6.2 gal Tank

[Kraevan]

Contents:

2x Scarlet Badis
3x Otocinclus vestitus
6x Galaxy Rasboras
6x Shrimp (Black/Blue/Red)

Java Moss
Java Fern
Marimo Ball
Hornwort

I just got my shipments in this morning. All of my fish/shrimp came as young adults.

I noticed a few snails on the Java Moss. I will probably have to deal with that at some point. The moss also likes to blow all over the tank.

I'm definitely going to need to pair the hornwort and fern down and space the plants out, but I'll do that after the fish get comfortable. I don't want to stress them out any more than they have been the past few days.

I've got some NLS, algae wafers, and frozen fare for these guys.

Basic newb questions:

All these plants are low light, easy care plants. Do I need a basic CO2 setup? Are air bubbles still okay?

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[Tropical Aquarist]

Sweet, it's fun to watch you plan out the tank and now see the results!
So how satisfied are you with bobs tropical plants? I've always wanted to order from him, but haven't yet!

And you definitely won't need CO2, all of the plants will be fine without it. Unless you want to upgrade the lighting and get different (high light) plants....

 

[Kraevan]

Sweet, it's fun to watch you plan out the tank and now see the results!
So how satisfied are you with bobs tropical plants? I've always wanted to order from him, but haven't yet!

And you definitely won't need CO2, all of the plants will be fine without it. Unless you want to upgrade the lighting and get different (high light) plants....

Thanks! It's been fun planning!

Bob's was a good call. I bought the Scarlet Badis, Otos, and CPD from Bob's. All my fish came alive and in the M/F numbers I requested. They came in a small-ish box insulated by styrofoam, double bagged, and bagged by species. All of my new fish are very active and look well with no sign of disease. I'm not particularly versed with spotting disease but they look healthy with good color.

The Scarlet Badis are not shy, but seem calmer than the CPDs. The CPDs are shy, but very active when they don't think you're looking.

The Otos are also all over the tank and together with the shrimp have almost cleaned off all the diatoms off the filter housing and the white rock. I will probably have to set up an algae farm tomorrow and get some cucumber for them to snack on.

I didn't realize NLS came in 0.5mm. I bought some NLS from Petco at 1mm and the CPDs try to eat off the floating granules but can't get too much off them cause they're so small. The Scarlet Badis haven't been interested in food yet.

Would 0.5mm work for such small fish or would flakes be better?

I also need to find someplace that sells frozen daphnia...the guy at Petco looked at me like I was crazy when I asked him if they had daphnia.

Also, air bubbles okay with these plants or leave them off?

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[Kraevan]

I moved plants around and got them situated. Wasn't going to do it until the weekend, but the fish seemed to be doing well, so I thought I'd get it out of the way.

This is the final setup. For now at least.

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[Tropical Aquarist]

Thanks! It's been fun planning!

Bob's was a good call. I bought the Scarlet Badis, Otos, and CPD from Bob's. All my fish came alive and in the M/F numbers I requested. They came in a small-ish box insulated by styrofoam, double bagged, and bagged by species. All of my new fish are very active and look well with no sign of disease. I'm not particularly versed with spotting disease but they look healthy with good color.

The Scarlet Badis are not shy, but seem calmer than the CPDs. The CPDs are shy, but very active when they don't think you're looking.

The Otos are also all over the tank and together with the shrimp have almost cleaned off all the diatoms off the filter housing and the white rock. I will probably have to set up an algae farm tomorrow and get some cucumber for them to snack on.

I didn't realize NLS came in 0.5mm. I bought some NLS from Petco at 1mm and the CPDs try to eat off the floating granules but can't get too much off them cause they're so small. The Scarlet Badis haven't been interested in food yet.

Would 0.5mm work for such small fish or would flakes be better?

I also need to find someplace that sells frozen daphnia...the guy at Petco looked at me like I was crazy when I asked him if they had daphnia.

Also, air bubbles okay with these plants or leave them off?

