# new tank help on diet please



## zero (Mar 27, 2012)

im just about to start cycling a new tank so want to have everything ready for when i start adding fish, my plan after doing research is to get around 20 guppies, 4 mollies and a couple plecos....and hopefully a male betta (if it doesnt work out i have a tank just for him)...is there a broad spectrum pellet anyone can recommend for these type of fish? my plan was to feed them how i feed the cichlids; pellet in the morning, Spirulina flakes in the afternoon, and a bit of live/frozen food in the evening. (im in the UK)


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## hanky (Jan 18, 2012)

What size tank is it? Be carefull what kind of plecos you get Common plecos get to 2 feet long, I think feeding 3 times a day is too much.


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## zero (Mar 27, 2012)

its a 100l tank. i have a baby bristle nose pleco, around 3 cms that im going to put in there and i shall try and find a albino version also.
ive read on a lot of forums people feed 3 times a day, not loads of food but enought as they need a varied diet? how would you recomment to feed the fish? any info is much apreciated as it seems everyone says different things! fish keeping is a lot harder than my boyfriend made out!!!


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

I feed only once a day and skip feeding altogether one day a week, flakes or pellets most days other foods for variety some days.


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

Obesity can actually be an issue, more with tetras than livebearers, but it kills fish too. I feed once daily for adult fish (twice for young) and I have one day a week where I feed nothing. Since I started doing that, my fish have lived much longer and been much more active. It was a bit of an eye opener. 

With the fish you want, you will need a vegetable and roughage heavy diet. I dislike pellets, and have a preference for flake. I'm a believer in variety, and always have at least 3 types of flake going (along with live food, depending on the species). 

With mollies and ancistrus, you will have competition as they like the same food. Make sure you supplement - both are algae eaters.

Mollies have a tendency to mistake Male betta splendens for wavy plants. If they accidentally discover the taste of betta fins, they'll give him a permanent haircut that would make a skinhead look furry.


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## zero (Mar 27, 2012)

i think ill leave the mollies tbh....i do not want a half eaten betta!!! ive got mini algea wafers for the plecos so they dont get hungry, didnt think there would be too much algea in a new t


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## zero (Mar 27, 2012)

also what flake types do you have? like i said i have spirulina flake and mini tropical pellet at the mo. ive seen a guppy flake, would this be better than an all round flake/pellet? ive also seen betta food... will they be ok to eat the guppy stuff or should i get seperate food for the little guy? i will be getting the packs of frozen food as the only live food i can find in shops around me is bloodworm.


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## luananeko (Aug 27, 2010)

You'll want to be careful with the betta and the guppies too. It's totally doable to keep both, but they have to be introduced carefully and it's highly dependent on the betta's personality. I've had good success when I take the following precautions:

1) Make sure you have a good group of guppies established in the tank before getting a betta. You want to keep the betta from getting in the mindset that the entire tank is his and his alone.
2) When picking the betta, take the cup over to the guppy tank and see how the betta reacts. If they flare/go nuts and don't settle down within a minute or so, pick a different one. Showing some interest is fine, as long as they don't keep flaring after they've had a chance to recognize that the guppies aren't bettas.
3) When adding the betta to the tank, put him in a clear floating isolation chamber for a day or two (length will be determined by how the betta is reacting). If he seems to be mellow and not really paying attention when the guppies swim past, it should be safe to let him loose and watch him carefully for the first few hours. If he doesn't go chasing anyone around or do more than possibly an initial introduction flare at the guppies, you shouldn't have any issues. If he doesn't settle down, you better be ready with that backup tank or take him back to the store.


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## zero (Mar 27, 2012)

luananeko said:


> You'll want to be careful with the betta and the guppies too. It's totally doable to keep both, but they have to be introduced carefully and it's highly dependent on the betta's personality. I've had good success when I take the following precautions:
> 
> 1) Make sure you have a good group of guppies established in the tank before getting a betta. You want to keep the betta from getting in the mindset that the entire tank is his and his alone.
> 2) When picking the betta, take the cup over to the guppy tank and see how the betta reacts. If they flare/go nuts and don't settle down within a minute or so, pick a different one. Showing some interest is fine, as long as they don't keep flaring after they've had a chance to recognize that the guppies aren't bettas.
> 3) When adding the betta to the tank, put him in a clear floating isolation chamber for a day or two (length will be determined by how the betta is reacting). If he seems to be mellow and not really paying attention when the guppies swim past, it should be safe to let him loose and watch him carefully for the first few hours. If he doesn't go chasing anyone around or do more than possibly an initial introduction flare at the guppies, you shouldn't have any issues. If he doesn't settle down, you better be ready with that backup tank or take him back to the store.


thanks for your post its really helpful.

once my guppy clan is established i know of a shop that has a really good healthy betta selection, im pretty sure there in tanks though so unless the owner will allow me to bag the one i want then take it too the guppies ill take my time to hopefully choose a chilled out one.. ill set the back up tank up before i get him just incase tho!

one question.....is a breeder box ok to put him in or should i get something a little bigger? ive not heard of isolation chambers.


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