Setting up a new tank.

Mickey · Post by **Mickey** » 18 Apr 2006, 13:26

Now I know that these tanks are tiny. >< But I can't get anything bigger till I move out.

I currently have a twenty gallon tank with males and female guppies in them. And I just got proof that they are old enough to, well mate and get somewhere with it. {Only one survived the weekend, I got back and noticed before the I left for school so I moved the baby into the hatchery.}
So yeah I am going to set up my old ten gallon tank in the computer room for the females and babies.

And now to the questions.
I want to move my pleco into the ten gallon, where his first home was, but I don't know if that would be cruel moving him down half a size. He is growing somewhat now but not in length, only in width {I'm so happy that he is eating properly Edit: Now the pleco isn't eating again.}.

Also, the tank will be an older one, but the gravel and anything else will be new...
{I am going to need to buy a heater and possibly a new filter because the one on it is pretty old..}
How long do I need to let the tank sit without fish? And what do I have to do during that time? I don't want to use any guppies as trial fish if I don't have to. Or course one or two will be moved in when it's ready to go, before I throw all of them in, but I don't want to use one as a tester.><
Thanks for your time.

Mickey · Post by **Mickey** » 18 Apr 2006, 23:17

Yeah, a new question.
What are tiger pleco's like?
Because I am looking at putting one into my ten gallon tank.
[Mkay, this one be solved, thanks for all the help.]

Iporangensis Headach · Post by **Iporangensis Headach** » 19 Apr 2006, 01:18

What are tiger pl*co's like?

Very nice fish and i would imagin very rare!

Azz

Mickey · Post by **Mickey** » 19 Apr 2006, 02:00

Yeah I saw one at the store.
It is fullgrown she said... like 3 inches long.
She said it might get a bit wider though.
I really want to go and buy it...
it will cost me 40 canadian

Iporangensis Headach · Post by **Iporangensis Headach** » 19 Apr 2006, 02:03

$40 canadian would be like Â£23 pound, i bet that would be at least Â£130 over here, i seen peppered corys at Â£4.99 each!!!!!!!!! there 75p down the road

i would get it as somone is sure to snap it up and you might never see one again!

Mickey · Post by **Mickey** » 19 Apr 2006, 03:43

Thankies.
This fish has been here for a few months so yeah it isn't going anywhere else...
><
But yeah asap I am getting that...
Two pleco's can share a tank I am sure...

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 19 Apr 2006, 08:20

I'm afraid a 10g (or 20g for that matter) is not a home I would consider suitable to any species of Panaque.

They eat wood, and produce vast quantities of waste. They will pollute the water of that tank faster than you can say "pleco".

They need also need over-sized external power filters (very expensive) to keep the water clean.

I'm afraid there is nothing that's really suitable for that tank except bristlenoses.

Plecos aren't always the easiest of fish to keep (as you've noticed), and to achieve success with them, you need to have all the correct equipment in place BEFORE you buy the fish. It's only fair really, as these are wild fish taken from their natural home.

If I were you, I would spend the $40 on a set of boring test kits (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate). They will make your fish much happier if you know how the water is doing. They will also be essential to maturing your new tank without fish, otherwise you will have to use the guppies.

Two pl*co's can share a tank I am sure...

I wouldn't count of that either. Panaque can get exteremely aggressive when mature. They also grow to over 5 inches. I would imagine they are .

Sorry to be a pain, but I have learnt from my mistakes the hard way, and I don't want others to do the same.

at least Â£130 over here

you might never see one again!

Actually they're pretty common in the UK. I got some a while back for Â£10 each. Quite reasonable for such a lovely fish.

Iporangensis Headach · Post by **Iporangensis Headach** » 19 Apr 2006, 10:35

Actually they're pretty common in the UK. I got some a while back for Â£10 each. Quite reasonable for such a lovely fish

Â£10

Where do i sign up? they would be perfect for my 8ft tank!!!!