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That's great to know, I've seen a few bad reviews from him, so good to hear first hand. What did you request on the M/F for the badis? Almost all that are imported are male, and the ones with the faint stripes are just less dominant males... Females have no stripes and are almost completely grey.

If you have an old salt/pepper grinder, those are great for making the pellets smaller. Make sure to clean it and get any old salt/pepper out before!

I got my first CPDs last weekend and am experimenting with food, so far they have ignored any pellets, but will take crushed flake, frozen Baby BS and adult BS. I put some of the flakes in the tank, then swivel my finger to get them to sink, then the fish get it.

You are aware that the badis and otos won't readily take dry foods? Very picky guys! Frozen Bloodworms/Daphnia/Brine shrimp all worked for me (Badis), and zucchini/cucumber/lettuce(Not iceberg!) for otos and shrimp.

If you're not dosing CO2, the bubbles are completely decorative and won't hurt.
Tank looks great, love the gravel, LOL!
See if your Petco has any mopani wood(might be in the reptile section, but it's great for aquariums as well), it's sold by ZooMed and would make a great centerpiece for your tank! You can even attach the fern to the wood...

 

[Kraevan]

What did you request on the M/F for the badis? Almost all that are imported are male, and the ones with the faint stripes are just less dominant males... Females have no stripes and are almost completely grey.

Well you're right there. It's two males. I'd heard the females were hard to come by, and there's one with fairly faint stripes, so I thought that was the female. Good call!

If you have an old salt/pepper grinder, those are great for making the pellets smaller. Make sure to clean it and get any old salt/pepper out before!

I figured out that I can crush the 1mm NLS pellets with a screwdriver handle and the CPDs gobbled the crushed stuff up this morning!

You are aware that the badis and otos won't readily take dry foods? Very picky guys! Frozen Bloodworms/Daphnia/Brine shrimp all worked for me (Badis), and zucchini/cucumber/lettuce(Not iceberg!) for otos and shrimp.

I've got some SF Bay Brand frozen fare. It's a Freshwater Multipack. I've been experimenting with that for the Badis. I've tried blood worms and brine shrimp, and the two mixes (one seems to be an omnivore mix and the other a carnivore mix). They haven't been too terribly interested in anything I've put in the tank so far. One of the Badis came around after I dropped a brine shrimp in there, but one of the blue shrimp got to it first and the Badis didn't seem to keen on taking from the shrimp. They also don't seem too keen on going to the surface for food.

I'm reading that frozen cyclops is a favorite of Badis, so maybe I'll try to find some of that stuff by itself. I noticed the Badis picking on some of the plants, and they did get to some of the frozen stuff, just didn't go crazy for it, so I assume they don't have terribly empty bellies at this point.

See if your Petco has any mopani wood

Will do! Yeah the white rock is kind of blaring. But the tank is for my daughter and she picked out the rock. She also picked out the gravel. She had the choice of a whole wall of colors and types and wouldn't budge on the pink/white/black stuff. She loves watching the fish, but she is kind of put off by the fact that she can't sink her hands into the tank and play with the stuff in the water.

 

[Tropical Aquarist]

Well you're right there. It's two males. I'd heard the females were hard to come by, and there's one with fairly faint stripes, so I thought that was the female. Good call!



I figured out that I can crush the 1mm NLS pellets with a screwdriver handle and the CPDs gobbled the crushed stuff up this morning!



I've got some SF Bay Brand frozen fare. It's a Freshwater Multipack. I've been experimenting with that for the Badis. I've tried blood worms and brine shrimp, and the two mixes (one seems to be an omnivore mix and the other a carnivore mix). They haven't been too terribly interested in anything I've put in the tank so far. One of the Badis came around after I dropped a brine shrimp in there, but one of the blue shrimp got to it first and the Badis didn't seem to keen on taking from the shrimp. They also don't seem too keen on going to the surface for food.

I'm reading that frozen cyclops is a favorite of Badis, so maybe I'll try to find some of that stuff by itself. I noticed the Badis picking on some of the plants, and they did get to some of the frozen stuff, just didn't go crazy for it, so I assume they don't have terribly empty bellies at this point.



