Hello

I have a 10 gallon tank that is heavily planted. Inside of this aq are 8 tiger barbs and 1 CAE (or SAE or Otto??) I also have more algea then I can cope with! I would like to take the whole thing apart, clean the tank and plants, and set it up again using gravel as the substrate instead of sand.

How do I do all of this? I have a 5 gallon qu tank but a Goldfish is in there right now, so where can I put the fish when this is happening? A bucket? How do I clean the plants? Bleach and water solution? I haven't been stiring my sand so I am fearful of toxins in the sand. I don't want to disturb the sand until the fish are out, but there is NO WAY I'm going to get them out with all the plants in there! Any ideas would be greatly helpful!

Thanks

Anita

P.S. Did I mention, there are about 7 bizillion snails in the tank as well!

I would definitely try and get the fish out before your start pulling the plants out. I would siphon some of the water out of the tank into a bucket or a Rubbermaid tub and put the fish in that. A Rubbermaid tub is good because you can attach the heater (just don't let the tube touch the side), and the filter.

I have found it easier to catch fast fish if I use two nets. It is even better to have two people and two nets, but if it is just you, use one of the nets to try and direct the fish towards the other net.

After you get the fish out, pull up the plants and sort through them and remove leaves that are heavily coated in algae, damaged or old.

You can use a bleach solution of 19 parts water to 1 part bleach and dip the plants in that for 1 minute for soft stem type plants, and for 2 minutes for the tougher things such as Java moss and anubias. Then rinse very well several times with water treated with a dechlorinator.

BTW, most people now use a substrate that contains laterite for planted tanks. I believe there are proportions for mixing laterite with the gravel. There are also special products. I think one is called Flourite. I'm sure others have ideas of what to use as a substrate.

I currently have a pure gravel substrate in my planted tank, although I do use fertilizer pellets pushed into the gravel, and I must admit, it did take the tank a while to really get going.

Thank-you for all of the information and advice, Touchofsky! It will be very tricky to catch the tiger barbs with the plants still in there! There is a lot of whisteria that they like to hide in.

Should I trim my plants before or after the bleach dip?

Thanks again. While I'm at it, I'm going to move the tank to a place where I can see them! lol They are a beautiful fish, I wish they weren't so nasty mean!

Anita

I would do all the trimming before I did the dip.

I love tiger barbs, too. I saw some absolutely gorgeous green ones, however, they are such bullies!

I hope you can catch them fairly easily. Try the two net thing

My first response was shock that you have 8 tiger barbs in a 10 gallon tank. I'd think they'd need more like a 29 or larger for that many. They are very active and get decent sized.

Maybe consider upgrading the tank and changing to gravel then?

Or if you keep them in the 10, you might as well yank the plants (you'll have to do that anyways to change the substrate), lower the water levels and use 2 nets to catch them. Keep them in a bucket or whatever, it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to change a substrate and refill a 10 gallon tank. Keep your filter media wet in tank water (even in the bucket with the barbs) so its ready to go back on the tank.

Myaj--Thank-you for telling me what I thought all along. I was told on another site (that will remain nameless) that 8 tiger barbs would do fine in a 10 gallon tank and that I should accually get 7-9 more to put with them. Needless to say I didn't get more fish. With all the plants in there (2 very large sword, Nana something, a LARGE lava rock, 10-12 whistiria, 4 stem somethings, 1 another stem something and 4 ground cover something) there is hardly room for them to move. I feel better knowing my first instinct was right. Of course, I had them in with other tropicals and I needed to get them out ASAP!

They are not happy where they are and I would love to move them into a larger tank, but alas, I do not have one!

My husband might get me a 29 gallon tank for my 2 goldfish for Christmas, then the tiger barbs can be moved into the 25 gallon hex that the goldies are in now. Maybe I will look for a 20 gallon second hand. Do you think 20 gallons would be enough for 8 tigers and one Otto/CAE/SAE?

I have to do something about the algea in this tank now!! It's quite horrid. But my Nana (?) is blooming!! I didn't even know they bloomed.

Thanks for your help!

Anita

Maybe a 20 long, I'd say a 20 high would be a bit crowded. I haven't kept any in a long time so I'm not quite sure what they fell best in. A hex might not work too well since they like to zip around, but as you said, its better than a 10 gallon.

You know, they make these nice iron stands for 20L/29 gallon tanks that hold two tanks, one over the other. Very nice space saver and while it can be a little ackward to look at the fish in the bottom tank you do feel better for giving them extra room. Keep an eye out at rummage sales, etc for those, or I think nnnnnn sells them. I have one in my kitchen right now, but I'm not using the bottom half for anything.

Oh, I love the 20 gallon long tanks! I think they sell for $40 new! They would be great for plants as well as tiger barbs. The lighting would be the greatest cost, but isn't it always! I like my tanks to be closer to the floor because I have three little DS that love to watch the fish and lower is better.

I have a 5 gallon that isn't being used right now. Unfortunatly I don't have a filter for it. Also, if I split them up will they be "nice" to each other when I put them back together in a bigger tank? I accually have two 5 gallon tanks, but if I use them both I will have need of a qt tank. Murphy's Law!!

Anita

at petsmart i got a 20 long for jst 20 dollars, but i think it may have beeen during a sale.

I will have to look around. nooppee is selling a 29 gallon with submersable heater, HOB filter, hood and light for $150. This is the one my DH might buy me, but maybe we need two! Heeheehee! And two stands.

touchofsky--can I use the bleach and water mix on Java Moss and plants that don't need a substrate. What about plant roots? Do the roots get treated too?

Anita

I have never used the bleach mixture of java moss. I would try it on a small piece first. Probably what I would do with java moss, if you are dealing with algae, is sort through it and try and get a healthy, algae free piece and start over with that, since it grows so quickly.

As for plant roots, for the plants that root along the stem, the roots get dipped, however with things like amazon swords and that kind of thing, rosette plants, I try not to dip the roots.

Thanks again touchofsky! I had a betta that passed away of unknown causes a few days ago and in his tank are some live plants that I wanted to "clean" before I put them into another tank. I have more java moss in another tank so I won't worry to much about it but my other plant I would like to save. It cost $10.50 and it has "free roots". I guess I will just see what happens.

I've decided to get the 29 gallon early (Dec 1) for my goldfish. I will then move my tiger barbs into the 25 gallon hex until I can afford a 20 gallon long. Can my pleco stay with the tiger barbs or should I move him with the goldies?

Anita

I thought it was a CAE not a pleco? What kind of pleco? The common ones get pretty big...

I'll link a picture of my double iron stand so you can see how it works. If you go that route, it is nice to have a 20L on the bottom because a 29 doesn't give you much working room for filling, etc. It is nearly impossible to fit decorations in and out of a small area when its on the stand with a 29. That's part of why I don't use the double stand anymore, but I'll probably pick up a 20L one of these days and set it up...

Anyways, that is what they look like more or less. Don't laugh at the pic, it was my first attempt at live plants and newly set up tanks, they looked like crap. They look a heck of a lot better now!

That set-up is wonderful! Really uses space well. I am definitly going to look for one the next time I'm at nooppee.

I have a pleco in with my goldies right now and an otto/SAE/CAE (I don't know what it is ) in with my tiger barbs. I was wondering if I should move my pleco (yes it is a common pleco that my mother gave to me from her tank) with my goldies or leave it in the tank to become roomies with the tiger barbs. I will keep the CAE with the tiger barbs too. I had it with my goldies for a while and it like to hang on them/eat their slime coat.

Don't sell yourself short, those tanks look great. Plants take time to grow. I would love to see newer photo's, if you have some.

Thanks again for all of your advice!!

Anita

The pleco will need the biggest tank you can give him, they easily reach over a foot long or more. Messy fish

I don't think I have any updated pictures of the 29's.. Lets just say that little anubias barteri has since grown into 2 HUGE ones that are in other tanks now.

Here's a pic of an SAE, most likey what you have is a CAE, those are what you normally find in stores. If it looks just like this picture, but the fins are not quite as clear and the black line doesn't go all the way through the tail, its probably a Flying Fox which is close to the SAE. Otos are smaller and have more of a "sucker mouth", I think CAE's do too. SAE's don't really have the sucker mouth thing going on.

Ohhh yes! Messy they are! I love the way they sail through the tank! I'm hoping to be able to give him away to someone with a much bigger tank than I have. Winters here are too cold for keeping pleco's over winter. I accually have 2 of them but the other one is in my tropical fish tank.

That's great your plants are doing so well! Nothing like a well planted tank!

My algea eater definatly has a sucker mouth. He was sold to me as an otto but when he started sucking on my goldfish I thought he might be a CAE. I put him with the tiger barbs because they would fight back if need be.

Thanks for all the information ! Gosh but I to learn!

Anita

as someone mentioned, plecos. but if you have a 10g tank, i wouldnt recommend it. they grow as long as one foot long. but you should try buying a pleco[or two if you have bigger tank. 20+] that is 2" - 4" long. they grow rather big if food is there.

Raith---I have two pleco's, one with my goldfish and one in my tropical. I just don't want to put one in my 10 gallon. I am getting a 29 gallon tomorrow for my goldies, then I will move my tiger barbs and CAE into the tank my goldies have been in. Then I will only have plants in my 10 gallon. I will clean-up the plants in this tank and either put the plants in another tank or put them back in this tank with gravel. It would be nice to shut this tank down so I could have a 10 gallon quarintine tank instead of only a 5 gallon.

Anita