Fresh water aquarium issues.

Kirrie · Post by **Kirrie** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 7:08 am

The shrimp and snails would be fine in the 10 gallon, but the bristle nose pleco actually needs 30 gallons minimum. Being in the 10 gallon will stunt its growth. Its organs will continue growing, but the fish will not. Its very painful and the fish will die. I guess 10 gallons would be ok for a baby, but he/she will need a larger tank is it grows. What size is it now?

Crabber85 · Post by **Crabber85** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 7:09 am

@Jenok, the general rule of thumb is one inch of fish per gallon and yes the snail, shrimp and pleco count.Having 16 fish/shrimp/snails in a ten gallon would put it way over the maximum stocking limit unfortunately.For that many I would recommend a tank no smaller than thirty gallons actually.Most fresh water aquarium fish are typically two inches long when fully matured so using that as a base line number 9 fish at two inches each would require a minimum of twenty gallons then you add the one snail and the six shrimp and your up another ten gallons required..Plecos can reach six inches or more in just a few years so thats going to up the required space again.Your filtration should be a minimum of thirty gallons but preferably more since the higher gallon number the higher the GPH or gallons per hour will be which will give an extra layer of protection.

Kirrie · Post by **Kirrie** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 7:27 am

The inch of fish per gallon really only works with torpedo shaped fish. What are the 8 fish you have in the 10 gallon?While the shrimp and snails do create waste, I wouldn't count each one as an additional fish. Although you do have to be careful when adding them because they do add to the bioload, just not as much as a fish.The pleco definitely needs a bigger tank, but depending on your other 8 fish, they may be ok. If they're neon tetras, for example, they should be fine in the 10 gallon. Something like 8 corys however, would be overstocked.A good site to check out is http://aqadvisor.com/ You can plug all of your tank information in and it will give you compatibility and size issues. The size of the Pleco is definitely an issue. Im not sure about your other 8 fish though without knowing what they are. The snails and shrimp would be fine in the 10 gallon.

jenok · Post by **jenok** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 7:28 am

The placo I have is 4" which is the biggest it's supposed to get so it may be a different species then what I said, but for some reason that is what I had in my head. The fact it stays small is why we got it to begin with cuz we've had the others and they quickly outgrow the tank. This one we got almost 2 yrs ago and once it reached this size has no longer grown whereas the others we've had in the past would still be growing, so it was supposed to get about 4" and that is what it did. The 1" rule is what I usually do with the exception of the placo since it stayed on the bottom or sides I wouldn't count it. I think I've only had a snail 1 other time and the only reason I got this one is because the placo isn't getting all the algae and my mom/pop store highly recommended it. She also will take back any fish that out grow or are no longer wanted in the tank quarantines them then sells them to someone else. I had several people tell me that the 1" rule was outdated and I could have more than that, but very seldom have I done more than that. Which is why I asked for your opinions. I do have a filter for a 20-30 or 40 gal cuz we accidentally got the wrong size when we bought a new one but figured it wouldn't hurt anything. I am having trouble keeping the small one clean so I do have an extra 10g tank just not an extra filter for it, if I can get the money for a filter I may just set up the other 10g. Thanks.Edit for answer to kirrie1 zebra danio 2 1/2" counting long fins3 glo fish torpedo shaped 1- 2" & 2- 1"1 nickel size snail1 4" placo1 3" whiskas shrimp3 1/2" ghost shrimpother 1 1/2 gal tank2 3/4" glo fish topedo shaped2 1" glo fish more like angel fish type body2 1/4" ghost shrimp

Kirrie · Post by **Kirrie** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 7:32 am

The extra filtration is good. I still wouldn't have the pleco in a 10 gallon though.They may not swim all over the tank, but they do produce a lot more waste than most other fish. They put a bigger load on the beneficial bacteria in the tank. The only way for the bacteria to handle that kind of load is to have a larger population, that requires a larger water volume because the bacteria grow on the sides of the tank as well is in the filter and on the gravel.

Crabber85 · Post by **Crabber85** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 7:35 am

@Jenok, I have had snails in the past and the last couple of them obliterated my filtration kit when they died and the shell turned into chunks not to mention that a dead snail will almost instantly cloud the water a ruin the parameters. @Kirrie, I've always counted snails and the like just to be safe though I do understand what your saying.lolI have relatives who have had their pleco outgrow the aquarium in six months and end up eating the other fish so I don't particularly like them.