Will do! Yeah the white rock is kind of blaring. But the tank is for my daughter and she picked out the rock. She also picked out the gravel. She had the choice of a whole wall of colors and types and wouldn't budge on the pink/white/black stuff. She loves watching the fish, but she is kind of put off by the fact that she can't sink her hands into the tank and play with the stuff in the water.

It is a shame about the females being so hard to come by.

Yup that's the same idea. The badis may need to settle in first, hope you get them to eat!

You can still keep the rock on the side, and get the wood as a centerpiece.... That's cool that she likes the fish, How old is your daughter?

 

[Kraevan]

It is a shame about the females being so hard to come by.

Yup that's the same idea. The badis may need to settle in first, hope you get them to eat!

You can still keep the rock on the side, and get the wood as a centerpiece.... That's cool that she likes the fish, How old is your daughter?

The Badis are eating a *little* bit. I threw some Freshwater Frenzy in there a little while ago and the CPDs went nuts for everything but the blood worms. The Badis came out of hiding and pecked at some of the mix that got to the substrate. They're currently scavenging what I couldn't take back out of the tank.

They don't seem too eager to eat, and the Otos chase the CPDs and Badis a bit for territory, but I don't think the Badis are starving.

I find it really cool that the Otos swim in a group some of the time. They and the shrimp have picked that rock sparking white. I'm getting a fish bowl for an algae farm tomorrow. They took to an algae wafer right away this morning. Still found them munching on it a few hours later.

My little one is 2 next month. She really likes the fish and wants me to pick her up to see them closer all the time.

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[Kraevan]

The top left is what the Basis nibbled on today.

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[Kraevan]

I keep reading that Otos may not take algae wafers and that it could take a while to get them to accept the wafers. Bob's must have done this already. The Otos know when and where I drop the wafers into the tank and it doesn't take long for all three to gather around the wafer.

I don't see my shrimp much. They like the Hornwort and bubbles I have set up on the right side of the filter housing. To be honest, I can't ever find more than two at a time. One of the blue ones hangs out on the back side of the white rock, and one of the red ones and the black one come out when I feed the CPD's and Badis. I know they're all in there cause I haven't found any carcasses, but I don't see them unless I really look for them.

Been thinking about getting a larger centerpiece decoration. Maybe a rock or a castle. Something with a lot of holes and hiding spots and places to anchor the Java Moss that look natural. I'd like to offer the shrimp and the Badis more protection while bringing them out of the back of the tank.

 

[Tropical Aquarist]

I keep reading that Otos may not take algae wafers and that it could take a while to get them to accept the wafers. Bob's must have done this already. The Otos know when and where I drop the wafers into the tank and it doesn't take long for all three to gather around the wafer.

I don't see my shrimp much. They like the Hornwort and bubbles I have set up on the right side of the filter housing. To be honest, I can't ever find more than two at a time. One of the blue ones hangs out on the back side of the white rock, and one of the red ones and the black one come out when I feed the CPD's and Badis. I know they're all in there cause I haven't found any carcasses, but I don't see them unless I really look for them.

Been thinking about getting a larger centerpiece decoration. Maybe a rock or a castle. Something with a lot of holes and hiding spots and places to anchor the Java Moss that look natural. I'd like to offer the shrimp and the Badis more protection while bringing them out of the back of the tank.

The top left is what the Basis nibbled on today.

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The Badis are eating a *little* bit. I threw some Freshwater Frenzy in there a little while ago and the CPDs went nuts for everything but the blood worms. The Badis came out of hiding and pecked at some of the mix that got to the substrate. They're currently scavenging what I couldn't take back out of the tank.

They don't seem too eager to eat, and the Otos chase the CPDs and Badis a bit for territory, but I don't think the Badis are starving.

I find it really cool that the Otos swim in a group some of the time. They and the shrimp have picked that rock sparking white. I'm getting a fish bowl for an algae farm tomorrow. They took to an algae wafer right away this morning. Still found them munching on it a few hours later.

