Finage

Fishman1995

Superstar Fish
May 11, 2010
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North Carolina
#1
I purchased a Paradise fish this evening and added him to My 10 gallon with my Acei cichlid and my corys and pleco, the Peppered corys were gonna last much longer and the acei and Pleco will be going into my new tank im getting for christmas and the paradise fish only come in once a year in a Pair (male and Female) so i seized the oppourtunity and got him, i brought him home and everything seemed fine, i checked on him every hour for 3 more hours, still the same. I came home 3 hours later and The acei was chasing him and the extensions on his tail Fin were gone and it looks a lil shredded up, i moved him to my 5 gallon with my betta and 2 gourami's. When i save up the money il move him back into my other 2.5 gallon tank. I was wondering, Will his fins every grow back smooth (can i add some protein fin fixing supplement or something to fix it) or will they never be right again because i know that my male guppys fins got tore once and they never healed he died with shredded fins. Can someone please give some advice?
 

Feb 27, 2009
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#2
To answer your question, the fins have the possiblilty of growing back if the fin ray (the thin hard vein-looking part that connects it to the body) is not complete gone. It its gone, its gone forever.

Ignore the rest if you must and please don't take offense, buy WHY, with the 10 gallon tank so overstocked, why would you be ADDING any fish to it???

Your cichlid needs a 25-30 gallon tank on his own and needs a shoal (or school) and the common pleco, you already know needs a much larger tank (75gallons or more).

Sorry to say, but I don't think there is a possiblity of it regrowing if you are going to house it with two other labyrinth species in a 5 gallon tank, however. You cannot put random fish together and expect that everyone just 'gets along.' The paradise fish does not have much of a chance in either of your two tanks.
 

Fishman1995

Superstar Fish
May 11, 2010
1,341
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North Carolina
#3
Well i didnt want to have to wait another year for one, the only fin damage he has is very minor just the edges, In the Anabatid tank, there is NO violence, none what so ever. The betta flairs and then goes and rest's in his plant, and the dwarfs stay in theres and the Paradise stays in his and in the Cave. I will be purchasing a 25 gallon tank VERY soon for the Acei and Pleco to live in temporarly of course for the pleco. Then there will be nothing but 4 cory cats in the 10 gallon and i can re add back in the Paradise and Gourami's maybe or may leave the gouramis with Felix. What would you recomend on the Tank seperation deal? what would you put in each tank (5 gal, 10 gal , and 25 gal)
 

misterking

Superstar Fish
Aug 12, 2008
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Manchester, UK
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#4
Ignore the rest if you must and please don't take offense, buy WHY, with the 10 gallon tank so overstocked, why would you be ADDING any fish to it???
My thoughts exactly.

Fishman, even by buying the paradise fish you may have to wait another year anyway because there's a very strong possibility of it being stressed to death by bullying in both tanks. I think we've established that the acei is an african cichlid which are regularly stated to be include some of the most aggressive cichlids. As OC mentioned about the 3 species of labyrinth fishes, you're just asking for trouble. All 3 are aggressive even when just on their own, you've mixed 4 very similar fish with very similar temperaments in a tiny tank which, in my opinion, is just asking for trouble, particularly with both your tanks being very overstocked.

Unfortunately none of the labyrinth fish will get on long term. Your betta should be alone because there's no space for anything else in the 5 gallon. In the 10 I'd only add the paradise fish which gives you the opportunity to include a small shoal of tetras or something similar. Personally I'd be at a loss as to what to do with the gouramis without taking the acei back to the shop and putting them in the 25. The pleco needs to go ASAP because they grow surprisingly fast.

I'm sorry if this offends but there's very little advice that can be given before you take all this (and previous advice) on board and do something about it.
 

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Fishman1995

Superstar Fish
May 11, 2010
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North Carolina
#5
Jack (My Paradise fish) Had to be put down just a few minutes ago, apparently he was more damaged than i thought and he began having Spasmic Seizures and floating on his side and upside down and i felt so bad for it that i put him in some pure amonia and he died instantly no pain whatsoever :( I will not be getting ANY new fish until i get the 25 gallon and move the Acei and Pleco to there 25 gallon. As for the Dwarf gouramis and Betta there is no agression and no flairing now either. Ive never seen agression outta the Acei before, so this was an eye opener, Even if no agression is present some can occur :/
 

Feb 27, 2009
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#6
Ive never seen [aggression] outta the Acei before, so this was an eye opener, Even if no [aggression] is present some can occur :/
There was nothing IN that tank that would cause the cichlid to SHOW aggression. They will generally ignore armored cats (pleco) and the cories are small enough and move off if he asks them to.

The cichlid did what a cichlid does, protects its territory, aggressively. Nothing wrong with that.

And being that his territory is way too small, he saw any new fish that occupies the same space as something to drive away. And with the tank being only 10 gallons, there was no place for the paradise fish to go TO.

