jayjayhooks
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2014
- Messages
- 12
TLDR near bottom.
Hi guys, I've been keeping fish for about 6 years, but have no experience with community tanks. I bought myself a half dozen piranha when I first got into fish keeping and made all my mistakes years ago when it comes to water parameters. Luckily my fish didn't suffer too badly, but sadly I did lose them recently when my power went out for a week due to an ice storm.
From time to time I would stock the tank with a couple dozen White Cloud Mountain Minnows (after quarantine, of course) and it was a nice treat for my carnivorous fish and myself as there was plenty of hiding places for the minnows and they would get eaten slowly over a month or so, adding a little extra movement to my species tank and a little exercise and excitement for my piranhas.
Anywho, I now have an odd situation because after the Piranhas passed I still had a pair of WCMM in the tank who went on to breed and now I have somewhere between 40 and 50 of them living in a tank at roughly 78 degrees F. I know they are a cool water fish, which is what allowed them to survive the extreme cold when my power was out, but they seem to be thriving in this warm water so I haven't adjusted it from when the Piranha died.
Now I want to start a community tank as I believe that I made a poor choice with piranhas in the beginning because there was rarely much movement in the tank. This was probably due to the fact that 75G isn't really enough space for a half dozen adult piranha. Either way, I want to do things right this time and get all my research in first. (I was a teenager when I first got my piranha and made my mistakes)
So after that long winded explanation, my main inquiry is in whether or not this shoal of WCMM can be kept alongside a male Betta. I've read mixed feelings on the situation. It seems like some people have had success keeping the two breeds together even in tanks considerably smaller than my 75, but I never read anywhere in the responses about what temperatures these fish are being kept at. I've read that Betta should be kept around 80F and WCMM at 70F. Since my shoal is already acclimatized to 78F (they were born and raised in it), is it likely to be a good mix?
Secondary question, I also plan on getting a school of about 6 corydora. This would give me plenty of top action with the minnows, plenty of bottom action with the cats, and a nice colourful centerpiece in the male Betta. Does anyone see any potential problems with this?
Other considerations would be Cherry shrimp, and a pair of Dwarf Plecos to go along with the 3 breeds listed above.
TLDR;
Can 40 White Cloud Minnows be kept with a single male betta, and 6 Corydora at 78 Degrees F in a 75 Gallon Tank. And if so, are dwarf plecos and/or cherry shrimp able to fit in the equation as well?
Hi guys, I've been keeping fish for about 6 years, but have no experience with community tanks. I bought myself a half dozen piranha when I first got into fish keeping and made all my mistakes years ago when it comes to water parameters. Luckily my fish didn't suffer too badly, but sadly I did lose them recently when my power went out for a week due to an ice storm.
From time to time I would stock the tank with a couple dozen White Cloud Mountain Minnows (after quarantine, of course) and it was a nice treat for my carnivorous fish and myself as there was plenty of hiding places for the minnows and they would get eaten slowly over a month or so, adding a little extra movement to my species tank and a little exercise and excitement for my piranhas.
Anywho, I now have an odd situation because after the Piranhas passed I still had a pair of WCMM in the tank who went on to breed and now I have somewhere between 40 and 50 of them living in a tank at roughly 78 degrees F. I know they are a cool water fish, which is what allowed them to survive the extreme cold when my power was out, but they seem to be thriving in this warm water so I haven't adjusted it from when the Piranha died.
Now I want to start a community tank as I believe that I made a poor choice with piranhas in the beginning because there was rarely much movement in the tank. This was probably due to the fact that 75G isn't really enough space for a half dozen adult piranha. Either way, I want to do things right this time and get all my research in first. (I was a teenager when I first got my piranha and made my mistakes)
So after that long winded explanation, my main inquiry is in whether or not this shoal of WCMM can be kept alongside a male Betta. I've read mixed feelings on the situation. It seems like some people have had success keeping the two breeds together even in tanks considerably smaller than my 75, but I never read anywhere in the responses about what temperatures these fish are being kept at. I've read that Betta should be kept around 80F and WCMM at 70F. Since my shoal is already acclimatized to 78F (they were born and raised in it), is it likely to be a good mix?
Secondary question, I also plan on getting a school of about 6 corydora. This would give me plenty of top action with the minnows, plenty of bottom action with the cats, and a nice colourful centerpiece in the male Betta. Does anyone see any potential problems with this?
Other considerations would be Cherry shrimp, and a pair of Dwarf Plecos to go along with the 3 breeds listed above.
TLDR;
Can 40 White Cloud Minnows be kept with a single male betta, and 6 Corydora at 78 Degrees F in a 75 Gallon Tank. And if so, are dwarf plecos and/or cherry shrimp able to fit in the equation as well?