# what do i doooooooooo



## Nammy Noims (May 23, 2021)

i got my fish, Bubbles, from my cousin. it came with two other fish i named Swimmer and Nom. they have been living together nicely for a week. Bubbles was chasing Swimmer and Nom, but they are okay with it. today, during my class, i heard some splashes coming from my tank. i went over to check it, and Bubbles was jumping in and out of the water. is this some sort of stress thingy or is there something wrong? i think my tank is about 10 gallons. i forgot what species bubbles is. heres a pic of him in his little hole


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## Seqathe (Apr 17, 2021)

I’m wondering what do you mean by him being inside a little hole?

Do you know what kind of fish the other two are, or are they all the same type? I’m assuming not since this is under “other fish”.

Chasing does not necessarily mean playing and the other fish might not “be okay with it.” depending on circumstances etc, by the way.

And last but not least, welcome to the forums! Bubbles looks like a cute little fish (or maybe he’s not as small as he seems lol) ❤


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## Nammy Noims (May 23, 2021)

<3
also idk what Swimmer and Nom are.
they are grey with zebra stripes; heres a pic of swimmer


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## Nammy Noims (May 23, 2021)

we have a little castle, and there is a little hole that is kinda Bubble's "marked territory."


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## Seqathe (Apr 17, 2021)

I’m a fish newbie myself so I’m terrible with identifying fish but I’m sure someone knowledgeable will come by with better advise!

And he looks so cute with his little tiger stripes ^^

Edit: I guess that makes Bubbles.. the king of the castle!


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## Nammy Noims (May 23, 2021)

lol so true!


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

They look to be Cichlids. Chasing is aggression. Many Cichlid types are aggressive. Bubbles is establishing his territory which should be at least 30" x 12" x 12"; a 20 long aquarium.


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## BettaloverSara (Oct 15, 2020)

Yep I agree that they look like cichlids. I cannot tell exactly which kind. Not only do they need a bigger home but not all cichlids can live together. In my opinion you should rehome them, three cichlids in a 10 gallon tank is disaster waiting to happen.


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## imaal (Aug 10, 2014)

Difficult to say for sure from these photos but they appear to be very young Severums (Heros efasciatus), one of them being a man-made gold color sport, and the other a wild type. As my colleagues have said, they are cichlids and they get big--8"-10" and the minimum recommended tank size for a pair is 48" x 18", which is 75 gallons.


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## Nammy Noims (May 23, 2021)

i used google lens and figured out Bubbles was actually a cichlid...


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## imaal (Aug 10, 2014)

Are you saying there's no betta involved in any of this and you mistook a cichlid for a betta? And there are--I mean, were-- 3 cichlids in a 10 gallon? Or am I terribly confused?


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## X skully X (Mar 17, 2020)

imaal said:


> Are you saying there's no betta involved in any of this and you mistook a cichlid for a betta? And there are--I mean, were-- 3 cichlids in a 10 gallon? Or am I terribly confused?


nope no bettas involved, this is posted in the “other fish” part of the forum


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## imaal (Aug 10, 2014)

X skully X said:


> nope no bettas involved, this is posted in the “other fish” part of the forum


Got it. Thanks. So it was three cichlids in a 10g.


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## Seqathe (Apr 17, 2021)

imaal said:


> Got it. Thanks. So it was three cichlids in a 10g.


I _think_ they are still all together in the 10G.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

One died.


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## Seqathe (Apr 17, 2021)

I must have missed that while reading. I'm sorry to hear that.


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## X skully X (Mar 17, 2020)

There are sooooo many kinds of cichlids, a lot of them get pretty big. Even people who know cichlids really well (and know what kind of cichlid they have) have trouble with aggression in their tanks. It’s really too bad you didn’t get gifted a dwarf cichlid Nammy Noms, a pair of apistogramma cichlids would have worked out in a 10 gallon. If they are babies you could grow them out for a few months but unless you want to get a huge tank I’d give them ALL back lol. It’s only going to be trouble. If an aquarium doesn’t bring me joy I don’t see the point of having it.


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## Nammy Noims (May 23, 2021)

yeah...
i returned Bubbles and got two new fish.
Bella and Leah!
why two, you may ask?
well..
Bubbles killed Nom.


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## AlphaBettas (May 12, 2020)

Nammy Noims said:


> yeah...
> i returned Bubbles and got two new fish.
> Bella and Leah!
> why two, you may ask?
> ...


What kind of fish did you get?


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Unless you actually observed the kill you can't know for sure. Cichlids are opportunistic feeders and if Bubbles was eating body parts that's normal. Do you have any snails in the tank or or other fish?

BTW, this is what Cichlids do: Males, females, too, fight for territory. Often these battles end in internal injuries and death. They're just doing what genetics dictates. In the end, it's always our fault when we don't meet their needs.

