A Few Questions- Looking for some new critters to add!

[CBTF]

Hi there.

I have a 10 gallon tank that currently houses:
-3 Lampeye killiefish
-2 Platys
-1 Shrimp
-1 Aquatic Frog (common kind)
-Another fish, unsure of what it is.. looks like a platy, acts like one too. Just different fins.

The tank has a filtration system and a heater.

I'm looking to add a few more creatures, and i'm wondering what I can do to liven things up a bit, as my other fish are a little bit laid back.

Preferebly something cheap, easy to come by and colorful. I was thinking guppies or something along those lines. Small is good, an inch or so is what i'm looking for.

I'd like to add 2 more fish, maybe 3- cramped, I know. But that shouldn't be too many right?

[jennypenny]

Many more would start to stress out your tank. It would be "cramped". However, if you have male and female platys they might porvide more fish for you soon.

Just curious, what are the differences between your ? fish and the platys?

[loucas6290]

sounds pretty cramped to me, im taking it that they arent even fully grown yet?

[Roan Art]

What kind of lampeyes do you have? Some are neon tetra sized and some grow 2". Which one it is will determine if you have room in your tank or no.

Roan

[CBTF]

Well I bought the lampeyes at petsmart.. They are about an inch in size each right now. Will they grow larger? The person there called them tetras, but a more knowledgable employee at another fish store told me that lampeyes are killiefish, not tetras.

I used to have 3 platys and a betta in this tank, and they passed on. This is why I was thinking I could fit 2 small fish in here again, as the shrimp and frog don't take up much space.

The fish are newer, yes. This means they will probably grow out a bit more.
Would two small fish do very much harm? The fish I have don't swim around much, they like to sit at the bottem. They all did fine when I had the other two which is why I thought guppies or something would be OK.

I am, however, concerned about the lampeyes now. How can I tell if they're going to grow up to be big?

[Roan Art]

Anyway you can post a picture of them? Lampeyes are often sold as anything from tetras to rasboras because people don't have a clue.

Possible they may be Norman's Lampeye. I just read a post from someone who bought them labeled as "Lampeye Tetras" on another board, but that post was from 3 years ago :rolleyes:

Really need to have a picture if you want to know how big they are going to get.

Roan

[CBTF]

Ok. I'll have to dig out the old camera, but it shouldn't be any trouble. I'll post the pictures ASAP tmrw.

[pat123123]

Hmm. I'm new at tropical tanks myself, but it would concern me if platy's are just sitting around the bottom. I have platies in my tank and they are constantly swimming about, at all levels of the tank. I have found them to be a pretty active little fish.

[thebluejackal]

Are your lamp-eyes this fish:
http://www.giveusahome.co.uk/allpets/fish/lampeyetetra.jpg
(Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae)

Or this fish:
http://www.killi.co.uk/graphics/L_tanganicanus3.jpg
(Lamprichthys tanganicanus)

I've only seen the former at PetSmarts, not the latter.

I also have the misfortune of currently working at one. All of the stores that I've seen in the South-Central US (including Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas) follow the same planogram for their fish which includes the M. sanctaefilomenae, but not the L. tanganicanus. In fact, I've never even SEEN a lamp-eye killi at one.

[CBTF]

Mine are these: http://www.giveusahome.co.uk/allpets/fish/lampeyetetra.jpg

So I don't have to worry about those kind getting to be large do I? Thanks for the pictures, that saved me a lot of work. Appreciated!

[Dangerdoll]

Hmm. I'm new at tropical tanks myself, but it would concern me if platy's are just sitting around the bottom. I have platies in my tank and they are constantly swimming about, at all levels of the tank. I have found them to be a pretty active little fish.
this would concern me as well. Have you tested the water on the tank for Ammonia/nitrItes, nitrAtes, pH? IMO, healthy fish do not just sit around the bottom of the tank and even worse, new fish aren't normally added to spice that it. That would only exacerbate the problem. I would find out the reason for their sitting around at the bottom of the tank. How long has the tank been set up? Have you cycled it?
BTW, I'm thinking the other fish that looks like a platy is most likely a female swordtail but I can't be positive unless I saw a pic.

[CBTF]

The tank was not cycled, as I did not know (big mistake, I know).

I actually had a swordtail, but he died yesterday which indicated something wasnt right. Today I am heading to my local pet store to pick up a test kit, and i'll let you know how everything is.

The lampeyes have started to be more active when the light in the tank is off/im not in the room.. but now the platys are just floating around at the top of the tank not moving, so i'll have to work on that.

I'll change some of the water tonight from my mother's 40g tank that's well established, that should help.

Any other suggestions? Constructive ones please, not calling me an idiot haha.

[Dangerdoll]

ah, we'd never call anyone an idiot, C... but we do need to know exacty what is going on so the suggestions don't send your tank off the hook. You're pretty safe with us here ;).
Now that we know what you didn't do and the possible causes of the laziness of the fish, we can begin to work on that before even thinking about adding anything else. ok, you're on the right track now, check that water out and go with water changes. I'm sure you'll be needing them. What you'll need to focus on for now is getting your water in check, which will mean water changes, water changes, water changes. How long exactly has this tank been running?

Instead of taking the water from your mom's tank, take some of her filter media (that's being used now) as that's what's needed kick start your possible needed colonies, that is of course if you haven't had this tank running for too long already. The water won't do a darn thing but perhaps confuse everything all over. Your main goal should be about maintaining a stabilized system for now. Have you read the sticky on cycling in the meantime?