60 gallon freshwater aggresive

[ryanhayes9]

60 gallon freshwater aggresive

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1 pictus catfish
1 red tail shark
1 bala shark
2 gold gouramis
1 rock bass i caught
1 figure 8 puffer
2 plecos
1 chinese algae eater

would this be considered an aggresive tank?

think i could fit some more fish in? reccomendations?

its on a saltwater forum cuz i have saltwater tanks too.

here is the link for some pictures

http://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=225221


would it be considered aggresive?


what other fish could i get?

[geekrockgirl85]

i believe the balas prefer friends. plus i've heard 125g as their minimum tank.

the rock bass is cold-water.. i don't think he's a good match as the rest of your fish are tropical. and from what i see on his profile he will eat anyone small enough to fit in his mouth. plus he may also grow to tank-buster size. (12"? eek.)

the plecs may be too docile for this setup. plus unless they're dwarfs you're seriously overstocking (the commons are known to have grown to 2 feet in some cases[?!?]).

and isn't the figure 8 a brackish puffer?

if you're looking for a bunch of crankies to put in there, why not go for a few african cichlids? or set up a smaller, species only dwarf puffer tank?

i understand your desire for variety, but basically, i'm pretty sure there's no way in hell your initial idea is a good one.

[ryanhayes9]

figure 8 can be brackish salt or fresh.

[ryanhayes9]

its either a rock bass or bluegill

[graphicdesign_r]

I think you could put four or five wolf fish in there too... maybe a tarpon, alligator snapping turtle, and if you put in a little salt water add some great whites.

[ryanhayes9]

LOL so you think its aggresive

[graphicdesign_r]

You don't want to know what I think, and I do not have the energy right now to get into details, but here's a few of the problems:

1. Bala sharks should be in schools with other balas. They grow too large for a 60 gallon (12-14 inches).

2. If your plecos are commons, they both should be in a bigger tank (18+ inches).

3. Whatever it is you caught should be in coldwater instead of mixed with trops.

4. The figure eight puffer is a brackish water fish, unless he was a mislabeled dwarf puffer.

5. Your tank is overstocked.

6. You're not going to listen to advice as evidenced by your denial when GRG told you your puffer was brackish.

Next time before you stock do some research. Either you have a tank that needs serious revisions in stocking, and needs ALOT of advice, or you are here for something else ( :troll: ).

Sorry to be so blunt.

[liv2padl]

graphic knows whereof he speaks. you have an unfortunate mix of fish. balas do best in shoals of 5-6 at a minimum. as it grows, 60 gallons will not be nearly large enough for this fish. your puffer should be maintained in brackish water. generally puffers are not well suited to a community tank because they tend to be aggressive. even puffers who have previously been docile can become aggressive as they age, or if they are not well fed. I've known hobbyists who had puffers that got along very well for long periods of time and then suddenly turned on their tankmates and chewed them to pieces. many sources will say Figure 8 puffers come from freshwater along the East coast of India. however, some of those same sources (and the observations of friends who keep this and other puffers) say the only aquarium raised Figure 8's to reach their full 6 inch size, were raised in full saltwater.

native fish are best maintained in 'cold/cool' water tanks and should not be mixed with tropical fish species. whether rock bass or blue gill, he's going to eat whatever comes in contact with his open mouth.

a 60 gallon tank is not large enough for "aggressive" fish by any means and certainly not large enough for many of the species you have at maturity.

[ryanhayes9]

i know about the bala shark and am giving him to a freidn with a big tank. the figure 8 can be freshwater or brackish or even acclimated to saltwater.

[DaisyTattoo]

Boy Ryan, you have no idea how easy you just got off. Graphic is usually not so tactful. However, I do have to say I agree with everything he said. Your tank is overstocked, the bala's and plecos will get too large for that tank, the puffer should be in brackish water(some puffers are sold as freshwater although they are brackish, and some puffers do well in freshwater as juveniles, but need to be in brackish water as adults) Not to mention that your puffer will probably start taking bites out of some of his tankmates, and the cold water fish should be in cold water.

[ryanhayes9]

and when the plecos get that big i will also give to friend.

[ryanhayes9]

alright witout the large pleco and the bala shark. is it better?

[graphicdesign_r]

Graphic is usually not so tactful.

...but there are too many irons in the fire, and I have become so tired of this fighting... a hero only to the long suffering and silent (except for the loaches)pet fish I roam in search of aquarium villainy...