My little one is 2 next month. She really likes the fish and wants me to pick her up to see them closer all the time.

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That's impressive, I've not had much luck with my otos and algae wafers! Pretty cool!
Shrimp are secretive like that, and you won't see any carcasses...I'm like that too, when I try to find my shrimp. LOL.

Like I said A piece of wood, would be great and is natural or a stone of some kind.... A castle could work too, I'm sure you're daughter would like that more , haha.

 

[guppygourami]

Sorry this is a bit off topic but I love this thread and the owner's tank! Just had a couple questions...
1. Why is iceberg lettuce not good for them?
2. How much is the Freshwater Frenzy?

Thank you and good luck with the tank!

-Mira


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[Kraevan]

That's impressive, I've not had much luck with my otos and algae wafers! Pretty cool!
Shrimp are secretive like that, and you won't see any carcasses...I'm like that too, when I try to find my shrimp. LOL.

Like I said A piece of wood, would be great and is natural or a stone of some kind.... A castle could work too, I'm sure you're daughter would like that more , haha.

Good to know it's not just my shrimp that can't be found. They come out at night! I saw four at once a few minutes ago.

Yeah I saw the Mopani at Petco the other day. They didn't have any pieces small enough, but I'll keep an eye out. It looks like it'd be nice in the tank. They had what was labeled Texas Holey Rock that looked like a bigger version of my white rock. Maybe too big. It would probably breach the surface, but it has enough crevices to anchor all the java moss and enough holes that all my fish could hide comfortably in it. If they had one about 25% smaller it would already be in the tank!

Sorry this is a bit off topic but I love this thread and the owner's tank! Just had a couple questions...
1. Why is iceberg lettuce not good for them?
2. How much is the Freshwater Frenzy?

Thank you and good luck with the tank!

Thanks for the compliment!

I assume iceberg lettuce isn't good for the Otos for the same reason it's not good for us. It's mostly water and a bit of fiber and there's not much other nutritional value to it. I've read frozen spinach is good for them as a treat.

Freshwater Frenzy by itself is less than US$3.00. Unless you get it from a LFS in competition with Petco. Then it's US$6.50.

Funny story:

Went to this LFS that's close enough to Petco to be in competition with it and asked for baby brine shrimp and daphnia. The clerk said she didn't have any frozen BBS in at the moment, but walked me over to the dried fare and handed me a bottle of Tetra Baby Shrimp, and then to the freezer to hand me frozen daphnia. After she walked away I realized that the Tetra shrimp were baby freshwater shrimp, not BBS, and decidedly put it back on the shelf. Those things are the size of adult brine shrimp. The clerk commented on my lack of shrimp and I just told her I'd wait for the frozen stuff.

 

[guppygourami]

Good to know it's not just my shrimp that can't be found. They come out at night! I saw four at once a few minutes ago.

Yeah I saw the Mopani at Petco the other day. They didn't have any pieces small enough, but I'll keep an eye out. It looks like it'd be nice in the tank. They had what was labeled Texas Holey Rock that looked like a bigger version of my white rock. Maybe too big. It would probably breach the surface, but it has enough crevices to anchor all the java moss and enough holes that all my fish could hide comfortably in it. If they had one about 25% smaller it would already be in the tank!



Thanks for the compliment!

I assume iceberg lettuce isn't good for the Otos for the same reason it's not good for us. It's mostly water and a bit of fiber and there's not much other nutritional value to it. I've read frozen spinach is good for them as a treat.

Freshwater Frenzy by itself is less than US$3.00. Unless you get it from a LFS in competition with Petco. Then it's US$6.50.

Funny story:

Went to this LFS that's close enough to Petco to be in competition with it and asked for baby brine shrimp and daphnia. The clerk said she didn't have any frozen BBS in at the moment, but walked me over to the dried fare and handed me a bottle of Tetra Baby Shrimp, and then to the freezer to hand me frozen daphnia. After she walked away I realized that the Tetra shrimp were baby freshwater shrimp, not BBS, and decidedly put it back on the shelf. Those things are the size of adult brine shrimp. The clerk commented on my lack of shrimp and I just told her I'd wait for the frozen stuff.

