Amateur fish fanatic here

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Zeldakitsune

Small Fish
#1
Feb 15, 2010
10
0
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#1
Hi all :) I'm a teenager currently obsessed with my aquarium that I set up last August. Nobody around me understands why I love the little things so much so I came here. I have a 10 gallon tank (hopefully my parents agree to let me get the 30 gallon tank that somebody wants to give to me for FREE) and I have 3 tetras (2 orange von rio and 1 black phantom), a little algae eater, 2 platys (a red and a sun burst) and my sunburst platy just gave birth to some babies, which 3 survived and are currently hiding safely under a plant. I'll post a picture soon once my water clears up. Well, I hope I can make some friends here and be of some use.
 

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littletankbigworld

Superstar Fish
#2
Aug 16, 2009
1,318
0
0
SW Pennsylvania
#2
What type of algae eater do you have? If it is a common pleco, then it is WAY too big for your tank. Try planetcatfish.com to try identifying your pleco, or post a picture here. Also, aqadvisor.com/ is another helpful site for determining if your aquarium is overstocked. You also want to read about cycling your tank. You will also want to get more of the tetra species you already own if you get the 30 gallon tank. Tetras should really be kept in groups of at least 5 or 6. P.S. If your water is milky white, there is a bacterial bloom and it will not clear up until your tank is cycled and you have understocked your tank. Welcome to the forum! There is a great wealth of information here. :)
 

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Zeldakitsune

Small Fish
#3
Feb 15, 2010
10
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#3
Yeah, I made sure not to get the pleco. It's called the common algae eater? Its name was Algae Eater in Petsmart where I got it. The AqAdvisor site said it's overstocking my fish tank though o.o but it keeps my tank so clean..Where do I read about how to cycle my tank? Thanks for being so helpful!
 

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littletankbigworld

Superstar Fish
#4
Aug 16, 2009
1,318
0
0
SW Pennsylvania
#4
It is most likely a common pleco. They are definitely not recommended for your tank. Otocinclus catfish are a much better choice. They stay small and a group of 5 have the same bioload as a small, slim-bodied fish. However, they are not recommended for a new aquarium like you have. It's better if your tank is established for a few months before you buy any algae eaters or catfish.
It's really better do do a fishless cycle, but since you already have fish, here is a link to a fish-in cycle:
Tips for Cycling Your New Aquarium - The First Tank Guide - Getting Your Fish Tank Up and Running with Minimal Headaches
New Tank Syndrome
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#7
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#7
Ooooh, I mistakenly bought two of those and they are really hard to catch in a planted set up! But do get rid of it - it will chase your other fish and try to eat their slimecoats. I finally hypnotized mine with blanched lettuce and netted them.
 

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OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#9
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
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#9
Zeldakitsune said:
Algae Eater - Pet Shop - Fish - PetSmart that's the algae eater I have. Is that one okay? How long do I have to wait to put algae eaters in, anyways?
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That is commonly called the Chinese Algae Eater. It does NOT come from China (but from India) and after a short phase when young, does NOT eat much algae. They seem to prefer the slimecoat of fish and often attack at night when other fish are sleeping. They are bold enough to hunt during the day too. They get too large for your aquarium. They get 6+ inches long and your tank is a standard 10gallon? If so, a 20inch by 10inch footprint.

I agree that you shouldn't get any algae eating fish until the aquarium parameters are stable. What are your readings of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? What is your water change schedule like?
 

exhumed07

exhumed07

Superstar Fish
#11
Apr 30, 2006
1,774
0
36
Illinois
#11
welcom zelda. I made similar mistakes with my first tank a few years ago with my first 10 gallon. to many fish at once and lost most cause of the cycle and well lets just say about 15-20 fish in a 10 gallon is not a good idea. if u want a pleco that will accually eat some algea I'd go with a bushy nose, they eat just bout anything. and they don't get real big. a more fussy eater is a clown pleco and they stay small as well. if u have anymore questions feel free to ask.
 

