Funkytown Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 I'm about to get my first fish and start cycling the tank. I've got the 34 litre Aquaone 380 setup. I've decided on 4 or so dwarf gouramis, a group of tetras, a couple corys and a bristlenose. Which order should I get them in and how many should I get in the first batch? I thought I'd get one gourami and 1-2 corys to start. Sound okay? As a follow-on question, should I get some special bottom-type food for the corys, or will tropical flakes be fine? Is a pea or a piece of zuchini advisable, or stick to fish-food? Thanks, Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 I'd go for a pair of peppered corys Brian, they are the cheapest, and are almost bomb-proof. A friend over-wintered some outside last year. If you are concerned that the corys aren't getting their share of the kai. Feed them after lights-out. Nothing wrong with a shelled cooked slightly squashed pea for the fish diet. What are you doing up so early?? I have an excuse, what's yours?? Alan 104 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funkytown Posted January 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 Thanks mate. Appreciate it. Peppered cory it is... I was up early because I was picking my mom up from the airport. I'm on driver duty. I don't normally wake at such early hours, and my brain hates alarm clocks, so it overcompensates by making me wake up well before I have to. I was awake at 5am-ish, looking at my planted, fishless aquarium, getting excited, so I had to get onto the forum... You know how it is... What was your excuse? Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 As a follow-on question, should I get some special bottom-type food for the corys, or will tropical flakes be fine? Is a pea or a piece of zuchini advisable, or stick to fish-food? Brian, I have a Bristlenose for you if you want just a plain ordinary everyday one, I'm in New Lynn, free if you want to come & pick him up. I feed my BNs sliced uncooked courgette & cucumber, they love it and it disappears overnight except for the skin which is still sitting there attached to the sinker! They get some just about everyday, I just do them a few slices when I'm preparing a salad for dinner. I also feed them the JBL Plecochips which have 10% wood fibre in them which they need in their diet, also algae and spirulina sinking wafers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KM Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 Hey Funky Town. I have a a little 380 at work on my desk with some sunset platies. It is a really sweet little tank. Keep an eye on the water quality though. The smaller tanks can be a problem in a big way if you aren't careful. You may need to look at smaller water changes a bit more often than a larger 100l + tank would need. Otherwise you will find you have problems with dropsy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livebearer_breeder Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 becuase all my killie tank are about 20l I do a 400ml water change a day along with a gravel siphon every 2 weeks, but thats only really to collect the eggs out of the peat in the gravel. be careful though to much water changes can also cause problems as you could end up killing all of the bacteria the healthy bacteria in the tank. Shae Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carriej Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 You will need a small pece of wood in there for the bristlenose, they need wood in their diet. The best tip that anyone could ever give regarding tropical fish and fishtanks, is always try to get a 2nd opinion. Anything beyond the very basics of fishkeeping is subject to opinion, and what workS for one tank, may not work for another. this especially applies to anyone who is trying to sell you something. Good luck with your tank. The community you have suggested should work well together, the biggest thing you will have to be careful about will be overfeeding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plecs Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 if you have dark substrate then dont go for the peppered cory's! You will never see them! i made that mistake, and regret it! I have also got albino corys which are really active, and panda's and jullii. the later are fairly expensive compared to the others, the jullii's seem to be the least hardy. I say Albino every time! Or bronze on light gravel as they are active too. good luck and have fun! plecs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carriej Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 I always use darker substrate now. the fish seem happier. it also seems to bring out their colours more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livebearer_breeder Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 Iv'e kept BN's for quiet a while now, have never ever had driftwood or any type of wood in my tanks and they are getting quiet big now. Shae Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 As far as water changes go, you can't do too many. As long as the replacement water has the same parameters, that is, aged. The bacteria is in the filtration area, it is when you clean the filters with tap or hot water, that you can run into probs. Use some of the tank water that you are changing, to clean them. I knew some discus breeders, in Auckland, who IMHO without a doubt, were the best discus breeders in NZ. They did 50% water changes per day! ! Their fish were so respected by a fella called "Watley" ( heard of him), who chucked out his personal baggage, to take back to the USA, his choice of fish from them. Funny thing too, he said that our prices for discus were giveaway-prices. Alan 104 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KM Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 I was maybe a bit hasty in my first reply about doing more water changes! You do have to be careful about the water you are putting into a tank as the last thing you want to do is make any changes to an established cycle. The problem with smaller tanks is that people think that they are easier to look after, and to some extent this is true. However small tanks are far more vulnerable to water problems. I find that the best approach for my small tanks is to take water out of a larger established tank with similar water conditions that was cleaned a day or two before. I do a 10% water change twice a week in my smaller tanks. Alan, I have recently read through Wattley's book myself, and he says that some of the South East Asia do a 90% water change daily in their discus tanks! It's quite amazing how everyone has a different approach to their fish and their ideas of fish keeping. It just goes to show how subjective the topic is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carriej Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 I have heard that in some of the commercial betta breeding establishments thailand they do a 100% water change daily, but they keep the fish in 1.5 litre jars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funkytown Posted January 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 Brian, I have a Bristlenose for you if you want just a plain ordinary everyday one, I'm in New Lynn, free if you want to come & pick him up. Nice Dawn, thanks for that offer. I'm not at BN stage yet. I'm on the shore, and it might cost me more in gas to get out to you than to buy the fish at the lfs. I'll see what happens when my tanks is a little more cycled, and if you've still got it, and I'm heading over there, I'll ask you then. Way to share the wealth! Thanks! I got my first couple of peppered corys over the weekend, and the tank has been officially christened! I was so worried about them at first, but that worn off (a little). This weekend I might get a small group of tetras.... Thanks for all the help everyone! Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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