# Hmpf. Help please.



## Limits (Aug 2, 2010)

Hey guys, I was wondering if you could help me. 

I'll describe the set up first. 

90cm wide
45cm tall
30cm deep
2 filters, both pumping in same direction with water agitation
2 lights bought with tank (1 1/2 old), on from 11am-11pm
1 heater set at 26 dC

Hiding places

from left to right
Medium sized ship below filters
Medium sized half a barrel cave type thing
Large narrow rock standing up to near top of water
Medium barrel surrounded my 5 fake plants and live grass behind it. 

Fish in tank

Golden barbs x 6
Scissor tail raspora x 4
Black phantom tetras x 3
Sepia tetra x 2
Glow light tetra x 2
Neon tetra x 2*
Guppies x 5

Some sort of rainbow finned fish x 3

Plec x 1
Sydontis cat fish x 1

Some sort of eel x 1

I have just done a complete tank clean out. Transferred all my fish into an old tank, took all gravel out. Cleaned inside and out of glass, hood free from algae, filters in tank water and gravel. Done about a 1/3 water change too. 

Issues

These two breeds were bought on monday. 

Neons : Bought 5. One died in bag. 1 died within a few hours. 3 have lost their tail fins but still swimming. 

Guppies: Lost a male today. The Guppies were being chased around the tank but that has settled down now

Plec: Keeps barging around the tank and bullies the other fish when they are eating. Especially the sydontis. It chases the sydontis back into hiding. 

Any advice please?



Now my issues.


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

I take it the sepia tetras are sepae tetras if so they would be my prime suspect for the missing tails. Are you feeding the plec a sinking pellet food?


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## Limits (Aug 2, 2010)

Yeah, they are a orangey reddish colour. They seem very calm  

And yeah, i put 3 algae waffer (sp) pellets in and flake food. I know i should put some live/frozen food in too but havent done for a while now.


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## Guest (Jan 8, 2011)

First of all, why did you strip the tank down? Also, do you have the most recent (within 24 hours) test results for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

Not meaning to offend, but I am a bit concerned that you've bought fish without even knowing what you've got. That 'eel' you have could grow pretty big, can you get a photo of it so we can get a positive ID on the species? The same goes for the Plec, which could also outgrow your tank.


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## Guest (Jan 8, 2011)

Limits said:


> Hey guys, I was wondering if you could help me.
> 
> I'll describe the set up first.
> 
> ...


Also, just two more things in response to the info I've highlighted in bold.

You say that the photoperiod runs from 11am until 11pm, this brings it to a total of 12 hours. If I were you, I'd cut this back to around 6-7 hours. Excessive lighting can cause algae problems and fish in their natural habitat never have exposure to full daylight for 12 full hours.

You also mention that the temperature on the heater is set to 26°C. Do you have a thermometer in the tank to take readings from? The temperature settings on heater thermostats are never to be relied upon to give an accurate water temperature; you may find that the temperature could be off by several degrees.


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## Limits (Aug 2, 2010)

Hi,

The Plec is about 6inch long and ive had for 2 years, he hasnt grown for a while, although he has started coming out into the open a lot lot more!

The sydontis ive had for about 8 months, is about 3 inch long and always hides. 

The 'eel' type thing (I think might called a Chinese Water Horse) I have had for probably best part of 6 months and hasn't grown much, if at all. 

The reason for my tank clean out was because i had been a bad keeper and left it for a while, it was also looking really glum and dirty. One of my reflectors from the lights had dropped off and been lying in my cupboard for a while.

I have never had an issue with Algae, to be honest. The only bit i had was a little bit on glass. Does the extra light for fish cause them a problem? 

I have two themonitors in/on my tank. One stuck to the outside by the heater, the other an actual one inside opposite side to the heater. Both reading 26.


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## Guest (Jan 8, 2011)

Where fish are concerned, artificial lighting only serves for aesthetic purposes, however excess light can cause colours to appear washed out and hide away more than often.


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## Limits (Aug 2, 2010)

Hey guys,

Heres pictures for you to see my fish and to confirm their species for me please.

Plec









Eel









Rainbow Type Fish









Female Guppy









Glowlight Tetra









Golden Barb & Sepea Tetra









Scissor Tail Raspora









White Tipped Raspora









Tank Right









Tank Left









Community









Tank









I couldn't get a picture of my syndontis, but it looks like this one:








Maybe a bit wider?

Chillinator, how many hours would you say to have the lights on? Just so I can compare hours between sources. :thumbup:


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## Guest (Jan 8, 2011)

The Plec in the top photo is a Sailfin Plec of the genus _Pterygoplichthys_, with the most commonly sold species being_ P. gibbiceps._ These can easily grow to 46cm/18", so a much larger tank will be needed at some point; ideally the sooner the better to give the fish room to grow.

The 'eel' is actually a loach, most likely a Weather or Dojo loach (_Misgurnus __anguillicaudatus_) which grows to around 22.5-25cm/9-10".

As for the 'Rainbowfish', these are actually Congo Tetras (_Phenacogrammus interruptus_). Congos are one of the larger Tetra species, growing upto 8-10cm/3-4". Going by your description of the Synodontis from the photo, this would be _Synodontis multipunctata_, which grows to around 20cm/8", so yours has a bit of growing to do.

People will give you mixed advice about photoperiods, however you really shouldn't have the lights on for more than 6-7 hours; especially so since there appears to be no live plants in the tank. Most of the top aquascapers will give you similar advice.


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## Limits (Aug 2, 2010)

Any idea why the Plec is barging around at everything thats eating? I know it sounds territorial but it's only when there is food about. And it's not all the time, it's kind of random when it does it.


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

I would say he's not getting enough food. A 12inch gibbiceps I used to have would lay upside down at the surface while you put koi sticks in his mouth


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

Im no fish expert but when we were kids my mum had a tropic set up.. and we kept losing fish.. she said she caught him in the act one night getting a little tetra.. 

Also I had a syndontis just like the pic and cause he got so big, my sister took him on.. She has a large tank with a few fish... and a plec.. The plec does bully the syndontis in there.. and she feeds him wafers and cucumber and other foods..


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