elephent nose fish

Question
Hi there

I got three elephant nose fish yesterday (each 8-10cm)in my 70liter fish tank, I
got some live and some plastic plants. Gravel is black river stones. I have a
molly and a swordtail from before. Along with elephant nose fish I got two
catfishes (sucker) as well. The tank temperature is between 26-28.
Do I have to add anything to my tank? What do I need to make sure they have
happy life in there?
What kind of water conditioner can I use?
Please give me some guides? What should I feed them with?

I leave in Dubai and my only hobby is my fish tank for 2years..

If I want to upgrade my fish tank what step should I take? and what size you
recommend?

Thanks

Tammy


Answer
Hi Tammy
I love those fish :)  They are so neat!  I had one years ago, and he only lived for a month.  I purchased another one, and he lived about the same amount of time.  I then found out they're wild caught, at least the where I bought mine.  So, they really should have the same water conditions as their natural environment.  I believe my ph was too high for them.  

I've also read somewhere that they do best with just 1 in the tank, or to have several like 3 or more.  I can't find where I read that though.  Just keep an eye on them and watch for aggression.  

I would find some kind of tubing for them, or something for them to hide in.  And make sure each has enough for their own.  They're a very shy fish, and tend to hide more so, especially during the day.  They're nocturnal, so more active at night when the lights go out.  Because of that, I found I had a hard time feeding mine as well.  I ended up feeding either live or frozen brine shrimp or frozen blood worms.  I may have used some cut up cocktail or salad shrimp as well, but can't remember.  They're carnivorous so they need meat.  I would either use my hand and put it down in his tube, or use the net and kind of scoop the food into his tube for him.  It's probably best to feed them at night as well.  

I think your tank is too small for them.  You should try to get a tank at least 200+ Liters (55 US gallons), plus if they do get aggressive, that'll help because they'll have more room to spread out and establish their own territories.  They also need really good water quality, so make sure you do regular weekly water changes, and check your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels closely.  They prefer a more acidic ph(lower ph, under 7.0).  

They're also a scaleless fish, so they're very sensitive to medications, and some you can't use.  You'll need to read the directions carefully before using any meds.  I believe they're also sensitive to salt as well.

Here's 2 links with information on them and their care, you'll need to copy/paste to your browser:

http://www.badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile42.html

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1882

Hope that helps and good luck with your guys!!  Let me know if you have any more questions!!

Christy