ADFs and Fish in a Community Tank?

[librarygirl]

Hi, sorry if this question has been asked before, I've seen similar posts but not specifically for the species of fish I'd like to ask about.

I'm still (after 6 weeks) trying to fishless cycle my 12 gal freshwater tank. I'm making a last-ditch effort to try some things that will hopefully work, I should know more in a couple of weeks.

IF my tank does miraculously cycle, I really want to get some ADFs for my tank. It's a 12 gal bowfront, measurements are 21" x 11.5" x 17.5" (the 17.5" high includes the cover; up to the tank's water line it's about 13" high and I do keep the water below the filter out-take so there is a good 2-3" of space above the water line).

I have all silk plants in the tank; I may get at least some java fern or/and anachris, I'd need live plants that are easy to maintain and don't need a lot of light. I also have 2 decor pieces (I'd go through them again to make sure there aren't any sharp edges) and if I got ADFs I would probably get a couple of terra cotta pots and maybe some large smooth stones to place on top of the gravel where maybe they could sit. I'm still not thrilled exactly with the setup, I may move around some things or clear out a plant or two, not sure yet). I'll include a pic of the current set-up in case anything is glaringly wrong with it for frogs.

Other than the ADFs I'm still not sure of what other fish I'd like to keep, except for a school of Celestial Pearl Danios (Galazy Rasbora) which I fell in love with when I saw them at the LFS. Would these be compatible with ADFs? The other type I was thinking of keeping would be either Glolight Tetras (a school of 6) or a few platys (Red Wag probably or maybe Sunshine).

Would any of these cause problems? If I could only keep the Galaxies and the ADFs I'd be fine with that. Also would I be able to keep 2 ADFs in this tank with the fish? Would two be the limit or could I get away with one or two more? Also what about the temp? I was originally planning to keep the tank's heater at about 75 degrees F, would this be too cold for the ADFs?

Also, I read they do not like current. The tank's gph is 150 and when the water drops into the tank from the filter it can cause some bubbles and a bit of current. I also have an air stone in the tank. Would either of these be a problem for them? If so what could I do to fix it?

I've also read on them being unable to see properly so I thought I'd try feeding them by hand with a pair of large tweezers.

Any other advice, etc would be welcome. Sorry for all the questions! Thanks!

 

[adadkins1]

I think ADF's would do well in that tank. The frogs do have poor vision, so I would watch keeping them with smaller fish like the Celestial Pearl Danios, because they may think they are food! However, I haven't ever kept them with smaller fish like that. I would not worry as much with the Glowlight Tetras or Platys.

You should really keep the temperature higher than about 77*F.

As for the current you could make a baffle to re-direct the current. I think they would be O.K. with the airstone.

Hand-feeding the ADF's is really the only way to feed them when they are housed with other fish. I keep my fish with a female betta and just wait until lights out to drop some pellets into their food dish.

Definately check all of your decorations to make sure they don't have rough edges. DON'T USE RIVER ROCKS! The ADF's may get stuck under them and drown.

Othe than that you should have a nice little frog habitat.

 

[librarygirl]

Thanks for your reply! I'll try to do some more research about the frogs and Celestial Danios and see if I can find anything on their compatability one way or the other. If Celestials are definitely not an option I'll fall back onto the Glolights which are my second favorite (I've already ruled out the Platy's).

I also think I'll re-arrange the tank a bit: put the large house in the center. Take out the potentially sharp vase. On one side of the house place something like a smooth rock cave and maybe cover it with Java Fern or Moss (which is better/easier or does it not matter? I have zero experience with live plants). On the other side I'll put 2-3 terra cotta pots (since these are not made for aquariums and bought in a craft store how would I prepare them before placing them in the tank? Boiling them?) and onto the gravel I was thinking of placing some large smooth river rocks (something like this, but choosing the larger flatter pieces), putting them enough into the gravel so that the frogs could't get underneath them and the smooth tops were just sticking out of the gravel, kind of like stepping stones. IDK if that woud work in practice, but in theory I think it does.

I could probably keep the temp up at 78* F, either the Danios or the Glolights should be OK in that temp and it would be warmer for the frogs than 75 F.