[travis]

figure 8 puffers can live in freshwater, brackish, or full marine.

so can most fish. they wouldnt live very long.


a figure 8 puffer will have worse colors, be susceptible to disease, and have a shorter lifespan in freshwater. you cant argue against that.

besides, why do you want to have aggressive fish for a tank that small? i would consider a community tank or really anything else.

[ryanhayes9]

hes no aggresive or atleats i didint see.....where i bought him (walmart) they feed all the fish flake only. and puffers dont eat flake. all of the puffers there have no fins at all. all eaten away. i cant give him back!

[isom]

AGAIN, the puffer will only thrive in brackish/marine and will eat its tankmates.

AGAIN, the bass is a COLD WATER fish and WILL NOT do well in a warm tank.

AGAIN, the bass will eat the rest of its tankmates.

Please don't post and ask for advice when you have no intention of listening to those giving it.

Your best options for an aggressive tank that size would be some african cichlids or even some smaller south american cichlids. Give up on the balas, the puffer, and the bass.

Let's leave it at that and not create another 7 page thread.

[DaisyTattoo]

It's a hex tank??!! That makes the situation even worse! You really should do some more reasearch and find better inhabitants for that tank. With a hex like that, you are really limited on what will do well in that setup.

[mduros]

hes no aggresive or atleats i didint see.....where i bought him (walmart) they feed all the fish flake only. and puffers dont eat flake. all of the puffers there have no fins at all. all eaten away. i cant give him back!Look at my other post. Set up a tank just for him, or make that tank into a brackish, get a couple more puffers and move the other fish out, rehoming the ones that you can't provide quarters for. But probably cichlids or angels would be better suited for that tank. We're only trying to help you, and your fish, from a troubled future.
Take care,
Mary.

[graphicdesign_r]

Please for the fishes sake, re-release the bass you caught, let him do as fish in the wild do. Or if that's out of the question, set up a cold water set up just for him.

No can do Mary, now that this fish has been exposed to an aquarium habitat it cannot be re-released into the wild without risking the ecosystem into which it is released (introduction of disease). If a separate tank cannot be set up for the fish it would have to be destroyed. Reintroducing the fish into the wild would be illegal in most areas as well.

FYI. :read:

[ryanhayes9]

would a 10 gallon be ok?

[DaisyTattoo]

I agree with Mduros on this one. Your best bet would be to get rid of the other fish and make the tank a brackishpuffer tank. They can handle the hex setup better than the others I think. Please don't wait until the bala and the pleco's are too big to rehome them. This will cause them to become stunted and will shorten their lifespan substantially. Rehome them while they are still small and this will prevent them from having future problems.

[DaisyTattoo]

would a 10 gallon be ok?
A 10 gallon will NOT be okay for ANY of the fish you currently have.

[mduros]

No can do Mary, now that this fish has been exposed to an aquarium habitat it cannot be re-released into the wild without risking the ecosystem into which it is released (introduction of disease). If a separate tank cannot be set up for the fish it would have to be destroyed. Reintroducing the fish into the wild would be illegal in most areas as well.

FYI. :read:Thanks graphic. Makes alot of sense when you think about it. I once was given a painted turtle that a friend had found in the middle of a chicago highway. It did not belong here and was obviously someone's released or lost "pet." Anyway, the local herpetological society was more than happy to identify what part of the country it came from and got it from me after a few months as a member was taking a trip and could release it back to where it belongs... But turtles aren't fish, so thanks for correcting me on that. You're absolutely right!
Take care,
Mary.

[ryanhayes9]

OKAY! i just lookad at a pic of a bala shark and thats not what i have. mine is grey with two black feelers coming off his face. he also eats upside down. n e 1 know what he is. walmart had him labled wrong( not to surprising)

[ryanhayes9]

guess no one knows?

[DaisyTattoo]

He is a catfish of some sort. That would be my guess. Try searching some catfish profiles.

[ryanhayes9]

well then they really had him labled wrong!

[graphicdesign_r]

post a pic of him and we'll let you know

[ryanhayes9]

alright here he is

[ryanhayes9]

alright here he is

rgfhfgh

[DeRo316]

Is your puffer still alive?

And no they wont eat flakes, they will eat ghost shrimp and must be fed snails at least weekly or their teeth will get too large and they will die.

The reason you got it in freshwater is because they are born in freshwater rivers then migrate towards the ocean during their lifetime, ending up in the ocean after a couple years where they live the rest of their life.

[ryanhayes9]

nozy gourami

[ryanhayes9]

how big should the snails be?

like the ones outside?

i feed all my fish,

baby shrimp(dried)

flake

ghost shrimp

shrimp pellet

[ryanhayes9]

and froxen brine cubes

[mduros]

Hard to tell from the pics, but I think Pimelodus pictus are pretty popular at the big chains and look something like that. You may want to take a peak at the pictures and profiles on www.planetcatfish.com.
Take care,
Mary.

