Got me some new fish!!

[jdheff1982]

Finally, after my water readings were normal for a few days, I bought some more fish!!! This is what I got...

10 small tiger barbs
5 small panda corys

What I already have...
1 spotted rafael
1 pleco (temporary, long enough to clean the inside of the tank)

BTW, since I have a 20 gallon tank with a krib pair and ~10 free swiming fry, would it be ok to stick the 2 or 3 inch pleco in the tank?? Would bejust long enough to clean the inside of the tank.

Thanks!!

[Cichlid Woman]

I'll bet it's lookin' good, Silver Shark! You might want to watch for a small ammonia spike--considering the small number of fish you had in there, put together with the quantity you added, you might get a mini-cycle due to the proportionate increase in the bioload.

-- Pat

[Pootspete]

Congrats on your new tank and its occupants!

[jdheff1982]

CW: A pleco is a proportionate increase in a bioload!! :D

So far everyone doing great!! The tiger barbs seem to get lost every once in a while, but all is well. I think I am read to remove the pleco. Will it do alright in a krib tank with fry?? It is a 20 gallon with an adut pair and ~10 free swimming fry. I ue the pleco alot to go from tank to tank to clean up the algae and such. The only thing I don't like about these guys is that they like making webs of poo all over the tank!! Oh well..... Chow!

[jdheff1982]

Oh another thing, I really don't think a mini cycle will happen considering all the filtration I have.

1 AQ300 with 2 sponges and bio-stars
1 Rena Filstar XP3 w/ gravel from other tanks, bio-stars, micron filter pads

I thik I'll be ok. Chow!

[NJ Devils Fan]

What kind of pleco?

[goldfries]

tiger barbs are fun to watch, but they're rather dumb.

despite having so much space and speed, they still die at the hands of my oscar.

moral of story : Slow and smart Oscars can outdo Fast and dumb Tiger Barbs, although Tiger Barbs are really nice to look at in big tanks.

[jdheff1982]

NJDF: Common pleco @ about 2 to 3 inches.

[NJ Devils Fan]

Oh, he will out grow the tank. They can get to be around 1 foot to 18 inches. :(

[wetmanNY]

I'm very reluctant to move fish from tank to tank unnecessarily, but I think you'd do best to leave the Kribs in peace with their free-swimming fry. They don't know that the big stranger doesn't eat young fish. They'll be wild with anxiety, and after a few days you'll have to remove the Pleco. I don't think it will be a happy chapter in anyone's bio, Kribs, pleco or you...

[jdheff1982]

I know they get big, but they are by far the best fish to clean algae, nemotodes, and other stuff that grows in a tank. Personally, if they were not such good cleaners, I would not have them at all; in fact, I would rename them spider fish because they always leave webs of poo aroud the tank which is very annoying. I know I'll have to ditch the guy before long. Is there a cleanng crew I could assemble in the 20 gallon tank that would be alright??? Some cories maybe??? I would just like to clean the algae and such and I hate sticking my hand in the water not knowing how it affects the water.

Quick update: I have noticed that one of my panda cories has been racing up and down and across the front glass of the tank. Is this normal??? And another thing, once I do get rid of the pleco and the spotted rafael (bad purchase), would it be possible to get some more cories and maybe another schooling fish??? Thanks!

[NJ Devils Fan]

Actually, a bristlenose pleco is better with cleaning the algae.

[tim watson]

yeah bristlenoses are the bomb, baby