I just purchased a 55 galloon tank from Walmart filled the tank up with water, added the chemicals to make the water safe for the fish. I purchased 2 bala sharks, and 3 silver dollar fish. A few days later I purchased 2 Silver Angel Fish and i notice today that one of the Angel fish is going around the tank and it nibbles on the bala sharks tail, and also it nibbles on the sucker fish. The fish in the tank appear to be bothered by this activity. I read on a site that says if you have 2 Angel fish in the tank that one can get dominate and agitate the other fish in the tank. Should I be worried about this behavior or is it alright if the Angel fish does this from time to time? Any advice would be appreciated.
Angel Fish nibbling on Bala Shark / Sucker Fish
- Thread starter silliboiut
- Start date
you are going to have to worry about cycling the tank first if you didnt use cycled fiter media. go check out the stickies under newbies. is there damage from the nipping? angles are cichlids and there will be nipping should be fine as long as its not constant or lots of damage is being done. make sure theres enough plants for the fish to hide in if needed and a cave or some driftwood for the pleco to go under.
Some fish just have an obsession with going around nipping at others, the bala could be diseased as well as its a natural insticnt for fish to kill off sick ones. My sister and I had Mollies that litterally killed a couple dwarf gourami because they wouldn't stop going around bitting the tops of their heads, but mollies are nice "peaceful" fish, lol. And as mentioned by blitzen, cycling will be your biggest worry, with that stocking level I'd reccomend doing at least 20% water changes a day.
oh no
you didnt cycle your tank - you'll prob lose a few fish but it's a learning experience
just adding chemicals to take out chlorine isnt enough you have got to get healthy bacteria in there to eat the amonia etc
you didnt cycle your tank - you'll prob lose a few fish but it's a learning experience
just adding chemicals to take out chlorine isnt enough you have got to get healthy bacteria in there to eat the amonia etc
On a side note you bought 6 fish that will not fit in your tank in a year or two.
Balas grow 24" or larger (90% kill themselves before 10" from liveing cramped quarters)
Silver dollars 8" or better within a year and a half.
The "suckerfish" assuming pleco and he to will get abused when he hits two feet.
Wallmart has no busness selling fish they do not sell tanks big enough to house these fish.
No beef toward you but try to avoid wallmart aquatics section as much as possiable they are evil
Balas grow 24" or larger (90% kill themselves before 10" from liveing cramped quarters)
Silver dollars 8" or better within a year and a half.
The "suckerfish" assuming pleco and he to will get abused when he hits two feet.
Wallmart has no busness selling fish they do not sell tanks big enough to house these fish.
No beef toward you but try to avoid wallmart aquatics section as much as possiable they are evil
go to the newbie section
ASAP n read the threads on cycling - it's a must - when your fish start dropping lilke flies this is why -
it doesn't soun like you cycled your tank- when i first got into the hobby i was thinking hey fill tank up take out chlorine let sit for a few add tons of fish YEAH!!! i coulnt have been more wrong - thanks to this website i got great info on why i was having problems - now i was actually able to save most of my original inhabitants with tons of water changes but i only had a 20 - my advice woul be if you lose all your fish finish cycling before putting anything else in - chances are you'll lose the angels when you do dont get more they are very sensitive to poor quality - the balas might go next they too wont do well with this - not sure bout the silvers and if by sucky fish you have a pleco then get some sinking algae wafers and drop him some squash on occassion as he WILL starve if he isnt fed properly - he will not just survive on scraps and algae which you prob dont have yet anyhow - IME though they can survive the cycle but every fish is its own thing so you'll have to see -
not trying to sound mean hope it works out for you but you gotta get that thing cycling otherwise you might end up hating your tank as well as this hobby! it might be tough to do constant water changes on a 55 g so go to a fish store (not walmart) n get a python pump this will make water changes a lot easier - it hooks up to your sink and sucks the water out by turning on the faucet n then shoots water into your sink - when your ready to refill you flip a button n water goes to your tank - your gonna have to do lots of water changes if you wanna save these fish - as for the fin nipping its your last worry right now
post back if you need help with this all but check out the threads i was talking bout
ASAP n read the threads on cycling - it's a must - when your fish start dropping lilke flies this is why -
it doesn't soun like you cycled your tank- when i first got into the hobby i was thinking hey fill tank up take out chlorine let sit for a few add tons of fish YEAH!!! i coulnt have been more wrong - thanks to this website i got great info on why i was having problems - now i was actually able to save most of my original inhabitants with tons of water changes but i only had a 20 - my advice woul be if you lose all your fish finish cycling before putting anything else in - chances are you'll lose the angels when you do dont get more they are very sensitive to poor quality - the balas might go next they too wont do well with this - not sure bout the silvers and if by sucky fish you have a pleco then get some sinking algae wafers and drop him some squash on occassion as he WILL starve if he isnt fed properly - he will not just survive on scraps and algae which you prob dont have yet anyhow - IME though they can survive the cycle but every fish is its own thing so you'll have to see -
not trying to sound mean hope it works out for you but you gotta get that thing cycling otherwise you might end up hating your tank as well as this hobby! it might be tough to do constant water changes on a 55 g so go to a fish store (not walmart) n get a python pump this will make water changes a lot easier - it hooks up to your sink and sucks the water out by turning on the faucet n then shoots water into your sink - when your ready to refill you flip a button n water goes to your tank - your gonna have to do lots of water changes if you wanna save these fish - as for the fin nipping its your last worry right now
post back if you need help with this all but check out the threads i was talking bout
Great points and much nicer than I was.
Also a ammonia test kit will do you wonders in the next few weeks.
Also a ammonia test kit will do you wonders in the next few weeks.
Well I purchased some chemicals today from Pet Smart that is suppose to make algae grow much faster in the tank to help with the cycling process. I tested the water and it appears my levels all seem just fine except my Ph is 8.4 which is normal considering that Tap water normally has a higher Ph level anyways.
I just fed my fish and they definately seem much happier today. It appears the fish are getting happier. They seem to be eating well and I don't see any signs of stress. I am thinking that my tank is going to be just fine.
I just fed my fish and they definately seem much happier today. It appears the fish are getting happier. They seem to be eating well and I don't see any signs of stress. I am thinking that my tank is going to be just fine.
what is this algae growing stuff you brought? new people usaully go chemical crazy, i did too when i first started now i dont use any. just test your water every few days and do partial water changes often. what kind of filter do you have on this thing?
silliboiut probably means bacteria, not algae.
Just be prepared. Read as much as you can, as there is much to learn. Stay glued to this forum for the next few weeks..you're going to need it. Knowledge is power.
Just be prepared. Read as much as you can, as there is much to learn. Stay glued to this forum for the next few weeks..you're going to need it. Knowledge is power.
