Any Idea's On How I Could Improve My Tank?
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AquaPit said:
Thanks a lot
I'm still not 100% happy with it, feel like it needs some improvements It's around 2 1/2 ft tall
As for the GBR's I have one male who just loves to chase his 2 girls around and annoy them lol. possibly breeding behaviour but i'm not sure
2 leopard ctenopama, 3 German blue rams, 1 celebes halfbeak, 4 female congo tetra's (need males), 1 gibbicep plec, 1 peppered corydoras (geting 4 more), 1 wood shrimp and 3 ghost shrimp
N0body Of The Goat
Oddball and African riverine fish keeper
You have stocking issues that need looking at, as much as all appears well in that video...
Having 2 Ctenopoma is a very bad number, one will bully the other as they get older, quite possibly to the point of death. Far safer to have a singleton or 4+, I'm a little concerned as I lost one of my 4 in December, but mine are in a 6-foot of African oddballs (so they have room to get away from each other and besides, adding new Ctenopoma to an existing mature hierarchy is rather risky). Your two look quite small (<5cm), so you should either get a couple more ASAP or rehome one.
You do not have a Celebes Halfbeak, sadly most stores import all halfbeaks under that name. There are several species that look quite similar, take a look at Neale Monk's page to get an idea of what you are up against Halfbeaks, http
/brackishfaq.webspace.virginmedia.com/Projects/Halfbeaks/halfbeaks.html . I suspect you are keeping this tank at ~27C fro the GBRs, which is probably a bit high for the halfbeak (but be very careful changing the temp, as with water changes of >10% per change, sudden water parameter changes are often fatal). Eventually, as your Ctenopoma mature, they will try the halfbeak for size.
Your plec, if it is indeed a P. gibbiceps, is going to need a far bigger tank such as a 6x2x2.
Corydoras paleatus (Peppered) are really not good choices for tanks that are permanently kept at tropical temps of 24C plus, Corydoras sterbai for example would be a far better choice for a tank set up for GBRs at ~27C. Peppered Corydoras will be "happy as Larry" in an unheated tank in most homes, that sits between ~15-20C for most of the year.
What are the dimensions of this 35g? Given you have stated it is ~2.5 feet (75cm) tall, this tank cannot be very long or wide, they all need something bigger (even the Corydoras should be in at least a 90x30cm footprint tank, everything else should be in at least a 120x30cm footprint tank). Don't leave it too long to upgrade, your fish will get stunted and some of them could suffer stress related illnesses from being kept in too cramped conditions.
Having 2 Ctenopoma is a very bad number, one will bully the other as they get older, quite possibly to the point of death. Far safer to have a singleton or 4+, I'm a little concerned as I lost one of my 4 in December, but mine are in a 6-foot of African oddballs (so they have room to get away from each other and besides, adding new Ctenopoma to an existing mature hierarchy is rather risky). Your two look quite small (<5cm), so you should either get a couple more ASAP or rehome one.
You do not have a Celebes Halfbeak, sadly most stores import all halfbeaks under that name. There are several species that look quite similar, take a look at Neale Monk's page to get an idea of what you are up against Halfbeaks, http
/brackishfaq.webspace.virginmedia.com/Projects/Halfbeaks/halfbeaks.html . I suspect you are keeping this tank at ~27C fro the GBRs, which is probably a bit high for the halfbeak (but be very careful changing the temp, as with water changes of >10% per change, sudden water parameter changes are often fatal). Eventually, as your Ctenopoma mature, they will try the halfbeak for size. Your plec, if it is indeed a P. gibbiceps, is going to need a far bigger tank such as a 6x2x2.
Corydoras paleatus (Peppered) are really not good choices for tanks that are permanently kept at tropical temps of 24C plus, Corydoras sterbai for example would be a far better choice for a tank set up for GBRs at ~27C. Peppered Corydoras will be "happy as Larry" in an unheated tank in most homes, that sits between ~15-20C for most of the year.
What are the dimensions of this 35g? Given you have stated it is ~2.5 feet (75cm) tall, this tank cannot be very long or wide, they all need something bigger (even the Corydoras should be in at least a 90x30cm footprint tank, everything else should be in at least a 120x30cm footprint tank). Don't leave it too long to upgrade, your fish will get stunted and some of them could suffer stress related illnesses from being kept in too cramped conditions.
N0body Of The Goat said:You have stocking issues that need looking at, as much as all appears well in that video...
Having 2 Ctenopoma is a very bad number, one will bully the other as they get older, quite possibly to the point of death. Far safer to have a singleton or 4+, I'm a little concerned as I lost one of my 4 in December, but mine are in a 6-foot of African oddballs (so they have room to get away from each other and besides, adding new Ctenopoma to an existing mature hierarchy is rather risky). Your two look quite small (<5cm), so you should either get a couple more ASAP or rehome one.
You do not have a Celebes Halfbeak, sadly most stores import all halfbeaks under that name. There are several species that look quite similar, take a look at Neale Monk's page to get an idea of what you are up against Halfbeaks, http
Your plec, if it is indeed a P. gibbiceps, is going to need a far bigger tank such as a 6x2x2.
Corydoras paleatus (Peppered) are really not good choices for tanks that are permanently kept at tropical temps of 24C plus, Corydoras sterbai for example would be a far better choice for a tank set up for GBRs at ~27C. Peppered Corydoras will be "happy as Larry" in an unheated tank in most homes, that sits between ~15-20C for most of the year.
What are the dimensions of this 35g? Given you have stated it is ~2.5 feet (75cm) tall, this tank cannot be very long or wide, they all need something bigger (even the Corydoras should be in at least a 90x30cm footprint tank, everything else should be in at least a 120x30cm footprint tank). Don't leave it too long to upgrade, your fish will get stunted and some of them could suffer stress related illnesses from being kept in too cramped conditions.
Sorry im a little late on getting back to you on this but would i definitely be safer housing 4 leopard ctenopama instead of 1? I say this because I have noticed them fighting on occasion but yet they prefer to swim together and hide in the same spots
I have also taken on board your point about the gibbicep pleco and will be consequently be re-homing him
do u have a better suggestion on what species of pleco would be best for my tank?
N0body Of The Goat
Oddball and African riverine fish keeper
If you have a 4-foot tank, ideally a larger volume of 200l plus, four could definitely live in there for life.
I started with 5 youngsters of ~50p size in 2010, one simply vanished without a trace within a month and another died ~5 months later in my old garage 5x2x2. In winter 2011, I added a ~11cm bushfish and because he was almost double the size of the other three youngsters, he was instantly accepted without quarrel as their new leader. For some unknown reason, one of those three did not grow anywhere near as much and I sadly lost him/her not long before my road accident in December 2013.
In a group, one individual is far less likely to be singled out and they do tend to spend a lot of time swimming together, my ones love swimming with my trio of ~10cm SL Distichodus altus bought in September 2013.
Does your Gibbiceps Plec replacement have to be another plec? Again, depending upon the dimensions of your tank, there are a few synos smaller than my ~22cm Synodontis notata and my ~18cm Synodontis budgetti that could live in a decent size 4-footer for life, for instance the lovely S. schoutedeni or flavitaeniata.
I started with 5 youngsters of ~50p size in 2010, one simply vanished without a trace within a month and another died ~5 months later in my old garage 5x2x2. In winter 2011, I added a ~11cm bushfish and because he was almost double the size of the other three youngsters, he was instantly accepted without quarrel as their new leader. For some unknown reason, one of those three did not grow anywhere near as much and I sadly lost him/her not long before my road accident in December 2013.
In a group, one individual is far less likely to be singled out and they do tend to spend a lot of time swimming together, my ones love swimming with my trio of ~10cm SL Distichodus altus bought in September 2013.
Does your Gibbiceps Plec replacement have to be another plec? Again, depending upon the dimensions of your tank, there are a few synos smaller than my ~22cm Synodontis notata and my ~18cm Synodontis budgetti that could live in a decent size 4-footer for life, for instance the lovely S. schoutedeni or flavitaeniata.
Unfortunately i was sold my 2 ctenopama under the impression that they would be fine living in a 125lt tank, I am planning on getting another tank at some stage but the problem is finding the room in my house for a 200l + aquarium. Hopefully i will find a solution and re-home my 2 ctenopama to a larger tank.
and no it doesn't necessarily have to be another plec, any suggestions are welcome
Oh and btw the video says 35 Gallon but it is a typo and my tank is in fact 25 gallon
and no it doesn't necessarily have to be another plec, any suggestions are welcome
Oh and btw the video says 35 Gallon but it is a typo and my tank is in fact 25 gallon
N0body Of The Goat
Oddball and African riverine fish keeper
Would I be right in thinking your 125l is one of those commercial ~80cm long tanks?
If so, this is a problem for more than a singleton Ctenopoma acutirostre. I kept my four in another of my tanks, a 120x30x30cm for the best part of 12 months until January 2013, it was just about ok due to very few other fish (African Butterfly, African Knife, a young Chrysicthys ornatus) and weekly ~66% water changes. But if I move them out of my 6x1.3x1.5 into a 4-footer again, it would be to my Rio240 or my ~4x1.5x1.75.
You are going to need to make a tough choice and time is against you... Adding new Ctenopoma to an existing group is risky (I got lucky with an educated guess as the newcomer was twice their size), so if you are going to keep more than one, you need to get another 2/3 within the next few months (I'm sure 5 would be fine in a Rio240). In case you are not aware, these fish should be with you for some time, healthy Ctenopoma live for 20 years or more, almost as long as synos.
If so, this is a problem for more than a singleton Ctenopoma acutirostre. I kept my four in another of my tanks, a 120x30x30cm for the best part of 12 months until January 2013, it was just about ok due to very few other fish (African Butterfly, African Knife, a young Chrysicthys ornatus) and weekly ~66% water changes. But if I move them out of my 6x1.3x1.5 into a 4-footer again, it would be to my Rio240 or my ~4x1.5x1.75.
You are going to need to make a tough choice and time is against you... Adding new Ctenopoma to an existing group is risky (I got lucky with an educated guess as the newcomer was twice their size), so if you are going to keep more than one, you need to get another 2/3 within the next few months (I'm sure 5 would be fine in a Rio240). In case you are not aware, these fish should be with you for some time, healthy Ctenopoma live for 20 years or more, almost as long as synos.
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