New fishy member!

[Cherries]

’Ello mis amigos!

Been to fishkeeping for over two years, but still feeling a newbie. Though I’m not novice to forums and I’m hoping to find only nice and kind people here and make one or two friends too

I started out my journey with a 5 gallon tank with guppies then with a 15 gallon.
Did many mistakes including not knowing about the cycle and not cycling my tanks, but I did and learned. Lost many fish to mistakes as well

Then got a 33 gallon for my 14th birthday and properly cycled it this time, but haven’t done many water changes for few month now…but my depression is different story.

The 5 gallon, it stood there empty so I thought I would get a betta and got a halfmoon boy. Lost him a week later due to cold water (store misinformation) and so I lost my second betta to this as well.
Gave up and got 6 white clouds, but after a month or so got another betta who I had for a month before he passed from dropsy. Gave up and then got another one! He passed from dropsy after two months. Got my 5th and final betta from a UK breeder and he was a month with me and passed from an unknown reason on first day when the month passed.

Gave up on keeping bettas, for now……

So instead I got another anabantoid family member, Trichopsis Pumila, the sparkling gouramis.
And here is my most favorite tank, the 5 gallon Walstad (still keeping filter in for now) tank with 3 sparkling gouramis:

My sparklers started hiding behind plants recently, fighting, chasing and ’croacking’. The male has stronger colours than he ever had since I got them. Is there like some chance he built a bubble nest and is guarding the eggs or fry? Any chance of how I would know if they spawned or something?

 

[Tim Harrison]

Welcome

 

[Gill]

Welcome

If he is chasing others away and guarding an area, more than likely yes guarding eggs. Sparkler nests are tiny and some can be a 5pence size in amongst plant matter.

 

[Cherries]

Welcome

If he is chasing others away and guarding an area, more than likely yes guarding eggs. Sparkler nests are tiny and some can be a 5pence size in amongst plant matter.

Thank you

Wow! Really just a 5 pence size nest? I thought these were much bigger and on the surface, thought I am not so surprised. Been reading on some other sites they rather nest under plant leaves and such so I moved my anubias heterophylla from my other tank to this one so I possibly could entice the male into moving the nest (if there is any) under anubias leaf.
I have valisneria, hornwort, bacopa caroliniana and elodea densa in there so I’m not very sure how he would put his nest together under such small leaves but he usually is seen in between or middle of my elodea and hornwort, tank looks different than in photos I have posted as I moved the plants around a bit. I may have damaged the nest (if there was any then..) when moving the plants around so I am a bit worried now and hoping I didn’t damage anything there.
Yes, he is chasing them around but sometimes they spend time together in the same place so I am feeling unsure about the whole situation, but finally they are parents for the first time so nothing may survive the first time.
Sorry it took me so long to reply

Welcome

Thank you

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Been reading on some other sites they rather nest under plant leaves

I've kept them, and they will build a small bubble nest under a floating plant like Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum). The best plant of all is Indian Fern (Ceratopteris "thalictroides") , you can buy it at pets@home normally.

In terms of non-plant spawning sites <"35mm film canisters"> are absolutely perfect, but they aren't that easy to find now.

cheers Darrel

 

[Cherries]

Ah, indian fern. No, my local P@H doesn’t sell it and they never had or maybe they do but I miss it? I could add my java fern, it’s the only fern I have. Got salvinia in there and added my a.heterophylla in there for possibilty and don’t know what else to do but I think to only wait and see what happens.

 

[sparkyweasel]

I’m hoping to find only nice and kind people here

Welcome!
This is probably the best forum on the 'net, not just the best aquatic forum.

 

[Cherries]

Welcome!
This is probably the best forum on the 'net, not just the best aquatic forum.

Yes. So far so good!

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

No, my local P@H doesn’t sell it........or maybe they do but I miss it?

If they have it, it is in the <"Tropica 3 for £11"> section, but there maybe post-Brexit problems with <"Tropica plant supplies">. I occasionally wander around the one in Bath, while my liftshare buys cat food etc. and they usually have it in.

Got salvinia in there

I guess that should do. I had Salvinia "auriculata" in the tanks, but Ceratopteris was definitely the "go to" plant for nest building (same for Betta sp.).

cheers Darrel

 

[Cherries]

There may be trouble shipping plants, Covid and Brexit are the two. I should be able to get indian fern off eBay but not now, now I would need to get some substrate for my fulicas and plastic plants.

Okay, so if Salvinia should work. Oii…the male certainly is not interested in moving or building his nest there. He’s still behind elodea and hornwort, been like that since last Friday is not later. But if he built his nest there, how would he be able to build his nest on small, narrow leaves of hornwort or elodea? Wouldn’t the bubbles float up? But that would make more sense actually, got couple single random bubbles on on Salvinia…

 

[sparkyweasel]

They blow the bubbles with a special sticky saliva. They stick to each other and to plants quite well. Then the male tends the nest and replaces any bubbles that burst or float away.

 

[Cherries]

They blow the bubbles with a special sticky saliva. They stick to each other and to plants quite well. Then the male tends the nest and replaces any bubbles that burst or float away.

Oh right, well that makes more sense Though still where he would place the nest with my densely planted narrow leafed plants if to build his nest he would need much greater surface area to do so. I’m intrigued

 

[Cherries]

Aaa found the bubble nest! I was watching and watching them until I saw a male do something that suggested me immediately that he tends the nest right here and right this moment. So I looked and found! 🥲

Here’s the nest:

Here’s daddy!

 

[Cherries]

Bubbles are quite big for such small fish
Need some infusoria going but how? Stuff from filter and some salad and original tank water?