What kind of fish are these?

[fishdumb]

My son received a small fish tank (2.5 gal maybe) and 2 fish.  I have no idea what kind of fish these are except one is called a *bottom feeder*.  He is about an inch and a quarter long, white with brown spots.  He is constantly on the bottom hiding behind fake plants in there.  The other fish could be a shark, but I've got no idea for certain.  He is black, less than an inch long and it appears to have gray or white on his belly.  

My problem is that neither of these fish are eating the tropical fish food that I'm giving them (came with them).  It was collecting on the bottom so I had to clean the tank.  The person who bought them for my son is not sure what kind of fishes they are either.  :  

What should I try to do?  If the one is a shark, what does it eat?  I'm so NOT a fish person, and have no idea what to do now.  Please help as best you can, thanks!  *twirlysmiley*

 

[JWright]

Ok, first question. Are you ready to take care of these fish? Provide them the best conditions you can? If not, take them back to the store now. If so, great, welcome to an amazing (and very gratifying) hobby.

In a tank that small, you probably already have some significant ammonia build-up, your fish are probably very stressed, and that's why they're not eating.

Are you familiar with the nitrogen cycle? If not, I would recommend you check out the articles section of this site. Read all of the applicable "fish keeping" articles.

That'll give you a good foundation of knowledge, and we can build from there.

For starters, it would be helpful to know the ammonia and nitrite levels of your tank. It's my suspicion that these are high, and that's why your fish aren't eating. Go down to your LFS (Local Fish Store) and pick up some test kits.

As far as identifying your fish goes, we're probably gonna need some more specifics. The sharh-like one is probably some sort of tetra, but that's about the best I can do. Do you have access to a digital camera?

HTH,
Josh

 

[fishdumb]

I'm quite ready to take care of these fish and any other pet my son might acquire  

They haven't touched food since I put them in the tank a week ago.  If they aren't eating because of the amonia level, then they were more than likely already stressed from their original tank at the store.  I worried about that myself so like I said, I cleaned the tank.  No luck since they still won't eat.  

The tank was supplied with a pump, which I use around the clock.  I don't think there is a seperate filter.  There is this long peice of plastic with holes that blow air up through the rocks.  

I will hopefully be visiting the LFS today because the thought of them swimming in amonia gives me the creeps.  I don't have access to a digital camera at the moment, but while I'm at the store I will be looking for my fish.  I will go out of my way to the store where these were purchased.  

Thanks for your help!  I love just listening to the pump and watching them silently swim around  

 

[JWright]

Well, they wouldn't ahve eaten the first day because they were stressed from the move, after that, your ammonia levels probably sky-rocketed.

If all you have is an airpump, you're going to need a filter. Finding a filter for a tank that size might be a challenge. I would try to find an Aquaclear Mini.

You'll also need a heater if you don't have on already.

Would it be possible to buy a bigger tank? Tanks are pretty cheap and you'll find a bigger tank _much_ easier to take care of. Tanks sort of follow a chemical version of Newton's Law of Inertia. The more water volume, the harder it is to "move" chemically, and the more stable it will be. Even a 10g with an Aquaclear 150 and a 50 watt heater would be a vast improvement.

Right now I would reccomend changing about half the water every day, suck up any food or junk you see lying around, but leave the gravel as undisturbed as possible. Without a filter, that's the only place your nitrifying bacteria are colonizing, and they need every break then can get.

Josh

 

[fishdumb]

You certainly know your stuff!  Thanks Josh *twirlysmiley*