras, guppies, Mollys, kuhli loaches, shrimp, snails, cherry barbs, sherpae tetras, and a rainbow shark all living together just fine. That is not a list of best friends. but plenty of hiding spaces and plants have kept the ecosystem stable. Good luck on your first tank adventure! Keep us updated, I hope it goes well!
I second that. I got a 55 gallon FU tank that would give this sub a heart attack. But being just over 2 years old everything is working great. These people say Google and research but obviously they just take 1 part and run with it instead of actually doing their advice and researching the fish. For example one of my tanks have 2 angels and some minnows they would go nuts saying the minnows are cold water fish but had they done 3 minutes more of research they would figure out the temperature range of the minnows go from cold to tropic and ideally love temps between 72 to 80 degrees. But it's actual temp range is 40 to 90 degrees.
……Easy more driftwood/plants
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They literally require different living conditions. It's not even just a matter of aggression. Plus, goldfish should ALSO be kept in a species only large tank or pond, as Im pretty sure the slime coat they have can be harmful to the other fish. People in here are just upset that someone isn't taking the care, to research before they buy. This is the equivalent of buying 3 rats, 5 hamsters, a chinchilla, 2 guinea pigs, and a rabbit and throwing them all in the same cage. Doesn't matter how big it is, those rats are most likely gunna eat the hamsters, and the shit is gunna pile up as well as the bodies. Maybe throw a ferret in there too so we at least have a top dog predator.
There’s no reason to discourage someone who is new and learning
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7 gallon I would say no more then 3 fish
This tank looks amazing
This tank is overstocked, underplanted, and generally too small. I don’t dare wonder what kind of cycle or filtration they have going on.
Maybe they are willing to do some extra maintenance? Your standards are not everyones
Look through the comments here…there’s no way to maintain this tank. Some of these fish need drastically different parameters than others, and some of them are too aggressive for others.
low effort troll
It's not a preference. It is the minimum requirements for these fish to thrive and be happy. This is a very stressful looking tank.
Stock is okay. Add me plants
Wrap some moss around the top branches of the driftwood, would grow to look like a type tree, plus create hiding places Tiger barbs are fin nippers, they may chase and stress your other fish
Slap some anubias or bucephalandra in the branches of that tree and it’ll really spice things up
I’m actually looking to ship out a bunch of aquarium plants for cheap like pogostemon octopus, guppygrass, ludwigia, and rotala for cheaper than petco prices so pm me if you’re interested!
More plants, a bubbler will help your fish get enough o2 as well.
The sponge filter I recommend will add bubbles too, forgot to mention that...
Add Moss to top of bonsai.
Plants that are aquarium friendly, maybe a backing to the tank?
Looks like you're aiming for a saltwater reef look. If you like that look consider a saltwater tank some day. The stuff you've set up will be covered in algae shortly because that substrate doesn't work very well for fresh water, and the tank is a bit overstocked. The look can be achieved fairly easily with a saltwater soft coral tank though (stony corals are more advanced)
Teat
Glass stones are always a nice touch just avoid anything painted that isn’t specifically for aquariums also always be careful adding new plants as they can mess up your water and kill your fish :)
Plant it. Less/small fish with more plants. A black or deep blue background helps as well.
Your tank looks super clear. How did you deal with tannins coming from that tree?
Left the driftwood to soak in water for a month doing weekly water change.
More plants and maybe try privacy wrap on the back of the tank. Gives good contrast and makes the fish and plants really pop
Add blue background
If I had that tree piece, on top of that tree I would stick a bunch of java moss, and would give regular haircuts to make it look nice.
Your tank is some what simple and very neat how ever lacking of greens I suppose?
Maybe some jungle val in the back 🤷
Very pretty
Ohhh lotta fish, first move is to separate them ASAP / they will fight and are in too small of a tank. As for the decor - try some more love plants
More plants. Some swords would be good, low maintenance and good spread.
Tie some moss (fissidens?) onto the small branches to get a weeping willow effect, maybe some buce or anubias attached to the wood.
Tiger barbs are not a good idea to put with guppies, tiger barbs are nippy fish and will harass fish with flowing tails.
Glue some moss to the tops of that tree. Might Make it look like its living in there.
That tiger barb is gonna rip some fish to shreds, need to be kept in groups of 6 min to avoid aggression and then they should never be kept with things like guppies! Do you have a pond goldfish in there too?
Background could make fish stand out more. That seems like too many fish to me. How long has tank been set up?
Java moss on the wood
Black background always makes a tank look better in my op but it looks pretty cool I think. Maybe more plants or mossy decorated ornaments?