[ryanhayes9]

i have a pictus in there and they pictus has like 2 more barbells then him

[graphicdesign_r]

That is so not a bala shark. I can't really tell, get a shot form the other side...

Could be some type of pangasius catfish? Maybe an iridescent shark?

(edit) Nah, looked again and the whiskers are way too long.

I can't tell if the eyes are on the side of his head or not. Does it look kind of like a little hammerhead? I had one and it doesn't look much like mine, but the one I had was stunted and rescued from a 10 gallon tank w/ goldfish in it.

I don't get the warm fuzzies about how he looks though. It looks like something tank busting, if not an iridescent than maybe a white cat or channel cat.

a pic of his back would help.

[joylynn]

It doesn't quite look like a pictus to me. That looke dlike it was more of a grey color all over, pictus are very silvery with spots for the most part (I think there is a type with stripes also). Here is a picture of my pictus, does your look anything like these guys from the top? Pictus also are probably the most hyper-active of the catfish, if yours sits still it is most likely not a pictus :)

Pictus Pics:
http://s88.photobucket.com/albums/k175/joylynn874/?action=view&current=100_0128.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch1

[ryanhayes9]

head not shaped like a hammerhead. we can all thanks walmart here. let me try another pic

[ryanhayes9]

i know its not a pictus cuz i have one

[reiverix]

Why blame Walmart? You bought all the fish without even knowing what you were buying. Your fault.

[ryanhayes9]

Why blame Walmart? You bought all the fish without even knowing what you were buying. Your fault.


no they had it labeled wrong. there fault

[ryanhayes9]

my friend told me its a black fin shark

[ryanhayes9]

so can you guys give me some info on him

[geekrockgirl85]

Why blame Walmart? You bought all the fish without even knowing what you were buying. Your fault.

^^^.

this is why you're supposed to come home and google everything you're even thinking about buying before you put it into a death trap.

for future reference, you might want to snap digital pics while you're out shopping for livestock so you can come home and compare species profiles to know if the labels are right or not.

not shopping at walmart for fish (or at all,) is also a good idea.


you need to, like, convert 3 rooms in your house to a giant aquarium, or get rid of all these poor creatures.

[threejjj]

It looks like a columbian shark and it will also need a brackish tank.

[DaisyTattoo]

It looks like a columbian shark and it will also need a brackish tank.
Good call!! Yep, that's what it is. According to google anyway.

[ryanhayes9]

hmmm. thank you everyone

[reiverix]

no they had it labeled wrong. there faultIf you really knew what you were buying you wouldn't have bought a mislabelled fish. Yes, Walmart shouldn't have the wrong label but in the end it's us who buys the fish and it's our responsibility to know what we're buying. At least share the blame.

[joylynn]

There are a lot of people who are still learning and don't think about the fact that the store selling them fish might mis-label it or provide bad information. There has been a lot of jumping on people for their mistakes on this site lately, we should be helping each other and not making someone feel even worse for making a mistake. Are there any people here who didn't make a single mistake when they started keeping fish? God knows I have made a bunch of them. Lets help people learn form their mistakes and offer advice on how to avoid them in the future rather than becoming quite as judgemental and blaming the person who made the mistake. Should this person have researched the fish first, absolutely, bet he does in the future! But are you telling me no one here has ever made an impulse buy of a fish you saw and liked and thought you could keep based on the information provided by the retailer??? IF that is the case then I guess the original poster and I are just irresponsible and should be drawn and quartered :)

Many of the people I have seen taken to task lately are kids 13, 14 years old or so and we are beating them up for trying to ask questions. That is just wrong in my opinion, we should be helping guide them to make better decisions regarding this hobby, but don't discourage them for crying out loud, or they WON'T come back and ask questions and learn, they will either get out of the hobby or try to do it alone without help and advice and kill a large number of fish, then get discouraged.

[jm1212]

i agree with her... the last thing a kid my age needs is to be beaten up for asking an honest question!

thank you... finnally somebady says something that stops the fighting! in one string dorkfish and watermelon have been going at it about bala sharks long after the person who created the thread left with their solution

[joylynn]

Actually it was Graphicdesign_r not dorkfish, just to keep names straight :)

Edit: I posted that before I realized DF had gotten into the mix too :)

[ryanhayes9]

There are a lot of people who are still learning and don't think about the fact that the store selling them fish might mis-label it or provide bad information. There has been a lot of jumping on people for their mistakes on this site lately, we should be helping each other and not making someone feel even worse for making a mistake. Are there any people here who didn't make a single mistake when they started keeping fish? God knows I have made a bunch of them. Lets help people learn form their mistakes and offer advice on how to avoid them in the future rather than becoming quite as judgemental and blaming the person who made the mistake. Should this person have researched the fish first, absolutely, bet he does in the future! But are you telling me no one here has ever made an impulse buy of a fish you saw and liked and thought you could keep based on the information provided by the retailer??? IF that is the case then I guess the original poster and I are just irresponsible and should be drawn and quartered :)

Many of the people I have seen taken to task lately are kids 13, 14 years old or so and we are beating them up for trying to ask questions. That is just wrong in my opinion, we should be helping guide them to make better decisions regarding this hobby, but don't discourage them for crying out loud, or they WON'T come back and ask questions and learn, they will either get out of the hobby or try to do it alone without help and advice and kill a large number of fish, then get discouraged.


thank you. but i thank every1 for the advice

[blkwdw13]

You're telling me, I can't belive how much this place has changed since I joined, but this is the way all forums end up that aren't actively moderated.

[joylynn]

I agree about trolls, but I think there are also a lot of younger members on this forum trying to learn something. Yes I have only been here a month, I have learned a tremendous amount form people here and really appreciate it. I can agree that I am tired fo the Bala Shark question too, but keep in mind that there are two species of fish that petstores sell to newbies that they have no business selling. One is the goldfish, the other is bala sharks. People buy goldfish because every television show, advertisement, etc, shows goldfish living in little tiny bowls and leads people to believe that is fine (that is really good marketing by the goldfish companies, buy a goldfish, stuff it in a bowl, it dies, buy another stuff it in a bowl, endless cycle). People buy Bala Sharks because they are attractive looking animals and the word "shark" is cool to some folks. Stores blithely sell these all the time. People come here asking how to care for their newly bought beloved pets and get torn apart. I agree that people should do a search first, but in reality, type in Bala Shark and see how many posts come back. There are tons, and most should answer questions, but the sheer volume of returns may deter folks from reading them, thinking it is more expedient to just ask the question. Yes there is a troll issue and if there is a way to sign up to be a mod, I volunteer. This can be such a beneficial site that I hate to see people new to the hobby be turned away because they asked a question that has been answered 5000 times already and are abused for it. Anyway, we have now wandered way off topic and I apologize for that.

[jm1212]

i do also... for lashing out... i acted on impulse and it was wrong

[joylynn]

I'll remember that and make sure not to put Tiger shark in the subject of my next post to ask about what the mean little things are doing :)

[ryanhayes9]

im 15 and had no clue i would get bashed so much on this board. i just didint know and it made me feel grat that i got bashed by 4 different people. actually frershwater i know less about. i know A LOT about saltwater.

[hmt321]

I agree with what everyone else says and with the hexagon shape of that tank I would say that your choices are even more limited. Please for the fishes sake, re-release the bass you caught, let him do as fish in the wild do. Or if that's out of the question, set up a cold water set up just for him. Many of us love our fish so much that we have added tanks just to keep them. And do not try to keep a puffer in that tank either. As you said, rehome the plecos and shark. Re-think your aggressive scheme for that particular tank.
Take care,
Mary.

NO, NO, NO, NO,

never ever release a fish back into the wild EVER. that fish could have some sort of tropical disease that wipes out entire river systems.

if you want to get rid of it post herehttp://aquaticpredators.com/forums/index.php?showforum=452 some one will probably want it, get them to pay for the shipping.

lots of native fish will do fine in tropical tanks if there is enough O in the water. I have no personal experience with rock bass, so i do not know if it will be OK or not. Large mouth, and sunfish live in rivers and lakes here where the water commonly gets to high 70's low 80's. they can live in a wide range of temps.

my 2 cents

[graphicdesign_r]

Actually it was Graphicdesign_r not dorkfish, just to keep names straight :)

Edit: I posted that before I realized DF had gotten into the mix too :)

Sorry, but that guy was an idiot. If you read the thread you know what I mean. He said he'd been keeping bala sharks for ten years and that they were "thriving" in tanks no bigger than 55 gallons.

Some people deserve to be flamed.

