A Few Questions

[fish.com1]

Hi everyone

Hopefully im setting up another tank just a few questions -the tank is a 20 litre arcadia arc tank.

would 1 male betta and 2 otos be ok together in this tank?(otos to eat algae)

people say that java fern and java moss looks nice attched to mopani wood, but how would you attach it to the wood and how would you feed it if it wasn't in the substrate? Would it just be a liquid feeder in the water?

Would sand produce enough algae for the otos or would they prefer gravel because its dirtier so more algae?

thanks everyone

 

[tenohfive]

I can answer the first and third questions:

1. Yes, they'll be fine.
3. Doesn't make any difference. Substrate won't affect algae to any extent to the best of my knowledge. Something I've heard of people doing is putting a few small rocks in an old plastic tub, filling with water and covering over with clingfilm - then leaving outside in the sun. You should end up with algae growth, and can drop the rocks in as treats for the oto's.

As for 2. I don't know how you'd attach it but after a while attached the roots grow into the bog/mopani wood and they seem to flourish. Both Java Moss and Java Fern are very hardy.

 

[Ace Of Spades]

2. You can attach it many ways, by metal weights, Fishing line, other types of string but not cotton. Java Fern and Moss take nutrients out of the water rather then the substrate, and if your not going heavily planted you dont really need to do anything other then provide it light as they are quite hardy. But dosing with liquid ferts from your LFS is a good idea...

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

To attach java moss to anything either use 100% cotton thread or nylon fishing line. Just kinda spread a thin mat of Javamoss on the wood, and then gently wrap thread or line around it. It shouldn't take much...maybe a loop every two-three inches. If you use cotton thread it will eventually degrade, but hopefully by then the java moss will have attached itself to the wood. Fishing line does not degrade, (but you generally won't see it anyway)...so it's up to you if/when you want to remove it.