_Edited to fix a mistake. Meant Cichlid but typed "Betta." _


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## imaal (Aug 10, 2014)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> Unless you actually observed the kill you can't know for sure. Betta are opportunistic feeders and if Bubbles was eating body parts that's normal. Do you have any snails in the tank or or other fish?
> 
> BTW, this is what Cichlids do: Males, females, too, fight for territory. Often these battles end in internal injuries and death. They're just doing what genetics dictates. In the end, it's always our fault when we don't meet their needs.


I assumed Bubbles was a betta too. But as was clarified above, all the residents of this 10 gallon, dead or alive, were/are cichlids. Severums. Don't know what species the two new ones are. We asked but it has gone unanswered.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

imaal said:


> I assumed Bubbles was a betta too. But as was clarified above, all the residents of this 10 gallon, dead or alive, were/are cichlids. Severums. Don't know what species the two new ones are. We asked but it has gone unanswered.


Yep; one of those fingers and brain not coordinating moments.

Bubbles is back at cousin's. Cousin gave OP "two females." I deduce there are three Cichlids in the 10 gallon and two of them are females.


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## Nammy Noims (May 23, 2021)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> Unless you actually observed the kill you can't know for sure. Cichlids are opportunistic feeders and if Bubbles was eating body parts that's normal. Do you have any snails in the tank or or other fish?
> 
> BTW, this is what Cichlids do: Males, females, too, fight for territory. Often these battles end in internal injuries and death. They're just doing what genetics dictates. In the end, it's always our fault when we don't meet their needs.
> 
> _Edited to fix a mistake. Meant Cichlid but typed "Betta." _


i think you're right.
Bubbles was hoarding a space in the little castle we put.
whenever Swimmer or Nom were to come along, Bubbles would chase them away.


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## Nammy Noims (May 23, 2021)

AlphaBettas said:


> What kind of fish did you get?


i got a female that looked like Swimmer (Leah), and one that looked like Nom (Bella).


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## Nammy Noims (May 23, 2021)

btw they are both females


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## Nammy Noims (May 23, 2021)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> Yep; one of those fingers and brain not coordinating moments.
> 
> Bubbles is back at cousin's. Cousin gave OP "two females." I deduce there are three Cichlids in the 10 gallon and two of them are females.


and also yes,
its two females and one male.
lol!
Bella and Leah are like friends, and Swimmer is like that annoying little bro of Leah


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## AlphaBettas (May 12, 2020)

Nammy Noims said:


> i got a female that looked like Swimmer (Leah), and one that looked like Nom (Bella).


Cichlids? I dont think a 10 gallon has enough space...I thought they needed like 30 for 1 cichlid and 10 for additional ones? So 40 gallons or so...?


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## Nammy Noims (May 23, 2021)

AlphaBettas said:


> Cichlids? I dont think a 10 gallon has enough space...I thought they needed like 30 for 1 cichlid and 10 for additional ones? So 40 gallons or so...?


i just checked my tank and my fish seem happy!
maybe ill get that tank later.


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## X skully X (Mar 17, 2020)

AlphaBettas said:


> Cichlids? I dont think a 10 gallon has enough space...I thought they needed like 30 for 1 cichlid and 10 for additional ones? So 40 gallons or so...?


 cichlids can get up to 10 inches long! Depending on species, Oscars for instance is 14 inches and you could keep 1 in a 75 maybe two if they get along really well and you clean the tank all the time. 
if you get a breeding pair they will attack anything that come close to their spot. My sister’s blood parrots have matured to adults recently and decided they are a pair, they claimed a spot and it has been a circus in her tank ever since. She needs to decide what she is going to do (get the pair a new home or re home all the other fish and let the parrots have the tank) before they stress eachother out to the point of sickness or death 🤷🏻‍♀️
cichlids can be really great, and they can be really difficult. I’m personally going to stick with guppies and bettas. If I want to see giant tanks with big aggressive fish I’ll visit family members.


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## BettaloverSara (Oct 15, 2020)

Before bubbles killed Nom you didn’t know any better. Now you know what they are, have been given information about their needs and temperaments and you still chose to try it again. Bubbles wasn’t a “mean” fish. Bubbles was acting on instinct, and your new fish will eventually do the same. This tank is another blood bath waiting to happen and this time it will be on you.


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## imaal (Aug 10, 2014)

AlphaBettas said:


> Cichlids? I dont think a 10 gallon has enough space...I thought they needed like 30 for 1 cichlid and 10 for additional ones? So 40 gallons or so...?


