# I Need Some Advice



## thenewguy (Aug 3, 2013)

Hi everyone I have a problem and i was hoping somebody could help me, I have a pleco he's about 6" long and he has some white patches on him and they're a little fuzzy looking, I dont know what it is or what to do because he really is thriving in my tank I mean he's all over the place eating and sucking on the walls but those patches just make me worry I've had him for about three weeks, he's in a 40 with a 4.5"Oscar two 3" cory cats, a 6" fire eel, a 3"Dino birchir and I just added a 3" Red tail catfish. I don't know if i should leave him or treat him with the whole tank or in a qt tank.thank you guys in advance, I'd appreciate any advice I'm still kind of new to fresh water aquariums I only have a couple of months since i set up this tank *c/p*


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

I can't really tell from pictures but I would guess you need to up your waterchanges.Do you have a test kit?
I will say that you picked fish that will quickly foul your water so get used to waterchanges,and that is the good news.
The bad news is I'll speculate you have GREATLY over stocked your 40gl.The oscar alone may have you at capacity (if and when he grows),but the pleco,fire eel and the redtailed cat are definately in no more than 1/4(probly generous) the size tank they require.
You need to read up on these fish and start looking for a 6-8 foot aquarium or re home those three.Even just the oscar and bichir deserve a larger tank.
And I feel bad for the cories.


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## vreugy (May 1, 2013)

Wish I could help you. The only thing I can say is maybe treat the whole tank for fungus. All the fish will be exposed. Coralbandit is right about the water changes. You need to do an immediate 70% water change and keep it up twice a week at least. Also, he is right about being greatly over stocked. Maybe you can rehome or ask your lfs to exchange them for something else, maybe frozen food or plants. 

He is also very right on testing your water. You need a good liquid test kit. Most here use the API test kit. 

Your cories need to be in a school of at least 5. 6-7 is better. I know nothing about the other fish except the red tailed shark. They are stinkers. They will bully any fish in the tank that doesn't eat them first. I love to see them but boy can they upset a tank. They are jumpers too. I had a 7 inch one decide to explore the human side of life. By the time I found him, he was a crispy critter. Sorry I can't help more.

have a blessed day


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

vreugy;NOT RED TAILED SHARK,RED TAILED CATFISH!
So you want to keep a RTC (Red Tailed Catfish)?)


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Wow, I must say I agree with Tom and Ladybug. You are massively overstocked. An oscar alone needs a 75 gallon tank ans they get to be large brutes. Common and sailfin ( hard to say which yours is as he is clamped) get even larger. Red tailed cats get very large. Almost every fish you have listed require twice the suggested filtration for the tank they are in and being overstocked so badly I would say three times as much is needed. The filter just cannot handle the bioload.

I agree, do a 70% water change now, and I personally would continue that daily until you rehome /upgrade. 

As for the white patches I cant tell for certain but it could be bacterial or fungal. Either caused by stress and it will spread to everyone. 

Corys should be in groups of five to seven. They feel more secure as a nice shoal.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Looks like the Pleco is the least of your worries. They alone will get to 2 feet long. You need to get about a 125g tank for those fish and even then that will only work for a while. Reading up on the care of these fish and getting stocking advice from somewhere other than from the idiots in the store will do you much better in the future. 

Did you test the rock to make sure it is ph safe? What type of maintenance (water changes) are you doing every week? With those size fish, even in their current "small" size you need to be changing about 40-50% twice a week.


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## thenewguy (Aug 3, 2013)

Ok thank you everybody for your help I really appreciate it, now I know how big those fish can get which is why I choose them, so how big a tank do I really need for all the fish I have and how soon do I need to get it? because I did a little research for each of my fish and I know I need a bigger tank but I thought I could just keep upgrading depending on how fast they grow, About the water I take out about 20 or 30% twice a week but I'll start start taking out 50 to 70% from now on until I upgrade and I was actually going to buy another water filter for my tank also but only because I thought it might help I didn't know that I actually needed it so thanks for that and thank you everybody for helping me out