[Sploke]

Ryan, the reason you kept ketting flamed is because: you came and posted, asking for advice about your tank. You received advice that what you were planning was not a good idea. You proceeded to tell us that you were right and the advisors were wrong, even though you admit to not having much knowledge about freshwater fishkeeping. You received more advice saying that you still though you would be basically ok, after more people told you it wouldn't. Thats why people get bashed over and over. If you want good advice, listen. Don't just tell people they're wrong becasue they tell you your tank plans are bass ackwards and you need to rethink the plan.

I think thats what drives many users on this board nuts, and why many of them have lost patience. Inexperienced, cocky people come on and ask advice, then throw it back in the face of the giver, regardless of experience of either party. People ask the same question over and over, hoping that the answer will change and they won't have to rearrange tanks or return fish, etc etc. The same situation has been played out over and over so many times that many of the users on here skip the niceties and go straight to the heart of the matter, usually in a fairly blunt manner. It comes across as meanness to newbies, but its really just a lot of people tired of the same BS day in and day out. So: if you want advice, try listening when you get it. If you're not going to listen, don't ask in the first place.

/long ranting post.

[joylynn]

Sorry, but that guy was an idiot. If you read the thread you know what I mean. He said he'd been keeping bala sharks for ten years and that they were "thriving" in tanks no bigger than 55 gallons.

Some people deserve to be flamed.

I don't disagree with your argument, just wanted to make sure all the correct facts were posted as to who was involved :)

[jm1212]

ppl that string is long over so why doesnt everyone just drop it?

[Shelby_Tempo_GT]

Boy Ryan, you have no idea how easy you just got off. Graphic is usually not so tactful.



amazing how aggresive little geeks get when handed a keyboard

Heaven forbid we raise the ire of Graphic. The tough guy that he is.

[Rbishop]

:laugh:

[sumthin fishy]

Driver Returns On Foot(ford backwards)
F***ed On Race Day :D

Sorry shel, My first ride was an 86 tempo :p

There has been a lot of good discussion on thies thread, heater or not, But it was outlined best by sploke. Asking for advice, then telling those who give it they are wrong, is a prime way to get flamed. Even graph tried to help out, and got his ideas shot down. He could have easliy given his usual "you are an idiot for not knowing how to care for a pet prior to its puchase" but he gave the benifit of the doubt. I can understand wy his posts to this type of question are so harsh, just look at how worthless his good advice was to the OP.

As for wally world mislabling things. If I go buy a bunch of long yellow "apples" for a pie, its not thier fault I end up with a bannana pie. Consumers need to take more reponsibility for what they buy.

[blkwdw13]

thanks for proving my point

internet tough guy

This and your other post just shows the exact same thing, you're just trying to start something with graphic.

[kody1192]

pictus cats and balas need to be in schools and both need large tanks 125 being the BARE MIN since they are constantly moving...pictus if you have in a group of about 4-6 you will see them all the time swimming around the tank very happy with just one it will be hiding alot more..and balas need to be in schools of 4-6(or more) also and need lots of room to swim also make sure you add all of them at once so that they will school together...if you add a couple then a couple more chances are they wont all school together

[kody1192]

wow i just read more of this thread....first of all DO NOT ever realse any aquarium fish native or not back into the rivers/lakes/ponds this is why so many states have banned fish such as snakeheads etc...senond your biggest mistake was buying fish from walmart...and as for the puffer well it is small it will do fine in fresh but eventually will need brackish/marine.... and i could keep going but most of the stuff i wanna say has already been said...

[ryanhayes9]

well to let you all know the pictus and the shark have been givin to my fish store.. hopefully someone will take care of them better. and we were going hrough the garage and found a 20G long tank. so the rock bass is in there now. btw funny where my thread went

[Needeles]

Alot has been removed from this post that was not needed or should not have been placed here. Please keep it friendly.

[cheeseluva]

Oh and I read Figure 8s can be freshwater.

[jm1212]

Oh and I read Figure 8s can be freshwater.
they do better in brakish though

[DeRo316]

Figure 8s are born in freshwater then migrate to saltwater throughout their life. They can be kept in fresh, then brackish, then salt. They can survive years in brackish but cannot live a full life unless in saltwater.

[reiverix]

Oh and I read Figure 8s can be freshwater.Obviously an unreliable source.

[Lady G]

I know I'm a little late here but the fish in question IS a black tail/columbian shark they ARE brackish and they get VERY big, I know this b/c I made the same mistake.

Fig8 ARE BW no doubt about it, they start out fresh and then go to BW any site that say's they are FW ARE WRONG, I know this also b/c I am looking into getting a puffer tank and have researched them and asked several questions at several forums.

Graphic, I read the post you were talking about (the bala one) and YOU ARE SOOOOOOOOOOO CORRECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!