Just bought a 55 gal aquarium and stand...now what? (1 Viewer)

[Drew Bethel]

Jeff, this is a cut and paste from their site [Price: $39.99 ASWO#5665 STATUS: In Stock ]...so I'm gonna go for it but I'll probably order it over the phone to make sure I get that price!
Aaron, beautiful pic of that Gourami! I would consider getting some but my wife does not like those strings coming out of their bodies. She says they remind her of insects.

 

[Philip_G]

wanna see my favorite fish? he's in crackwhore mode, dunno why he was swimming like that, but looks funny
www.onlinemac.com/users/philip/naso2.jpg

 

[Drew Bethel]

Yeeeeaahhh baby!
Well mates, after about six trips to the fish store our water finally passed the test last night! We picked up 3 dalmation mollys(ies) and 4 black skirts - nice. The skirts are a lot more fun. When we first let them into the tank about two of 'em took off full speed to each end of the tank ad turned around. It was like, yeah...finally some space to swim in .
One of the dalmations is acting kinda strange - hanging out near the water heater and near the surface. The tank is reading 78* and I fed them but this bloke refused to come down and mingle with the other. Hope it's not a big deal, I'll just have to watch him.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

Ha ha ha, I just figured out the pricing discrepancy...I was being sent the Canadian site... :rolleyes
Drew, your fish are still in a state of shock. They will adjust in a few days. They have to get used to their new environment and the other fish.
Mollies prefer a saline tank, and may not be a good match for the black skirts. Keep an eye that they aren't having their tails nipped off by the skirts.
Enjoy the tank!

 

[Jay H]

Ha, Jeff beat me to it, Mollies can almost be sort of brackish like. But they also tend to like the top of the tanks a bit. I know my platies (livebearers) did when I had them.

Enjoy and post some pictures if you got 'em.

Jay

 

[Drew Bethel]

Interesting...should I pace one of those cups with a little salt in the tank for the mollies?

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

You would need a LOT of salt in a 55G to get the kind of water mollies like - I'm a little concerned why the LFS would recommend combining tetras and mollies in the first place.

If you do decide to add salt, make sure it is aquarium or kosher salt. Table salt can kill the fish due to the additives.

 

[Drew Bethel]

Thanks. Maybe I'll consider trading in the mollies for more compatible fish. I'll probably see what's out there...were are also insterested in rainbows.

 

[Jay H]

Iodine, the iodine in most table salt is bad for fishies.
One fish
two fish
red fish
blue fish.

Jay

 

[Drew Bethel]

Update:
Added a betta(sp?) and a pleco this weekend. The skirts were a little nervous but calmed down a day later. We hope to add about a dozen neons in two weeks.
The pleco is not the prettiest so his arse better get to work and clean my drift wood up!
BTW, One of the mollies has been laying down in the gravl for the last day or so. This molly is a bit smaller than the other two so we're wondering if it's a she laying eggs.

 

[Jay H]

Mollies are livebearers, as such they do not lay eggs but lying on the gravel isn't exactly a good sign for most non-bottom dwellers or loaches, although my betta does it often, being a labrinyth fish.

Jay

 

[Drew Bethel]

Jay, you were right. That molly didn't make it :frowning: