# Just started my new 15 gallon tank :)



## SamHogan (Apr 3, 2010)

Hey all, new member live in Birmingham in the UK, well a bit of history i used to own like a 50 gallon freshwater tank about 2 years but we sold all that off due to job circumstances, but 2 days ago i bought my new 15 gallon to start off for now to get me going again. It's now all up and running livley with fish thanks to tetra safe start 

The tank decor is all natural, such as big rocks, and slates, wood and real plants. And the fish inside are:

2 Kissing Gouramis
2 Blood Parrot Cichlids
4 Baby clown loaches (so cute)
6 barbs, not sure of the exact kind, but there an electric red grey blue colour, the exact name starts with an A.

Ill upload some pics soon when there uploaded, but it looks really good, and im definatly going to enter it into tank of the month, and i think it could win it!

Sam


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Arrgh. Where are the petstore police when you need them. lol. You are going to need that 50 gallon back, to start with. 2 kissing gourami in a 20 will end up one live and one dead, Thats my personal experience.

Anyway, welcome, and please don't buy anymore fish without talking to us. 

Don't worry, everyone get the 'who picked your fish?' welcome. Bear with us, once you get through that it gets better.


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## SamHogan (Apr 3, 2010)

There only babies at the moment, theres is plans to move the bigger fish such as the parrots and gouramis in the near future when money allows us to get a bigger tank bank1by that time we will have enough.


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## SamHogan (Apr 3, 2010)

p.s we have kept fish for years and do have good knowledge on keeping, just thought i'd introduce myself and say hello. Thanks for the feedback though.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Oh my, not meaning to have a go but your in a bad situation. Its good that you will plan to move them to a bigger tank in the future and even though they may be small, they need to be moved now or your gonna have a lot of problems. The clowns, gourami's and parrots all need a tank of atleast 30 gallons for now, and bigger as they grow.

I would say that these fish wont survive, another reason being that your tank isnt cycled and hasnt been set up long and fish are sensitive and so wont I can almost guarantee they wont make it (the clowns especially).

Please let us know in the future so that you dont make anymore big mistakes, we're here to help.


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## Blue Cray (Oct 19, 2007)

Everyone of your fish will grow or is already too big for that tank.


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## SamHogan (Apr 3, 2010)

The guys at the LFS, when buying the tank knew what i was aiming to put inside, seriously the clown loaches are so small, and the parrots are babies really small too, weve had expirience with parrots before raising young to old, the gouramis are adult i think. But today theyve all been swimming around and enjoying themselves, there will be a bigger tank asap, im looking to get something double the size, so like a 30 gallon, which will home the parrots, and eventully the clowns as they get bigger.


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## Cam (Nov 9, 2009)

Size *DOESN'T* matter. You will need a larger tank for these fish, if they survive. Best of luck!


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

lol, I warned you about the welcome. Fry of everything get along fine, until one day they aren't fry anymore and it always comes sooner than you expect. Watch for nipped fins and be ready to take them back to that 'helpful' store before they do real damage to each other. 

Clown loaches are the only fish you have that are really slow growing. Parrots can be peaceful or not depending on the individual. 

I seriously doubt the kissers are adult if they are peaceful in 20 gallon. They can reach 12"/30 cm. And if they start 'kissing', it's fighting.

If the 'safe start' works right, you won't have any cycling issues, but watch for signs of ammonia problems in case it doesn't. These products are wonderful when they work, but occasionally fail.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Don't get anymore fish is what ill say first. The gourami's especially will very soon be twice the size of they are now and then bigger, they're gonna need a tank now & first you have to buy it, set it up, cycle it properly. These fish aren't gonna be able to survive even though they may look like they can, its going to become very squashed in there sooner than u think and the waste produced will cause the water levels to rise and fall as in such a small tank, its hard to maintain a stable ammonia/nitrite level.

I seriously think you should take these back to your fish store and get some smaller fish, and research it this time. We're only trying to help and trying to prevent you seeing those poor fish lying dead one day.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

NB is a bit melodramatic, I never say 'all your fish die', because people just do nothing just to prove me wrong. But its good you're looking a bigger tanks. You don't have good stocking for a 20 long-term and short-term will be up before you expect it. 

I really did have two kissing gourami (from a friend's parent's divorce) in a heavily planted 20 and one killed the other. They are very territorial fish. Remove one when they start 'kissing'. Clown loaches grow slowly and all sizes are in demand, so you can usually trade them in if they outgrow a tank. Can't say anything about the barbs until I know which ones, some stay 1" some get 12" (tin-foil). 

Listen the NB on parrots, he actually has some and has had them for a long time.


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Sorry for being a bit dramatic, I agree with emc but you need to make sure something is sorted soon. How big are your parrots?


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## citers (Mar 26, 2010)

Liiittle over crowded in there mate!


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## SamHogan (Apr 3, 2010)

Parrots are like an inch, babies! and im going to take back the kissing gouramis to be fair, do you guys think i should then leave the tank as the 2 baby parrots, 6 barbs and 4 baby clowns, or is there something i can add?


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## Mikaila31 (Nov 29, 2009)

I would not add anything until you get the parrots and loaches out of that tank. Its not full considering space, but I would not add any more to your bioload. Space is very important to growing fish. Growing fish also add a lot on the bioload. How many fish can fit in a tank depends on a number of things. your parrots are large, possibly aggressive fish, your loaches will become large active fish. Both call for a considerable amount of room, room that can not be provided in a 15 gal. 

I've keep a standard 15gal 2x1x1ft with 50+ endlers in it. I feel if the population froze at that, then that tank would of been maintainable for me and the fish. That is only do to these fish being very small, their ability to do fine in crowded tanks, and low bioload. That same exact tank now has only 6 fish in it which are all about 2". It is at its limit with these fish do to the space they require. Their natural behavior mean they need a larger tank to be comfortable in. This is why currently your tank is full IMO. It could hold 30 cardinal tetras and be fine, but your current fish require more than this tank can provide. I also agree with others when it is unlikely to be cycled. I have never had any instant cycle product work for me.


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