Experiment On Glass Fish..........

[AMS]

Well, everyone knows that there is some conflicting information on these fish. Some Hobbyists say their quality of live is better in brackish, others say in freshwater. While I currently own P. Ranga in both heavily planted brackish and Freshwater tanks. I cant say which provides a better thriving environment, it depends on your defintion of the word. Note that my experiment has held true in my own experience, others may be different. In both tanks there is a group of 8, exact same foods are fed at the exact same time. I have had them for a little over 10 months now. Both tanks are 20 gallons, same filters, brackish tank's specific gravity is 1.003 plus or minus a few, the brackish tank's pH is between 7.9-8.2 and the freshwaters is between 6.5-6.8, (dont flucuate, just cant read those damn color charts!) Freshwaters temp is 77 and the brackish tanks is 75 (to provide slightly more oxgen because brackish tanks hold less oxygen). Only tank mates are kuhlii loaches in the freshwater and a pair of knight gobies in the brackish. (no distractions from tank mates in either tank) The FW tank is slightly tinted by blackwater extract and has gravel, while the brackish has a very fine sand.

In the FW tank they seem to have grown slightly larger and are breeding quite often, but have come down with minor cases of ick twice, (I never get any form of diseases in any of my tanks, only once in a blue moon).

In the Brackish tank they have never had any disease, they seem to have a slightly larger appetite even with the tempature difference, but they seem to be less social. (I doubt that the less social-ness is do to brackish water)

So after reading my long pointless post, what have your experiences with P. Ranga in either FW or BW been like? (Note that I wrote this page in the brackish forum as most owners keep them in brackish water)

 

[nmonks]

Hello AMS --

An outstanding post. Thanks for contributing it.

Parambassis ranga is one of the two commonly traded species that naturally inhabits fresh and brackish water, so both sets of conditions that you have used are perfectly within its range. I have mine in soft, acid water (around pH 6.5) and like you, mine have had a few whitespots (like three cysts) on the odd fish, but otherwise they have been right as rain. Brackish water doesn't favour whitespot, so the fact you've not had whitespot there is ambiguous.

Parambassis lala is the other glassfish that inhabits brackish and fresh water.

Most of the other traded species do not live in brackish water. This includes Parambassis siamensis, Parambassis wolffii, Parambassis pulcinella, and Gymnochanda filamentosa.

The problem with glassfish is when people keep them in medium to high end brackish tanks (upwards from SG 1.005). This does them no good at all, and probably kills some species outright.

There are brackish to marine glassfish, but none of them are traded.

Can you tell us more about how you bred your glassfish?

Cheers,

Neale

 

[AMS]

Can you tell us more about how you bred your glassfish?

Well, I have done nothing myself to trigger it besides adding blackwater extract. They seem to breed when water changes are completed, espically when changed with coller water. (perhaps they are rainy season breeders?) I dont know if it makes a difference, but when the pH was neutral from my tap they wouldn't breed. When the pH was lowered due to the extract, they would. They only seem to drop their eggs on the java ferns and african tiger lotuses. I wasnt able to raise the fry though. I dont have an extra tank for fry anyways. They are very small and hide in the vallis.

There are brackish to marine glassfish, but none of them are traded.

Ive heard that before but when I googled it I couldnt find any info. Too bad theyre not traded, I would love some in my reef.

 

[AMS]

have your glassfish bred nmonks?