I want a red-tailed shark for my new tank, need advice

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icefreeze57

Gambusia
MFK Member
Dec 7, 2011
248
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16
New Jersey
I'm getting a tank probably in the upcoming week, I'm considering a 20-gallon tank and a 30-gallon tank (starter kits and then I'll buy the additional pump/vacuum, "salts" food gravel etc etc)

I'm going to let the tank sit for 3 days and then bring in a sample and hopefully get my 1st set of fish!

I'm currently planning (but a lot could change) to get these fish as my first set (following the rule of 3 fish at a time, giving them 3 days to settle in before bringing in an additional 3)
Red Belly X-Ray Fish
Rasbora Heteromorpha Danio
Skirt Tetra

For my next set of fish (I'm hoping to have 5 probably six fish for the holidays) I'm thinking about getting:
Red Tail Shark - if possible
Gold Twin-barred Platy
Lamp Eye Tetra

Now I have little doubt that all of these will be able to live together, I really want this red-tail shark but now they thrive in a bigger tank, my thought process is by the time they need this bigger tank I will have one by then (and either sell my current tank and do something else with it)

So I guess my question is how do you think this will work out? Is my goal of having a RTS realistic in a 20 or 30 gallon tank...

P.S. I currently have 4 goldfish in a "bowl-tank" it might not even be 2.5 gallons, I bought it for like 12 or 15 bucks when they gave us free fish for Halloween. But I really liked them so I now want "real fish" I know that I can't mix my goldfish in but my aunt gave me a 5 gallon tank so I'll probably go 2 in each. Realistically I may give them to my friend who has a nice goldfish tank (probably 15-20 gallons, and yes I realize that isn't big for goldfish, I heard the rule is 10gs per fish, but idk)

thanks for the advice!
 
Im not gonna tackle the other stuff im sure someone else will... but as for redtail shark. they are waay to aggressive for those fish. they will chase and harrass to death u dont want that. also tanks a bit small for an adult so yes upgrade is a must ive seen adults at 7-8" . also they like alot of places to hide. but either way i wouldnt add them with those fish. and im sure more people will get into to details but dont buy fish in three days....
 
woofy said:
Im not gonna tackle the other stuff im sure someone else will... but as for redtail shark. they are waay to aggressive for those fish. they will chase and harrass to death u dont want that. also tanks a bit small for an adult so yes upgrade is a must ive seen adults at 7-8" . also they like alot of places to hide. but either way i wouldnt add them with those fish. and im sure more people will get into to details but dont buy fish in three days....
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Okay, yeah I wasn't sure how they would act together (I mean I figure(d) that the others will be fine but I wasn't sure about the RTS). And why can't I buy fish 3 days after set up? Thats what I was told by the person who was helping me (I know shes an expert, she has 4 75 gallon tanks, and was literally talking about the chemistry of the different fish lol)
 
I was once told by a petco manager that was dying to hire me that we can never tell the customers how long it tly takes to cycle a tank. especially that they cant buy fish for weeks because " were in the business of making money if we tell customers to wait that long they might go somwhere else to buy the fish". youll learn soon i cannot take anything the lfs employees tell u about fish keeping. they know about as much about fish keeping as the pamphlets they are given that have wrong information. do a search on fishless cycling on this site and you will learn more about why not to add fish in three days.
 
woofy said:
I was once told by a petco manager that was dying to hire me that we can never tell the customers how long it tly takes to cycle a tank. especially that they cant buy fish for weeks because " were in the business of making money if we tell customers to wait that long they might go somwhere else to buy the fish". youll learn soon i cannot take anything the lfs employees tell u about fish keeping. they know about as much about fish keeping as the pamphlets they are given that have wrong information. do a search on fishless cycling on this site and you will learn more about why not to add fish in three days.
Click to expand...

okay thanks, I know there is some awesome "blogs" or "articles" on this site, any suggest/link to a good one on the fishless cycle?

Now my bigger concern becomes, how long will the process take, how I had it set up is that I can do the weekly 10-15% changes (which I was told to do for the 1st month I think.... and then just a 25% change every month) b/c I have a 5 week break so I need the tank to be running by then.

Is the "new fish period" 3 days and a preferred limit of like 3 days (so I can 3 fish and then wait 3 days and add three more)???

thanks so much
 
so now that I'm not doing a RTS should I more consider a 20G tank (less time to cycle) plus I'm doing mostly tetras, danios, and platys, and then catfish (but if I've learned correctly I really don't need till three months, and I already know the ones I want (Albino Cory Catfish - only issue they school, so I need like 2 or 3, will there be enough room for them all in there??) total would be like 5-9 fish (including catfish) then I may add some as I go depending on what I want to do in the future... I cant see myself maxing out at more then 11 for a 20 gallon tank and even then I THINK (again I'm a newb) is a little crowded
 
I have an idea for u, since u have a fish bowl with gold fish, once u get the 20 gal put the gold fish with the gravel and decorations and everything in the 20 gal and rinse the bowl in the water too. U probably will have some beneficial bacteria in there so u'll have a good starting colony which will multiply in a week or two. In a week test ur water and if the ammonia, nitrate is 0 and nitrite is up, put the goldfish back in the bowl and put the new fish in the tank. Good luck
 
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