# Should I rehome?



## Lost Eventide (Jun 30, 2012)

So, I might have a little issue in my tank. It's a 29g community, and currently one of the residents is a red tailed black shark. He was an impulse buy quite a while ago and, unfortunately, it was also during a lapse of common sense when it came to researching (no more impulse buys for me! I'm planning all my stock out in advance from now on).

Since I got him he has just been an absolute dear. He has never bothered the tetras and he's buddy-buddies with my clown pleco (they actually will chill together under the same piece of driftwood). I just love him because he's so fun to watch, but recently I have seen him start to chase some of the tetras around the tank.

Now, if it were up to me I would have no issues at all just going and getting a cheap 55g for a semi-aggressive community seeing I potentially have access to a fully furnished one that used to belong to my dad (stand and all), but right now the issue is room. We just have no room for a 55g save for at my stepdad's office (he's a doctor), but he's not sure he wants to bother with it up there seeing he's not up there all the time to keep an eye on it.

However, if anyone has any ideas for some cool, space-conserving ways to fit a 55g with limited wall-space, let me know |D; That would be perfect. I have a spot in my room it could have potentially fit, but another bookcase is going there and I will have absolutely zero wall space once that's there unless I were to remove my bed and just sleep on a mattress in the middle of the floor.

Now, normally I would just sit back and watch how everything unfolds seeing it's possible any aggression will not escalate (the chasing right now is very short-lived and none of my tetras are showing signs of stress), but I was also reading that redtails get more aggressive as they age, which concerns me. I won't be able to monitor the tank as much as I would like once school-time hits.

Do yins think I should probably rehome? I did text the family friend that has my dad's 55g to see if he still had it set up and, if so, if he would be interested in Red seeing from what I remember of his tank he just had a couple semi-aggressive fish that could hold their own (like some of the larger gouramis), but he has yet to get back to me so for all I know the tank could be broken down in his garage.

If so, what's the best way to go about rehoming? Is there any luck on Craigslist? I know an option is to just taking him back to the pet store, but I saw some talk about how any returned fish are just euthanized even if they are in good health?


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## shellieca (Jul 12, 2012)

If you can get the 55g that would be great. The issues you are having may be because a 29g just isn't big enough and the shark is territorial. I'm not an expert on the needs of most fish so I have limited knowledge. However, have you tried moving things around inside your 29g? Sometimes if the decos and plants are re-arranged it can help lessen the territorial fueds temporarily. If you can't get the 55g set up I would definitely re-home. From what I've read online they can get very aggressive and territorial and most people recommend a minimum of a 50g tank. Good luck.


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## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

What about instead of the usual long way along the wall you have it sticking out, if you scape it nicely, it could look amazing. I love the look of the tank when it sticks out as you have more viewing area.

Or you could turn the stand or make a stand, there are a lot of things online and making your own is rewarding, and you could make the stand a book shelf.


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## Lost Eventide (Jun 30, 2012)

I just completely rescaped my aquarium (I converted it to live plants, so I removed all the artificial decor and replaced it with driftwood and different low-light plant varieties). He seems to have claimed an area of driftwood for his own, and will only occasionally chase one of the tetras if they decided to venture underneath the driftwood.

Right now the aggression isn't bad at all fortunately; he just chases for a couple seconds every once in a while and none of the tetras are showing stress signs.

However, I did not even think about having the aquarium stick out! I was only thinking about putting it flush against the wall, but that might work. I'll have to look and see if there is anywhere we could possibly fit it that way. Our friend did get back to me and unfortunately he said he took the 55g down, but I texted him back and asked if he still had it, and if he did if he'd be willing to let me buy it off of him. Haven't heard back from him yet, but I'm hoping he still has it in his garage or something.

Unfortunately I have very little experience with woodwork xD My dad made the stand for the 55g I'm inquiring about (and it's really nice, plus the way he did the backdrop is gorgeous because he attached a sort of blue ripple plexiglass or something to the back and it has a really neat effect). I've down scroll-sawing and that's about it, so I'm not sure if I should risk building a stand for a tank that'll weigh several hundred pounds. It would be my luck it just goes and collapses or something.

What's the best way to rehome if it comes to that, however? Does anyone have any experience with Craigslist? I did post on my Facebook, but unfortunately not many people I know are really that into aquariums. I forgot to ask at Pets Supplies Plus when I was up there today getting my betta xx; I might just have to call them and see if they even take fish back.

It's just too bad more information isn't provided in the store. Like I said, it was an impulse buy, which was a bad move I know, but I got him when they had a sale to buy one shark and get one free (which, of course, you aren't supposed to keep more than one in the first place, so that was a very misleading deal in itself).

