We Have Fish!

[frizzlefish]

The community has begun! Still a little on the nervous side about getting a HUGE amount at first, even though the water testing and the cycling went well. So I just brought home **7** bags :) (this is a 60g)

4 green cory cats
4 p. something cories
4 albino cories
6 long tailed zebra danios
6 zebra tetras (see other thread - they have a wide black stripe and a thin white stripe above it)
12 neon tetras
4 small black angels


My husband still likes the look of a loach but I'm in search of ones that will stay relatively small 3-4" max which means one of the "harder to find around here" ones. I looked at the loach page someone linked us to but I can't remember the name, it wasn't a yo-yo or clown loach though.

The little man LOVES the fish in the tank, he just sits on the step and looks at them and says "Mommy, these fish are niiiice!" :)

[Chrona]

Hehe, good to hear and congrats!

Keep an eye on the angelfish though. As they grow up, they may decide to make a snack out of the neons. It's pretty much a hit or miss.

[frizzlefish]

Right, but I have a "spare" 20g that we can use to move whoever is being a problem. According to the LFS guy, the angels will sort of ignore the neons when they "grow up" with them. We'll see.

[Rue]

...just be careful...you shouldn't add too many fish all at once, since the ammonia they produce can overwhelm the amount of nitrifying bactera you have available in the tank...

...really should not be adding more than 6 new fish at a time...then wait 2 weeks or so and add more...

[hungryhound]

Congratulations on the fish. I was just looking at some fish online and wondering how your trip to the LFS went.

So how much more fun was it to look at them in person as opposed to a picture on the screen.

[hungryhound]

...just be careful...you shouldn't add too many fish all at once, since the ammonia they produce can overwhelm the amount of nitrifying bactera you have available in the tank...

...really should be adding more than 6 new fish at a time...then wait 2 weeks or so and add more...

I am pretty sure that Fizzlefish did a fishless cycling so his bacterial load is sky high at the moment.

[frizzlefish]

Hungryhound is correct. Fishless cycle took, what? about 2 weeks? Using some gravel from an older tank to start.

I also popped in some live plants a few days ago but I don't know what I'm looking at! LOL. I can do plants outside, plants inside but plants underwater? All new world!

[Chrona]

Right, but I have a "spare" 20g that we can use to move whoever is being a problem. According to the LFS guy, the angels will sort of ignore the neons when they "grow up" with them. We'll see.

That's the common theory going around the internet, but my angelfish used to terrorize my cardinal tetras at night, even though they grew up together. Meh, dunno.

[Rue]

Keep in mind that fishless cycling is not the same as actually having fish in the tank...

...it may come close...but it's still not the same...

[Chrona]

It's the same thing in the bacteria's eyes though, since they don't care about the phosphates/other chemicals from fish waste. 5 ppm of ammonia is supposed to represent way more waste than fish could put out. F1oored tested this a while back, introducing a tankful of malawi cichlids into a new tank after doing fishless cycling. No spikes or anything.

[frizzlefish]

That's the common theory going around the internet, but my angelfish used to terrorize my cardinal tetras at night, even though they grew up together. Meh, dunno.


I'll keep that in mind, thanks. Maybe that's where those lunar lights would come in handy??

:wink2:

[Niku-M]

Congratulations on your fish! That is a nice collection you have there.

I'm curious about the long tailed zebra danios by the way, I've never seen them in any LFS around here. Do they behave the same as normal zebra danios (extremely active swimmers)?

[freshwaterfishlover]

I usually only add 4 Fish at a time, but how many you add is up to you since it's your tank.

[frizzlefish]

Since I don't have the "normal" ones I can only say that these are very lively!

[Lady Hobbs]

WOW.....You started with 40 fish? Nothing like building up slowly. LOL You need to keep tabs on your ammonia levels in a few days. That's quite a load to put in all at once.

Angels need 10-15 per fish and they grow fast.

p.cory is probably panda cory

[Lady Hobbs]

Congratulations on your fish! That is a nice collection you have there.

I'm curious about the long tailed zebra danios by the way, I've never seen them in any LFS around here. Do they behave the same as normal zebra danios (extremely active swimmers)?

I love the long tails. They are a bluish/purple and a nice little fish. Unfortunately I only have two as the store hasn't gotten more in. When I added the zebra's in with them the zebra's went after the long finned and demolished their fins within 3 days. I can't keep them together. I don't like the zebra's much at all.

[Drumachine09]

You sure have alot of corys! And, belive me, thats a good thing!:thumb:

[frizzlefish]

I just love those little guys! (the cories) My husband thought that maybe 12 was too many but once they got in there, they all went about their own way and spread out. It doesn't look like 12 at all!

You know - even with 40 fish in a 60g, they are such small fish that it hardly looks like anything.

Lady Hobbs - what did you do about the fins? They don't grow back do they?

Oh and I am officially addicted! I'll looking around the house, trying to figure out where I can put another tank (or two!) Definately going to start up the 20 gallon my dad made years ago. It's stainless steel on 3 sides and a glass front. He painted the outside a nice cherry brown to mimic wood - it even has wood grain on it LOL. That's going to be a more naturalistic habitat I think. Sand tones, maybe some driftwood or slate, tons of plants?, we'll see.

The 60gallon is an atlantis theme with some beige-y sand from an older tank and gravel in the same tones. But it also has (yes Chrona) clown puke blue gravel too... That was totally my husband's idea! I take no credit for it. (but I do kind of like it......... especially with my blue fade background I painted)

[Lady Hobbs]

Lady Hobbs - what did you do about the fins? They don't grow back do they?

On the angel fish? If this is what you mean, they will grow back if not nipped off too badly. Metafix (all natural product) will help with this but my juvie's fins got nipped by a larger angel and their fins grew back nicely without anything added to the tank.

[frizzlefish]

Lady Hobbs - what did you do about the fins? They don't grow back do they?

On the angel fish? If this is what you mean, they will grow back if not nipped off too badly. Metafix (all natural product) will help with this but my juvie's fins got nipped by a larger angel and their fins grew back nicely without anything added to the tank.

Wow, I did not know they grew back. Cool!

[Lady Hobbs]

If not damaged too severly they will. Tearing of entire fin is different than nips taken. Angels are very sensitive to imperfect water conditions and I'd be concerned with the volume of fish you added all at once. Keep track of the ammonia readings in your tank.

[2manyfish]

I agree with Lady Hobbs. You really need to keep a close eye on your water parameters and do water changes as needed. Young angels are very delicate and will succumb easily if their water is less than perfect. And IME, black angels are more delicate than any other type of angel!

[frizzlefish]

I don't think anyone in my tank will nip the angels but I'm keeping my eye on the neons so the angels won't get after them.