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View Full Version : Downsizing- who to get rid of?


Ivana
11-13-2006, 03:20 AM
I'm going from a large tank to a smaller tank. To a 30 gallon to be exact. It's time to get rid of some of the fish, and i'm having trouble deciding who.
Right now, there are:
7 Kuhli loaches
10 Corys
4 Tiger barbs
1 red tailed shark
4 Black Skirt tetras
1 Blue Neon Rainbow
2 Flying foxes
2 Headlight Tetras
2 Rosy Barbs
3 fiddler crabs
4 Zebra Danios
and a partridge in a pear tree. No wait, that's a pleco.

Everyone has lived peacefully and harmoniously now for over a year, but i'm wanting a smaller tank, and to pass on the big tank to my boy. There's no way that they're all going to continue to get along in that 30, and half of them would probaby die anyway. There was plenty of height for everyone before, so the ones that liked the bottom could be left in peace, and the Danios had the top all to themselves.

So, who to lose?

The Tiger Barbs, i'm pretty sure I want gone. I may keep two, but right now i've got two of them cycling the new tank. If they live, they can stay. (Is that mean of me?) They're bloody huge, and hog all the food. They've grown into the bullies of the tank. Even with 4 of them.

I'd like to keep the red tail. If he's alone, he's pretty well behaved. I had a second one in the tank, and they were fine until they got bigger. Then the fighting started. So back to one only.

The Rosy barbs are pretty, but boring.

The Danios stay- I like them, even though they're not much to look at.

ALL the Corys stay. They're my favorites. The Kuhlis too.

The headlight tetras I could take or leave.

The Flying Foxes have their moments.

Pleco probably needs to be traded in for a smaller one- he's almost 6 inches long now.

The Black Skirts i'm neither here nor there on.

Crabs must stay. They're hysterically funny, and have lived quite well in the tank so far. The poor male can't get the females to give him a second look though.

The rainbow, i'd like to keep, but shouldn't there be more than one of them?

I like a nice, balanced tank, with some on the top, some on the bottom, and some in the middle. I've had fantastic luck with the setups i've had so far, but i'm having trouble deciding who to get rid of. The Tiger barbs *really* should go, but if i'm going to keep one, I have to keep them all. They'll cause too much trouble otherwise. And there's no way i'm going to be able to get the two out of the new tank- it's already planted and everything. It was a nightmare getting them out of the LAST tank.

So, cast your vote- who gets the axe? :)

Lady Hobbs
11-13-2006, 03:35 AM
Your son won't take the others?
Well, rainbows don't like to be alone and are skoalers. He should be with other rainbows in a tank large enough for skoaling. The pleco would have to go and the shark, as well. Your barbs might get a little crabby now in a smaller tank, too.

A 30 gallon is about a good size for community fish like tetra's. You do have a bit of a dilemma now, don't you?

kimmers318
11-13-2006, 11:50 AM
I understand your comment that the cories must stay! What type of cories though, what size are they? If you are looking at the small guys you could probably get away with it, but if they are 3" like my bronze, I couldn't picture 10 of those guys in my 29 gal! You may be pushing it trying to keep all 10, but you know your fish best and who will get along even if they are crowded. I would def. axe the barbs and skirts...may see even more nippiness out of them in a smaller tank. I am glad I don't have to make the decisions you are making!

Ivana
11-13-2006, 07:51 PM
The cories are all under 2". Some are really tiny- they were single little guys that I picked up because I didn't think they should be alone in the tanks.
Poor little fellas.
I don't know how i'm going to catch all these beasties.

kimmers318
11-14-2006, 03:32 AM
Very carefully is the way to catch! I have found that using a LARGE net in one hand, with a smaller net in the other to herd the fish I want in the direction I want helps. It makes is very easy to scoop the unsuspecting fish up with the big net because they are too busy running from the little one. Once I have them trapped at the surface it is much easier to get them with the little net to put them where I need them to be. Good luck, and let us know the final tank stocking and how things go. I forgot to see where you are at...maybe some of us could take some of those fish off your hands for you....I wish I knew how to do an evil grin right here....still can't find the smileys!

turbomkt
11-14-2006, 03:51 AM
How to catch them? Lower the water level to just a couple inches. Then use the two nets kimmers suggested.

A good number of them could be caught using the DIY fish trap method...

Lady Hobbs
11-14-2006, 01:38 PM
I love it when you're after a fish and run into that center brace in your aquarium. By the time you take the net out of the water and move to the other side, the fish has moved again

jeffs99dime
11-14-2006, 02:12 PM
I love it when you're after a fish and run into that center brace in your aquarium. By the time you take the net out of the water and move to the other side, the fish has moved again

yeah, that tries your patience big time. well, it tries mine. lol

Ivana
11-14-2006, 04:54 PM
I got em all. With only 3 inches of water in the tank. Stunningly, the Kuhlis were the easiest ones to catch.
I wound up getting rid of the pleco, the black skirts, and two of the tiger barbs that i'm not using to cycle the tank. The rest i'll keep for a while, and see how the smaller tank handles the bio load. If it's too much, i'll axe a few more.

kimmers318
11-14-2006, 10:27 PM
Good luck...and heres hoping to all works out and you don't have to "axe" any more fishy friends.

Ivana
11-15-2006, 04:23 AM
I could have them whacked and stuffed in a trunk...

One of the danios got attacked by something. He's in the hospital ward (aka a large net at the top of the tank), but I don't think he's going to make it.

jeffs99dime
11-15-2006, 05:00 AM
I could have them whacked and stuffed in a trunk...

One of the danios got attacked by something. He's in the hospital ward (aka a large net at the top of the tank), but I don't think he's going to make it.

"whacked" is a term from my neck of the woods! oh wait. that actually happens here too. lol:hmm3grin2orange: