Recently Changed Substrate, now I've got some Questions!

[alia258]

I'm not using them as a band aid solution, I was thinking that if my tank happens to grow a large amount of algae then having an algae eating fish would make the fish very happy can I get a group of Otto cats and stick them into a 30g? I'm getting one this summer I'd probly buy them young now (or just soon) and then later I'll have them all ready to go into a nice 30+ gallon tank or maybe the dojo loaches, the little guys are very tempting to buy ^^ if I do get the Otto cats, I'll start an algae culture in a breeder box, I've kinda got one going already (I left it because guppies like to nibble on algae, so the fry have a nice snack during the day) it's a wonder that it hasn't crept out of the box, but I assume that's because it doesn't usually touch the sides of the tank

 

[Coursair]

I'm not using them as a band aid solution, I was thinking that if my tank happens to grow a large amount of algae then having an algae eating fish would make the fish very happy can I get a group of Otto cats and stick them into a 30g? I'm getting one this summer I'd probly buy them young now (or just soon) and then later I'll have them all ready to go into a nice 30+ gallon tank or maybe the dojo loaches, the little guys are very tempting to buy ^^ if I do get the Otto cats, I'll start an algae culture in a breeder box, I've kinda got one going already (I left it because guppies like to nibble on algae, so the fry have a nice snack during the day) it's a wonder that it hasn't crept out of the box, but I assume that's because it doesn't usually touch the sides of the tank

Avoid a Dojo Loach. It will uproot your plants. Out compete the Cory for food and is too active for such a small tank. They grow FAST also.

Otos need a well established tank with Algae on the walls already. They are Wild Caught and may refuse to eat Algae wafers. Mine took months before they'd try new foods.
I love my Otos, but they are sensitive till they get established, it's easy to lose new ones.

Your Cory needs friends, he'll need to go to the 30g also. Get him friends AFTER he's in the big tank.

Slow down. Adding fish too fast or the wrong fish can crash your tank. Buying fish for a tank you dont have yet and shoving them into a small tank " for now" is not responsible fish keeping IMHO.

Buying fish because they are cute and ignoring their needs is unethical as well.

 

[alia258]

Oh okay. I didn't think of it that way, but I figured that a young Otto cat in such a large tank might have trouble finding food. Maybe instead I'll just grab them if I feel like it, though I'm not sure my tank will create enough algae on its own, or even in the floating breeder box, what I'd I started a culture outside of the aquarium and establish that, and then get the Otto cats in the larger tank I'm getting? Oh and about the Cory cat, I was gonna get a few more and leave them in the 10g with just the neons, while I'll have a second, larger group of albino Cory cats in the larger tank, how's that sound? Oh and I'll be planting the larger tank and using sand as the substrate, should it be thinner than my 10g or is it okay to have it thick?

What about those aquatic frogs as well? They sound like they're fun to watch would one of those go into my 30+g?

 

[Bearchumjs]

Nerite snails eat algae and will not breed in freshwater (eggs need saltwater to hatch). I have 2 so far. I'll probably end up getting 4 or 5 more ( I have a 55 gal. Tank). they don't eat plants either.

Look into them and see if it's something that would work well for taking care of algae for you.

I agree about not getting fish to stock the larger tank until you get the actual tank.

 

[alia258]

I'll look into those snails, but all my lfs has is the "pest" bladder snails, which will breed like crazy. But another thing about the algae eating fish, I like the way they suck on the glass. Don't BN plecos stay small enough to stay in a 20g as minimum tank size? If so, I already have algae discs for my Cory cat, so they'd fit nicely into my tank! They have baby cories at the lfs that I've had my eye on for awhile too, I can't wait for my new tank! I'll wait till I have the tank in my possession to buy the new fish, though of they're really small (like puny baby age) I might use the 10g and put them into the larger tank as they get large enough. How's that sound?

 

[absolutangel04]

Your tank seems to be coming along nicely.
That cory species is too big for life in a 10g tank unfortunately. It's good that you want a cory group in the larger tank once you get it, but you shouldn't keep them in the 10g tank as well.
It looks like your tank is already well stocked, so this isn't a good time to be adding more fish. Baby fish grow up faster than you might think. If you have patience now, your future tank will be better off. Also, otos are from rivers in South America that are much larger than your 30g tank, so you don't have to worry about them finding food in your tank. They will be fine with it.

