NEWBIE with a question

[Hammy]

I've just got my first oscar. He's a really cool fish, but I guess I've got to go buy him a bigger home. My neighbor gave me a 40 gallon tank and 6 fish one 4-5 inch albino tiger oscar, two 3-inch heart shaped blood parrots (poor things), one electric blue cichlid, and I'm not sure what the other two are but they are both about 2.5 inches. I know this tank is over populated and I've found an 85 gallon for a GREAT price, I just have to wait till this weekend to go get it. They all seem happy and healthy.


I did a 25% water change yesterday and added a penguin 200 HOB to compensate for the crappy internal sponge filter.

After my water change chemistry is Nitrate 5.0, Nitrite 0.50, Ammonia 0.50, PH 7.8

Is there anything else I should do in the mean time? Also should I cycle the new tank first or should I focus on thinning the crowd by moving a few to the new tank?

 

[mahemaheman85]

im no expert but i know its not really a good idea to keep africans with anything but other africans, and as soon as you get that other tank that oscars gonna grow fast. What do the other 2 look like???

 

[Tongue33]

I would wait a day to test your water after you do a water change..

 

[Hammy]

im no expert but i know its not really a good idea to keep africans with anything but other africans, and as soon as you get that other tank that oscars gonna grow fast. What do the other 2 look like???

I think they may be some type of parrot cichlid, both have the bump head; one is black with faint vertical gray stripes the other is a pale red/orange with darker splotches.

 

[xFLEAxx]

You should retest the water today to make sure your fine and also Im pretty sure that all those will work in an 85 for now and if they dont all survive maybe even for life. You dont sound like a Newb like you said cause it seems like you know what you have to know and are taking good care of them. Good Luck.

 

[navygirl76]

you seem to have an idea of what you need to do! congrats on realizing you need a much bigger tank! i love oscars and miss keeping them. if i were you, i would get rid of the african though-they need different water parameters and eventually your oscar will eat it. i would even lose those parrots-your oscar may make a snack of them too someday when he is bigger than them..

if you are unsure of the other two fish, just post a pic of them here and we will help you ID them and see if they are compatible with the O... best of luck to ya

 

[Passionate 4 pikes]

Its not overstocked in the 40 gallon tank yet. they will work for the next week or so together. i would put the african in the 40 gallon and buy some other africans (after the other fish are moved to the 85 gal tank of course. i would suggest get rid of the parrots with good reason some people call them blood parrots.
its a great start into the hobby and you will probably get mts soon (mts, Multi Tank Syndrome)

 

[Hammy]

Thanks for all the replies and the nice comments. If I don't sound like a newb it's only because I know how to use Google.

I've just re-tested my water and My Ammonia and Nitrite have risen to 1.0 My Nitrates rose to 10 and PH is still 7.8 .

Should I do another 25% water change?

Also I've just found out the 85gl I plan on getting this weekend is still up and running with two silver dollars in it. Cycling the new tank shouldn't be an issue as long as I keep the filter media and substrate wet correct? If true then i should be ok, although I may have to find homes for the two silver dollars if he hasn't by the time I get there.

BTW, just to clarify I don't plan on moving everything to the 85 probably just the Oscar, and maybe the BP's till i figure out what to do with them. I will keep the 40 for the two BP's or the African and maybe one or both of the yet unidentified tank mates.

Once again thanks for sharing your knowledge and experiences.

 

[navygirl76]

well the 85 gallon will be okay as long as you have fish in it to keep the beneficial bacteria alive.. why dont you keep the silver dollars and oscars in that tank? they should be compatible and would be great..

i would sell the blood parrots to a lfs or get rid of them via a friend-i personally dont like them and wouldnt keep them, but to each his own lol.. and keep that 40 gallon tank and get a few rusties or labs in there with rockwork and it should work.. .or sell that african and get some lake tanganyika shellies in there..

or german rams...

 

[Hammy]

Sorry for the confusion, I just read my original post and realize my wording was misleading. I only have the one Oscar, the one that came with the tank. The only thing I've added was some live plants and the Penguin 200, leaving the crappy sponge filter for the good bacteria.

I really appreciate the advice and ideas. Like I said I'm new to fish but I have tons of experience with reptiles especially snakes. So I have a good understanding of how different species require different environments. I know in my days of doing reptile rescue it was always amazing to me how little people knew or researched about there so called pets. From the reading I've been doing here and else where on the net I can see the same people are in abundance in the aquarium world.

As for the Blood Parrots I'm not sure what I want to do with them. I don't find them terribly appealing but I find myself feeling sorry for them. I believe it was here on this Forum I learned how they were mutilated by having there tails cut off to achieve the heart shape.

I think I'll take your suggestion of keeping the two Silver Dollars with the Oscar in the new tank. The rest of the fish I'm undecided as to what to keep. Whatever I do I think I'm going to aqua scape the hell outta the 40 for whichever fish I do keep.

well the 85 gallon will be okay as long as you have fish in it to keep the beneficial bacteria alive.. why dont you keep the silver dollars and oscars in that tank? they should be compatible and would be great..

i would sell the blood parrots to a lfs or get rid of them via a friend-i personally dont like them and wouldnt keep them, but to each his own lol.. and keep that 40 gallon tank and get a few rusties or labs in there with rockwork and it should work.. .or sell that african and get some lake tanganyika shellies in there..

or german rams...