Just A Few Questions

[fish_keeper2]

i was wondering how big of a tank would i need for 3 bumble bee gobbies? how about 5 of em?

also can you guys list what fish are suitable for a ten gal. all i know is bumble bee gobies and f8 puffers.

 

[nmonks]

You can keep as many as ten bumblebees in a five or ten-gallon tank. The more crowded they are, the less they fight, or rather, the less any one fish gets involved in a fight. Being rather small, filtration and water quality are easy to manage even in small tanks. Obviously the tank cannot be empty, since each fish needs a territory. Use lots of shells, ceramic caves, ornaments, or plants to create a complex habitat that allows the fish plenty of cover and hiding places.

On another thread I wrote some comments and included some links you might find useful. You might also find section 6 of the Brackish FAQ useful. It's all about small fish.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[fish_keeper2]

thanks. so if i have 2 filters on a ten gal that are made for ten gal then i can easily have 15 bumble bees?

also can you tell me:
1) how big do they get?
2) what they eat?
3) what SG do they need?
4) i would use marine salt not aquarium salt right?
5) good decore would be sand, broken pieces from ceramic pots(rough edges round off of course), and some java fern attached to rocks(these can survive at the sg level that bumble bee gobies need right?) correct?
6)(last one i think) where can i get a hydrometer/refractomemter to read those low sg levels(the one i have wont read below 1.012 i belive)?


never mind about 1 and 2, just found the answer.

another question: as said above if i use a ten gal with 2 filters made for 10 gal then would i be ok to have about 10 bumble bee gobies and a figure 8 puffer? also can ghost shrimp live in the same SG. i know these will likely be eaten but i can get them cheap, it would give the puffer something to hunt around, help keep the tank clean while they are alive, provide food of course...etc.

 

[Little Fish]

about 10 bumble bee gobies and a figure 8 puffer? also can ghost shrimp live in the same SG.

I've lost one BB Goby when it tried to "share" a favorite spot of one of my F8s. With 10 BB Gobies in a 10-gallon tank, some will be forced into the puffer's territory. As for ghost shrimps, they might not have enough time to clean the tank before they are consumed. Ghost shrimps in my puffer tank don't last for more than 24 hours. If you’d like to keep more than one fish in your 10-gallon, a F8 might not be a good idea.

 

[fish_keeper2]

i think ill stick with about 11 bumble bee gobies and whole bunch of ghostshrimp then.

i still need questions 3, 4, 5, and 6 answered

 

[penguinpimp1990]

any sg up to 1.005 is good, yes you use marine salt, yes thats good decor you could actually add some java fern or vallis, and liveaquaria.com sells a refractometer thats measures all sg's for $40. or petco/petsmart has hydrometers thats measures sg's as low as 1.002. Though these hydrometeres are very inaccurate.


and the ghost shrimp may be picked on as they both inhabit the same areas of the tank. Maybe the bbg's, a few ghost shrimp, and a few platies.

 

[fish_keeper2]

thanks......i didnt think of platies before. at petsmart ive seen nice red and black ones that would look great with the bumble bees.

i think this is what im going to do: 9 bumble bee gobies, 1 male and 2 female platies(the black and red ones, also the fry will probly be eaten so no worry about getting over stocked), and about 10 ghost shrimp.

decore will be white sand with lots of ceramic pots that have been broken, a bunch of java fern tied to rocks, and maybe the back lined with jungle vals. maybe ill through in some java moss if i can find any.

 

[penguinpimp1990]

what size tank will these fish be in?

 

[fish_keeper2]

i was planning a 10 gal with 2 filters rated for up to 10 gal or a filter made for up to 20 gal.

 

[penguinpimp1990]

a ten gallon tank will probally be too small for 10 bbg's, 3 platies, and 10 ghost shrimp... not because of the bio load but because of the aggression of the bee's. id try something like an 18 gallon.

 

[fish_keeper2]

how would i change the stock then to make it suitable for a 10 gal then if possible? i know i definetly want bumble bee gobies though.

 

[penguinpimp1990]

hmmmmm, id skip the ghost shrimp all together if i were you, and ten bbg's may be too much for your tank. Gradually add 1 or 2 bbg's at a time and see how many can live peacefully. Adding lots of caves and hiding spots will allow for more bbg's. I think the platies will be fine thoguh. good luck

 

[fish_keeper2]

thanks.........next mission is to find the bumble bees.......no lfs around here has them and i cant order online........i can talk to the owner of one lfs about getting some. he told me before he can order some fish for me if he doesnt have them.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Excuse my ignorance (never done brackish) but what are these brackish platies? Not livebearers surely? I thought mollies were the only comon livebearers who occasionally lived in brackish water. If it's really xiphophorus you're talking about, I wouldn't have thought longterm exposure to brackish water would do their kidneys any good.

 

[fish_keeper2]

platies and mollies can be kept in brackish........this tank is gonna have low SG levels. 1.005 to be exact where as freshwater is 1.000 and the ocean is 1.025