Tetras

[beginnerplecokeeper]

Hi,
today i got a 4 inch RTBS and 2 male fancy guppies. I had already got 1 3 inch sailfin pleco and a 3 inch synodontis decorus. I was thinking that maybe i could have a small school of neon tetras BUT, at my lfs they said my synodontis decorus would eat small fish. i am also not sure if mt RTBS would eat small fish. i will be adding either two more males or females next week.
Would they be okay in a school?
Would they okay with lots of hiding spaces?
If so, What do thay eat?
What tank temp?
What minimun school?
Special tank requirements?

Thanks, BPK

 

[Lornek8]

Neons (well all tetras) do better in a schooling situation of 6 individuals or more.
Eat your standard community flake.
Can have problems with poor quality fish as they are farmed in large quanities and are prety much considered commodity fish. So long as you can get good stock it shouldn't be a problem keeping them. One note though, if there are ever any fish that tankmates will potentially eact, the neon tetra & guppy are probably the top of the list.

As a side, I think its a bit funny that you are researching so heavily basic aquarium standards like guppies & tetras which for the most part can go in any tank & get along with anything with little issue yet you return home with a RTBS which can become an absolute nightmare when it matures. And you're keeping them with a gibby which gets absolutely huge & a decorus which also qets quite large. Good on you for at least asking about the guppies & tetras but do your homework on all your fish, decide on the direction that you want your tank to go & make descisions appropriately. All your fish might be small now, so your not seeing problems, but give them a year & things will definitely change.

 

[beginnerplecokeeper]

thanks for the info and i want to make sure everything is okay to go in my tank as i want the fish to feel secure in my tank and entertaining for me.
so, if i get a group of 6 neon tetras they will fend for them selves?

thanks, BPK

 

[Lornek8]

thanks for the info and i want to make sure everything is okay to go in my tank as i want the fish to feel secure in my tank and entertaining for me.
so, if i get a group of 6 neon tetras they will fend for them selves?

thanks, BPK

Neons do not "fend". They run away & hide or, if the pursuent so deems, gets eaten. They school for protection and are skittish. Their defense is numbers & running away. They don't do well in tanks in which they are in constant stress as they are pretty high-strung & anxious, rightfully so as they are about bite sized for just about anything that wants to eat them.

If you're leaning towards keeping the RTBS, gibby & decorus, you may want to consider mid-water schooling fish that will also get a bit bigger & are a bit more robust. Rosy Barbs , black skirt tetras, congo tetras are all abit larger & will probably do better than the diminuative neon & guppies.

 

[beginnerplecokeeper]

I dont think there is anything in my tank which has a big enough mouth to eat them.

 

[Lornek8]

I dont think there is anything in my tank which has a big enough mouth to eat them.

Not yet but it may not keep them from trying.

I've got decorus, said so before, raised it from under 2" to 8" or so in under a year. Gibbys can reach 12" or more in a year. RTBS ar a bit slower growers but in a year will quite larger than it is now. Like I said give it time & things will change.

 

[D-MAC]

I dont think there is anything in my tank which has a big enough mouth to eat them.

Can I just ask the size of your tank and the filter system you have on it? You may have said in a previous post that I didn't see.
There are a few that you do have that will have a big enough mouth later on.

 

[AndyEllard]

Hi,
today i got a 4 inch RTBS and 2 male fancy guppies. I had already got 1 3 inch sailfin pleco and a 3 inch synodontis decorus. I was thinking that maybe i could have a small school of neon tetras BUT, at my lfs they said my synodontis decorus would eat small fish. i am also not sure if mt RTBS would eat small fish. i will be adding either two more males or females next week.
Would they be okay in a school?
Would they okay with lots of hiding spaces?
If so, What do thay eat?
What tank temp?
What minimun school?
Special tank requirements?

Thanks, BPK

May I enquire as to the size of your tank?
It will need to be large as the sailfin pleco can reach 50cm, and the synodontis decorus can get to 24cm.

 

[beginnerplecokeeper]

it is 2 ft long and up and will be upgrading in the near future (as they get bigger)

 

[macvsog23]

it is 2 ft long and up and will be upgrading in the near future (as they get bigger)

make the upgrade ASAP and make it a 4 foot x 18" x18"
Stop buying fish now to let the tank settle and do a 10% water change every week plus only feed once a day at the most
Regards Bob

 

[D-MAC]

make the upgrade ASAP and make it a 4 foot x 18" x18"
Stop buying fish now to let the tank settle and do a 10% water change every week plus only feed once a day at the most
Regards Bob

I agree...It looks like the Lfs you are using is not guiding you on the correct path.
We all have good intentions as to upgrading but sometimes circumstances don't allow this to happen so it is very important that we stock our aquariums with suitable fish only.
If you do in fact get your larger tank up and running, that would be the time to stock the larger fish...We can help you on your path to becoming a good aquarist but you have to be willing to take the advice on board and not rush things, as this will only end in disaster .:thumbup:

 

[Doodles]

Have a read of this article which explains a lot about stress in fish. Fish that may not fit in a predators mouth will still be very stressed. As stress levels fall, so do the health levels, being chased continually will kill a fish for sure. All the things that stress fish are called stressors, these even include tank size and water parameters, all of which should be researched before the purchase.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2004/9/fish2

 

[macvsog23]

This thread is a fantastic example of how a person with a desire to care for fish will have a very negative view of the fish keeping experience due to a rather selfish lack of advice from the shop he is buying his fish from.

BPX is showing all the right signs of being a very caring fish keeper, a desire to have the fish do well and the willingness to learn. This forum along with many others is trying to help people with this attitude and outlook.
Maybe one of the members that live near PBX could pop round and offer one to one advice?

But in the mean time BPX do take care and do slow down, we all have been were you are, first tank fish that look fantastic in the shop and no advice from any one.

 

[bigbird]

good advice from Bob. Use your common sense. Your tank size is limited to the amoun of fish you can hold. Take one step at a time, look at your budget, what you wish and be realistic. Do not make the mistake of frustration and errors due to ill advice from the LFS. Ask questions and listen and learn. cheers jk :thumbup: