# Some Questions



## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Hello
I currently have a 100 gallon tank that I am stocking. So far I have 5 giant danios 2 firemouth's and one green terror. I have no idea what gender any of them are. 

My questions:
1. My green terror seems more terrified than a terror! He now hides in a little hidey hole and is not coming out. He has only been in the tank since Sunday but I am wondering if this is normal. I am worried he will not get to eat if he refuses to move. 

2. Should I add any more firemouths? I don't know what is a good number for them. The 2 I have seem to enjoy each other for the most part. They are pretty fun to watch!

3. What are some other fish that will do well in this tank? I'd like to add some kind of catfish if possible. 

Thanks to anyone who helps


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## it4lian (Mar 4, 2008)

I dont know much about fish yet, but with a 100 gal I'd think you could add some smaller catfish into it.


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## Clerk (Nov 22, 2006)

Most smaller Plecos would be fine to add, perhaps some smaller syno's. With the rock work of your tank you wouldn't want to add anything to large.


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## oliesminis (May 7, 2007)

perhaps get a couple more giant danios, if you are keeping them, to make a bigger group.

-olie


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## Guest (Mar 19, 2008)

just keep in mind that you are limiting yourself a ton with that green terror, he gets huge, and mean. he may be shy for not, but that doesnt last. trust me.


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## it4lian (Mar 4, 2008)

Yeh, my neighbor used to have a green terror. One time he put about 20 rosy reds in there for him to eat for about a week. He ate 3 then killed the rest for the hell of it. They really live up to their name in my opinion lol.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

I have no idea
I would leave the firemouth's by themself and i quite like the pictus catfishes. They are fun and are always shooting up the tank glass but watch they eat small fish!
How about some clown loaches?


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Okay so I can try to return the green terror, but he is so shy I will never be able to catch him. Anyone have any good ideas for that? I had some bad information about them. This is beyond frustrating.


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2008)

ob, research...research...research...

what is your ultimate end goal? what kind of tank do you want? what kind of fish? small swimmy ones? or bigger ones? lots of color? or lots of cool behavior?


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

I want a fairly peaceful tank with fun fish to watch. I don't want anything that huge, 6-8 inches at the far end with the possible exception of a pleco. I like the Cichlids and want several of them but I don't want just Cichlids right now. In the very long run I want to get the tank you suggested, but right now that is 100% not going to happen, I just don't have the finances. When I get ready to do that tank I do not mind making the changes, even if it means slowly getting rid of fish etc. 

I did do research, I just forgot the 2nd and 3rd research to back up the research I first did. I like the fire mouths, but honestly I am not convinced they ARE fire mouths. In the tank at the store they had the red markings, now only one is showing that and its very light. They also have stripes and some blue spots. My luck they are JD's or something. 

I guess I have to figure out a way to catch the green terror because I don't want him if he is that aggressive , and I don't want him if he is that big. Currently having nightmares of having to pull all the rocks to catch him, then put them all back. I know that the LFS will take him because I am friends with the workers there. If I can catch him soon I will just take him back to Petsmart and insist they take him.


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## it4lian (Mar 4, 2008)

If the "firemouths" turned out to be JD's you could probaly keep the Green Terror, I think. Don't know much about South American cichilds(any cichlid actually), but I've seen some setups with JD's and Green Terrors and I think their both cool fish. Maybe get another fish too? Like an albino oscar or somethin. I don't know if that'd all work in a 100 gallon though. Don't know much about 'em.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

They are JD's I just did a search. I guess I have no choice but to start ordering fish in, which means I won't be able to have many fish in the tank very soon. I am really angry about this. Why can't a store just label a fish right? I would think it wouldn't be that hard. Everything in that tank was the same fish and there was only one label on the tank. I don't really want to learn how to ID fish by not being able to trust a store. And since they had red around the throats they looked right to me. But that was the only sign I knew to look for.


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2008)

its not all stores keep that in mind. but it looks like you need to find a new store, or a local club, or order online. that is if your current store doesnt know the difference between a JD and a firemouth. ask questions here, no one has motive to lie to you...we arent selling you anything, i would be more than happy to help you get yoru dream tank, dont settle for anything less


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

GoodMike said:


> ob, research...research...research...
> 
> what is your ultimate end goal? what kind of tank do you want? what kind of fish? small swimmy ones? or bigger ones? lots of color? or lots of cool behavior?


Obs:

Triple ditto GM.

TR

In addition planted tank, filtration, etc.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

I am a little calmer this morning, sorry for my minor freak out there. 

Mike if I were to make the tank that you suggested, whats the best way to do that slowly so I have a prayer of affording it? I really can't afford more than 10-20 dollars a month on fish. To get a Harem would cost me 60-100 a pop. I just don't have that. 

Also I really like my giant danios and would like to keep them. Could I keep them with what that stock list?

To remind you this was the suggestions that I liked:
a harem (start with 6) of lamprologus multifasciatus 
a pair (start with 4) Eretmodus cyanostictus 
12 Cyprichromis Leptosoma Utina (they stay smaller)

There were some plecos and catfish (synodontis) with that as well.

Thanks for the help 

I have to say that I can see the reason why so many people like JD's. Those guys have a lot of character. I really like how they swim up to the glass and stare back at me when I am watching them. If they wouldn't grow up to kill off the tank they would be quite attractive


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2008)

If you get fish online, you'll be paying atleast $30-40 on shipping depending on where you get them. And I haven't seen Multies less than $5 each online and that was on a site that prefers to ship Fed Ex overnight ($$$$). I'm currently looking for Multies as well, but I just can't afford that site.

You may want to change your shell dweller choice if you want to get them soon. I've seen L. occelatus on Aquabid, but not sure how they shipped them. I've seen Brevis as well, but they form pairs.

Cyps are going to be really expensive (I'm being honest!). Especially if you buy them online. They don't ship well, so you'll want to buy more than what you want to keep (just to be sure). Or be prepared to lose some. That is if you can find somewhere that ships them. Alot of sellers on AB prefer pickup only (just because they don't ship well).

Sorry I don't have better advice, but I just wanted to answer your questions about setting up a Tang tank on a budget. Its really hard! Thats why I opted not to do that for now and wait until I had more money (and a bigger tank....).


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Well yeah that was why I was thinking just to get what I could find locally. I really need to not stretch myself financially. 

I have a ton of "assorted african cichlids" to choose from LOL, I really don't want to mess with that. 

Will my JD's kill each other in a 100 gallon?


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## it4lian (Mar 4, 2008)

go to http://www.reservestockcichlids.com/, their pretty expensive, but have an awesome selection of lank tang cichlids. I'd stick with the south americans though, if I had a big enough tank that'd be the first thing I'd get lol.


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2008)

Not sure about the JDs, Obsidian.

it4lian, looks like they only ship air cargo. They do have alot of Tangs though.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Does air cargo mean you go pick them up at the airport?


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2008)

yes it does. its the best method IMO


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

emc7 said:


> Does air cargo mean you go pick them up at the airport?


emc: you will sometimes hear this method of shipment expressed as "counter to counter".

TR


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

For me that would mean driving to Phoenix which will cost me an additional 50 bucks in gasoline. So I would have the price of the fish plus the horrendous shipping fee plus the gas costs. All of that equals WAY more than that I am willing to pay for any fish. I am sorry that I am not rich, but it is reality and I can't live like it is not.


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## it4lian (Mar 4, 2008)

Soz, yeh they mainly ship air cargo, the do ground too, but its expensive as hell. Do they even know what kind of cichlids are in their "assorted cichilds"?


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Okay- Are these JD's????


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Obsidian said:


> Okay- Are these JD's????


Obs: I have no experience with most of your fish and my knowledge (or perhaps lack thereof) comes from research.
BUT
exactly which tank (in your signature) are you contemplating placing these JDs?

TR


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## Clerk (Nov 22, 2006)

They look like they may be jacks, I can tell you they don't look like Green terrors, the jaw is wrong, and they dont have that distinctive center spot.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

These are the fish that were LABELED as Fire Mouths. They are in my 100 gallon tank so at least the tank is big enough. The green terror is always hiding. I have to figure out how I will ever catch him. These may be hard to catch, but not impossible. You should see the rockwork in the tank. I really like it, and so does my green terror LOL. I hadn't thought about what happens if I had to catch anyone! 

If all else fails I will wait until the GT gets bigger and braver and catch him then. I know that my LFS will take him in. I think I am going to try to catch the Dempsy's this weekend and give them back to Petsmart since they are the ones who mislabed them. I believe the GT was correctly labeled. He is small but he has the big old spot on his side and his color looks about right, just not as obvious. Like he has a green sheen to his back end, but his scales are not outright green yet. 

And I really do like the JD's. I just don't know if they will be okay with my Giant Danios as they grow. If anyone has experience with that it would be helpful to know. And I need to know if they will harm each other. Right now they are buddies, but I have no idea if I can expect that to last. The bigger one is dang fast. I would be okay leaving the tank as is (meaning not add anymore fish) if that would be okay with, and for, the JD's. But if they are just going to kill everything I will take them back.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Obsidian said:


> But if they are just going to kill everything I will take them back.


Obs: I believe so and hence my question.

TR


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## it4lian (Mar 4, 2008)

Yeh those are JD"s I think lol, sure as hell not firemouths, wonder how the store screwed that up lol. I've heard stories of giant danios mixed in with sa cichlids and being fine, and others where the fish go nots and eat the giant danios. I've mainly heard of oscars eating them though, so I don't know if thats a connection. I've just heard of them working sometimes and not working sometimes. Depends on the fish I guess.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

I went back to the tank at Petsmart and I was able to see the difference between the firemouths and the JD's. Definitely a different mouth, but some of the other differences were much more subtle, such as very light stripes, but still some stripes. They still had some JD's in the firemouth tank. I have not brought mine back yet. I think for now I am just going to leave this tank as is. The GT has completely disappeared from what I can tell. He must have found a really good hiding spot. 

The cool part is that my danio's have taken on the color of my center plant, with the green and pink leaves. One of them even swims right next to it and does an awesome job of pretending to be a leaf!


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## Gourami Swami (Jul 4, 2006)

There is no question about whether they are jacks. Jacks dont really look anything like firemouths if you know what both fish look like. Do you want to keep them? If so, you can only got a couple more fish. Also, do much more research. You should at least know what a fish looks like before oyu buy it


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Gourami,
I knew that they had a red streak under their mouths, and ALL the fish in the tank had that red streak. These two lost that red streak within a day of coming home, which was what first made me suspicious. Upon going back I was able to see the mouth structure differences among the fish in the "firemouth" tank. The fish in that tank continue to look similar except for that mouth. The JD's are also more colorful than the firemouth's, but the basic coloration in the tank appears really similar. I think they are trying to "match each other" in the tank. 

At least I don't have to worry about the Green Terror, he did not make it. I think he hid too well and never ate. No signs of him being beat up or anything. It took me days to find him, but I was able to pull him out. 

I think I am going to give the JD's back, but I like their personality. Is there anything that is less aggressive that has a similar personality?


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## Danh (Feb 19, 2007)

Yeah, the fish store should have know those were jack dempseys, but I can't believe you didn't know it either. At least that it wasn't a fire mouth.

Uarus are similar in personality and size. They are also not very predatory or aggressive. They aren't very expensive if you can find them.

Definitely get a pack of 4 or 5 clown loaches for the bottom. It will take them forever to get too big for the tank. Then you could get a very nice trade in for them at the store.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Okay, I am really sorry that I do not know how to identify fish. I am still learning. Kill me.

I will look up Uarus, thank you. 

I don't like clown loaches and will not get a fish I cannot house for it's lifespan. Thanks for the idea though.


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## Gourami Swami (Jul 4, 2006)

there are lots of less aggro fish that will live in a 100g... but if you ask me, as far as new world cichlids go, JD's are far from the most agressive. What I recommend though would be Severums, whichever color you like. I prefer NICE golds (none of those flesh-colored ones) or red-shoulders. They have a great personality and will reach about 10" or more. Heres my nice gold


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