L. Ocellatus

[starrynightxxi]

okay, so i want to get a pair of these guys and want to make sure I get my facts straight and my questions answered, plus if anybody has any other advise on keeping them happy long term, that would be great.

I have a ten gallon that's cycling now. It will have sand substrate, but how deep should it be? I know these guys are notorious diggers so I don't want to deny them that, but I also don't want them to hit the bottom of the tank if it can be helped.

Also, I've never used sand in the tank before, so I don't know its nuances. How do i clean it? Is it just a matter of scraping off the dirt on top? Do I have to keep a lookout for bacteria or gas buildup? And if so, how do I do that, and how do I get rid of it?

How many shells, do you think? I've heard the occies don't need as many as, say, the multies do. Also, the shells will keep the water hard, but is there anything else i should do to maintain that?

Is there anything in particular that they like to eat? Are they strictly carnivorous, or will they do better with some vegetation in their diet?

As for the filter, are they sensitive to the current? Sould I try to kill the flow like I did for the bettas and goldies?


thanks!

 

[jayjay]

for sand say 2" maybe. on gas build up just stir the sand every so often and it should be fine.

just use a gravel vac but a few inches above the sand and sway it to make the debirs lift up.

say 4-6 shells would be enough i would think.

also add crushed coral to either the filter of substrate to buffer the water and try different rocks that buffer water aswel.

not sure on the other questions sorry.

 

[fish_r_great]

You could mix it up a bit as far as food is concerned.

They're not very particular about curretn but if u put them in and they don't seem to like it u can just kill it then.

I know u didn't ask, but I'll just tell u that u can tell sexes by the differencr in size. Males are much larger. I'd get 4 or so and let a pair form.

Good Luck
-Brad

 

[starrynightxxi]

yeah, the guy who breeds the ones i'm looking at said the same, that the males tend to grow larger faster than the females.

thanks guys