Next Step Suggestions..

[TijgerStrepen]

Hello all.. I am relatively new to tropical fish keeping and am wondering if I have mixed fish that will eventually need separated. I currently have a 10 gal. tank set up that's about 3 months old. I have 13 fish which include:
1 Common Pleco
2 Red Rainbow Sharks
2 Lyretail Mollies (silver and black)
2 Lace Catfish
2 Zebra Danios
2 Marigold Swordtails
2 Columbian Sharks

I am aware that my Pleco, Columbian Sharks, Lace Catfish and possibly Red Rainbow Sharks? are going to need relocated into a larger tank within the next few months. At the moment, my Pleco and Columbian Sharks are about 3 inches, my Laces are 1 and 1.5 inches, and my Rainbows are about 2.5 inches.. which I guess breaks the rule of 1 inch of fish per gal..

I have an empty 35 gal. waiting to be set up just for them. I am also aware that they will outgrow the 35 gal. rather quickly as well. Because they are still very young, and I am working on setting up the larger tank that's been donated to me from a friend, I feel that I should have plenty of time to save up for the much larger tank needed when they outgrow the 35 gal.

I am more concerned with the long term care of the Columbian Sharks.. They are the stars of the tank.. I have been doing a bit of research on them to know that they will eventually be marine fish. I'd like to know approximately how long do I have until then? Should I set the 35 gal tank up as brackish water or would it be too soon for them? - if it can be too soon.. Also, how would the other larger fish do with brackish water? I know that the swordtails wouldn't mind it at all.. Maybe the mollies too?

Any suggestions on what to do next would be greatly appreciated.. Even though the tank sounds crowded with fish, they all are getting along fairly well. I think I got a good mix of bottom dwellers, top feeders and in-betweeners.

:feedback:
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[Coler]

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?species_id=700 there's good info on the colombians on that link.

I think start getting your bigger tanks sooner rather than later is your next step, along with planning the move to brackish/marine for the colombians.

 

[ct-death]

The size tank will stunt their development and can easily lead many to believe that they "have more time" before they need a tank upgrade.

I'm with Coler, jump on the larger tank sooner, rather than later, or even think about returning them until you have adequate space. There's no harm in that either.

The Pleco for example, if fed properly and in a large enough tank to eliminate restrictions will easily grow over a 12" in a year!

You might want to consider a 75G for all of the fish that you want to keep listed above...or if you are thinking of more....

 

[Linariel]

The rainbow sharks will become very aggressive toward each other soon, so you may only have one left by the time you upgrade.

 

[Rbishop]

Go brackish now on the 35, trade back the pleco, rainbow sharks and lace catfish.

Get a 75/90 or 125 as soon as you can.

 

[jm1212]

two sharks in a 35 gallon will tear each other up. you shoudl probably get rid of the pleco, sharks, and lace catfish.

the mollies and swordtails will also get to big. they have the potential to reach a length of over 4 inches long. they will also bicker amongst themselves and nip at other fish if there are not enough females in the tank.