Also, this is the filter intake of my aquarium. It has very tiny slats in the strainer; would this be OK for the frog's limbs or should I place something over the strainer to prevent snagging?

Thanks for your help!

 

[adadkins1]

Sounds like a plan!

As for the strainer, I am not sure about snagging limbs. I have seen some frogs that have gotten injured by getting toes stuck in them, but I don't know what kind of material could be used to cover it. Sorry I can't help more on this subject.

 

[librarygirl]

Sounds like a plan!

As for the strainer, I am not sure about snagging limbs. I have seen some frogs that have gotten injured by getting toes stuck in them, but I don't know what kind of material could be used to cover it. Sorry I can't help more on this subject.

That's OK, thanks. I read some people use pantyhose or something similar, I have some threads going on the Freshwater forums, I can ask people there. I'd probably like to cover it just in case.

Thanks for all your help!

 

[McLumpy]

I have 2 ADF's in a 55g community tank and they get along great w/ all of my fish, (including the smallest fish in my tank, Neon Tetras). I really don't see a problem w/ you having 2 in your tank.

The only concern I have, (in regards to your decor), is the house. If the openings, (door/window), are too small, they may not be able to find their way out, (that is if it has openings... it looks like it in the pic). Removing the sharp vase was definitely a good plan too.

Other than that, I think you have a very nice looking setup! Just a few ornament adjustments and you will have a safe home for some froggies!

Good luck w/ your cycle!

 

[adadkins1]

I have 2 ADF's in a 55g community tank and they get along great w/ all of my fish, (including the smallest fish in my tank, Neon Tetras). I really don't see a problem w/ you having 2 in your tank.

The only concern I have, (in regards to your decor), is the house. If the openings, (door/window), are too small, they may not be able to find their way out, (that is if it has openings... it looks like it in the pic). Removing the sharp vase was definitely a good plan too.

Other than that, I think you have a very nice looking setup! Just a few ornament adjustments and you will have a safe home for some froggies!

Good luck w/ your cycle!

Ahhh! What a great point you made. That house would probably not be the best idea for an ADF tank. If the frogs got inside they would likely not be able to find their way out. People have put decorations like this one in their ADF tank and ended up with a frog that drowned from not being able to find its way out. I would remove that particular decoration and replace it with some terra cotta pots.

 

[McLumpy]

Ahhh! What a great point you made. That house would probably not be the best idea for an ADF tank. If the frogs got inside they would likely not be able to find their way out. People have put decorations like this one in their ADF tank and ended up with a frog that drowned from not being able to find its way out. I would remove that particular decoration and replace it with some terra cotta pots.

Well, the only reason why I thought of that was because I decided to remove my house ornament from my 55g because I had that fear. Now the only ornaments I have in there have wide openings. Better to be safe than sorry.

Of course, I'm probably over-cautious because I lost one of my ADF's within 24 hours of getting him due to an ornament. The gravel base in my 10g wasn't deep enough and the ornament had a small slit towards the bottom. He was able to wiggle into the small space, but couldn't find his way out. That was a horrible feeling and now I take every precaution to not have it happen again.

 

[librarygirl]

Good point. Yes the house has openings but some of them are small windows at the top. The top has an opening too, so I think the whole inside is pretty much hollow with various ways to get out, but yes I can see your point.

I'll try to find something as a centerpiece that has wider openings that would be safe for the fish and the ADFs. I'll also get some terra cotta pots (how would I prep these for use in the tank?).

I'm becoming a bit discouraged as it's been over a month of trying to cycle my tank fishless and it's going nowhere, so I'm not even sure at this point whether I'll ever be able to even get anything for my tank. I may just have to give up and sell everything off if something doesn't happen soon. So I'm going to hold off on buying anythign new or making changes until I know what happens to the tank.

Thanks for your advice though, it's fun to dream for now.

 

[McLumpy]

Have faith! Your tank will get there... then the fun begins!! Too many people give up on this hobby and it's because they're too anxious. Don't give up!

 

[librarygirl]

Have faith! Your tank will get there... then the fun begins!! Too many people give up on this hobby and it's because they're too anxious. Don't give up!

Thanks. Well I've given up on my current tank. All told I've been trying to cycle since April 1 with no luck. I think it's the sub-par filter system, or maybe something got into the tank without my knowing. Not sure. Every time the ammonia seems to start dropping, it stops. Every time NitrIte seems to start rising, it goes back to zero. So something is wrong.

I'm returning it and getting a 20 gal that I saw yesterday in the store, which comes with hood, lights and filter (and ironically is about $30 less than what i paid for my 12 gal set).

The 20 gal is high though, not rectangular or long, so it's about 17" high according to the label. Is this too high for ADFs? If I got a large decor piece would that help the frogs get to the top for air, or is that too high of a tank for them? I really want ADFs so I'd like to get a setup that would be good for them. The only constraint right now (other than cash lol) is that my current cabinet stand is only 17" wide. The 20 gal high is about 24" long, which would come off the edges a bit but should hold until I get a better stand. So anything longer than that at this point I wouldn't be able to get without buying a new stand also. Would the tall be OK?

 

[adadkins1]

17" would be pushing it with the ADF's. The normal recommended maximum height is 15", but really the shallower the better.

 

[librarygirl]

17" would be pushing it with the ADF's. The normal recommended maximum height is 15", but really the shallower the better.

Thanks. I'm guessing the measurement is to the tippy top of the tank. I'd keep the water 2-3" under the top of the tank though so it should bring it down to about 14" (less if you count about 2" of gravel covering the bottom) with decor and plants to climb on. Would that be sufficient or should I just not get the tall?

 

[Homedog98]

Thanks. I'm guessing the measurement is to the tippy top of the tank. I'd keep the water 2-3" under the top of the tank though so it should bring it down to about 14" (less if you count about 2" of gravel covering the bottom) with decor and plants to climb on. Would that be sufficient or should I just not get the tall?

That'd be fine. They'll be alright in it.

 

[librarygirl]

I bought and set up the new tank today; trying a fishless cycle again. Hopefully this time it'll work.

I tried to find a decoration that would be fun for fish and not something that an ADF could get stuck in but something that they can use to swim to the top. So a pic of the tank is below. Is it OK for ADFs? I'll add a couple of terra cotta pots too, just haven't gotten them yet. The plants are plastic (the store didn't have many silk ones), these might be changed out for silk which I know is safer. I also need to aquascape the whole thing better, but I can ponder it for a while (advice on this would be welcome too).

I also used standard aquarium gravel.....not sure if this is OK for ADFs either but other than sand it's all they had (although the black seems a different consistency than some of the colored substrates, seems not as smooth somehow and has more particle dust; wish I knew that before I bought it. Should I change it out?).

I measured the depth of the water from the top of the substrate to the top of the waterline and it's 13.5".

Suggestions for adjustments are welcome (the earlier the better before any potential bacteria gets too comfortable on something that I need to remove lol).

 

[McLumpy]

That looks great! From what I've heard, plastic plants can pose a bit of danger for the ADF's, but mine never had a problem. Of course, there are only a few plastic plants left in my tank, (the majority of my plants are real).

That ornament is awesome and should work out well! As long as it's pushed down deep into your gravel, there should be no worries about your froggies getting into trouble. Speaking of gravel, yes, I think it should be fine. I have gravel in both of my tanks and they have no problem crawling on it.

Congrats on your new tank and good luck on your cycle!

 

[adadkins1]

Very nice tank you got there. I agree too that the ADF's sensative skin could be irritated by the possible sharp edges on plastic plants. Keep taking one thing at a time, but if you do get live plants you will not be sorry.

Good luck on your fishless cycle, the fish/frogs will thank you!

 

[librarygirl]

Awesome, thanks everyone! I'm a bit afraid of trying live plants since in general I've had bad luck trying to care for any type of plant (black thumb, I guess), although maybe aquatic plants are different. I've heard anachris can be easy to take care of along with some of the java fern/moss. I may try some of those and mix them with silk plants.

Thanks again.

 

[kathleen55]

i have an adf and she also does fine with gravel. i wouldnt worry about an adf eating your fish i have a threadfin rainbowfish with mine and my adf doesnt bother her at all, and she is tiny. so i think your will be fine