 

[Coursair]

Cories do not survive on Algae wafers !!!
They are meat eaters. They will eat all sorts of stuff but get very little nutrition from veggie based foods. Sinking Shrimp Pellets, frozen or live food is MUCH better !!!

 

[alia258]

I try to get him enough of the fish food to sink, but I've got the algae wafers for him to eat. He does eat quite a bit of them, all the fish together eat half a wafer over night, and the Cory usually has enough of the sinking granules to eat ^^

 

[alia258]

I don't think my lfs has any live food except for crickets

 

[Coursair]

Sinking Shrimp pellets, sinking catfish tabs, frozen brine or bloodworms plus a good quality flake ( fish or meat first ingredient , not wheat or corn ) all will work.

It doesn't hurt him to eat Algae wafers as part of his diet, but main diet should be meat based

And you can defrost a little frozen food in tank water and target feed him with a turkey baster if other fish are too greedy

 

[alia258]

Great idea! Can I soak freeze dried blood worms for that such purpose?

 

[Coursair]

Great idea! Can I soak freeze dried blood worms for that such purpose?

You can presoak flakes and try presoaking FD Worms. I like FD but they do like to float If they'll sink they'll work, BUT Live is best, Frozen is 2nd and FD is 3rd Choice and Flake/pellets are 4th for nutrition. Though some like Ken's Earthworm Sticks are great for Cories You can buy them online or through The Planted Tank.

 

[alia258]

I'll need to look into that ^^

 

[alia258]

Your tank seems to be coming along nicely.
That cory species is too big for life in a 10g tank unfortunately. It's good that you want a cory group in the larger tank once you get it, but you shouldn't keep them in the 10g tank as well.
It looks like your tank is already well stocked, so this isn't a good time to be adding more fish. Baby fish grow up faster than you might think. If you have patience now, your future tank will be better off. Also, otos are from rivers in South America that are much larger than your 30g tank, so you don't have to worry about them finding food in your tank. They will be fine with it.

I've never heard that a Cory cat needs a large tank. Are you sure you have the right species? Oh and if you're correct (please double check, it is only a 2 inch fish) I there a dwarf species that would be better suited for life in a 10g?

 

[Coursair]

I've never heard that a Cory cat needs a large tank. Are you sure you have the right species? Oh and if you're correct (please double check, it is only a 2 inch fish) I there a dwarf species that would be better suited for life in a 10g?

Better sized Corys for a 10g
C hastatus
C pygmaeus
C habrosus

 

[alia258]

You can presoak flakes and try presoaking FD Worms. I like FD but they do like to float If they'll sink they'll work, BUT Live is best, Frozen is 2nd and FD is 3rd Choice and Flake/pellets are 4th for nutrition. Though some like Ken's Earthworm Sticks are great for Cories You can buy them online or through The Planted Tank.

Can he just be okay with tetra color tropical granules? It says they were formerly called color bits, and he does have quite a bit of those to eat I could add some larger chunks because only the bottom feeder can fit the chunky big ones into his mouth ^^

 

[Coursair]

Most Cory Cats need at least a 20Long to have floor space for a group.

 

[alia258]

Most Cory Cats need at least a 20Long to have floor space for a group.

You misunderstood me. I was going to have a group of young juvie cories, and move them to the larger tank once they're older. I figure that the older Cory cat will outcompete the youngsters for food and that might take a fishy life or two. If I find older ones I'll put them directly into the larger tank. Then I was gonna start a juvie albino group to put into the larger tank as well. I'm hoping to get one of those 40g half-hexagon-breeder tanks, because they have a large and almost circular floor plan, with space for the bottomfeeders to hang out. I was also considering algae eating shrimp. Could you guys please give me a simple list of shrimp that eat algae, likeliness of breeding (just high/low, nothing specific) and general rule of shrimp per gallon? Or do you suppose googling it might get better results?

 

[Coursair]

Corys will get along fine with youngsters.
Hex tanks aren't Breeder tanks.
40 Breeders are long and low and wide. Used in many commercial breeding set ups.

Hex tanks and other tall tanks actually hold less fish. Less surface area, less oxygen. Less floor room.

Not saying you can't use a hex, just clarifying.

Young fish grow best with plenty of room and they grow fast

 

[alia258]

Oh I see what you're saying, I'll have to see if there's a breeder tank at my lfs then. Is that the 40g breeder bowfront? Or is that something else entirely?