New aquarium owner...........................only 25 litre

[lilacben]

I was given an aqua-cube tank for my birthday, as I have always wanted one. is holds 25 litres and am now slowly getting little fish for it. Just wondering if anyone can help me.? I love little tiny fish an have bought 6 neon tetras,4 adler guppies and two pletches. On saturday I am going to collect a siamese fighter fish. the place I got the fish from said I should have a algae fish, which I have now got, a tiny one. Could I put in anymore tiny fish or is it full enough.? thankyou

[Buenchico]

See 'calculating capacity', here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquarium

Chris

[wildwood]

With pletches, I understand that to mean platies, not plecs. 12 plus one fighter and a algea fish(?) is more than enough for what is basically 5 gallons of water. I hope there are some live plants and aeration in the tank.

[tamborine]

neon tetras live in shoals (in drains in Singapore). Drop a jam jar & catch 100+ that I kept in jar for months till I got bored & released back into drain. My childhood days :)

[divegirl]

Hi. Fighter fish prefer their own company and can be aggressive to long finned fish. So I would leave that out.Your tank is near on overstocked already and if I were you I would leave it as it is.
Fighters are beautiful fish and I have kept a few but they really need a species only tank with maybe the odd Otto thrown in.

Lisa x

[B00]

I wouldn't put the fighter in with the others, the name kinda gives it away. It will chase, fight, nip the fins and eventually kill the other fish, especially the guppies with their long tail fins. This isn't an if...it's a when they will kill the other fish, they most certainly will.

Does ANYONE ever do their research before buying tanks and fish anymore? It beggers belief!

[lilacben]

I am sorry Boo BUT I have done research. By talking to the men at the fish center who told me I could put a siamese fighter fish in the tank with the others. Are you saying they have told me wrongly.? If so I will go in there and tell them.!

[hammerman]

Lilac Ben....if you done research, you wouldn't be reffering to the fish as "Adler" guppies (Endler guppeies) or Pletchies (Platies, plecos ??????)

leave the fighter in the shop....they can be very agressive and/or be picked on. If you want some algea eaters, look for a delightful little fish called Ottocinclus....you can keep these in small groups.

Think about a small trio of pygmy corydorus too.

tamborine....Neons are indigenous to south America...particularly areas of the Amazon....what on earth are they doing in Singapore ???

[divegirl]

The problem here is that the guys in the fish store want to make money....and hey it's a business! Fighters can live in a community tank but you would need to build the community around the Fighter and have alternative accommodation for any fish that he took a dislike to! I have kept fighters with Ottos, but always had space to take the Ottos out at the first sign of trouble!
I also have to agree with Hammerman here....do you research on your own, there are dedicated sites out there just for fighters ans any type of fish you care to own. It doesn't take two minutes to find one.
Happy fish keeping!

Lisa x

[hammerman]

Nice one Lisa.....having had a superb Siamese fighter breeding project a few years ago, i know this species inside and out.

They all have individual characters ranging from very peaceful and submissive to absolute evil. They are also prone to poor water conditions despite their natural habitat being swamps and paddy fields.

They really do need a tank built around them as Lisa says...a few Ottocinclus, some corydorus catfish and maybe a few shrimps would make good companions.

[B00]

And yes, sorry, just to reitterate I am saying the guy in the fish shop told you (either intentionally or otherwise) duff information.

[lilacben]

Ok guys many thanks for your input. Sorry I misspelt the fishes names.! I did read about these different fish but I also wanted the imput from helpful people on here who have had experience with aquarium fish. It appears I have ruffled a few feathers, which wasnt my intention. sorry. But now I will tell them in the shop to put it back for sale as I do not want to chance my others being killed.

[hammerman]

Not ruffled feathers ben....most are just concerned that you get off on the right footing and don't kill your fish and provide them with the best conditions you can.

Hobbyists will (hopefully) give you good advice.....most shops will try to get as much cash as they can out of you.

Try this forum http://www.fishtankforum.co.uk/forum/index.php it's the one i post on more than the others as it's reletively small and very helpful to beginners.

[lilacben]

Hammerman, I will look at that site, many thanks. Brenda x

[B00]

Apologies from me too Lilacben, it just annoys me that some fish centres will give sometimes unbelievably bad advice just because they see pound signs instead of the fishs welfare.

[lilacben]

BOO thats ok . I am just pleased that other people are also caring about what happens to their pets as I do. thankyou all again. Brenda x

[divegirl]

Stick with us Lilacben....we'll show you the way. lol

I have just spent the last 6 months educating a friend who thought he could keep a plecco [that would grow to at least 12''] in a 70 litre tank etc etc....because the man in the shop said he could. Makes me so angry. I keep fish and under stock,over filter my tanks so that the fish have the best life possible. It gets on my nerves when people say 'it's just a fish'....they should have seen me cry like a baby when I lost my last fighter!!!
Find a good tropical fish forum and follow their advice, but don't be scared to ask on here either.

Lisa x

I use..... http://www.fishforums.net/

[divegirl]

Here's some of my puffers [Figure of Eights] playing nicely with some live blood worms!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0XvMNR7-lo

[Avatar]

I think you've got enough fish in there to be going on with now. Id have been tempted to scrap the guppies and have 4 more neons just for bigger 'shoal' effect but thats your choice.
Good luck.