Celestial pearl danios staying in bottom half of tank...

[youknowho]

Is it normal for CPDs to stay in the bottom half of the tank? I added 7 of them to my 20 gal a few days ago and I'm wondering if they're still getting settled or if it's normal for them to stay in the bottom half of the aquarium. I already have african dwarf frogs in this tank so I was hoping the CPDs would swim higher and all of my fish wouldn't be on the bottom

The tank has 1 hollow rock, 1 medium silk plant and 2 large silk plants that go up to all but the last couple inches of the water column, so there is enough hiding space for them. I wondered if the current from the Penguin 150 Bio-Wheel filter was too strong for them, but they swim through it just fine.

When I feed the CPDs they don't come up to the surface to get the food, they wait for it to sink most of the way down too. Is there anything I can do to encourage them to swim higher in the tank? Maybe a silk plant that is tall enough to go to the surface and gives them even more cover?

 

[librarygirl]

Is it normal for CPDs to stay in the bottom half of the tank? I added 7 of them to my 20 gal a few days ago and I'm wondering if they're still getting settled or if it's normal for them to stay in the bottom half of the aquarium. I already have african dwarf frogs in this tank so I was hoping the CPDs would swim higher and all of my fish wouldn't be on the bottom

The tank has 1 hollow rock, 1 medium silk plant and 2 large silk plants that go up to all but the last couple inches of the water column, so there is enough hiding space for them. I wondered if the current from the Penguin 150 Bio-Wheel filter was too strong for them, but they swim through it just fine.

When I feed the CPDs they don't come up to the surface to get the food, they wait for it to sink most of the way down too. Is there anything I can do to encourage them to swim higher in the tank? Maybe a silk plant that is tall enough to go to the surface and gives them even more cover?

Hi I have CPDs in a 20 gal. It's normal, they stay at the bottom. I have 9 currently (lost 3 along the way) and sometimes in the evening a few brave ones will swim toward the top level but mostly they stay at the bottom and they usually don't come up for food, so a sinking pellet is best for them. I feed mine NLS Community Pellets for small fish the .5mm size (the 1mm was too big). My tank is heavily planted (silk) with tall, large leaf plants at the back, it doesn't make a difference. They are mostly bottom-dwelling fish and that behavior won't change.

I'd watch them with the frogs though as the CPDs are small, the frog might mistake them for food. A small tank just for the frogs might be best if they start to get aggressive and/or are competing for food (the frogs should be "hand fed" H&H Frog and Tadpole bites, supplemented with meatier foods, frozen or fresh). I have a group of Panda Corys as well that mostly stay at the bottom with the CPDs but the two get along fine. The upper level of my tank is pretty empty though.

 

[youknowho]

Darn, oh well good to know. Thanks!