# Helllp!!!! (i Think)



## johnfwz28 (Dec 13, 2007)

Hello, i am brand new to this forum.(1st post) i have been reading some of the post on this site and have learned so much. First let me say that i have a 50 gal and what i think to be a 90 gal tank. i got the 50 gal about 14 months ago. i bought the tank from someone who was moving and could not take it with them. i have a variety of fish in this tank. Chiclids, catfish, what i now know is called "plecos"(which are huge by the way) tiger barbs, kissing fish, and others.
I titled this post " help i think" because, for the entire time that i've had this tank, i have always changed and cleaned the tank with nothing but tap water. No chemicals at all!! at first i was losing a fish or two with almost every changing of the water, but now they all do fine. i change the water about two times a month and no fish are dying. i have never considered ph or ag (whatever those acronyms are) factors at all.
tell me what you all think. thanks, john


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## Guest (Dec 13, 2007)

Welcome to FF!

Do you happen to have well water? It usually doesn't have chlorine in it, so people with well water don't always use dechlorinator.

If not, then you should be using a dechlorinator and thats why you were losing fish....because of chlorine. Maybe the fish you have left are more hardy....its kind of cruel to be putting them through water changes with chlorine in the water.

Your 50g seems stocked with some larger fish. You should probably be changing the water more than 2 times a month. I'd start changing it every week, adding dechlorinator when you change it.


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## johnfwz28 (Dec 13, 2007)

thanks for responding Kristin. i will start using a dechlorinator. like i said, i've had the tank for a while, but i'm still very new to this. Maybe you or anyone else reading this can answer a few questions for me. I recently moved the 4 biggest fish to the 90? gal tank. there are two 12'' plecos and two large sharks/catfish. what do i feed the shark/catfish? before i took them out of the tank with all the other fish they ate the flakes and worm cubes along with the other fish. but in this tank, the cubes just float un touched. i've been searching this site trying to find out just what kind of sharks they are and what to feed them


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## Chrispy (Oct 28, 2007)

what type of cat fish are they, do you know?


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Can you get a picture of them? If you can do that there are several here who can probably ID them.


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## ikermalli (Sep 23, 2007)

It may be a columbian shark/ Black-Fin Shark _Arius seemani_ here is a link

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile63.html

hope that can help you! Do you just leave the cube floating around in there? Are they the frozen worm cubes? I am not sure about this but I think you are supposed to thaw the cubes.

It could be a white tip shark catfish

http://www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_pages/brackish_water/shark_white_tip.htm


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## Guest (Dec 14, 2007)

It could be anything.  Pics will definitely help if you can get some. 

Some sinking pellets might be worth trying for the sharks/cats. Try to find bottom feeder wafers or pellets.

Your plecos would enjoy those as well.


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## johnfwz28 (Dec 13, 2007)

ok i have now learned that the shark/catfish are called Iridescent sharks or Pangassius catfish. Do any of you reading this have them. if so, give me some tips on what to do for this type of fish. 
i also read something about feeding lettuce to fish. what kind of fish eats lettuce?


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## Gourami Swami (Jul 4, 2006)

Heres my tip for pangasius catfish- Get rid of them. They get HUGE and will eventually (sooner rather than later) stunt in your tank, dying. Its the sad truth of the matter


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## johnfwz28 (Dec 13, 2007)

yeah, thanks for that tip Gourami Swami, but i've had these catfish for awhile now and really want to keep them. i know everybody think the'yre a pain,but i like them. i will try to keep them untill they outgrow the 90 gal tank i have them in now.
the question still remains,"what kind of fish eats lettuce?"


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## Guest (Dec 18, 2007)

You're going to stunt them in a 90g.  They get feet long. Way to large for aquariums.

Some plecos might eat lettuce. Depends on the type though.


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## johnfwz28 (Dec 13, 2007)

hi just one more 20. thanks for your input. you seem to be the authority on this site. Okay, so trying to keep this type of fish in a tank is just not a good idea huh? well, how do i get rid of them? will the local pet store take them?
how big of a tank would i need to adequately accommadate them?


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## Gourami Swami (Jul 4, 2006)

To adequately accomodate them you would need a large pond. 









Also, Unless they are already over a foot long, most pet stores should take them in for you, and if you have a zoo or public aquarium you could try giving it to them.


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## Kyoberr (Dec 6, 2006)

Gourami Swami said:


> Heres my tip for pangasius catfish- Get rid of them.



In other words kill them? I guess I don't I don't know whether stunting or dying is worse, but I'd guess dying. I would keep them but not buy anymore. I think its pretty interesting you could get away with no dechlorinator, I suppose they got used to it.
A zoo or a public aquarium is a good idea, but it would probably be less happy at a pet store.


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## BV77 (Jan 22, 2005)

If you use city water, call your provider, they will provide you with a list of everything that's in it.
If they use chloramine, you must always use a dechlorinator as chloramine will not evaporate off like chlorine will.


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## johnfwz28 (Dec 13, 2007)

Hello Gourami Swami,Kyoberr,and Bv77. thanks to you all for responding. that's a great picture gourami. I didn't know that they get THAT big. mine are about 10 and 12 inches long. i have not told my wife yet that we should get rid of them.(she's not going to like that idea at all) So i guess we will keep them untill they outgrow the tank.
i bought two more plecos for the 50 gal tank about 12 days ago. they have gotten bigger already. i try to keep at least two of every kind of fish that i have in that tank.
Have any of you made your own lighting for your tanks?


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## johnfwz28 (Dec 13, 2007)

Hey, Just one more 20, i just saw the new tank you put together. wow thats really nice. what kind of filtration system are you using with it?


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