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

all but one fish could be kept in a large 6 foot tank 180gl or larger(220,300).As for the one....The red tailed cat fish this one is IMO on the short list of fish that should not be sold at pet/LFS.This fish can reach well over 3'(going to get a tank that is 3 feet wideX 12 long?).These fish have caught on rod and reel at 60-70 inches and well(WELL) over 100lbs.Size aside(hard to say) they are not a "community fish",not even a bad community.It will surely eat whatever fits in its mouth and likely try to eat the rest for "fun".Articles I have read said properly fed the RTC can grow an inch PER WEEK!
The cories will either die of fright(stress) or be eaten as they are a timid social fish that sleeps at night and their tank mates are predators(some that specifically hunt at night while others sleep).
So I'd say start looking for a 180+++ gallon tank and still try to return/rehome the RTC(try a public aquarium as they should be the only ones allowed to house such a fish)


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## thenewguy (Aug 3, 2013)

Thanks coralbandit for the info, do you think a 125gal could last me a couple of months white I find something bigger?


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## thenewguy (Aug 3, 2013)

And about the RTC I'm willing to go as big as have to to keep him, even if I need a 1000+gal tank or even build him a pond because he's the reason I got in this hobby, him and all the other catfish that I've seen in aquariums on the internet


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

A 125gl(6 feet long) would probly hold those guys for quite a while.A pond if your enviroment is good would be best for the RTC.I've seen some awesome basement tanks that were like 3-4 thousand gallons.They build them the whole width of a part of the basement(aprox. 12 feet in length)and around 8-14 feet wide and 4-5 feet deep.They put them on a wood base off floor and have glass on just one side as the concrete is the other three.They seem "fairly easy" to build(all things considered) and a massive sanctuary that could hold most beast.
Until the pond or "basement takeover" get real familiar with ater changes .You need them to remove all the waste from the boys and the more you change water the faster they will grow(kind of a catch 22,but worthwile if you're really into fish.
I will say going up to a 180gl will give you 6 more inches in width as they are 6x2x2feet and 125 gl(even 150) are 6x2x1 1/2 feet . The extra 6 inches wide is nice.
search basement aquariums hit 3000 gallon basement aquarium and go to first tab (top) on right called 2700 gallon aqurium.
Maybe easier is to search"basement aquarium energy vampires"
This seems to pull up two great links of the 2700 and a 1500 gl tank build.


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## thenewguy (Aug 3, 2013)

Alright thanks for the help coralbandit I'm going to start looking for a new tank for these guys


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Hey I just wanted to say I find it refreshing to get responses to"bad news" that are not overwhelmingly defensive or out right rude.I wish you luck with all your fish and your search for a larger tank.
In regards to water quality besides massive water changes many here use seachem purigen as it helps keep water crystal clear and does help to remove nitrates.It is rechargable so will last years(some of mine are over 2 years old).
And I added late to last post so not sure if you saw;
search "basement aquariums energy vampires" there are a couple of awesome tank builds there.I hope one day to something very similiar in my basement(would like to convert my bedroom (12'x16') into a massive tank!


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## Ty (Jun 21, 2013)

coralbandit said:


> Hey I just wanted to say I find it refreshing to get responses to"bad news" that are not overwhelmingly defensive or out right rude.I wish you luck with all your fish and your search for a larger tank.
> In regards to water quality besides massive water changes many here use seachem purigen as it helps keep water crystal clear and does help to remove nitrates.It is rechargable so will last years(some of mine are over 2 years old).
> And I added late to last post so not sure if you saw;
> search "basement aquariums energy vampires" there are a couple of awesome tank builds there.I hope one day to something very similiar in my basement(would like to convert my bedroom (12'x16') into a massive tank!


...WOW... Your wife would let you do that?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Ty said:


> ...WOW... Your wife would let you do that?


SHHHHHHHHHHH! Not so loud huh!*r2


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## vreugy (May 1, 2013)

coralbandit. My bad on the red tail. All I can say about that fish is, when it's grown some, it might be some mighty fine eating. :0) Sure is a pretty thing though. No wonder people want to keep them.

have a blessed day


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## ChrissieCS (Sep 28, 2013)

coralbandit said:


> SHHHHHHHHHHH! Not so loud huh!*r2


Hahaha! Every time I mention a bigger tank- not outrageous, just bigger, my boyfriend says that he will move out!! he things there is a risk that the tank will burst and the water will flood our house....

I don't know, in all honesty, how much of a risk this is- but i would have thought it unlikely!

a tank the size of an entire room... that would be like a paradise!!


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