Freshwater Aquarium.

Question
Hi David,
I'm not usually one to complain, but this is the answer I got from Nicole Putman today and I didn't appreciate. I can't seem to find the place to rate her. I was a novice asking a simple question and have to be treated like I'm an idiot. Which maybe I am, but it was not her place to say so. I do happen to care about my fish. My tank is 20 gallons and my fish are beautiful and healthy. I just have an ornery catfish. The eels lay up against him all the time so I don't think they are traumatized, just don't know if its playing or bullying. And I was very upset about losing my fish. I'm a pet lover and her answer was uncalled for. Thanks for listening. Lisa

Your Question was:


I have 2 dinosaur eels that are about 6"in size. I bought them in March . They started out about 2 inches.By the time we got home from Wal-mart where they had purchased them the two of them and a beautiful pink parrot fish had eaten 5 neon tetras. ( Still had tails hanging out of the mouths of one eal and parrot fish.  They also killed a shark, small pleco, tetra and a black knife fish.
Well, now our catfish(Gray with really long whiskers) is being a bully to the dinosaur eels. ANyway my question is how do you tell the sex of the eels. If they mate and have babies will they eat them before I would realize?.
Should I remove the catfish from them. He headbutts them.
There is a small silver and black striped tetra in the tank also but noone bothers it . ?????> Just curious and would love to see some baby eels.
Write when you have the time. !

Following is the reason:

Hi, uh...it sounds like you have a major problem with your fish there, and all you can think about is breeding the two eels you bought at Walmart? Back up just a second there. You've said nothing of what sized tank you have, and you are putting fish in that grow enormous. You really ought to have a tank of 100 gallons or more to play with here, but I doubt you do, most of us don't.

I am guessing by the incompatible, utterly random selection of fish that you have chosen, that you haven't done a lick of research. Well, there is just no excuse for that considering Google makes researching fish, even by their common names, a breeze!

If you are interested in seeing fish babies, then get something like convicts or livebearers. They will breed in spite of being cared for improperly...and then your "grey with really long whiskers" catfish will probably eat them up, yes. Breeding dinosaur eels (Polypterus senegalus) is a challenge even for the expert with a dedicated breeding setup - so unless that's the direction you are looking to go, don't expect babies to show up because there's a 50/50 chance you have a male and female...it takes more than that. Research! Start here:
http://www.google.com/search?q=breeding+polypterus+senegalus&btnG=Search&hl=en&s...

And please, for the love of God, do not pick out fish like wax fruit for a centerpiece. These are living, breathing creatures, and when you kill them with your ignorance (putting fish together that will eat each other because you didn't research is an example of this), then the one possibility for redemption is that you'll have learned from your mistake and will start READING, and RESEARCHING before you purchase any more fish! If you don't, it won't be long before your aquarium crashes and burns, and you drop out of the hobby.

Nicole

Expert: Nicole Putnam  

Answer
Hi Lisa:  Much of what Nicole told you is the absolute truth... Sometimes though... we experts forget what was like when we first started out.  What is sad here is not that you would love to see baby eels... I have to applaud your enthusiasm... but the sad thing is that whomever you bought the fish from was either not aware or didn't care enough to tell you that your fish choices were incompatible.  Furthermore, most of the fish you bought have no business in a 20 gallon tank.  The black Ghost Knife fish will reach two feet in length easily and the eels probably 1-2 feet.  The parrot fish could reach a length of ten inches and the catfish ... some grow up to six feet in length.  Another thing to consider is that the parrot fish is a cichlid... a hybrid cross between a sevrum and a red devil...  Cichlids and most fish should never be mixed... cichlids have been known to kill fish that are 3-4 times their size.... now I  have read her response to your question and in all fairness to everyone she didn't say you were an idiot... she said you were ignorant of your fish choices... that is  a bit different then being called ignorant.  It is a huge burden to take a living creature under your care like a stray cat... the difference with fish is that they very rarely end up on your door step... you go an look for them... What Nicole was saying to you is that as a pet lover... which we all are... its irresponsible to just go out and buy an elephant and not know how to care for it... same thing with fish... fish should  not be bought on a whim... you have to do the research... take your time etc.   know the fish you keep.... this is the biggest mistake that new fish keepers make... Now... about your eels and the catfish... they need to be separated... the cat fish is trying to kill your eels...and it probably stems from an issue over food.  I would not expect the eels to breed in a 20 gallon tank with a catfish in it.  Fish tend to have babies when the conditions to support life is at its best... a hungry predator around is not going to make the best situation for their young to survive.  In the future... I would go to a store that only sells fish and let them help you... The brand x pet store or super store will probably not have as much information as you will need when picking out fish.  In short... you need three tanks... one for the parrot, one for the eels and one for the catfish... and maybe one more for whatever is left over.... dave


Hello again.... You have had some time to digest what I have written to you... so now is the time to continue to ask questions.  I would like that your experience with keeping fish becomes as great as the experiences that I have had over the years... dave