25ltr - 7gal Tank Question

[kakihara]

Hi,

at the weekend I will be setting up a 24x8x8 tank and would like to keep a/some oddball/s in it. Due to it's tiny size (decent length but not much height or width about it) I was thinking along the lines of a dwarf puffer and maybe an otto, but am still looking at different possibilities as the tank will be cxycling for a few weeks.

The equipment I have for it is a Fluval 1 Plus and a Rena 50w heater, I will be using natural light as the tank will be in a fairly well lit room (though I may put a desk lamp over it from time to time if I want to show it off a bit) and it quite shallow anyway and I'm hoping to grow some java moss and anubias in it (as they are plants that can grown in low light).

Can anyone give me any other options for stocking with oddballs, or if the Dwarf Puffer is my only option would I still be able to put in an otto or 2?

Thanks in advance

Keith

 

[CFC]

There are various goby species that would work in a tank that small, Rhinogobius wui (white cheeked/dwarf dragon goby) would be especially suited as they are sub tropical and would not require the tank to be heated. Also suited would be bumble bee gobies, Brachygobius species (brackish) or peacock gobies, Tateurndia ocellicauda though keeping any of these would need to be a species only tank in that size aquarium.

 

[§tudz]

I currently have 3 bumble bee gobies in a 3gallon tank, and they are fine. they are in fresh water too, and have been since I got them months ago. They are found in freshwater in the wild, but do venture into brackish.

so people will argue on here that they are brackish fish, but they do well in both.

 

[nmonks]

Indeed. But while bumblebees do fine in hard, alkaline freshwater I am fairly convinced that soft, acid water at the least makes them more susceptible to bacterial infections and the like. Even though they occur in "blackwater" streams in the wild, those environments are essentially bacteria free. Once you bring such fish into the aquarium, then random infections become more of a problem. This is the issue with things like chocolate gouramis and Hemirhamphodon halfbeaks. Hence, it is often easier to use the anti-bacterial properties of brackish water to keep your gobies healthier. If yours are doing fine, then great, but it's worth knowing that you have the option of adding salt if you need to.

kakihara -- in a really small tank, why not try freshwater invertebrates? A tank with slightly brackish water would be a great place to keep Amano shrimps, various Nerite snails, and and a nice thick mat of Java fern. There are lots of other shrimps on the market, many of which are very colourful, and all tolerate low salt concentrations. Adding the salt is optional, but it'll make your nerite snails much more long-lived and hardy. There are some really nice snails out there, in bright colours and weird shapes. See, for example, the stuff at Snail Shop or Frank's Aquarium.

Cheers,

Neale

so people will argue on here that they are brackish fish, but they do well in both.

 

[§tudz]

AH! I have slightly hard water with a ph of 7.5 so that must be why mine are doing so well yay!
lovely little fish and great to watch as the bounce about the tank

 

[kakihara]

Hi,

Thanks for that advice, I am really open to any suggestions regarding this tank as I would like it to be just that little bit different from a regular (looking) aquarium.

The snail and shrimp idea sounds fascinating, but the only problem I have is that I might find it hard to actually locate shops that would sell them here in Dublin ... same thing with the gobies I fear, that's why the original idea I had with the dwarf puffer was the first thing that sprung to mind, since I know I can get my hands on them.

As for the water, well I have to admit that this would be my first step into the brackish scene and I'd probably mess it up.

I am a bit tentative about buying online as (because again I live in Dublin) they'd have to be sent airmal and I'd be afraid that they might die en route to my tank. My man problem is that they'd always be getting to my tank 1 day after they would arrive, as there would be no one at home to sign for them and I'd be home too late from work to go to the post office to pick them up on the same day.

If I was able to get my hands on some bumblebee gobies, could I keep some invertabrates with them? I think CFC said something about keeping 1 species only in a tank, but I don't know if that means no invertabrates either.

Thanks again.

Keith

 

[0x0000ff]

I think the bumblebee's should do fine with inverts, but FYI, my bumblebee's constantly attacked, stalked, and killed my 1cm glass shrimp, one by one.

It was actually very cute to watch, I guess in a slightly sadistic way. They just look so pissed off when they're chasing after something

 

[starrynightxxi]

you could set up a nano tank. my LFS has a really nice nano freshwater tank with live plants, some small shrimp, and either borarus merah, or borarus brigittae (rasboras of some variety). There are fish that don't even reach an inch in length so you could keep a small shoal, but they aren't common, so you'd probably have to order them from an online seller such as frank's aquarium.