2-gallon and 1-gallon tanks in dorm room

[DK]

Hello all!
This is where I am starting from.

I have recently acquired 2 very small tanks from friends in the dorms where I live. Neither of them wanted anything to do with the things. I have always been interested aquarium culture, but have never gone past that really. Now I have one 2-gallon hexagonal (I think that's it, might be octagonal though.) and one oddly shaped 5-sided 1-gallon deal.

I have had great success in the past with what I call "pickle jar ecosystems." Years ago pickled bologna used to come in large gallon sized glass jars. We always had a profusion of these around the house and my Mom found something somewhere about some science thing where you were supposed to use one of those jars and build a self-sustaining ecosystem starting with pondwater or rainwater and building up to a small fish like a guppy. I designed one that lived for 2 years. Apparently my fish just got old and died and after that I hadn't the interest until 8 years later when I went to university.


This is where I would like to go.

My goal with these tanks is to have them pretty much self-sustaining, minus food input for the fish and trimming plants occasionally I guess. The regulations in my residence halls require a 3-gallon or less tank for fish, no other animals allowed. I usually keep my room fairly cool in both winter and summer (60F-75F being the usual range, 60 in winter; 75 in summer) and lighting in my dorm room is low to medium (a concern since I want plants).

I want to start with the 2-gallon and then do the 1-gallon. I purchased some cheap, packaged aquarium bulbs about 2 1/2 weeks ago from Wal-Mart and promptly put them into the tanks. I do not, however, remember what they were supposed to be and am now unsure if that was an intelligent action. One is doing well in the 1g while the other one seems to be growing fuzzy after sprouting a little bit of green. Not fuzzy like roots would look, but fuzzy like it's molding or something. I think it may be dieing and rotting. Any information on this? If it is I would like to remove it immediately. Of the other 4 bulbs in the package, 1 is doing fantastic in the 2g, while 1 other seems to be just starting to grow a little and the rest haven't done anything.

I have done some research into the types of fish a would like to house and have absolutely fallen in love, for some reason I don't really comprehend, with an unassuming-looking thing commonly called a weather loach (Misgurnus angullicaudatus). From my research I understand that these creatures are generally amiable and extremely easy to care for; however, their size (12 inches adult) has rather deterred me from believing I can have one.
I have also decided that I very much like and would probably be able to care for guppies (Poecilia reticulata) or the red wagtail platy (Xilophophorus maculatus), both of which seem rather hardy, but I'm not sure if they woule be able to endure the cooler temperatures and I would prefer not have to purchase a whole lot more in addition to the plants and fish.

I am also unsure regarding how much of what plants to add.

I have researched some of the better fish for beginners (Corydoras, Gouramis, Danios) and haven't been particularly enthusiastic about the phoyos I have found. Most of these fish seem rather drab and unattractive. I like the bright orange-red of the platy and the orange-red-blue-green coloration of the guppies in photos I have found.

Ultimately I would like nice green plants filling part of the aquariums and, for fish, something brightly colored to offset the humdrum nature of my dorm room decor and my favorite colors are red, black, and orange (in that order). I do not know why I have an attraction/fascination with the weather loach. It really does not fit into the "colorful-addition-to-the-dorm-room" category I have set up for everything else I have looked at, but I still don't think I would mind if I eventually found some way of having one in the dorms.

Any suggestions, comments, questions, or constructive criticisms would be appreciated. Thank you very much for your time.

[wabyrd]

The platy and the guppy both present one more problem. Offspring. They reproduce like crazy. Last night, I was able to count approximately 50 fry in my tank. I'm not TRYING to breed them, it just happens.

[fishstixs05]

Danios, guppies, and white cloud minnows will all do well in such small tanks, as long as frequent water chages occur. As for plants, java moss will do very well. Also, if you dont want babies from the guppies, only keep one sex.

[hisc1ay]

I got a package of those bulbs from Wal-Mart. They're about 3 weeks old, and this one I have sprouted a shoot over the weekend that's over 16 inches long. They look like if I keep them low, they'll look ok. My cousin told me though that he got them and they eventually took over the tank. He discouraged me from using them. But he also let mosquitos grow in his tank one time, so maybe he's not the best advisor.

I have a 2 gallon hex tank with a betta and a danio. They usually get along fine.

If you want colors, a couple male guppies would be cool. Or even a betta.

Post pics when you have it done.

-j

[Voodoo Chilli]

White cloud minnows would be an ideal choice for your tanks. If you like platies-- check into the Variatus Platy (Xiphophorus variatus). They prefer cooler water and don't seem to be the prolific breeders that regular platies are.

[DK]

'Siyo,

Thanks for all of the feedback.

I had initially considered having a couple bettas (one in each tank), but after my research I discovered that they do better with a more carnivoran (sp?) diet and I'm not really wanting to have to keep live or freeze-dried food around. 3/4 of the people in the hall are completely convinced I'm nuts anyway since I cooked up some home-made rabbit stew about a month ago from a rabbit I had in my freezer from home.

I'm very limited on space to keep worms or shrimp on hand to feed with. (And that would just be another extremely odd thing for my fellow dormies to find in the freezer alongside the frozen small game and other various items.) I think the whole rabbit stew thing (which tasted excellent by the way) has started to be kind of overlooked recently since my propensity for growing all things green and potted has made our hall into a sort of mini botanical garden. Everyone likes the plants.

I've seen packaged betta food (usually in the form of tiny balls in a flattened-looking dispenser container) in the stores and I know it would probably be better if I could occasionally augment my fish's diet with live or freeze-dried foods, but would a fish do well on the packaged betta food products I described? Or would it develop health problems like a bird that is fed solely seed? (looking for a simile I can easily relate to, I've had several bird species over the past 12-15 years and worked rehab for a local bird shop)

He discouraged me from using them. But he also let mosquitos grow in his tank one time, so maybe he's not the best advisor.

Yikes! No,not planning on any mosquito-raising. Though when I did the pickle jar ecosystems I found it interesting to watch the damselfly larva catching the mosquito larvae (And anything else that moved, much to my chagrin. That time I ended up with a jarful of slightly cloudy water, some 'seaweed' (some kind of freshwater floating plant) from the lake, and a very hungry solitary damselfly larva.)

How does a pair of male guppies in the 2-gallon and a betta in the 1-gallon sound?

Also, if anyone is familiar with the St. Louis, MO metro area, where would you recommend I make my purchases? I was very dissatisfied with the conditions of fish and plantlife at either Wal-Mart I have access to, the only other pet stores I know I will no longer even consider returning to due to their appalling conditions, and I don't have a car. I seem to get around pretty well on foot, bike, and public transit, but I may be able to convince someone to drive me somewhere and back.

Thanks much!

[Catalina]

This is a little off topic, but I looked up the weather loach after you mentioned it, and what a cool fish! I really need to get a big tank where I can keep some kind of loach or loach school. As for your situation with the dorm tanks, guppies in the two and a betta in the one sounds good. I have read that guppies actually like somewhat crowded conditions. As long as they're both the same sex so the conditions don't get WAY too crowded.

[wabyrd]

How does a pair of male guppies in the 2-gallon and a betta in the 1-gallon sound?

Sounds great. You could actually get away with 4 or even 5 guppies in that small tank. Like Catalina mentioned, they like it a little crowded. Get all males and you won't have the reproduction problems I'm having now...

[hisc1ay]

or get a male and a female and it will eventually get crowded. Don't give the babies a place to hide, and the mom will take care of crowd control

But eventually it will get too much

-j

[wabyrd]

mom will take care of crowd control

I've taken away the hiding places and I'm still waiting for the "mom's" to take care of crowd control. My fish population is EXPLODING! I've got another batch to take to the LFS as feeder fish next week! I WISH the mom's would start doing their job!