4-ish gallon cool water setup

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kellylake01

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Dec 22, 2011
Messages
81
Location
WA state
a buddy of mine got a table aquarium and wants a community tank for colder water species, he had picked out dojo loaches and a small harem of betta fish, i am thinking of putting a few other fish in there as well but i cant think of any other fish that can tolerate room temp water

he also wants a planted tank and other then jova moss i dont know of any low temp, low light plants
btw its suppose to be 40 gallon but my zero key is broken
 
4 gallons is way to small to have any fish really......definitely no room for more than one.
 
You should find out exactly how many gallons it is before you start thinking about fish. Then you need to look at the sticky about cycling a new tank as you'll need to do that too. That looks like it might be at least 10 gallons, but you should find out, then you can go to liveaquaria.com to get a comprehensive look t the fish you might want, and aquadvisor.com to look at how stocked your tank is and how compatible those fish are with each other. It's not perfect, but it gives a good idea.
 
well over 10 and i can fit my 30 g in it, i know how to cycle, im asking about fish that can live happy in a tank without a heater, and plats that do well in low lighting
 
I'm sorry, no offense meant. Your title says 4 ish gallon setup.
Java ferns, java moss, and most Anubias do well in low-light, but I would suggest a heater as most fish and plants prefer to be in the 74-80 range as far as water temp. One big one, or two smaller ones on either end of the tank.....especially if your friend wants plants. You can check on the classification forum, there's a big huge thread on plant types, their lighting and temp preferences.
 
White cloud mountain minnows are great coldwater fish! They require river currents though. If you're interested in doing a coldwater river, hillstream loaches, WCMM, and some danios are good options.
 
heart set on dojo loaches and the really prefer temps in the low range 68-72 (room temp) that's why i'm asking for advice on other fish -like betta- that would do well in cooler temps i honestly don't know of any other fish besides gold fish that do well in colder water (he really dose NOT WANT GOLD FISH )
 
kellylake01 said:
heart set on dojo loaches and the really prefer temps in the low range 68-72 (room temp) that's why i'm asking for advice on other fish -like betta- that would do well in cooler temps i honestly don't know of any other fish besides gold fish that do well in colder water (he really dose NOT WANT GOLD FISH )
Click to expand...

Bettas are actually tropical fish and need temp of 75-82, 78-80 being the best. They can survive in colder but will never thrive. I listed some great fish to consider in my last post.
 
i thought danios were a warm water fish like mollies and guppies, ill ask if he likes the hillstreasm loach, do you know a supplier for the loach my lfs will not special order fish
 
Before getting the loaches, remember that they require river tanks with high aeration and current. Do proper research on river setups and hillstream loach care before even thinking about buying.

WCMM might be a better option for you.
 
i will get exact GALLONS next time i am over there, my next concern is hardieness of the fish IME dojo's are very hardy fish and tend to be big poopers, so anyone delicate is nixed how hardy are White cloud mountain minnows, Certain barbs
Buenos Aires, or Bloodfin Tetra
 
Dojo's are not really that hardy. They need a well cycled tank and low stress. They are scaleless, so they are hard to treat for illness and don't tolerate salt well. If you go with dojo's ( which are AWESOME btw) make sure the tank is fully cycled before adding them.
I have a cool water setup with dojo's and white cloud minnows. I was hesitant on the minnows when I first got them, but they are great little fish. They school nicely, beautiful colors, and quite hardy. I started with 8, and added another 4 because they they look so great together as a school. Danios are another good choice for cooler water. Maybe long fin zebra or leopard danios.
Also, dojo loaches can be kept in lower temp tropical water, they will do fine, but they really thrive and are more active in cold water. If you want more options, get a heater and keep around 76.....there are a good number of fish that can be kept in that temp, including dojos. If you are set on the "worm like" look of loaches and want a warmer tank, maybe look at khuli loaches.
 
i have 4, 2 slandered and 2 blond, and yes the are TOTALLY AWESOME fish i never thought of mine a sensitive, only issue i have found is ich, they tend to almost always get it if someone else is sick,scaleless fish issue.

i have had mine for almost 4 years now and my buddy loves them and wants a large school of them.

sadly the lfs dose not keep many loaches in stock and wont special order ANYTHING i have never had an opportuity to buy any other loach
 
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