Sophia Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 So here we are... this started as a killifish tank and then was a Celestial Pearl Danio and Sparkling Gourami tank. After that I kept only CPDs and there were fry appearing on a regular basis but after a few weeks no more. Once I realised that they do eat their own eggs/young I figured I could get other fish in here so got a Siamese fighter, and then these 2 Scarlet Badis. Full tank shot Left side After not liking fighter fish for a long time I finally gave in and took this guy home. I don't remember what tail type he is, I believe a dragon? Some of his top fins have wispy bits like a crowntail and his end fin (?) reminds me of a red pansy with it's undulations and black outline. From different angles his body has various colours - here you see him quite blue, he is also a dark purple, nearly black, turquoise, and in natural sunlight almost green. He follows me about the tank waiting to be fed and he will flare to himself in the mirror. Fighter Out of focus but good colours Celestial Pearl Danios coming to inspect Scarlet Badis A rare shot of badis together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Li@m Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 Looks cool :thup: You should change the background to black and trim the Ambulia in the background, replant them in thicker clumps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted October 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 Thanks Liam. Blue background is staying, I like it and the fish stand out. Plus it's painted on. I don't care if blue isn't fashionable 8) It used to be covered in green algae then the oto ate it and it never came back. Ambulia will get trimmed after the tank crawl and I won't be replanting it as the disruption will kill my crypts again . The twisted val should form a reasonable carpet of green soon enough, so won't need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted October 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 Starting my new breeding experiment tonight: 2 male CPDs and 4 females in a load of moss in another tank... Leave for a few days, remove them and see how many fry emerge :bounce: Next – some photos of a scarlet badis with mosquito larvae in it’s last stage before turning into a bug. Had never seen the badis go after any of the larger food but this stuff they go nuts for. This one caught the mozzie and swam around with it in his mouth for ages waiting for it to die/be consumed. More entertaining viewing on Fish TV at my house :spop: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
critter_crazy Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 I love your tiny tanks and tiny fish :love: Love the blue background too! I'm gonna get one for my tank - definately makes everything stand out more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted October 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 thanks, it's Dulux 'Selwyn' shade in the test pots if you want to do it yourself. We did the first tank with a brush and 2 coats, and the second with a roller, just one of those little ones - it dries faster and you get a more even finish but you need another coat or 2. I think the plastic backing you can get on a roll is a similar shade. I used to like the one that faded to dark blue/black at the bottom too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hecticity Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 Cool tank! What happened to your sparkling gourami? Am quite keen on some but havent seen any around for ages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted October 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 one of them died and the other 2 went to live elsewhere. They were cute but deadly! The badis seem to also be less than peaceful at times but they leave the CPDs alone. I don't think I mentioned in this thread that I found the fighter looking sick a week or so ago, rather battered. Could have been a fungal sort of coincidence but I think the badis picked on him as they patrol the bottom as if it's their own and he did like to hang about down there. He's now in his own tank and fully recovered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted October 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 another update, with new swordplant parviflorus variety. Yesterday and today I saw a scarlet badis coming up to feed with the CPDs for microworms, earlier 'he' came up to feed but when discovered it was flake food went elsewhere to hunt instead. He knows good food comes from above after yesterdays worms and previous days' mosquito treats. :gigl: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcmillanm Posted November 1, 2011 Report Share Posted November 1, 2011 Hi Sophia, These are cool looking little fish :nfs: . Do they eat any dried food or just live food? Do you think they would be happy sharing the bottom levels with some chain and striata loaches and some Corys? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted November 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2011 I think they would be OK as the other fish you are thinking of are bigger than them and fast moving. I never actually saw them being aggressive to the fighter but he was fine before they arrived. They are mostly only interested in live food in the actual water column, they don't even go for sinking tiny fish pellets or other dried food I fire in with a dropper. I suspect they'd have a nibble of a bottom feeder type pellet if they found some, but haven't really noticed as I don't use that sort of food in this tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted November 1, 2011 Report Share Posted November 1, 2011 Wow great tank, I love mini fish :love: :happy2: Have you ever considered buying an external filter to maximize space in your tank? An Eheim Classic 2211 or a Hydor Prime 10 would be ideal, and they will contain more media than the internal filter Also the flow rate of each is 300l/h, so it wouldn't be too strong, and you can just put a Bio Clear sponge over the intake to stop fish from being sucked up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirt Posted November 1, 2011 Report Share Posted November 1, 2011 nice tank. A few Qs about it, What are the dimensions? What kind of filtration and lighting are you running on it? And yeigh or neigh or CO2? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted November 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2011 Have you ever considered buying an external filter to maximize space in your tank? No because until I heard Neon's external filter on a big tank recently I had the idea they would be noisy like an airpump or a hang on the back variety. I haven't ever seen a small external one in action, but is something to look into one day. I will store your suggestion in my memory bank as I'd rather have a plant there. Squirt, tank is about 51cm long by 28cm high and 30cm deep - from memory and not measuring it. It was the longest we could fit on a particular piece of wall so had it made. The filter is Eheim Pickup 2006, lighting is now an over 1 year old 14000K sensen that I scored at a petshop closing down, 8 watts I think and the lights are on about 6 hours a day only. No Co2, it's a low tech tank. It's so low tech I'm freaking out a bit about this quite rapid growing new plant. I'm hoping it uses up whatever fertiliser it can find and then slows down like the other plants :sml2: thanks for the compliments Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony law Posted November 1, 2011 Report Share Posted November 1, 2011 nice one sophia....once grow out abit,, it should look neat.. :nfs: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted November 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2011 it was quite grown out and then I melted the crypts :an!gry http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=48110&start=90 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirt Posted November 1, 2011 Report Share Posted November 1, 2011 thanks Sophia, I'm weighing up high tech or low tech. Most likely low tech. Bigger is not always better haha time for me to get on TM and start looking for equiptment :thup: Are you using a substrate fertilizer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted November 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2011 I had some JBL balls in there when the tank started (see original thread) but haven't replaced any. Have used flourish excel fertiliser maybe once a month or less/more at random. There isn't any reason why you couldn't have a big low tech tank (I have small tanks as my house is small) but I guess you'd need a lot more plants to start off as they don't grow super fast like a high tech tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirt Posted November 1, 2011 Report Share Posted November 1, 2011 :slfg: I'm going nano too, 30L... I was thinking of using fluorite or JBL balls. Just though I'd pick your brain for some information, as I really like your tank :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted November 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 The crypts are melting again.... :yaw2: I want to know why ones that are nowhere near where the new plants went in also react. It's getting quite frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-obstacle Posted November 8, 2011 Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 You've got some temperamental crypts. Maybe you should buy my tank and metal halides so they'll be happy and healthy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted November 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 so I can move them into another tank AND change the lighting? I don't think so :sml2: the ones in my loach tank are pretty happy at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Li@m Posted November 8, 2011 Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 :slfg: I'm going nano too, 30L... I was thinking of using fluorite or JBL balls. Just though I'd pick your brain for some information, as I really like your tank :thup: :smot: Matt definitly get flourite. It will be so much easier to use rather than some thing like a soil under gravel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted December 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 Here's a short video of the CPDs and scarlet badies meandering about and then getting microworms for dinner. Turn the sound off if you don't want to hear my husband clattering around in the background making dinner. Those of you husbands who don't know what cooking is, that's the sound of a 'good' husband :digH: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 Cool video How many CPDs and Darios have you got in there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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