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eadiemcreadie

Small Fish
#12
Feb 16, 2010
13
0
0
Nottingham
#12
Hi,
i am new here too, and we obviously are quite alike, im a teen and love fish, but noone else understands, even i dont:rolleyes:
any way, i had one of those algae eaters exact same only a little darker. He only about an inch long though and was fine for the first week, then he started chasing my blackmoor and latching on to his tail, after 3 days i could see lard white round patches the blackmoor, i spoke to my locol fish store and they said, 'bring it here, as soon as possible, we will take it. ITS EVIL'
So sure enough they did, i replaced it with a hillstream loach, they are much smaller, and will def not attack your fish.
good luck*thumbsups
 

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littletankbigworld

Superstar Fish
#13
Aug 16, 2009
1,318
0
0
SW Pennsylvania
#13
Lauraf: Sounds like my bleeding heart tetras. When I was doing a substrate change, I removed half of the water, and managed to catch all the fish but my three pesky bleeding hearts. They are so dang fast and just refused. I was forced to change the substrate while they hid in a corner. They survived, luckily.
 

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littletankbigworld

Superstar Fish
#14
Aug 16, 2009
1,318
0
0
SW Pennsylvania
#14
eadiemcreadie said:
Hi,
i am new here too, and we obviously are quite alike, im a teen and love fish, but noone else understands, even i dont:rolleyes:
any way, i had one of those algae eaters exact same only a little darker. He only about an inch long though and was fine for the first week, then he started chasing my blackmoor and latching on to his tail, after 3 days i could see lard white round patches the blackmoor, i spoke to my locol fish store and they said, 'bring it here, as soon as possible, we will take it. ITS EVIL'
So sure enough they did, i replaced it with a hillstream loach, they are much smaller, and will def not attack your fish.
good luck*thumbsups
Click to expand...
Well, one problem here is you kept a coldwater fish (black moor) with a warm water fish (algae eater.) A Hillstream Loach is a much better fit, providing you have a large tank.
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#15
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#15
littletankbigworld said:
Lauraf: Sounds like my bleeding heart tetras. When I was doing a substrate change, I removed half of the water, and managed to catch all the fish but my three pesky bleeding hearts. They are so dang fast and just refused. I was forced to change the substrate while they hid in a corner. They survived, luckily.
Click to expand...
Don't mean to hijack this thread, but how often do you recommend changing the substrate? LTBW, shall we start a thread in a different forum on this?
 

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eadiemcreadie

Small Fish
#16
Feb 16, 2010
13
0
0
Nottingham
#16
littletankbigworld said:
Well, one problem here is you kept a coldwater fish (black moor) with a warm water fish (algae eater.) A Hillstream Loach is a much better fit, providing you have a large tank.
Click to expand...
Hi, i didnt know that at the time, pets at home gave him to me for free as they didnt know what he was*crazysmil, it was maiden head aquatics who gave me the info. i only tend to go there now
 

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littletankbigworld

Superstar Fish
#17
Aug 16, 2009
1,318
0
0
SW Pennsylvania
#17
lauraf said:
Don't mean to hijack this thread, but how often do you recommend changing the substrate? LTBW, shall we start a thread in a different forum on this?
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It depends. If you are using sand or gravel as a substrate, then almost never. If you use a type of plant soil, it could be anywhere from a year to a decade. Some soils last much longer, while others do not. They can be supplemented with nutrients instead of changing the substrate. It's not recommended to frequently change gravel or sand as this removes colonies of beneficial bacteria. I only changed my substrate from gravel to sand because I have catfish. Others will change substrate for decoration/aquascaping purposes.
 

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exhumed07

exhumed07

Superstar Fish
#19
Apr 30, 2006
1,774
0
36
Illinois
#19
I learned realy fast what pet stores to trust and which ones not to trust. out of about 6 local that I know of I only go to 2 of them. maybe a third if I go with salt water cause there is only one store in ym entire area that has salt water fish. but they been salt water specialists for 40 years and all new employees are trianed for over a year before they can make a sale themselves. good people but to pricy for my blodd right now. lol
 

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littletankbigworld

Superstar Fish
#20
Aug 16, 2009
1,318
0
0
SW Pennsylvania
#20
Haha. Out of the five places in my area that sell fish, I trust none of the employees, but I trust buying certain fish from 2 of the places. There are two pet stores about an hour away from here that look awesome and I'd really love to visit them. One is Elmer's, which specializes in fish.
 

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