Help Re-Organize my Fish Please!

[venymae]

Hello All!
So here is the dilemma. My husband (against my wishes and advice) bought a fiddler crab. I did NOT have a set up for it, so we had to do a fish/tank shuffle. A major one. However, I am not satisfied with the results, so I need your help.
Here is my stock:

Tanks:
29 gallon, planted grow out tank, lots of filtration
20 gallon long
10 gallon
1.5 gallon

Tenants:
15 Neon Tetras
9 Zebra Danios
5 Red Cherry Shrimp
4 Ghost Shrimp
2 Female Betta
1 Male Betta
1 Female Molly
1 Bristle Nose Pleco

Who should I put where?!? I love love love my shrimp, so compatibility for them (no getting eaten!) is important to me. Also, they are expensive. There is driftwood in all the tanks.
All ideas welcome! Help me make my fish happy! Thank you all!

PS-the fiddler is in a 5.5 gallon and there he shall stay!

 

[Yagonyonok]

While I haven't ever used one, this looks interesting.

Crab home

 

[Wiggles24]

Crabs really don't belong in any "fish" tank. They require the ability to get out of the water. If you want to keep it get a cheap tank and set it up accordingly. If that's a no go make sure whatever tank u put it in has a HOB filter. Ur crab will end up living in it anyways. They ALWAYS find their way into ur filters.

 

[Wiggles24]

Additionally they need brackish water, not fresh. They will live for a while in fresh but eventually die. Do some research on these guys pet stores don't usually provide correct information they r really neat creatures they just don't belong in fish tanks

 

[venymae]

Yeah, I know. He's in a 5.5 gallon brackish water aquarium with a sand ramp that gives him access to land about 1/3 the foot of the tank. Filtered and heated. Feeding shrimp pellets and occasional dead fish. I've got the crab covered, even if my goofy husband doesn't.

What I need help with is the FISH. I had to move the betta out of the 5.5 for the crab. Now I need help with figuring out who to put where.

 

[Khuligirl93]

Here is my stock:

Tanks:
29 gallon, planted grow out tank, lots of filtration
20 gallon long
10 gallon
1.5 gallon

Tenants:
15 Neon Tetras
9 Zebra Danios
5 Red Cherry Shrimp
4 Ghost Shrimp
2 Female Betta
1 Male Betta
1 Female Molly
1 Bristle Nose pleco

I would do this:
1.5g:
-cherry shrimp
10g:
- male beta
-ghost shrimp
20g long:
- 9 zebra danios
29g:
-15 neon tetras
- 2 female betas (if they get along. if not, this plan will need revising)
-BN pleco
-female Molly

 

[venymae]

So, the Ghost's are big enough that the betta wont eat them? He's pretty gentle but does occasionally peck a snail, and I've never really had anything else in there to give it a "test run" lol

 

[twiddlemuffin]

I would do this:
1.5g:
-cherry shrimp
10g:
- male beta
-ghost shrimp
20g long:
- 9 zebra danios
29g:
-15 neon tetras
- 2 female betas (if they get along. if not, this plan will need revising)
-BN pleco
-female Molly

Out of my 12 bettas they are all friendly with shrimp except for two, I think he should be fine, just keep an eye on him. If that doesn't work you could always move him over to the 20G.

 

[krlw]

FWIW, my male betta has always left my cherry and ghost shrimp alone.

 

[venymae]

Ok, thanks! I like it and am going to add it to the possibilities list Anybody else have a different mix up?

 

[Luananeko]

Here's another option for sorting them out...

29 gallon:
1 Molly
1 Female Betta
1 BN Pleco
9 Zebra Danios

20 gallon long:
1 Female Betta
15 Neon Tetras

10 gallon:
Male Betta
4 Ghost Shrimp

1.5 gallon:
5 Red Cherry Shrimp

This lets you split up the bettas so there's no chance of them fighting with each other. In general, betta sororities need 5+ females to diffuse aggression enough that no one is picked on. Having just 2 females together could easily end up with one dead female. An alternative option would be to put both females in the 20 long along with 3+ more females. You have quite a bit of space for additional girls there to help diffuse aggressions.

 

[venymae]

Critice this Please!

