Sandra the fish rookie

I have had this guppy a while. I have 2 that look exactly alike. They are healthy swimming etc.. They both just had babies and are finally not pregnant (which wont last long) but I noticed they are both have curved backs. It doesn't seem to stop them from bopping around, eating etc. but wanted to double check with all of you about what you thought. Water Parameters PH 7.33, Nitrate 40 (I added additional ferts due to plant pruning), Nitrites 0, ammonia 0, KH 6 and GH 280 See picture below sorry its a bit blurry.. she won't stop moving..LOL

@laritheloud so funny you say that. I was at the pharmacy the other day and saw Epsom salt.. and was thinking to myself.. wonder if that is what people use for sick fish??? Thank you for confirming that.. and I will add it to my hospital kit to have.. just never know when you will need it.. I am so happy for you and your fish! Glad she's feeling better!

@ColuI see Epsom salt mentioned quite a bit. I have aquarium salt, but think I should keep some Epsom salt too just in case. Where or what kind do fish keepers recommend? Where would I find some that is fish safe?

@laritheloud YAY! Fingers crossed she continues to do well!

UPDATE: She handled it VERY well. I sent her an email with the details of each fish especially size, temperament and tank requirements. I also sent her all of the websites and YouTube sites I follow (or should I say that most of us follow). I STRONGLY encouraged her to get on the form and subscribe to the Aquarium Co Ops YouTube channel. I also sent her videos from AQO, primetime, KGTropical and Tazawa Tanks with cycling info and species profiles last night. I also sent her a video from Quebec Cichlides (because its my home town of Montreal Quebec) 🙂 I did recommend that she return the flower horn and the Oscar at the very least. She will have the Peacock, Johanni and Parrot left (BTW I personally know NOTHING about the first 2 Cichlids). If she gets a larger tank she can put the Parrot in the larger one. She told me that she wanted Cichlids but I didn't expect her to run out and just buy whatever was all in the same tank at the LFS! I know what its like to watch an empty tank but I had plants and like Cory, enjoyed to watch them so waiting to cycle was not as bad. I also know the heartbreak of losing fish because of not properly cycling a tank and it SUCKS! I know her very well and she knows how I roll.. I am honest and don't sugar coat but I am not an insensitive jerk. Now I have to wait to see what she does. I tried my best for her and the fish. Fingers crossed 🙂 THANK YOU ALL!!! As usual you all ROCK!

@LaurieinIA I recommended she join .. fingers crossed she does. We work together too.. I was going to just send her the fish profiles so she can have an idea of how large the flowerhorn and Oscar will possibly get. More as an FYI...

@DaveO Thanks! she reached out for help to read the chemistry and plants.. so I will just wait for now. I have seen what some FB groups can be like and just be down right mean. I would never be like that.. which is why I also suggested she join here 🙂 for all cool things fish!

@Schmorty I saw the at the LFS over the weekend.. and had never seen them before.. they were STUNNING! I think they would look great in the 40gallon. I was thinking of either doing a lot of those or a mix of rummy nose and the pearl danios..

@Pizzafan how many did you get? I am thinking at least 6-8??

Okay fishie folks.. I might be over reacting.. but wanted to more seasoned fish keepers if there is something I should say or if I should just "shut it". Here it goes. A friend of mine has a 20 G high tank that I believe is not properly cycled (she has set it up June 30th). She has about 6 live plants she added on July 3rd. She bought fish this weekend. Here is where it gets sticky folks.. these fish were all in the same tank at the LFS so she got all of them. she sent me a picture and my heart skipped a bit.. she has peacock cichlid, johanni cichlid, a flowerhorn, an Oscar and a pink Parrot fish. I very innocently asked her what the sales person told her about the fish and she said and I quote "the lady was knowledgeable about fish and said they would be fine together" That they would grow 3-6 inches. She wanted to get a bigger tank anyways because she wants more cichlids and she wants discus. She just sent me a picture of her chemistry Nitrates 20, Ammonia 1.0, Nitrites 0, PH 7.3. She said she over fed them and did a 20% water change. Her fish experience was taking care of 1 single gold fish for her brother, that she NEVER did chemistry on, but just did 30% water changes every week. What would you do? I don't want to break her spirit, I too am a new fish keeper and have ZERO right to say anything at all. At the same time I don't want her to have the heart break that I did before I found the forum.

These are great recommendations! If I can't get them from my LFS where is a good place to purchase these online?

@Brackon The issue with my 20 gallon guppy tank is its a high and the guppies are never in the middle of the tank.. either on the tops or sides... so I have this big empty space in the center of the tank that is un used space. Because I have guppies of different ages, I don't what to have something that will eat them all.

I will have to look those up.. I have never heard of those.. sound cool!

