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hi all.
i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions about any modifications that i should do to my 30 gal. tank. so here are the specs:
30 gal
Penguin 330 Bio-wheel filter
100 watt Visi-Therm heater
2 sponge filters (opposite ends of tank)
gravel substrate
three caves
no live plants
A few plasti-plants
1 pleco
1 female balloon molly
2 tiger barbs
2 pink tetras
2 blue tetras
2 black tetras
My LFS is limited on what it can get (their supplier is Fish, Fish, Fish). But they can do special orders. So what do you think????????????????????......

First of all, you should move that pleco. If it is a common pleco, then it will certainly outgrow that tank. Just in case you don't believe me, check out the picture at this link: [link=http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/aquainfo/Common_Pleco.jpg]http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/aquainfo/Common_Pleco.jpg" style="COLOR: #808080[/link]

To nitpick some more... (I'm sorry! Really I am!) Tiger barbs, and each tetra species should be kept in groups of at least six. They need each others's company, and will be stressed otherwise. If you can move the plec and up the tiger barb and tetras schools, that would really make the tank more workable.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Thnks. A couple of things that i have a problem with is that 1 (not trying to be agrumentative) but the pleco that i have is about 6 1/2 in long and doesn't seem to be having any problems navagating in the tank. eh is getting little old about 2yrs. I have had him, so i am expecting to having to go get another one soon. For some reson whenever i get six of any kind of tetra in my tank, all but tow die, and the LFS says it is my water quality. i just did a H2O test and here are the results:
7.0 ph
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
So I don't know how the LFS could say i have bad water quality, since i probably have better H2O condition than they do.
Please Respond

Listen to Nick and get rid of the pleco. You might think 2 years is old for a pleco, but large pardalis can reach 20 years or more. The fact that he's only 6 inches long after 3 years (I doubt you raised him from a fry and it takes about a year to reach the 2" mark which you probably purchased him at) means that he's probably at least slightly stunted.

pa hummbug

The pink, blue, and black tetras are all the same species (though unfortunately the pink and blue ones are dyed - please don't endorse this cruel process again by buying more of them) so you have enough of those.

The pleco should definitely be moved to a larger tank, simply because they grow too large for a 30 gallon. You can substitute him for a bristlenose pleco, which stays smaller and is a much better algae eater.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.