# suitable fish?



## Ben M (24 Aug 2010)

hi i'm buying a superfish aqua qube 40l soon and i'm thinking about the stocking. it is going to be primarily a planted shrimp tank, but i would like to add some fish as well. i like the look of the Stiphodon gobies, but i don't really know much about them. how many, if any, would be suitable in the tank i'm getting, and which species would be best? i've been told that i need to feed them on algae wafers, is there anything else they need? also, about how long do they live?

i'm also considering either micro rasboras or threadfin rainbows as well as the gobies, about how many could i have in there? i'm only going to have one species, i won't mix different species. and are all of them fine with shrimp and baby shrimp? the tank will be heavily planted.

cheers


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## Krishs Bettas (25 Aug 2010)

For the stiphodons I would only go for a pair because if you had more the may start to fight. All spieces are fine. I think they dont eat shrimp check Andyh's jornals. Wafers are good and they still may eat fish flakes and pellets when they sink. I heared they are shorted lived so about 2 years maybe the max. but some people have kept them for 5 years.


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## Ben M (25 Aug 2010)

thanks i'll just go for a pair then. i won't be getting them for a while yet as i intend to fully plant the tank first and get some shrimp as well. 2 years isn't bad, i just didn't want them to die after a few months.   they only had the gold spot ones in when i went yesterday but the guy said that they are getting some more interesting ones in that will be for sale next week. would i be able to buy a pair and put them into my community tank (with kribs) until i can put them into the nano? also, which species do you think look the most impressive and is it easy to sex them, or doesn't it matter what sex they are?

cheers


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## afroturf (26 Aug 2010)

A 40l tank is about the minimum I'd surgest for any Stiphodon, they should be ok with kribs as long as they aren't breeding. Out of the commonly available species I think the 'blue neon goby' Stiphodon semoni or S. atropurpureus is the most attractive and I also smaller than the Raindow/Goldcheek/bluecheek goby. All commonly sold stiphodon gobies are easily sex females lacking the bright colours of the males. I think its always better to get both sexes, if possible, but quite often shops only sell males for obvious reasons.


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## Krishs Bettas (26 Aug 2010)

My lfs said they mainly stock males because stiphodons are still no too popular and people dont buy the females because they are not colourfull. Its ashame because i am always on the hunt for females  :?


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## Ben M (29 Aug 2010)

hi, i've had a think, and revised my intended stocking. i think i'll go for 20 of either galaxy rasboras (which are only Â£2 each at my lfs) or Boraras brigittae, 6-8 Otocinclus, cherry shrimp, and a shoal of dwarf corys (not sure how many). 

is this stocking ok, or is it overstocked?

cheers


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## roadmaster (30 Aug 2010)

Too many Fish for 40L.
 Otocinclus do best in my view in tanks that have been established for a few months and have sufficient alage present which is their primary food.(many of these fish die due to stress from capture/shipping)
Pygmy corys could work, but I  would decrease the number of Rasboras by one half in this size tank with corys.
Not sure if Pygmy corys would get along with shrimps, shrimp being a favorite food for cory's.

I actually like the idea of shrimp tank with a small school (8 -12) Rasboras, or Threadfin rainbows.


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## Ben M (30 Aug 2010)

thanks, how about missing out the corys then? i'd only get the Otocinclus when i have sufficient food for them. 

do you think this stocking would work?

loads of cherry shrimp 
6-8 Otocinclus
20 Boraras brigittae or galaxy rasbora.


BTW, what is the usual price for galaxy rasboras?


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## roadmaster (31 Aug 2010)

I think 20 Rasboras is pushing it,  Should you decide on this stocking,I would perform weekly 50 percent water changes each week  without fail. 
With 20 fish +shrimp, we sometimes have a tendency to over feed, it is extremely easy to do, and  weekly 25 percent water change might not cut it with respect to maintaining water parameters.
Would also consider a sponge pre-filter over the uptake of the filter used to prevent baby shrimps from being sucked into the uptake.
In my neck of the woods ,the fish you mention sell for seven to eight U.S. dollars each and are sold as Celestial Pearl Danios. I believe they are same fish.


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## Tom (31 Aug 2010)

You should be able to get Galaxies for around Â£2.50 each, or at least you can around here. I'd say 20 would be fine as they are only tiny fish and won't exactly cause a huge bioload. Have a look at the fish load in many of Amanos older small tank in Nature Aquarium World's 1 an 2 particularly. Several larger species too like Emporer Tetras etc. His water changes varied from tank to tank though. I'd go for B. brigittae rather than the Galaxies personally. 

Tom


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## Ben M (31 Aug 2010)

thanks, i'd like to go for 20 rasboras, and i always keep up with may water changes. and 50% of a 40l will be easier than 50%of a 200l lol.   i was thinking about the galaxy rasboras because they are quite easy to breed, and i'd like to breed them. are the Boraras brigittae very easy to breed? and i've not seen them in any fish shops. would my local MA order them in, and at about what cost per fish?

cheers


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## Ben M (3 Sep 2010)

any thoughts as to the breeding potential or the Boraras brigittae and how much they'll cost each?

cheers


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## afroturf (7 Sep 2010)

They usually cost around 2-3 quid when is see them.

Breeding shouldn't be too difficult in the in correct conditions, fry may be difficult to raise due to siza. Water will need to be soft below 5Â°H and acidic less than pH 6, to raise any fry the tank will have to be very heavily planted or adult fish removed once eggs are laid. Fry will need the smallest possible live food.


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