Just today I got 2 little bumblebee gobies and a hotheaded dwarf cockatoo cichlid who thinks he's the leader of the tank now.
they all go crazy for tubifex worms (which I just fed them a couple minutes ago) and my cockatoo cichlid just looks for the biggest chunk before he decides to eat some.

I am so Excited!


J

Those Ciclids are cranky little souls huh?

Yeah, it's always fun to get new fish. Can you post pix??? I bet your guys are really cute.

Just fyi, your gobies would do much better in brackish water (depending on which you got, both types do better in brackish, but only one can survive in fresh for very long).

Also, gobies can usually hold their own, but against a cichlid, even a relatively peaceful one like the dwarf cockatoo, I'm not sure. Keep an eye out for agression from both sides. Make sure you have a big enough tank with plenty of hinding places.

Congrats on the new fish!

[edit] Don't make your tank, as it is, brackish; it wouldn't be good for your cichlid.

You did say they were all in a five gallon thought right? badddddddd

Yeah, all that brackish stuff is fixed for me. my lfs told me that they can survive in freshwater, love brackish water, but are fine as long as there is a little salt in their water, which I use. I have been keeping an eye out for aggresion as you said, and my bumblebee gobies just kind of like to annoy my DCC. every once in a while they will come out from behind him when he is near his cave, go under him and nip at his pectoral fins, and zip into his cave before he turns around to find out that it (supposedly) was nothing. also when it is feeding time, he likes to make sure that those two little striped headcases are not anywhere near him by chasing them away.

My gobies are kinda on this little mission to either change species and become a neon tetra so that they can school wioth them, or keep all tank inhabitants annoyed at all times. (it's kinda cute)

I will try to get pics but as I am young I have tried to take good pictures of my tank, but no matter what i do they come out blurry. if you want to see some (Gulp) I can post some if someone can give me instructions on how.

I guess that's all so far.

J

You can go to Photobucket.com, and where you see the insert link, above in the options beside the smily face, copy and paste the adress.

I just uploaded 3 pictures of my tank onto photobucket, and you can view them Here. Sorry the pictures are so bad it is the best I can do.

J

there is also a video, which I was uploading and it said that it uploaded, but I could not find it in my album.

J

The video is their, don't worry

Actually I'm thinking of saving money to get like a 90 gallon set up although it will take a while, then I can possibly take all of my fish out of my 5 g and just turn it into a nano reef with like 1 fish, possibly a damsel

Wow nice ambition, but a reef costs quite a lot, good luck though!

Hey, your tank looks really nice! I'm sure they would love a 90 but even a 20 or so would be good for them. I love my 20 gal. It's still easy to clean and care for at that size.

In Your eyes, how many DPC-sized fish could I put in my 19g if I set it up with plants and overfiltering?

Its not just about their size, its about their behavior, compatibility, water needs, temperature needs, adult size, territorial boundaries, waste output, etc.

And besides I thought you were satisfied with the amount of fish you have anyway?

If I had a spare 19 gallon, I would put 1 fancy goldfish, no more.

If I had a spare 19 gallon, I'd put all my tropicals in it, and throw out my five gallon, because five gallons are USELESS as a community tank.

I meant that I was done getting fish in my 5g until in like 5 years when they will all have , then I will restock.
But if I start up my 20g and put my fish from my 5g I might add a couple more, possibly a male DCC to accompany my female.

J

And hey, thanks Kristi

Your welcome! I know how much fun it is to set up a new tank and get new fish.

I don't know anything about cichlids, though other than they can be aggressive. So, I agree that maybe you should just put all the fish you have in the 5 into the 19 and hold off on getting anymore right away. Wait a bit to see how they settle in and get along with each other in their new surroundings.

I was overstocked in my 20 gal at first and ended up with sick and dead fish even though I cleaned it every week.

If you can get a test kit that would really help, so you know how good your water quality is.

Keeping fish is a great hobby so I hope you won't get discouraged--we all learn as we go!

You could always put 3-4 male guppies in the five gal. after you tranfer your other fish--so that way you can still get some new fish.

LOL Selena, I like that hi-five smiley.

five years? Jake, I don't think you're listening.

Jake, Balashark is absolutely right. You simply cannot put most species of fish in a five gallon tank. They are too small to put most tropical fish in because most of them are schooling fish, and there is not enough room for a school sufficient enough to keep all of your fish happy. What Balashark is trying to say is do not put anything at all in that tank, ever, unless you put a Betta in that tank, or perhaps a school of guppies, but that may even be pushing it because they might reproduce. If you want my opinion, just get a Betta and put it in your five gallon. They are really pretty fish, and one of them would love your five gallon! Listen to Balashark, he knows what he is talking about.

Yes if you want your fish to live nice long happy lives, you should not keep those fish in a 5 gallon.

You two read my mind. He has 9 fish crammed in that little tank....they'll be lucky to live 5 weeks, let alone 5 years in those conditions.

Jake, not to be rude, but so you don't embarass yourself in the future, its 1-3 small fish in a five gallon tank, not nine that will overload your biofilter and won't get along together when they grow.

Hey, just my (two cents) worth:

I agree that 9 fish in a 5 gallon is a bit much, BUT I think you can safely keep 5-6 small fish (zebra danios, neon tetras, etc.) in a five gallon.

Do your best to keep all fish healthy in the 5-gallon, and upgrade to a bigger one as soon as you can. Sometimes you can find pretty cheap used ones, if you know someone with one to get rid of.

Wow that's a pretty small tank for all those fish.Also your not doing enough water changes,assuming it's gone down 1/2 gallon from evaporation.Are you sure that's a 5 gallon and not the 2.5 from wallyworld?It looks like the 2.5 g i kept my betta in.(dont take this offensivley it's a question not a personal attack i promise)You do know that dwarf cockatoo cichlid will get larger correct?

Actually, they also make a five gallon that looks just like the 2.5 gallon, that's what Jake's got.

My two pence worth too, on another post I said I was thinking about getting 6 danios for my 10 gallon, and quickly got corrected. They are very fast fish and need lots of room. I really, really don't think anything can go in a 5 gallon, bar a betta.

Jake, however, seems to have stopped listening/caring/both about what the "whacky" (his word, not mine!) people have to say about his stocking levels -maybe they all died, maybe he's moved them after all.

And in my 10G I put 5 WCMMs and my hillstream and they all seem very very happy