Fresh Water Aquarium Questions
 

I was recently gifted with a 29 gallon aquarium that is stocked with various fresh water tropical fish. I have the basics down about not overfeeding and keeping the water clean, but that is pretty much where my knowledge ends.
I have a couple questions that I hope someone here can answer for me.

1. There a scads of books at Amazon. Is there one best "bible" for aquarium hobbiests and amateurs?

2. Four of my five angel fish have been murdered. :eek: I know they were attacked because their long white fins were gone, but I have yet to catch the culprit. Are the following fish compatible with each other? If so, would there be another cause like the tank being too crowded?

- Angel Fish (1)
- Albino Shark (2)
- Grommie (1)
- Siclid (5)

(my spelling is iffy)

Thanks for any advice out there.

PS: It sure would be nice to have pets all in one area. :suave:

I'm gonna say your Cichlids are the likely culprit. While Angels can be a bit agressive towards other fish, I have observed my Cichlids literally locking jaws w/ each other while fighting, and they fought a lot. They are a very agressive type of fish and will kill almost any other type.

I would have to agree about the cichlids being the aggressors in the tank. I put one in with my community fish and he ran amok! If you are thinking about getting rid of him, check with your local tropical fish dealer. Sometimes they will take unwanted fish or maybe have another idea in mind. As far as a 'bible', there is a TON of info on freshwater aquariums, fresh water tropical fish, and what not on the internet. Try googling some topics, and read around... Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?

Thank you, both.

It is true that one of the cichlids (thanks for the correct spelling) has been highly aggressive, but hadn't caused any injury while I was watching. I would prefer to risk the last Angel Fish in preference to keeping the cichlids, all else being equal. My favorites are the Albino's and the Grommie, and if they are reasonably safe from the cichlids, I would keep that combination intact.

The fellow who gave me these fish claims that the cichlids are a little higher up the socialization hierarchy that the others I have. Any truth to that, or are they his favorites for another reason?

Thanks again..:thumbsup:

Wow, I missed your post. They will even kill each other? I guess I named "Hannibal" correctly. :eek:

It's possible that they are his favorite because they are very entertaining to watch, while agressive, they quickly establish a pecking order and are also territorial. Each individual cichlid has it's own characteristics and quirks that will begin to show through as you have them longer. They certainly set up a social order and when new fish are added that fish doesn't take long to find it's place.

I'm a bit late on this :).

Angelfish are in the cichlid family but on the scale of agression, they are on the lower end of the scale. Knowing what the cichlid is will help in determining if it is the culprit. If they are African cichlids, then yes they are the aggressors.

Water chemistry is very important to know. Having a "new" aquarium and stocking with that many fish in the beginning will be challenging. If fish is something that you will enjoy and want to learn more, look for aquarium clubs in your area and on-line fish/aquarium forums. There's tons of info out there.

HTH

get rid of those chiclids. they only do well with other chiclids. dang, what a horrible combination of beautiful fish.
Wait... did you say you have a Gourami?

http://scd.mm-c1.yimg.com/image/1328288472

these guys stripped my long-finned black tetra Jerush of his fins, and were general bullies in my tank. I finally caught them in the act and donated them to the nearest Pet-Co - but only after my favorite Jerush had been stripped clean of fins and was missing a few scales. It's now been almost a year since I ditched the Gouramis, Jerush is happy and fully-recovered, and the rest of my fish have gotten over being bullied. I couldn't believe how active everyone was in the week after I ditched the Gouramis. I had no idea that they were so disruptive.

i agree that gouramis are aggressive they can be very territorial on your aquarium.

Gouramis like the one depicted are the most aggressive. There are quite a few color variants of Trichogaster trichopterus.

Common trade names are:
Blue
3-spot Blue
Opaline
Gold
Lavender
Platinum/Silver

Pearl Gouramis (T. leeri) are very peaceful if not overly shy.

I have a gold gourami (there were two) that prefers the upper level of the acquarium as does the remaining angel fish so that could be the culprit afterall.

There is still alot of chasing about, which from what you have told me is normal. All seems to be going well since the initial losses.

Thanks everyone.