I reached out suggestions for a centerpiece fish. You all were so good at your recommendations, that I wanted to ask you again for suggestions for schooling fish.. The 20 gallon has 2 snails, 2 shrimp, 4 corydora cats, LOTS of guppies and I will be added 7 Otto's to help with plant algae. The issue is.. the center of the tank.. is well.. EMPTY.. I wanted to get some schooling fish that would be a good fit. I went to the LFS and saw some really pretty black neon tetra's that might look nice and not be too big. Thoughts for the 20 Gallon? The 40 Gallon, is REALLY lightly stocked right now (2 plecos, 6 panda corys and 5 Ottos ** will be adding more on the weekend too). Its the one that will eventually get the centerpiece fish, but I would like some schooling fish. The LFS had 2 I liked 1) rummy nose tetras and 2) Pearl Danio (NOT CPD) these were a bit larger with a beautiful color to them. I was thinking either a school of each or a LARGE school of just 1 breed? Thoughts on the 40 Gallon??

I have it in a 2.5 snail overflow (puffer food) tank. It is quite large but it does a great job. I have a Aquatop Aquatic that is REALLY small .. I use it in my 5 G puffer tank as an extra with the sump filter. I chose the ACO nano one for the snails because they are messy little buggers.. and it is keeping it super clean.. (well as clean as a snail tank can be..LOL). I too have the ACO air stone and the USB air pump.. Its VERY quiet.

I have Val in 2 tanks. 1 in each tank is really long and the other plant is shorter and taking longer to grow. I think it takes more time to get established. The 2 that are growing are REALLY long and very pretty!

@Patrick_G Ok I will try it.. I think might have to tuck it in so it doesn't fly out.. LOL

@Patrick_G hmmm what do you mean? that sounds like a really good idea

@tonyjuliano Here are some picture's.. I think they are okay.. I was more concerned with the intake because my sponge was just a bit short.. but my fry don't seem to be able to get into it. But I ordered a larger one from ACO. I am not sure what else I could add if I needed to decrease/slow it down more.

The Albino Cory's are always derpy.. but today they are really swimming around quite a bit. I installed the new filter Saturday. My Nitrates are at 40 but I added too much easy green (did that in the 5 gallon last time ugh). The guppies are able to swim at the top where the flow is stronger with no issues including the larger fry. The shrimp are fine as well. When I first turned it on with out the additional sponge the guppies could not swim against it.. but they all come to the top to get food, and are fine. no one is getting blown into the glass wall. I keep my water level high.. to keep the noise down.. I must admit my water is SUPER clear! I have to wonder if the Cory's like the higher flow better.. especially the ablino they appear to be having a blast in there. They are acting like they have a circulation pump. I always see those in salt water tanks.. and the fish swim against it all the time.

I purchased my 20G high as a kit. It came with a aqueon filter that is meh.. but its what I had, so I used it. Now that I have a TON of guppies and the plants are flourishing, it struggles to keep up. The intake filter get clogged, and because the back section is so narrow its hard to get a good amount of media in there which I have some in there now with a coarse sponge but it was a struggle to get it to fit. I purchased an aqueon filter for my 40 G months ago, and it just didn't work for the tank the water outflow was too high and water was getting on the glass lid. I had to take it off and put a Seachem Tidal 55 on there now working fine. I had this Aqueon 50 just sitting around that I thought.. hmm maybe try it on the 20G. So I did. I had to put some coarse sponge in the specialty filter pad section with filter floss to slow the power a bit. They don't seem to mind it.. they are all swimming around and not getting "blown" around. the corydora seem to like it the most (I think) they are swimming in front of the tank where the flow is.. is that okay? or are they trying to tell me something? Is that too much of a filter? will the outflow be too much? I also have a seachem tidal 35 that is brand new if the Aqueon is too much. What do you guys think???

@Guppysnail I agree, medication is really hard on them.. and I am hypervigilant watching them because I worry about them 😞. I really cleaned the tank well before, but the pest snails.. they POOP so much!! I honestly don't like medicating but after the times I didn't that the disaster it caused in my display tanks.. I just can't take that risk on my already healthy fish in the tanks.. At least its the last dose and done. Then I let them chill feed them REALLY well.. and get them into their new homes..

@JettsPapa They are so pretty!! Would you think 1 or more than 1? I swear it will take me FOREVER to pick a centerpiece fish.. because all of the recommendations have been really good (Electric blue acara, Pearl Gourami, Honey Gourami Bolivian Rams, Apisto's).. all great recommendations. now I will just have to COMIT.. and DO IT.. 🙂

I just did my pre medication chemistry and noted my Nitrates are 40. There ar 15 Otto's and 1 Panda Corydora in there (and pest snails to keep it cycled). QT trio is complete (dosed on Saturday June 26th) and I usually do a second dose of Paracleanse (day 3. Should I hold doing that? They are fasting and I did a water change and vac prior to starting the QT meds. They are all fine, swimming around happy as can be. There are no signs of illness at all. This is week 2 in QT. Week one I feed them and observe, and week 2 medicate, week 3 observe. I know that 40 can be okay. I do have plants in little terracotta pots and the tank is bare bottom. Just wanted to make sure that if I medicate it will not be an issue. Here are the rest of the parameters: PH 7.3, Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 40.

@sudofish Ohhh that is a really pretty fish! I think that would be very pretty in my 40 G breeder with my panda corydora's, Ottos, plecos and the occasional guppy from the 20G. Will a 40 Gallon be large enough for it to swim around? I watched videos where 55G are better for them? Maybe that is if they are kept with other cichlids?