Ok, so what if I put my BN pleco and my tetras in the 20 gallon long? (I've been wanting to do blackwater and they both would be good for that-as far as I've read anyway...).
Would betta ladies be suited for blackwater...hmm quick glance through google says yes they are. The ladies have been together since before I owned them, haven't had a problem with aggression to date.
Would that be too many in the 20? Aqadvisor says it's ok.

So, that would leave the molly and zebras in the 29 gallon, they have higher activity levels. I'm thinking the extra space would be good for them.

Ten gallon still goes to male betta and ghost's, I think that's pretty set right now, as long as nobody gets eaten.

My 1.5 however is not heated, and has a UG filter with large gravel :/ Would my cherries be ok in that? Would they breed? Would the babies do ok with the large gravel? I guess that's my biggest beef at the moment

Summary:

29 Gallon
9 Zebra danios
1 Molly (probably get another female and a male)

20 Gallon Long
15 Neon Tetras
1 BN Pleco
2 Betta Ladies

10 Gallon
Mr. Betta
4 Ghost Shrimp

1.5 Gallon
5 RCS

How does this look?

 

[Luananeko]

Ok, so what if I put my BN pleco and my tetras in the 20 gallon long? (I've been wanting to do blackwater and they both would be good for that-as far as I've read anyway...).
Would betta ladies be suited for blackwater...hmm quick glance through google says yes they are. The ladies have been together since before I owned them, haven't had a problem with aggression to date.
Would that be too many in the 20? Aqadvisor says it's ok.

...

My 1.5 however is not heated, and has a UG filter with large gravel :/ Would my cherries be ok in that? Would they breed? Would the babies do ok with the large gravel? I guess that's my biggest beef at the moment

The BN should be ok in the 20 long. Blackwater is fine for all of them, and that stocking level shouldn't be a problem.

Is it possible to redo the substrate in the 1.5? An undergravel filter will tend to suck up the babies, so I'd yank that and the gravel out and replace with sand if I were you. Unheated shouldn't be an issue as long as the tank temp doesn't dip below 74.

 

[venymae]

What would I use as a filter instead? Is it acceptable to keep RCS in an unflitered tank with weekly water changes?

 

[Luananeko]

What would I use as a filter instead? Is it acceptable to keep RCS in an unflitered tank with weekly water changes?

Sponge filters are very cheap and offer plenty of filtration for the little shrimplets without the risk of sucking them in. The sponge filter actually serves as a food source for them too.

 

[venymae]

So would a HOB filter in a larger tank be a problem too??

 

[Luananeko]

Yes, a HOB filter will tend to suck up baby shrimp unless you cover the intake with pantyhose and clean that pantyhose regularly.

 

[venymae]

Rats.

 

[venymae]

Still open for more rearrangement options if anyone is out there! The neons can be separated if need be, though I like them in a big group best......

 

[venymae]

Ok,

Summary:

29 Gallon
9 Zebra danios
1 Molly (probably get another female and a male)

20 Gallon Long
15 Neon Tetras
1 BN Pleco
2 Betta Ladies

10 Gallon
Mr. Betta
4 Ghost Shrimp

1.5 Gallon
5 RCS

How does this look?

Ok, so I did go with this arrangement.
29 gallon
I added two more mollies (1 male, 2 female total) and kept the 9 zebra danios in They are very happy and active, with lots of space to play.

20 gallon long
started the blackwater. It's so cool! I love it and it was very easy. Everyone seems happy, the betta girls had a little spat, but have figured it out. I mean come on, you've lived together for years ladies! Theodore dug a cave in the gravel under the driftwood and leaves and will never be seen again, which is normal. I guess if he's happy....

10 gallon
Mr.Betta left the shrimp alone....up until today. Had our first shrimp casualty and I think it's not going to look good, now that he knows they're tasty Couple snails in there too, he leaves them alone.

1.5 gallon
I did yank the under-gravel filter, put in a sand bottom with a javamoss covered driftwood & sponge filter. My RCS dropped her berries, which I was very sad of, so we will have to see if the no heater will still be ok for breeding, because I want more RCS

I am much happier with my tanks, thank you everybody for your input!