$3??? THAT IS CHEAP WOW oh it's US. Man the saddest thing is when you find a great price for something but realize you live in Canada lol.

That is quite an interesting story! Thanks for the tips and I wish you the best for your tank!!!


<g.m.t.a>

 

[Tropical Aquarist]

Yeah iceberg lettuce has barely any nutritional value, and is not good for fish, even rabbits and the like shouldn't have it.

That's is cheap, the frozen frenzy is always the most expensive here, at $8-10 at petco.

The holy rock will increase your ph and KH a LOT! So a big piece in a small tank could cause issues, however the badis and CPDs are fine with harder water, shrimp to a certain extent, and otos not so much.
So I'd stay away from it as your water is good as it is...

If the little piece is real Holey rock, I think you're fine, I wouldn't add much more.

Lol I've seen those before, but never been a fan of freeze dried live foods

 

[Kraevan]

I'm pretty sure both the rock in my tank and the large one at Petco are just resin and not actual rock. I've got some real holey rock that was used in my 55g and I decided against using it again for the very reason you described. It's sedimentary rock; it will definitely dissolve and change the water chemistry.

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[Fresh2o]

You might look for manzanita or spider wood. These are slender and branchy (can be cut to fit your tanks dimensions) and might look better than the bulkier mopani. Manzanita can be obtained from online driftwood sellers and bridal supply shops. It can be placed randomly in the tank or bundled into a pile. I like mounting it on stainless steel mesh or slate using stainless steel screws in an upward arrangement:

I think the stuff in the reptile section is grapewood and I've been wary about using it since (from what I've researched) it will get soft and breakdown in a few years.



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[Kraevan]

You might look for manzanita or spider wood. These are slender and branchy (can be cut to fit your tanks dimensions) and might look better than the bulkier mopani. Manzanita can be obtained from online driftwood sellers and bridal supply shops. It can be placed randomly in the tank or bundled into a pile. I like mounting it on stainless steel mesh or slate using stainless steel screws in an upward arrangement:

I think the stuff in the reptile section is grapewood and I've been wary about using it since (from what I've researched) it will get soft and breakdown in a few years.



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Thanks Fresh2o! I'll come up with something eventually. For now I ended up unplugging the holes in my current rock. I had Java Moss stuffed in there. I balled up some of the moss and stuck the balls in the crevices in the rock. Now the fish have the interior to explore while still getting a mossy rock.

A little update:

The Badis are eating a little more readily now. They both come out when I put frozen stuff in the tank and go after it.

I ended up losing a female CPD, probably from not being able to get over shipping stress, and I'm now left with 3 males and 2 females. I think I need to get 2 more females to even the male harassment out a bit more. One of my current females found a dark corner and will only come out for food. Thoughts?

Also, anybody know an online dealer willing to guarantee gender requests? I would love to get a female Scarlet Badis..

I lost a blue shrimp, too a little before the CPD. I now have one black, one blue, and three reds. All the same species, so I'm not too worried. I assume more will show up eventually.

I am maintaining on my water changes. About 40% every Sunday.

I also found a snail that's gotten pretty big. Probably hitched a ride on the Java Moss.

And then the thing on the rock...I assume it's a slug?? It had been sitting on a Java Fern leaf ever since I put it in the tank, but I assumed it was just some rotting part of the leaf. Until one day it disappeared and the reappeared a while later. I didn't want him wrapping himself around a fish or something so I took him out...

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[Fresh2o]

That slug like creature looks like a leech. They come in a variety of sizes and a variety of diets (not all are blood suckers).
I used to find them in a koi pond I used to have.


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[guppygourami]

One of my current females found a dark corner and will only come out for food. Thoughts?

Haha, sounds like the average teenager to me.
I'd suggest getting more of those females ASAP


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