So the cichlid told the paradise fish to GO. Warnings first, then with increasing aggression when the paradise fish didn't leave.

The paradise fish couldn't GO anywhere.

The paradise fish was battered until it left (you removed it), & it paid with its life a little later.

I think you will find the same thing happening in your 5 gallon tank soon. How long have you had a pair of gouramis in with the betta?

You asked earlier what to do with the fish, in what sized tanks, etc.

This is my opinion, take it or leave it:

Betta in 5 gallon, alone.

Dwarf gouramis in the 10 gallon, cory cats in the 10 gallon. MAYBE a small school of small tetras or small rasboras.

Cichlid and pleco, rehome.

When/If you DO get a bigger tank, you can always buy fish to stock it then. Fish cannot be just crammed together into a tank too small hoping someday for a bigger tank.

Look at it this way: My living room is big enough to hold a baby elephant, but is that a GOOD idea? Even for a day? No.
 

Fishman1995

Superstar Fish
May 11, 2010
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North Carolina
#7
If i begin to see agression between the betta and Gouramis to where its a damaging (worse than what im seeing which is an occasional flairing from the betta) then i will rehome the Acei and move the Gouramis over, i will rehome the Pleco Tommorow. Then the tank will only be 109% overstocked (according to Aquaadvisor) and then It'l be ok until i get my new 25 Gallon tank within the next couple of months. Then il Move the Acei into the 25 and worry about tankmates at that point and time. Also like i said the Peppered corys are on there very last limb (3 years of age) so when they die which should be in the next couple months to il only have 2 Albino corys in the tank. But i wil worry about restocking when that day comes :)
 

achase

Large Fish
Feb 1, 2010
765
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British Columbia, Canada
#8
Look at it this way: My living room is big enough to hold a baby elephant, but is that a GOOD idea? Even for a day? No.
Lol! I like that example! No wait....I love that example. OC you always kill with your comments! Constantly a good time although I'm not usually on the receiving end of those comments so I guess the experience is different. :p

Fishman, I think fish keeping is about patience (cycling, live plants, breeding snails, the list goes on and on) and I know it's hard when you want certain fish but don't have the space for them. Personally I try to under stock....although aqadvisor would argue with me about my DP in the 5 gallon but not my 16 gallon!
 

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misterking

Superstar Fish
Aug 12, 2008
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Manchester, UK
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#10
If i begin to see agression between the betta and Gouramis to where its a damaging (worse than what im seeing which is an occasional flairing from the betta)...
I'm sorry but I don't think it's safe to assume it a. won't happen or b. you'll notice it from the off. What if it happens overnight? What if the gouramis in fact turn on the betta? A lot of damage can be done in a very short amount of time as you've already witnessed so I just wouldn't risk putting your fish through any more unnecessary suffering.

I know you love your acei but it's forcing you to cram incompatible species into a very small space. Personally I'd take it back and wait until you've got (at least) a 55 gallon in the future so you can have a few malawi cichlids in a suitable environment.
 

Fishman1995

Superstar Fish
May 11, 2010
1,341
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North Carolina
#12
Well its very difficult for me to take anything back i told my mom to let me take the pleco back and she said "it'l just grow till it covers 1 wall of the tank" so you see my dilema...its not that i dont want to but that i cant :(
 

misterking

Superstar Fish
Aug 12, 2008
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Manchester, UK
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#14
Perhaps it may be a good idea to educate you mum properly to the issues your current tank situations pose. I've never heard a fish growing til it "covers one wall of the tank", what does that even mean?

Until them I'm sorry but I'm with OC, there's nothing else I can say to help.
 

achase

Large Fish
Feb 1, 2010
765
0
0
British Columbia, Canada
#18
That might be for the best considering you don't want to listen to people's advice.
Asking questions and receiving advice is about sharing information and it's your choice what to do with that advice but I don't think it necessarily to become defensive or make excuses when receiving advice. It's much easier to just say "Thank you for your advice and I will take it into consideration" and move on.

Anyways I know that everyone here wishes you luck with your fish tanks!! :)
 

misterking

Superstar Fish
Aug 12, 2008
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Manchester, UK
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#19
It's up to you fishman, and good luck to you, but having "been there, done that" most of us know exactly how it's going to end if you don't take the experienced advice being given to you and it won't be the result you want I'm afraid.

It's one thing asking for advice but a totally different thing when you completely ignore the advice because you haven't been told what you want to hear. Sorry if that offends but it's true.

Anyway, good luck to you, there will always be people here to answer any questions you have in the future. I just ask of you, for the sake of the fish that will ultimately suffer at the hand of poor decisions, that you research properly and ask any questions before you add anything to your tank. That's just standard.

(Just as an end note, you've seen what your acei did to your paradise fish. It will have no problem doing that to another acei in the limited space of a 30g. Just a heads up.)