As I wrote in an earlier post, if the two new 'females' are the same species as the others in the tank, they are Severums--Heros efasciatus. They grow to be 8-10", they are heavy feeders, and display typical cichlid territorial behavior. Given that they are juveniles, I don't know how anyone is sure they are females to begin with, particularly if they are the gold form. The recommended tank size for a mature pair is 75 gallons--48" x 18". But the OP will ignore all of this, I'm sure, and will cavalierly preside over the death of more animals.


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## AlphaBettas (May 12, 2020)

imaal said:


> As I wrote in an earlier post, if the two new 'females' are the same species as the others in the tank, they are Severums--Heros efasciatus. They grow to be 8-10", they are heavy feeders, and display typical cichlid territorial behavior. Given that they are juveniles, I don't know how anyone is sure they are females to begin with, particularly if they are the gold form. The recommended tank size for a mature pair is 75 gallons--48" x 18". But the OP will ignore all of this, I'm sure, and will cavalierly preside over the death of more animals.


Ah ok. :/
Well that's upsetting-



BettaloverSara said:


> This tank is another blood bath waiting to happen and this time it will be on you.


I agree with you. OP shouldn't have gotten the fish, even when they knew how these fish would act. Before they didnt, and now they do, yet they still choose to get more.


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## X skully X (Mar 17, 2020)

Nammy Noims said:


> just checked my tank and my fish seem happy!
> maybe ill get that tank later


keep an eye open for sales and start saving up for that big tank right now. I was happy to see petco had 50% off tanks last week. The 75 gallon was only $105.00 dollars! I was tempted to pick one up for that deal but sadly I don’t have space for it right now. Good luck with everything and google google google those cichlids you have.


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## Nammy Noims (May 23, 2021)

GUYS.
I JUST FIGURED OUT THAT MY TANK IS A 2-3 GALLON
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH


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## Nammy Noims (May 23, 2021)

X skully X said:


> keep an eye open for sales and start saving up for that big tank right now. I was happy to see petco had 50% off tanks last week. The 75 gallon was only $105.00 dollars! I was tempted to pick one up for that deal but sadly I don’t have space for it right now. Good luck with everything and google google google those cichlids you have.


also that is good advice!


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## BettaloverSara (Oct 15, 2020)

Nammy Noims said:


> GUYS.
> I JUST FIGURED OUT THAT MY TANK IS A 2-3 GALLON
> AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH


Rehome them.


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## Nammy Noims (May 23, 2021)

im looking for a bigger tank.
10 gallons are big and expensive
i wouldnt know where to put the tank!


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## AlphaBettas (May 12, 2020)

Nammy Noims said:


> im looking for a bigger tank.
> 10 gallons are big and expensive
> i wouldnt know where to put the tank!


10 gallons is still too small...a 75 gallon is much more adequate. Either get a 75+ gallon tank OR rehome them.

Edit: I saw that you are in Canada as well-
You can try using Kijiji. That's where I get all my livestock from, and make sure that you are rehoming them to a good home. Also, if you are under 18, you might want to get a parent to help you with this.


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## Seqathe (Apr 17, 2021)

Nammy Noims said:


> im looking for a bigger tank.
> 10 gallons are big and expensive
> i wouldnt know where to put the tank!


Please-please be a responsible person and rehome them. Even IF you bought a 10G, it’s not enough for the cichlids. With the amount you have (3 of them, I think?), you need like 100G+

I know next to nothing about other fish, but even I know that. I never get involved in these types of threads but you are sitting on a ticking bomb and in the end, the fish will pay for it. Why not get something that can responsible go into your tank?


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## AlphaBettas (May 12, 2020)

Seqathe said:


> Please-please be a responsible person and rehome them. Even IF you bought a 10G, it’s not enough for the cichlids (3 of them, I think?). With the amount you have, you need like 100G+
> 
> I know next to nothing about other fish, but even I know that. I never get involved in these types of threads but you are sitting on a ticking bomb and in the end, the fish will pay for it. Why not get something that can responsible go into your tank?


^^
There are two cichlids btw! Even if you didnt research and impulse bought them, there are many ways to fix that, starting with research. Members have told you how to care for them, and their needs. They need large tanks with heaters and filters. Dechlorinator is also very important, unless you have a different water source (spring water) then you need dechlorinator.

_I've checked PetSmart and it's $30 just for the tank. A 10 gallon KIT at Walmart is $50 for a filter, tank, lid and light. It isn't super expensive. A 10 gallon still is not adequate for them._

I understand that a 75-100+ gallon tank is expensive, but it's needed for the cichlids to have a good healthy life. Either pay for supplies or rehome them.


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## Seqathe (Apr 17, 2021)

AlphaBettas said:


> There are two cichlids btw!


I stand corrected! Those poor fish though


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## Nammy Noims (May 23, 2021)

Seqathe said:


> I stand corrected! Those poor fish though


i realised that the fish were kinda being torchured.
i will look for proper equipment


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