i have a few questions about the 2 black fin sharks i got about a week ago

Question
QUESTION: this is my first time buying fish...i bought a 10 gallon tank about a week ago i set it up and treated the water with the water conditioner and added a heater for 68 deg. i waited 24 hours like it said b4 adding fish...i went to a local walmart and i saw the black fin sharks and i really liked them and the person workin said they would be just fine in my tank..so i bought two and i put the aquarium salt in there they said it would be best to...i brought them home and got them in just fine....they seem to be doin great they are eatin good im feedin them tropical flakes thats wat it said to feed them on the card at walmart ...they swim around just fine but sometimes they go to the corner and swim to the top and then swim to the bottom and the do that a few times and start swimmin around is that normal or are they stressed out? and what do i need to do to keep them good and healty

ANSWER: Hi Rocky,
There is a great potential for a problem going on with your water quality. Due to the tank being a recent setup, everything is new and special bacteria have not yet had a chance to establish to take care of the waste the fish produce (ammonia). Therefore its likely you could be encountering some problems perhaps even right now with ammonia spikes. All aquariums must establish these beneficial bacteria or "biofilter" for short in order for the aquarium to remain healthy longterm. The biofilter converts ammonia over to 'nitrite' (which is dangerous like ammonia) but later more bacteria develop to convert the nitrite into finally "nitrate" and that is kept in check with your regular partial water changes. Otherwise, nitrate is safe.

*You can test for all three levels, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate with a simple test kit from your petstore. You can bring a water sample to have them test it for you but its much better to have your own kit. Testing your water is important because then you can know if there is a problem with the water and take action before it makes your fish really ill or actually kills them.*

Most aquariums take about 4-6 weeks to cycle and during that time ammonia and nitrite can spike. The best way to battle this and keep your fish safe is to do at least daily water testing and doing a 50% water change at the first sign of trouble like if the ammonia is building rapidly and/or the fish seem stressed (clamped fins, heavy breathing, pale color, sometimes restless behavior).... Blackfin sharks tend to be restless as part of their natural behavior but I would be very leery of their water quality at the moment.

Always make sure when doing a water change to always use water conditioner and insure the temp is equal to or just a little bit warmer than your aquarium's.

Black fin sharks are really unique looking catfish. However, they do prefer "brackish water" compared to just a freshwater tank with aquarium salt added.

Brackish water means in-between saltwater and freshwater. A good example of brackish water in natural habitat is one where a river runs near the ocean/coastline.

You can read more about them and their care here-

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile63.html

~These fellas do grow large by the way.

But for now, do a precautionary water change ASAP and save some of the old water beforehand to have it tested. Unfortunately these sharks don't always prove to be the hardiest fish and definitely aren't good candidates for establishing a tank.

All you can do is try your best! I really hope this helps!!
Karen~

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thank you, what size aquarium would you recommend ?

ANSWER: You're welcome.

Well, not sure how big they are right now but I would guess they are probably about 2 - 3 maybe four inches (that's the usual size stores sell them at) and really they could stay in the 10-gallon for a while as long as their water is changed enough. But I would be planning on upgrading to a 55 gallon in the meantime. I know that might sound extreme but these catfish -can- and do grow to almost a foot long and are quite active, so they'll make good use of the available room. And honestly, a larger tank would be even better!!

;-)
Karen~

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: they are about 4 inches what would have been the best fish to start out in a freshwater tank

Answer
I see,
Some good fish to start out with (especially in a small aquarium) are:

*Platies
*Tetras
*Barbs
*Danios
*Corydoras

The above mentioned fish are all easy and simple to care for. They stay small and are very good beginners fish.

Best of luck, Have a good weekend!
Karen~