Thanks for the responses you two!


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## Lost Eventide (Jun 30, 2012)

It seems I may be getting that 55g after all! Our friend still has it, and he's more than willing to sell seeing all the tank is doing is collecting dust. I told him I'd get back to him in a few days once I figured out placement.

We _might_ be able to put it in the living room with the other tank, just underneath one of the paintings. My mom said it was up to my step-dad seeing it's his house, but fortunately he really likes fish. He seemed to be kind of hopeful that I'd setup a saltwater tank with it, but I do not have the time nor funds (let alone experience) to deal with saltwater right now. Plus, if I ever go down that route, I'd like at least a 100g+ tank.

So I may be setting that up as a semi-aggressive aquarium if everything goes smoothly. Likely with my shark and a small shoal of angels (which I believe is a tried and true pairing?).

Only thing is I'll probably have to just let the tank cycle on its own with a piece of shrimp thrown in there and then during my Christmas holiday I can move the shark over. Currently he's only about 3 inches long, so hopefully he'll be okay for a couple months in the current tank.

Lol, my mom did make a comment about how it wouldn't match the rest of the furniture, but I'm taking my aquariums with me when I move out in a couple years, so I doubt that will be a lasting problem.


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## BlueRose7 (Jul 26, 2012)

I really hope things work out for you! A couple more suggestions come to mind, in case you are desperate for more. I don't know what kind of room/furniture you've got, but you may be able to tweak an idea to fit your needs.

-If you have a full bookcase already, you could get a flat under bed plastic storage box and put what you don't read/use much in it and put what would have gone on the second bookshelf in place of the stored items.

-utilize your local flea market/goodwill/craigslist. Especially on Sunday's after yard sales are over for the week, you may be able to find a two-level aquarium stand (I'm not sure what is available for aquariums that big) and you could stack the two you have, if the first already has a stand space. I have found multiPle stands and quickly refinished them with a black matte rust cover spray so that they all match and look uniform, so you could even paint one if you found one.

-if you have no headboard and your room is wide enough, you could go to a thrift store and look for a sturdy dresser to slip behind your bed (if there is an outlet), cover with a matching cut of fabric, and place a tank on as a makeshift headboard, if the pump sound won't bother you. Maybe you could even do that with your dad's awesome-sounding stand!

If I think of anything else, I'll write again. It would be great if you could keep Red! Just get creative. Stand in the doorway of your bedroom with eyes open to every possibility. If nothing else, you can make the case to your stepdad that you promise to take care of the second tank if he let's you set it up somewhere else in the house. 

Good luck!


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## Lost Eventide (Jun 30, 2012)

Just to update on this because I'm really excited! Things are going to work out great, and I really appreciate all the suggestions that were offered. I'm going to keep a lot of them in mind for the future in case I end up a bit yearning for space again (lol, though that's going to be a scenario that's going to happen in a couple years in my own house I think. I'm not sure if mom would appreciate another big aquarium; I think she's really holding her tongue on the fact I'm getting this one and I'm probably just going to keep getting bigger and bigger xD)

Anyways, we _did_ find a spot for the 55g! It's definitely going to be going underneath the picture in the living room near my 29g. Mom wasn't too keen on the idea seeing the woodwork of the stand is likely not going to match anything in the living room (a problem we encountered with my 29g as well) but my step-dad really doesn't care seeing it's only going to be that way for a few more years until I move out, so he's all for it and it's his house so we sort of won out with that one. Plus he knows I faun over my tanks just from watching me take care of my 29g and my betta tank, so he feels it'll look nice regardless of the woodwork.

Also, mom's other issue was that I _am_ a college student and she's sort of iffy on how much money I've been putting into this hobby recently (which, to be honest, my aquarium stuff is the only thing I really spend money on to begin with and I'm thrifty about it where possible). However, I managed to convince her to let me just figure out how much was wanted for it and if it wasn't that much she was going to cave.

Well, turns out the family friend didn't want anything for it~ He just wants it out of his house, so as long as I come and get it he's not going to charge me. So I'm getting the entire tank/stand/filter/heater/etc. setup for nothing (though I'm still going to offer him some money when I go to pick it up just on principal because I know how much those setups usually go for). Regardless, I am getting an awesome setup for an awesome deal and I am going to be able to keep my little shark <3

I'm so excited~ Hopefully I'll be able to get it picked up, cleaned out, and set up by the end of the week. Lol, though I think I'm either going to invest in a real Python or make a DIY one once things get going. Just going by experiences with my 29g, the whole bucket and 5g jug scenario for water changes is already doing a number on my back, and I know it's only going to get worse with bigger tanks seeing more water needs to be switched out.

Thanks again everyone for the input!


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