Sort My Fish

techmynd

Medium Fish
Sep 15, 2010
57
0
0
#1
I have 22 gallons and 120 gallons. As beginner I made mistakes in fish selection. Now I have cold water, warm water, mixed fish.
I am not starting a saltwater tank soon. I have a saltwater fish (mono sabae).
I want to sort my fish.
Please see my signature which has videos also and tell me:

Which fish I should return?
Which will go in 22 gallons?
Which will go in 120 gallons?

Thanks
 

techmynd

Medium Fish
Sep 15, 2010
57
0
0
#2
My objective is to keep peaceful non-aggressive fish which live together in harmony. Please recommend if I can add any other lovely colorful fish in the big tank.
I had one moly died this morning. I had zebra danios which died 2 days ago in 120 gallons.
Temperature is set to 25 °C in 120G tank.
Please advise.
 

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techmynd

Medium Fish
Sep 15, 2010
57
0
0
#3
I used aqadvisor and I got these calculations.

# Warning: At least 5 x Bala Shark are recommended in a group.
# Warning: Tiger Barb may become food for Bala Shark.
# Warning: Black Skirt Tetra may become food for Bala Shark.
# Warning: Dwarf Gourami may become food for Bala Shark.
# Warning: Molly may become food for Bala Shark.
# Note: Mono Sebae Smaller specimens can be kept in freshwater, but as they grow and mature, water should gradually be converted to a higher salinity.
# Warning: Mono Sebae requires brackish water.
# Warning: At least 3 x Mono Sebae are recommended in a group.
# Warning: Mono Sebae is not recommended to be with Dwarf Gourami - mono will try to nip feelers of Gourami.
# Warning: At least 5 x Tiger Barb are recommended in a group.
# Warning: At least 5 x Black Skirt Tetra are recommended in a group.
# Warning: At least 5 x Denisoni Barb are recommended in a group.

Warning: Water temperature requirements are not fully compatible between all selected species.

=> 20 - 26C: Tiger Barb
=> 22 - 28C: Bala Shark
=> 19 - 23C: Comet Goldfish
=> 22 - 27C: Albino Bristlenose Pleco
=> 24 - 30C: Allens Rainbowfish
=> 20 - 28C: Black Skirt Tetra
=> 18 - 25C: Denisoni Barb
=> 23 - 28C: Dwarf Gourami
=> 18 - 28C: Molly
=> 24 - 28C: Mono Sebae
 

Aug 16, 2009
1,318
0
0
SW Pennsylvania
#5
Get rid of the mono sabaes, and the bala sharks. Get rid of the shubunkins and the comet goldfish. You do not have a tank big enough for them, as they grow to be over a foot long each. Get rid of the koi as they can grow many feet in length and you do not have the proper tank for them either.

I see that you have added a massive amount of fish since we told you that your tanks are massively overstocked. It would benefit you greatly to listen to us this time.

Would you like the 120 gallon tank to be tropical or coldwater? If you would like it to be tropical, rehome ALL of your goldfish, koi and shubunkins because no goldfish can live in a 22 gallon tank.

Get rid of the four iridescent sharks in the 22 gallon tank. That tank is massively overstocked. Get rid of all of the fish in that tank and move some of the smaller adult fish from the 120 gallon tank into the 22 gallon. I would move all your tetras and mollies into the 22 gallon.

I'm not sure whether the rainbow shark will become touchy with the other fish or show aggression towards them.

You will probably have to remove one of your dwarf gouramis because if you have two males, even in a large tank, they could fight to the death.
 

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bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#6
Here's what I would do...

In the 22gal, you have two choices. You can either keep ONE of your fancy goldfish (the oranda, lionhead, or one of the fantails) and nothing else...or you can completely start over with that tank. If you decide to start over, I would get rid of your molly since they don't like to be alone and putting more into the 22gal would overstock it and they won't really work in the 120gal (they might...you could try three or so in the 120gal), then move your tetras and dwarf gourami into the 22gal. I would get a few more mollies (they like to be with members of their own species) and several more tetras (because the colored white skirt tetras are the same thing as your black skirts, just a color variant, you could get either) and maybe a school of cories for that tank. So your stocking on the 22gal would look something like this:

6-8 white/colored/black skirt tetras
4 pygmy cories
1 dwarf gourami

That would put you at 100% stocked in the 22gal.

Now for the 120gal. You have a lot of room to play in this tank. Get rid of the mono sebae straight away and be sure when you take them back to tell the LFS you got them from what kind of fish they are and their requirements (print out some info on them and take it to them if you can). You could keep the albino rainbow shark and the dwarf gourami as they inhabit different regions of the tank. What kind of plecos do you have? If they are common plecos, I would get rid of one of them, probably both, mainly because they get to be 24" in length. You have the room for them, but they take up A LOT of your bio-load and they really don't do much after they get big. Maybe try to trade them in for a smaller species like a couple bristlenoses or clowns? Get rid of the two shubunkins as well. They are coldwater fish and don't belong in a tropical tank, not to mention the size the can attain (13"+) and the swimming space they need far exceeds a 120gal tank. I would also get rid of your bala sharks because they get to be HUGE and require TONS of swimming space, so if you had those in there, those would be the only things you could have. I would increase your school of tiger barbs (in a large enough group they are relatively peaceful) and increase your school of denison barbs (they're peaceful as well).