Kirrie · Post by **Kirrie** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 7:49 am

Im a big fan of snails. Not the ones you get on new plants that breed like bunnies though. Those are typically pond and Malaysian trumpet snails. They can become a real problem with overcrowding your tank if you don't take care of them.Ive had nerite snails since I started keeping fish so long ago and they're great. Their eggs cant hatch in freshwater so they don't overpopulate your tank. They are good little algae eaters too!Mystery snails are also great. Im currently waiting for my newest 10 gallon to finish cycling and then I have someone who breeds them. Shes saving some purple striped babies for me right now. They lay their eggs in clutches at the top of the water so you can just remove them if you don't want more snails.I guess it is a good idea to count snails and such as fish to be careful. I don't because I push the limits a little. I know I will keep up with my water changes and tank maintenance so I usually have my tanks fully stocked.I also admire plecos, but not most types. The common pleco and many other types grow to a foot or longer. Id love to have some bristle nose plecos some day though, as they do stay under 6 inches. The only problem with plecos is that they require driftwood to munch on in order for them to be receiving the proper nutrients. I happen to love using driftwood in my aquariums though with my slightly higher pH.I cant believe a pleco actually ate other fish! I could see them scavenging on dead fish but an aggressive pleco seems out of the ordinary. Were they goldfish? I have heard that they will suck the slime coats off of goldfish and kill them, but then again, plecos are tropical and goldfish are cold water so they shouldn't even be kept together in the first place.

jenok · Post by **jenok** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 7:50 am

I guess the placo is something my mom has always had so she continues to get them though I have about had it cuz they always get lazy. I don't think I am getting them anymore though. I thought with this smaller one it would be better and it's not really. One time we had a placo get so big it was as long as the 10g tank (it was the only thing in it) we was going to take it in to the store to resell and it jumped out while we weren't home @crabber I wonder if that's what happened to my small tank I had the snail die but it was late the next day before I got it out and there ws stuff growing on it too.

Kirrie · Post by **Kirrie** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 7:55 am

If you don't see your snail move for a while, take it out of the water and smell it. If it just smells fishy, its fine. If the smell makes you want to throw up, its dead. They do ruin the water quality pretty quickly when they're dead. Your snail most likely died of a fungal infection or he was just dead long enough for it to grow on him.There is a type of pleco that only grows to a few inches, but I cant remember the name of them right now. They're not all that common either, so finding one would be difficult.

Crabber85 · Post by **Crabber85** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 7:58 am

@Kirrie, yup it was a normal pleco that attacked and ate a small clawed african frog and six tetras.It died after eating the frog and the people at the pet store said that the frog had probably released some kind of toxin in a last ditch effort to protect itself.I remember getting the phone call from my aunt letting me know what had happened because some of the fish had been bought for me and she was taking care of them since I didn't have a tank of my own I was only eight at the time and I was heart broken.@Jenok, that could be what happened when the snail died.

Kirrie · Post by **Kirrie** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 8:11 am

Aww! I probably wouldnt like plecos after that either! Remember the pictus catfish I meantioned earlier? He did get sick and die after 2 weeks, but not before he pestered all 5 of my nerite snails to death! He kept knocking them off the glass and rolling them over until they were so shaken up they died.

Crabber85 · Post by **Crabber85** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 9:37 am

@Kirrie, the only catfish I like or will ever have are the corydoras species since they are so docile and don't get very big.lolI've seen standard/regular pleco catfish that were in excess of twelve inches long in home aquariums though we are talking on the order of ninety gallons or more so I know the fish can get huge given the right diet and space which makes me want to see them taken off the market since they can be such trouble makers.

Kirrie · Post by **Kirrie** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 9:48 am

I honestly just want a little of everything. I love my corys and oto catfish. The otos are even smaller and cuter than corys and they act like snails cleaning algae off of everything. Someday I would love to try some bristlenose plecos but my dream fish is a hillstream loach otherwise known as a butterfly pleco even thought its not a pleco. They need fast water movement and cooler temps though so I would need a special tank for them.

Tongue Flicker · Post by **Tongue Flicker** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 5:46 pm

Yeah that is kinda overstocked. Water for bumblebee goby should be slightly brackish. To give you an idea, just keep adding aquarium salt and taste it everytime. It should be just before the water becomes salty. In short, it should have enough salt without a salty taste. You'll get what i mean lol.

jenok · Post by **jenok** » Thu Nov 14, 2013 6:08 am

Yeah I think so. I'm not going to retry for a while yet.