a few questions about adding fish

[utiliy]

i have 2 discus in a 29g tank and want to put them in a 55g with 6 others. do i just have to make sure the ph, and the water temp is the same. i want to add them to the 55g becouse they are still quite shy in the 29g by themselves. and what can i pit in the 29g to keep it biological attive....i was thinking about tossing a few hatchets in .

[funkyfish]

if it were me i would just put them in the 55 i keep all my tanks at the same temp and the ph should be the same unless u use ro in the 55 or the other way around as long as temp and ph are about the same they will be fine.
to keep the cycle going use clear ammonia the same stuff u use for fishless cycle
good luck

[Cosmo]

Utiliy,

How big are the two in the 29, and how big are the others in the 55 ?? Is the 55 BB, planted, gravel? What sort of filtration?

Basically, yes, you want the water to be as close as possible so they don't suffer shock from drastic differences in the ph, temp etc.

Depending on your answers to above, you may or may not be ok.. dependant primarily on whether or not your system can handle the bioload. If the tank is BB, you have good biofiltration, and we're talking juveniles, you should be ok.

55gal is a little small for 8 adults. You should consider a 75gal if the finances allow.

hth
Jim

[Cosmo]

to keep the cycle going use clear ammonia the same stuff u use for fishless cycle
good luck

In the fishless 29gal that is... just wanted to make sure that was clear Funky.. know that's what you meant :)

Jim

[funkyfish]

thanks for clearing it up i would hate to see him add ammonia to the 55 :D ;)

[utiliy]

all the fish are about the same size-3-1/2-4 inches. i have been cleaning the tanks evenly everyday since i got a python-thats makes a world of diffrence by the way...both are tap water, in the 55 i have a clear bottom, and 2 sponge filters and a power filter-just a cheap one at wall-mart, which is ran carbonless. most of this i have learned here at this site.

[funkyfish]

sounds good but u mite want to invest in a bigger tank in the near future.
what size sponges?

[utiliy]

i have one sponge made for a 20g and another for a 40g tank.

[funkyfish]

not sure how much water u are changinng a day but u mite want to increase the % per day and keep a eye on the ammonia and nitrite levels until the bio filters build up to the new bio load. once the bio is up to speed u can adjust the % of ur w\c's to however much is needed to keep nitrate's below or at 5 ppms. but u mite want to concider(sorry bout the spelling) getting a 75 gal tank
good luck

[utiliy]

so what could i do for the 29g if i kept the other 2 discus in it-they are kind of shy that is why i want to add them to the 55g. i had 3 in the 29g at one time-but the 2 bigger ones was picking on the one.

[April]

i would add them..but keep doing at least 50 percent wc a day..to the 55. and take your filters from the small tank and add them to the larger tank along with the fish, then..your filtration has been upgraded to handle the extra two fish. you can squeeze your sponges on alternate days that way also. i wouldnt add anything else for awhile . ie the hatchet fish..till your tank gets used to the extra load..and with 8 discus..its already maxed. keep your eyes open for a 72, 77 or a 90 tank. still 4 feet long..just wider . you could get a glass top and still use your light canopy on it. so just the tank youd need..and i guess the stand. a 90 is a very nice size tank. your 8 discus can stay in that and grow into nice big adults.

[utiliy]

i was going to put the hatchet fish, or another type in the 29g just to keep up the biological up...they would be by themselves. a bigger tank...my wife would like that...lol. i do water cahnge on both everyday, almost 50%...maybe more like 30-40 on the 55g. thanks april

[April]

well..tell the wife it would be so much easier..one tank..done. and a very nice one tank at that. : )

[utiliy]

i'm still laughing on that one april!! thanks...what can i do for the other 2 in the 29g-to make them come out of there shyness-besides putting them in the 55g tank.

[utiliy]

o.k.-i'm going to add the 2 out of the 29 with the 6 in the 55...thats a total of 8 in the 55g...i'll add another sponge filter from the 29g. will they grow to be kind of big in the 55g tank? the wife don't like the idea of a bigger tank....i would do a 50% water change daily...

[utiliy]

it didn't work very well....one of the bigger ones out of the 29g started beating up the whole crowd in the 55g..i put him back in the 29g-by himself, so now what do i do? by the way-2 of the pigeon bloods started to lip lock and fan away each other? well, now i have 1 in the 29g and 7 in the 55g....i need some advice.................

[Carol_Roberts]

You can put a divider in the 55 with the agressive one on one side. Fighting over pecking order when you add new fish to an established tank is par for the course. I'd just put him back in and keep an eye on everyone.

[funkyfish]

they are just getting the pecking order together aslong as it is not doing any damage they should be alright. witch 8 in a 55 mite cause some agretion.
how long did u leave the bully in the tank with the rest?
not sure on the pairing &breeding i'm sure someone here could help with that

i type slow :p

[utiliy]

i left the bully in there for about 10 minutes...i fed them, all he did was peck and chase the others away from the food. i'm going to put him back in...and see what happens overnight...