Here's what I would do in your 120gal:
10 tiger barbs
10 denison barbs
8 emerald green cories (these guys get BIG at 4" and aren't true cories, but you have the space for them, so they'd be cool)
1 dwarf gourami
1 albino rainbow shark

That would put you right at about 93% stocking capacity on the 120gal and give you a few nice schools of fish. If you added 3 mollies to the stocking on the 120gal (they like to be with members of their own kind), it'd crank you up to 98% stocked.
 

techmynd

Medium Fish
Sep 15, 2010
57
0
0
#7
Thanks bassbonediva and littletankbigworld.
The worst part is when you are a beginner and your friends come in to see your aquarium and suggest to get fish. Oh! that fish is active, take that. And that one is funny, get one of those. Anyways!
I have common Plecos.
I got albino rainbow shark later and gouramis later and then 4 tiger barbs.
I might get fresh video again to show you all here.
Barbs remain in a group. Sometimes they fight...most of time they are peaceful.
Tetra don't remain in groups and chase each other sometimes.
Bala sharks are sometimes in group and sometimes all over the tank.
Rainbow shark is ok.
Dension barb is ok.
Mono Sebae are ok. They were hiding b4 but now they are ok.
Gouramis are hiding in the plants all the time.
Anyways!
My friend literally dragged me to pet shop and told me to get iridescent sharks because they are active.
I am returning shubunkins and iridiscent sharks.
I am returning Koi.
I am returning Plecos and getting one dwarf pleco or clown pleco or whatever small pleco that remains small in size.
Returning few more fish.
Will start over.

But dude, how can i return mono sebae and bala sharks. They are the coolest and beautiful things my tank ever had.

I think now i know there is a difference in between tropical and cold water (fresh water). At first fish selection is based on colors for beginner but then he realizes and then it all makes sense to choose fish wisely. I think we need to take care about temperature in tropical fish and for cold water or fresh water there is no such need.

Main thing is what do you want. Like I said I know now that i want peace in my fish tank. No fish aggression, no chasing, no nibbling etc. Chillin' fish and chillin' you watching your fish chillin'.

Anyways! I will wait few days and then I am going with the plan as suggested by bassbonediva.

6-8 white/colored/black skirt tetras
4 pygmy cories
1 dwarf gourami

10 tiger barbs
10 denison barbs
8 emerald green cories
1 dwarf gourami
1 albino rainbow shark

I spotted glass fish today. Can I get that in big tank? Neon Tetras are also cool. What about Zebra Danios?

I will update you guys. The plan suggested by bassbonediva seems to be perfect.
 

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#8
But dude, how can i return mono sebae and bala sharks. They are the coolest and beautiful things my tank ever had.

I think now i know there is a difference in between tropical and cold water (fresh water). At first fish selection is based on colors for beginner but then he realizes and then it all makes sense to choose fish wisely. I think we need to take care about temperature in tropical fish and for cold water or fresh water there is no such need.

I spotted glass fish today. Can I get that in big tank? Neon Tetras are also cool. What about Zebra Danios?
If you wanted to take your school of tiger barbs down to 7 and your denison barbs down to 7, you could have a school of about 10 neons. I wouldn't do the danios are they really are more temperate fish than tropical and prefer cooler water. I wouldn't do the glass fish either because they are VERY shy fish and your tigers and denisons would be too active for them to feel safe.

The real difference between tropical and coldwater fish is their temperature requirements. Tropical fish prefer the temperature to be 77F and over. Coldwater fish (like danios and goldfish) prefer the water cooler than 73F.

If you really want to keep the balas, go get a 265gal or larger tank, because at 16" EACH, they need A LOT of room!

If you really want to keep the monos, go get another 120gal. Start it out freshwater, then as the fish grow, slowly increase the salinity until the tank is full saltwater by the time the fish are full grown. As you're a beginner, I wouldn't recommend doing this because getting the salinity just right and all that entails is a bit much work. If you like the look of the monos, you could always take back the gourami and the albino rainbow shark and get an altum-type angelfish like I have. Same basic markings and body shape.
 

techmynd

Medium Fish
Sep 15, 2010
57
0
0
#9
Thanks bassbonediva. You are the expert and give best advice.

Getting another 120G for monos is a bad idea, i don't have skill to handle saltwater yet. altum-type angelfish is cool but look of mono is really gentle and smooth. That mono is a wise fish and really knows how to hide itself behind the rocks or wood. It floats like a princess. I guess I will have to return that fish.

Okay! I like this idea for 120G:

7 tiger barbs
7 denison barbs
10 neon tetras
8 emerald green cories
1 dwarf gourami
1 albino rainbow shark

Thanks again.