Gunna run a 4ft sump, with leads of diffrent media with a Bio-Wheel as well so i will have more than enough filtration.

Mickey · Post by **Mickey** » 19 Apr 2006, 13:07

Now I am way past confused.
The tank that this fish was in didn't have any wood, and it was cleaning the tank as we watched. It was also in the tank with some very annoying fish, and it didn't do anything...

And also, the woman that owns the pet store that I go to {she is not one that just wants to sell sell sell... she really cares about the animals...} she gets from a breeder... so yeah they are raised in tanks all the way through.

Also, all of those fish are a lot longer and skinnier than this one I think...

Iporangensis Headach · Post by **Iporangensis Headach** » 19 Apr 2006, 13:14

All fish can survive in almost any tank, for a week, but if there not happy they will last no more than a few month before they give up the will to live,

The chances are that the big fish are not harassing the Pleco because you are there! watching this and they are more interested in you, but I bet when you walk away from the tank or the store is closed its a different story,

My Earth eater is as good as gold when I am there but sometimes I peak over the stairs to watch it and it's a different fish altogether, As soon as it spots me it turns into Mr Friendly,

Best to get the tank and habitat sorted and keep the fish happy.

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 19 Apr 2006, 14:15

Also, all of those fish are a lot longer and skinnier than this one I think...

It might not be L002, just these are the most common fish offered as "tiger pleco".

Common names are pretty meaningless, as people make up new names all the time. Common names will also vary from country to country.

Get some photos, and we can ID it for you

If it is a Panaque.....

The tank that this fish was in didn't have any wood, and it was cleaning the tank as we watched.

Panaque need wood for a long and healthy life. They can live without it, but it's not ideal.

It was also in the tank with some very annoying fish, and it didn't do anything...

They are fine with "normal" fish, it's just plecos that they save their aggression for. They also get worse as they mature.

Where do i sign up?

Visit lots of shops, and you should find some. Most decent shops like Maidenhead Aquatics (where I got mine from) should be able to order them in for you.

They don't always look as great in the shop as they do in the pictures, but they look a lot better with clean water and lots of wood.

Mickey · Post by **Mickey** » 19 Apr 2006, 22:09

Mkay then no getting that fish... and I don't think that I can get a decent picture of that fish because it likes to hide..
Including she said that the tiger was there for over a month..
I was just looking for another pleco cause I am setting up that ten gallon like I said...

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 20 Apr 2006, 08:32

Bristlenose are perfect. .

They may need a larger tank in several years, when they reach max size, but they'll be fine for ages.

Once you've bred these, and had success and experience with them, move on the exotic "pretty" wild plecos.

The problem with a lot of wild fish is that you need a bit of money behind you to support them. Most have quite specialist needs that cost money like:

Powerheads
Power filters
Air pumps
Bogwood
Testkits
Costly foods

You also need some $$$ in reserve for when things go wrong and you need an extra air pump to treat ich for example.

Bristlenose are dead easy to keep, and if you look after them properly you get babies! What could be better than that!

Mickey · Post by **Mickey** » 20 Apr 2006, 13:02

Yeah...
as soon as I get out of the house I am getting better stuff for my tanks and getting better tanks..
Cause I just have the sets that the stores sell you.
But yeah I think I am going to go for bristlenose now...
thanks

Mickey · Post by **Mickey** » 26 Apr 2006, 03:00

another problem is now that it's summer, I will have to be gone all weekend on my fishies
and they are kinda stuck with 3 day feeder things
I was just wondering if anybody has any tips on that too

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 26 Apr 2006, 09:33

There are companies selling automatic feeders, so you set it up to feed two or three times a day.

For pleco's etc, try to find a food that stays well in the water. Sweet potato for instance seems to last longer than zucchini(courgette).

--
Mats

Mickey · Post by **Mickey** » 27 Apr 2006, 03:42

Thankies, I think I will try that.
And as soon as I said he isn't eating, he does.
That fish is gonna kill me. x.x