Decisions, decisions.

kylith

I've just rehomed my betta to a solo tank because my rummynose tetras were nibbling his tail. Now my 37L tank is looking kind of empty again and I'm trying to decide on what to put in with them. Options are limited because of the size of the tank but I think I have 3 options.
1) More rummynose tetras
2) One slightly larger fish
3) Another small school of small fish. At the moment I'm leaning toward either Endlers or Cardinal tetras.

What do ye think?

keithb93

Id go for the cardinals as long as they are not small enough to fit in the bettas mouth.

kylith

Sorry, I should have been clearer. The possible new additions will be in the tank with the rummynoses, the betta will be staying on his own.

Sleepy

Would 37l be too small for a couple of guppys?

kylith

It might be ok size wise, but I'm wary of putting in anything with a longish tail after the tetras took lumps out of the betta's tail.

Sleepy

I have cardinal tetras and guppys co-existing quite happily (though that's in an 180l community tank where they're the smallest species).

kylith

Went up to Seahorse Aquariums today (wow, that place is amazing), and had a long conversation with one of the staff where we went over all my options, from shrimp upward, and I wound up getting 2 dwarf flame gouramis, which are very nice. Their smaller fins should mean that the tetras aren't tempted to snack on them. Now I just have to think of names.

I also got Talyn the Betta an ornament with great big holes to hide in, since he lost all of his hiding places when he moved tanks. He seems very happy in his new tank, swimming around a lot more and pestering the snail, though hasn't figured out he's not supposed to eat the snail's food.

I also priced some large tanks for Paul the Goldfish (thought I had one but it fell through). I was thinking though, and bear with me here... I find the setup of the biube impractical. The substrate has to be large pebbles because pea gravel will disrupt the ceramic medium underneath. The entire filter has to be changed every 8 weeks, which means that a portion of the bottom of the tank has to be taken up, and you risk trapping and killing fish when you put in the new one. When I manage to save up for a big tank I could set it up initally as a heated tank and move the inhabitants of the Ube into it while I converted the Ube to something less rubbish. I was thinking of filling up to the current filter level with soil and planting into that, then pea gravel over that, then attach a filter to the side of the aquarium (provided I could get one to stick to the curved side. Cycle it, then put the fish back in, pull the heater out of the new one, and use that for Mr. Goldfish. Do you think it could work, or am I being mad?

Sleepy

Would it not be a lot less hassle to pick up a new tank and sell on the biube? It's caused you no end of headaches in fairness!

Seahorse are incredible alright, have two dwarf rainbow gourami and two dwarf powder blues in my community tank and for most people who've commented on the set-up, they're the stars of the show (though the plucky little stowaway is still my favourite!).

kylith

I'd love to sell on the Ube, but there is one good thing about it; the footprint. I'm a bit pushed for space and the fact that it's only about a foot in diameter is very handy. I've said to OH that the next house we have had better have lots of wall space so I can get a nice big tank, or two. Or three

I'm loving the gouramis alright. The male is so strikingly iridescent, it's fantastic. I could watch them for hours.

What's your stowaway?

Sleepy

I bought a Juwel Rio 180 from fungun on adverts. He kindly offered to leave enough water in it to cover the filter media when taken out of the filter and separated so I could have a quick cycle (no real need for one as topping up the tank was a matter of about a 75% water change). When I filled up the tank a clown loach swam out of the filter box and was promptly christened 'Nim' as he'd stowed away in the tank. Contacted fungun about it and he told us to hang on to him!

kylith

Sleepy wrote: »

I bought a Juwel Rio 180 from fungun on adverts. He kindly offered to leave enough water in it to cover the filter media when taken out of the filter and separated so I could have a quick cycle (no real need for one as topping up the tank was a matter of about a 75% water change). When I filled up the tank a clown loach swam out of the filter box and was promptly christened 'Nim' as he'd stowed away in the tank. Contacted fungun about it and he told us to hang on to him!

Hehe, nice. Nim's wee adventure.

fungun

does he still miss meeeeeeee????

Sleepy

He cries so much I don't have to do water changes