Critique my stocking?

[heyheyitsrae]

10 gallon tank,aqueon 10-20 gallon filter

2 scarlet badis (male female pair???)
5 blue morph harlequin rasporas
3 otos
2 snails (black mystery and nerite)

Moss ball, crypt, anubias nana, vallis(?), and a Matt of java moss.

I want my scarlets to breed but this morning I noticed that they had lost some color. I think it's because they haven't been eating anything. They tend to swim along the glass a lot or hide in the java moss. So should I take the rasporas out? They might be making the scarlets timid... I just don't know where I'd put them, plus my mom would be disappointed because she loves them.

I've been feeding them flake and freeze dried brine shrimp. Maybe I should start a culture of something? Infusoria?

 

[Samzter]

No, I quite like you stock you might want to move the harlequins to a 20g as that's their minimum tank size.

 

[heyheyitsrae]

No, I quite like you stock you might want to move the harlequins to a 20g as that's their minimum tank size.

The closest I have is a 48 gallon (36x18x18) which I'm planning on stocking with a green terror.

Here's my "girl" scarlet (bad quality, but I think you can see the red vertical stripes which make me question her sex...)

 

[bud29]

If you rehomed the harlequins you could put in 5 Chili rasbora instead. They fit better in a 10 gallon. Nice looking tank!

 

[heyheyitsrae]

But they're just so gorgeous... Maybe I can get them a 20 long soon...

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Stock list sounds fine. Harlequins are fine in a 10g.

 

[heyheyitsrae]

Stock list sounds fine. Harlequins are fine in a 10g.

But are they scaring my scarlet badis?

 

[DavidAl]

Nothing to critique... All looks well in the aquahood.

David

 

[heyheyitsrae]

Nothing to critique... All looks well in the aquahood.

David

What if I wanted to add 2 more otos?

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

What if I wanted to add 2 more otos?

Done, they wont have enough algae to eat after a while and they will starve

 

[heyheyitsrae]

No one has advice in regards to the scarlet badis?

 

[severum mama]

If you aren't able to get food to your badis, you might have to move the harlequins (which do fine in a 10 gallon guys, by the way). Badis are reportedly kind of finicky eaters so you may not have much success getting them to accept flakes, pellets, etc. You might try some frozen bloodworms or something like that. You can use a turkey baster to target feed them.

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

No one has advice in regards to the scarlet badis?

As Severum Mama said, Badis can be finicky eaters who most of the time like live foods.

I do worry that you said "she" lost some of her color. It's been my impression that Scarlet Badis females don't really have much color to begin with and makes me feel that you may have 2 males who might be fighting over space.

*EDIT* sorry, saw you wrote "they" lost color. Statement still stands tho about 2 males. Only other thing I can think of is possibly get more plants. Badis love planted tanks.

 

[heyheyitsrae]

I doubt that they're fighting, they follow each other everywhere! And neither of them nip. She might just be a juvvie male, I'm not sure if younger and older males fight or if the fighting starts when they both reach adulthood.

As for live food, where could I get some? I've tried frozen blood worms with a turkey baster, didn't see any get eaten.

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

I doubt that they're fighting, they follow each other everywhere! And neither of them nip. She might just be a juvvie male, I'm not sure if younger and older males fight or if the fighting starts when they both reach adulthood.

As for live food, where could I get some? I've tried frozen blood worms with a turkey baster, didn't see any get eaten.

Hmmm just regular follow? I could be mistaken then. Live food is something I can't help you with, I'm trying to figure that out myself!

 

[heyheyitsrae]

Sometimes they hover by each other before going separate directions, sometimes they play follow the leader. The "girl" likes to follow from a distance, keep an eye on him. Maybe she's clingy? Ahaha. I just put in like 5 thawed blood worms, one was quickly devoured by a harl, 3 landed on the gravel, and one landed in the strings of their java moss matt. I'll keep an eye on it to see if it gets nibbled

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Sometimes they hover by each other before going separate directions, sometimes they play follow the leader. The "girl" likes to follow from a distance, keep an eye on him. Maybe she's clingy? Ahaha. I just put in like 5 thawed blood worms, one was quickly devoured by a harl, 3 landed on the gravel, and one landed in the strings of their java moss matt. I'll keep an eye on it to see if it gets nibbled

Okie doke. Like I said before, aside from the males thing I would just try to get some more low light plants to make them feel a little more secure. Plus their red colors against greens will be beautiful

 

[heyheyitsrae]

Thanks. Maybe I'll get some floating plants. Or another anubias... What do you recommend?

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Thanks. Maybe I'll get some floating plants. Or another anubias... What do you recommend?

If possible I would get both. If only one I'd go with the floating (unless it's Duckweed: I loathe Duckweed). The dimmed lighting from floating plants could help. Plus plant like Riccia are great spots for micro-fauna to live and your Badis may be able to eat them.

 

[heyheyitsrae]

If possible I would get both. If only one I'd go with the floating (unless it's Duckweed: I loathe Duckweed). The dimmed lighting from floating plants could help. Plus plant like Riccia are great spots for micro-fauna to live and your Badis may be able to eat them.

Funniest thing happened on my daily visit to petco. I had brought my yorkie puppy and an employee who I somewhat knew came up to coo over her. She ended up being my cashier and offered me some hornwort! Apparently she brought it in from her own aquarium. Needless to say, I accepted.