Hi....I am still a newbie here, with just one other thread under my belt.
I have 3 tanks.. A 200 gallon with 1 Oscar, a 90 gallon with 1 Oscar and a 55 gallon with some little guys like Corys. My intention was to keep the 2 Oscars in the 200 gallon but it did not work out, so one went back in the 90 gallon and one stayed in the 200 gallon.
I have wanted either Clown Laches or Silver Dollars for about 2 years now and read up on both, but wanted to wait until the larger tank was set up before getting anybody else.
I ended up getting a group of 8 Clown Loaches. They were little guys so they went in the 55 gallon, and I fully understand it might be a couple of years or more before they go in the bigger tank, (200 gallon)
My 55 gallon is understocked and very well maintained and filtered and has been established for years, but I already lost 4 of my little Clown Loaches. I got so stressed out losing them that I am scared to add to the group of 4 that is left now, but I don't want to keep them in such a small group, I think it is unfair. I also think it is unfair to add more if they are not doing well in my tank. Granted, the 4 I lost were during the time we were out of state for 2 weeks, with my neighbor taking care of the fish. It is possible he maybe overfed, underfed etc..
A few different fishkeepers have since told me that I should have started with larger 5-6 inch Clowns, saying they would be more resilient. This initially seemed cost prohibitive but I am open now to larger ones if it means a better chance of not losing them. A few things are bothering me though:
1. Since the larger ones are fairly pricey I most likely would not get a decent size group all at once, but I am not happy with the idea of forcing them to live in, for example, a pair until buying more.
2. I still have the 4 smaller ones. They seem to be pretty stable since being back in the routine after our trip, but they would be too small for a long time to join any larger Clowns and the Oscar in the 200 gallon. I HATE the idea of rehoming them or returning them, as I think this is very stressful for fish and they could very well end up in a situation I am trying to avoid for them...a too small tank or kept alone etc. But if I keep them I have to consider that my 200 gallon will only accommodate approximately 7-8 Clowns plus the Oscar. So even if I did try a couple of 5-6 inch Clowns they would need to stay as a pair in the bigger tank until the small ones are big enough.
3. It seems to me that my choices are A.rehome the small ones, get larger ones and try to get a decent sized group as quickly as possible. B. Keep the small ones and either wait until they are big enough to move to get more, or keep them and get a couple of larger ones for the bigger tank but then have to keep 2 small groups for a while, which doesn't seem right to do. C. Rehome the small ones and leave everybody as-is for now. D. Rehome the small ones and see about getting Silver Dollars, probably some larger ones that I can add to the 200 gallon right away. E. Set up another 100 gallon (I do have an empty one but was trying not to push the envelope too much with my husband with regard to tanks taking up space) for the Oscar in the bigger tank, leaving the 200 gallon just for the Clowns and maybe Silver Dollars as well...which means that even the small ones could move in right away.
Just to mess with my plans a little bit, a friend at my work recently gave me his baby Oscar. He had it in a 30 gallon tank with no means to upgrade any time soon and felt really bad when I told him that would quickly be way too small. I was going to see if I could find a good home for the little guy, but he is so cute and happy he will probably end up staying.
Which leaves off with option F. Keep the little guy. Cross fingers and see if he would do OK with the other Oscar in the 200 gallon tank when he is bigger. And cut the number of planned Clown Loaches to 6 instead of 8. And forget about Silver Dollars for now.
The Oscar in the 200 gallon is pretty mellow , and I have never fed him live fish if that helps. It was the Oscar that is now in the 90 gallon that seemed to want to start trouble when I tried to put them together.
Anyway, I apologize this got so long winded! We have been crazy busy at home and work and I must have been building up a slew of anxieties to post about, lol..
I have 3 tanks.. A 200 gallon with 1 Oscar, a 90 gallon with 1 Oscar and a 55 gallon with some little guys like Corys. My intention was to keep the 2 Oscars in the 200 gallon but it did not work out, so one went back in the 90 gallon and one stayed in the 200 gallon.
I have wanted either Clown Laches or Silver Dollars for about 2 years now and read up on both, but wanted to wait until the larger tank was set up before getting anybody else.
I ended up getting a group of 8 Clown Loaches. They were little guys so they went in the 55 gallon, and I fully understand it might be a couple of years or more before they go in the bigger tank, (200 gallon)
My 55 gallon is understocked and very well maintained and filtered and has been established for years, but I already lost 4 of my little Clown Loaches. I got so stressed out losing them that I am scared to add to the group of 4 that is left now, but I don't want to keep them in such a small group, I think it is unfair. I also think it is unfair to add more if they are not doing well in my tank. Granted, the 4 I lost were during the time we were out of state for 2 weeks, with my neighbor taking care of the fish. It is possible he maybe overfed, underfed etc..
A few different fishkeepers have since told me that I should have started with larger 5-6 inch Clowns, saying they would be more resilient. This initially seemed cost prohibitive but I am open now to larger ones if it means a better chance of not losing them. A few things are bothering me though:
1. Since the larger ones are fairly pricey I most likely would not get a decent size group all at once, but I am not happy with the idea of forcing them to live in, for example, a pair until buying more.
2. I still have the 4 smaller ones. They seem to be pretty stable since being back in the routine after our trip, but they would be too small for a long time to join any larger Clowns and the Oscar in the 200 gallon. I HATE the idea of rehoming them or returning them, as I think this is very stressful for fish and they could very well end up in a situation I am trying to avoid for them...a too small tank or kept alone etc. But if I keep them I have to consider that my 200 gallon will only accommodate approximately 7-8 Clowns plus the Oscar. So even if I did try a couple of 5-6 inch Clowns they would need to stay as a pair in the bigger tank until the small ones are big enough.
3. It seems to me that my choices are A.rehome the small ones, get larger ones and try to get a decent sized group as quickly as possible. B. Keep the small ones and either wait until they are big enough to move to get more, or keep them and get a couple of larger ones for the bigger tank but then have to keep 2 small groups for a while, which doesn't seem right to do. C. Rehome the small ones and leave everybody as-is for now. D. Rehome the small ones and see about getting Silver Dollars, probably some larger ones that I can add to the 200 gallon right away. E. Set up another 100 gallon (I do have an empty one but was trying not to push the envelope too much with my husband with regard to tanks taking up space) for the Oscar in the bigger tank, leaving the 200 gallon just for the Clowns and maybe Silver Dollars as well...which means that even the small ones could move in right away.
Just to mess with my plans a little bit, a friend at my work recently gave me his baby Oscar. He had it in a 30 gallon tank with no means to upgrade any time soon and felt really bad when I told him that would quickly be way too small. I was going to see if I could find a good home for the little guy, but he is so cute and happy he will probably end up staying.
Which leaves off with option F. Keep the little guy. Cross fingers and see if he would do OK with the other Oscar in the 200 gallon tank when he is bigger. And cut the number of planned Clown Loaches to 6 instead of 8. And forget about Silver Dollars for now.
The Oscar in the 200 gallon is pretty mellow , and I have never fed him live fish if that helps. It was the Oscar that is now in the 90 gallon that seemed to want to start trouble when I tried to put them together.
Anyway, I apologize this got so long winded! We have been crazy busy at home and work and I must have been building up a slew of anxieties to post about, lol..
