Just Started and Hella Paranoid.

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DaveWhip15

Registered Member
Feb 15, 2008
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So, I just got a 20g long tank on monday and I am worried about the upcoming cycling and the amount of fish I have. I bought 3 silver dollars and 3 tiger barbs on Wednesday. I have been feeding them quite a bit, but whatever they don't eat at feeding time is gone at least an hour later. I was worried about the Tiger Barb's nipping problem and though I knew that I shouldn't add anymore fish until after the cycle, I bought a green tiger barb and an albino tiger barb, along with another small silver dollar (so they wouldn't be as timid as they are) less than an hour ago. well, i have the 3 new fish in the tank, floating in their bags, and I'm worried for the whole group that I might have just killed them all. Am I in trouble? also, I think I will have an overcrowding problem in the future.

Thanks for any input.
 
:welcome: to AC!

For a 20g, your tank is beyond overstocked I'm afraid. Silver dollars have the potential of reaching 6 inches and being very active species, a 55g is the minimum for a small group. I would recommend either rehoming them or get a larger tank. What are your water parameters right now? Use API liquid test kit to determine your ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and pH accurately. Please resist the urge to buy more fish.
 
"I have been feeding them quite a bit, but whatever they don't eat at feeding time is gone at least an hour later." Most recomended feeding is no more than what is left over after 3-5 min max. Sounds like you are really over feeding drastically. Keep feeding at that rate and you will be killing sooner than later!
 
I can't speak of overcrowding issues because i'm not familiar with the full size of the fish in question(the above people though, are, trust them).
However, i can tell you that you will be doing a LOT of water changes.

Buy yourself a "master test kit" (little bottles of liquids, no dip strips, API makes one, as does Marineland, either one works), and test the water at least twice a day. Do a 50% water change any time ammonia or nitrites are at .25 or above. If you can keep them below that level everybody will be just fine.

Really the best thing you could do is take the fish back to the store (most places accept returns if the fish are still healthy) and do a fishless cycle, then buy them back again.


If you cannot do that, then buy the test kit and start testing and changing water.
If you can, get a handful or two of gravel from an established tank (most fish stores will give this to you if you ask, some might charge a buck or two, it is worth it!) put it in a filter bag (or pantyhose) and put the sack (or pantyhose :P) in the filter.
This will seed the tank and filter with the bacteria needed for cycling and cut the cycle time from 6weeks+ to ~1week, possibly even less.
 
really it would be best to take back all the fish if possible. the silver dollars, as stated, get too large. the tiger barbs as you already have seen, are quite nippy. to reduce this behavior, they should be kept in larger groups. in a bigger group of at least 8-12, they are able to establish a pecking order and so no one fish gets picked on constantly. in smaller groups, the lowest member of the group gets killed off, then the next lowest, and so on until only one or two are left. a 40g breeder (long shallow tank) is a minimum size to house a proper group.

there are plenty of options for a tank that size. if you choose to return the fish you have now (and you really should) you can then cycle the tank properly and spend time researching fish while waiting for the tank to be safe for whatever you purchase.
 
wow, yeah, you guys seem a lot more knowledgeable than the pet store guy. I really liked the silver dollars, but when i researched them in depth later, I did think those sizes were too large. However, my problems with the barbs have subsided, for now, with the addition of the new ones. I think I might return the silver dollars, and I'm not sure with the barbs, yet. I really want a bigger tank, but i have size issues, and money issues, due to the fact that currently I have no income as a fulltime student. Well, Thanks for everything, and the more input, the better.
 
If you like bottom dwellers, kuhli loaches would be your best choice.:) For barbs, if you also decide to replace them, you can consider some harlequin rasboras but before you try to get some fish, I would suggest getting a test kit to ensure your fish will not be affected by the presence of ammonia and nitrites, both of which are toxic to the fish. There is a sticky in this section by rbishop that is a must-read to familiarize yourself with the nitrogen cycle.:)
 
I have been reading up on the nitrogen cycle, but it can be confusing at times. I was wondering if I returned the now 4 silver dollars, and kept the 5 barbs, without getting anymore fish until the tank has cycled. Do you believe that I would be okay?
 
DaveWhip15 said:
I have been reading up on the nitrogen cycle, but it can be confusing at times. I was wondering if I returned the now 4 silver dollars, and kept the 5 barbs, without getting anymore fish until the tank has cycled. Do you believe that I would be okay?
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If you plan to do fish cycling, then you must test the water daily with API liquid test kit as the presence of ammonia and nitrites can prove detrimental to the fish's health. If both are above 0.25, then you must do water changes immediately until the levels are reduced. In the end, I would not expect the barbs to live for a long time compared to those who have been introduced after cycling as they were not exposed to the fatal effects of ammonia and nitrites.
 
you'd still have to test the water (or get it tested - a lot of stores will do it free but make sure to get the exact numbers) and do water changes. otherwise the fish will die or be harmed enough to shorten the life span and damage the immune system.
 
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