beginner with "lazy" fish...

[jayb]

first off, my apologies for being a complete newb. i'm not sure how to search for the questions that i have so please bear with me.

i did a huge "no-no" and just spontaneously decided that i wanted to start an aquarium one day when i was at a pet store for my dog. well needless to say i bought a clown loach and two tiger barbs. i knew that i had a 55 gallon tank in the attic so i wasn't really worried about a tank. so i bought the fish (mistake number two) without even having my tank setup. soon realizing my mistake, i bought a 5 gallon kit at the pet store that i thought would allow me to keep my fish in until i set "the big tank" up. perhaps this was mistake number three, but i think that overall it will be better for me to just start out with the 5 gallon tank. problem is that i have one clown loach (about 2.5 inches) and two tiger barbs (about 1 inch each.) therein lies the problem.

i soon found out that CLs need to be in groups of at LEAST three and TBs at least 5. well. i bought the fish and set the aquarium up and my water levels are good and i've provided lots of cover for the fish. but they're not too active. at all. my clown just hides all the time, and now one of the tiger barbs are starting to hide with the clown. their lack of activity worries me because these are supposed to be active fish.

i know the mistakes that i've made, so there is no need to harp on them. i specifically would like to learn how to care for these fish AS IS, right now. i have a bigger tank that i can move them too later on, but i want to be able to keep these in the small tank for at least a month or so, possibly longer until i feel comfortable caring for an aquarium. is this possible? and what should i do/research about their lack of activity? it does seem that they're both a little more active when i turn the light off. i've heard that clown loaches are sort of nocturnal, so that would possibly explain it. thanks guys!

[smaug]

There lack of activity stems directly from lack of tankmates and size tank.You say you can go bigger soon.How much bigger,55 gal is min for clown loaches alone.

[jayb]

55 gallon tank in the attic. but i don't feel too comfortable with that size just yet.

[nicklt]

ive found it easier to care for a larger tank for a few reasons one it is mush easier to keep parameters good i dont know why exactly but it is, two you have many more options of fish you can get you arent so limited and three they just look nicer you can put more plants and decor in it if i were you i would get them in the 55 as soon as you can for their health and you might want to go a little bigger

[smaug]

Too be honest ,you are far better off starting out with the 55 then the small tank.Its is much easier to manage cycling a bigger tank then a smaller one.I assume the small tank is cycled,right?

[KingFisher]

The best thing you can do is return the fish, then set up and cycle the 55g, and in the meantime research which fish you like that are suitable for that size tank. There is no way to give you advice on how to care for those fish in a five gallon tank. They simply do not belong in there.

[bushwhacker]

go get the 55 out of the attic and get it running. the reason that larger tanks are easier is the amount of water to dilute the ammonia and other toxins is so much greater. they wont build up as fast and gives you a bit more time to take action like water changes and such.. in a 5 gallon you may have hours in a 55 you will have a few days

[Sharon]

Are you in the attic yet?:ssmile:

[Northernguy]

The best thing you can do is return the fish, then set up and cycle the 55g, and in the meantime research which fish you like that are suitable for that size tank. There is no way to give you advice on how to care for those fish in a five gallon tank. They simply do not belong in there.
Very well said! Bring them back!Ask the store if they will hang on to them until you have a tank set up!
Start cycling the tank!

[Ryanlives]

With the advice given to me on this forum, and as i reacently experienced, its not such a good idea to just go buy fish and put em in some water(cycling with fish)...even if your willing to do the water changes, testing for ammonia, nitrite, and ph daily.Its not worth all the work and fish death. Enjoy hiatus with the fishless cycle, read up about cycling in this section the forum. In the mean time do whatever you can to get those fish back in a cycled, appropriate sized aquarium.Dont even worry about the fishless cycle , all the people on this forum are very helpful and will walk you through it. But get the 55 setup.

[jayb]

wow. OK. i see what i have to do then. i understand cycling and the chemistry and all of this -- actually that is the main reason i got interested. i guess i'll put off the aquarium thing for a few months then. i don't want to set up a 55 gallon tank and then move it. i'm living with my parents again while i'm in school, and when i move back out it may be tough (if not impossible) to transport.

so i guess i need to research what fish to put in this 5 gallon tank. thanks.

[Needi]

If you want something fun and interesting to hold you over in that 5g get a shrimp colony started. I would suggest some red cherry shrimp, bamboo shrimp, or bumble bee shrimp. You can get several for the small tank and there is really no negative side to shrimp...they even work as food for certain fish (stock accordingly) Then once you have settled into your 55g move the colony over to the big tank for a well trained cleaning crew.

I am nearly in the same boat as you. I live in an apt with an annual lease. At this rate it will be cheaper to buy out the apt building than to move my tanks by the end of the year lol.

Fish keeping can be alot of fun, but doing what is right for the fish is the most important thing. Welcome to AC and happy fish keeping!

-needi