# More questions



## Lil Gashog (Dec 1, 2010)

Ok yeah I still have no nitrite but,I have different questions now 

It seemed my fish had parasites(white stringy poop) i even saw a mark on my red wag platys and one was rubbing its body on my flower pot cave,so I fed fresh garlic it went away for about a day and came back so i fed more this time it came back as black stringy poop.So now i have black stringy poop coming from danios and white/black stringy poop from my platys.I also am only using sample fish food atm which I got from the kit I bought the tank in and use a few algae wafers.

About stocking I have a 20 gallon regular,I have 4 red wags and 7 danios,keep in my mind i want these fish AFTER my tank has cycled so now i have 7 danios 4 platys can I add a Dwarf Gourami and 4-5 Cardinals?Would this be okay?Would the gourami get aggresive towards anything?And after that Id might add either snails,or shrimp.Does anyone know if I could get nerite snails at PetCo or Petsmart?I have no exp. with them

Also in my 10g divided i have 2 bettas one on each side so 5gs each betta.I have algae bad on one side of the tank i know why,its because i have sunlight coming in that side of the tank.But i duct taped a piece of blank paper on that side of the tank but its not working,could i add some oto's?Or is 5g too small?Also my wisteria is not growing if it is its growing Very slowly i have 2 10watt bulbs BUT it was on for about 14hrs a day is that too much?I did cut back about 3-4 hours now.

Sorry for the long post but..........*c/p*


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## wnrhed (May 15, 2011)

Lil Gashog said:


> Ok yeah I still have no nitrite but,I have different questions now
> 
> It seemed my fish had parasites(white stringy poop) i even saw a mark on my red wag platys and one was rubbing its body on my flower pot cave,so I fed fresh garlic it went away for about a day and came back so i fed more this time it came back as black stringy poop.So now i have black stringy poop coming from danios and white/black stringy poop from my platys.I also am only using sample fish food atm which I got from the kit I bought the tank in and use a few algae wafers.
> 
> ...


*

Oto's would probably do fine with your betta's, but they might not eat enough algae to make a difference. A small pleco would do better until he outgrows the tank. If your wisteria is in the same tank with the bettas, ....then I'd move it over to the sunlight  If not, its a high light plant. I'm not sure 2 10 watt bulbs would be enough. I'm guessing those are the small incandescent bulbs that come in 10 gallon tanks. Those don't even put out the right KIND of light for good plant growth. If I was going to try growing plants in that kind of setup, I'd spring for some small compact flourescents. They are a little pricey, but they'll get you the right kind of light for almost any plant. Hope some of this helps! :*


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

You may want to try some Parasite Clear from Jungle Labs. It has worked well for me for controlling parasites. I'd say that a Gourami and 4-5 Cardinals would have you overstocked. You're already having some health issues with what you have now. I'd try to get that straightened out and maybe get 1-2 more Platies and be done. The more you push your stocking level the more you'll invite even more health issues. As long as your Wisteria is healthy it is probably okay in your light. The slower growth comes from the lower light, but it should be fine if it remains healthy. They don't require a whole heck of a lot of light.


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## Lil Gashog (Dec 1, 2010)

I feel so stupid,i went and got a flame dwarf gourami,he is pretty small and seems great in the tank but I know I shouldnt have bought him now.....I also have black stringy poop from him so dont feed as much wafers?Also my betta tank is in direct sunlight which is giving brown and green algae.Jr,would 2 neons or 3 for that matter be like the same load as 1-2 platies as you mentioned??Also,instead of more fish could I add some shrimp?Oh and wnrhed,I wish I had a tank to put a pleco in


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

What is the status of cycling the tank? You say still no nitrites, but what about nitrates? No ammonia?


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Yeah a pleco will not be good for your tanks.You can give the tank a blackout period.Instead of using the paper,use the thick black foam that is used for school presentations.Its alot more light restrictive.Ive used it in the past and was very pleased.


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## Lil Gashog (Dec 1, 2010)

jrman83 said:


> What is the status of cycling the tank? You say still no nitrites, but what about nitrates? No ammonia?


Ammonia is now ranging from 1.0-2.0 no nitrite nor nitrates


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## Lil Gashog (Dec 1, 2010)

majerah1 said:


> Yeah a pleco will not be good for your tanks.You can give the tank a blackout period.Instead of using the paper,use the thick black foam that is used for school presentations.Its alot more light restrictive.Ive used it in the past and was very pleased.


Yeah its just one side thats facing the window getting algae,it comes off easily with a Q-tip,so you think 1-2 oto's would be good on each side?I tried shrimp but uh my veiltail did not seem ok with him,hes dead now .


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

For the algae, cut back your lighting time another 3-4 hours.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Ottos wont be happy I dont think.I think itll be too much on the bio load,but not sure.Yes many bettas will see shrimp as dinner.Tasty little things,lol


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## Lil Gashog (Dec 1, 2010)

Then what other algae consumers can i consider?Mystery snails maybe?unless they have other cool looking snails at petsmart or petco..


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

I have ramshorn and pond snails all over my tank.They do eat the algae,but I am not sure they will do what you need.Like posted above,lower the light period about 3 to three hours a day,and give the whole tank a blackout until the algae is gone.The fish and plants will be ok for a few days with no light.Once the algae dies off,then reset the light period,with the one side blacked out with the thing I said above or a few sheets of construction paper.


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## Lil Gashog (Dec 1, 2010)

Sounds like a plan!Thanks to all who responded!


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## Lil Gashog (Dec 1, 2010)

Ok i got Jungle (not Jungle labs,just Jungle) Fizz tablets parasite clear and dropped two in 1 for evey 10 gallons and will see what happens!


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## Lil Gashog (Dec 1, 2010)

I hope somebody will still reply to this even though its not the main topic in this part of the forum.But can I get an idea of how stocked I am?And how much space ill have?Right now I have 

7 Zebra danios are 1inch without tail theres one thats like 1/2 an inch looks a lot smaller than the others

4 Red Wag Platys Are of course bigger than the danios but like the same length all platys look the same size at about 1inch.

1 Flame Dwarf Gourami I love this fish hes added a great personality to the tank,the only one who doesnt swim to the front of the tank and beg for food XD Id put this fish 2in-2 and 1/4 of an inch.

So yep thats it for now Im looking for maybe another small species of fish I can get 1-2 of that I can get at PetCo or Petsmart or even another (dwarf) Gourami if it doesnt overload my stock.Also once I stock on fish enough,can I add some ghost shrimp maybe six??And a mystery snail?Arent those nowhere near the load of ammonia fish are??

Thanks to those who have replying and checking and for the advice!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Do yourself a favor and let the fish get settled into their home with their tank mates and let the neighborhood settle out for a while. If you keep buying and buying your going to loose more fish. See if you can keep on the tank maintenance needs while all the while maintaining their health for 30 days. From there maybe consider something else. Just my opinion. I understand wanting to buy more fish, but with smaller tanks the more you push toward the limit of the tank the more you come close to pushing it over the edge. A Gourami can be very territorial and he may not want any other fish in the tank. You do what you want..its just not a good idea.


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