Javascript Disabled Detected

You currently have javascript disabled. Several functions may not work. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality.

Okefenokee Sunfish tank

Started by Guest_Fatman_* , Jul 10 2010 05:28 PM

Prev

Next

Please log in to reply

73 replies to this topic

#41 Guest_Fatman_*

Guests

Posted 22 July 2010 - 11:52 AM

Thanks Elijah. I had considered both the least and bluefin killis, but decided that the pygmy killis would be a better option.

Grabbed some snails and some "scraps" of green cabomba, a little hornwort and anacharis that I threw in this tank.
Not much of any of it, just a stem or 2, but figured they should grow well and they were just going to get thrown away anyways lol.

Back to top

#42 Guest_gerald_*

Guests

Posted 22 July 2010 - 12:46 PM

I've noticed that too. Least killifish (Heterandria) are tiny but their fry are way bigger and more competitive than Elassoma fry. Heterandria will likely reduce your Elassoma fry survival.

Back to top

#43 Guest_Fatman_*

Guests

Posted 22 July 2010 - 04:57 PM

My plants and light came into today :biggrin:

I'm setting it all up right now! Will take pics when I'm finished.

Back to top

#44 Guest_Fatman_*

Guests

Posted 22 July 2010 - 08:03 PM

I had room to keep the old light on the tank along with the new one.
The new light is 78W T5 HO. The bulbs are 6700K.
The old light is a 17W T8 light.
This gives me about 2.3 WPG on this tank.

The tank now has Mexican Oakleaf, Red Cabomba, Green Cabomba, Dwarf Sag, Ludwigia Repens, Banana plants, Dwarf Lily, Hornwort, Frogbit, Water Lettuce, Salvinia and a tiny bit of Anacharis.

Here are some pics, though they aren't that good.
FTS
Posted Image

Left Side

Center

Right Side
Posted Image

Back to top

#45 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 22 July 2010 - 10:39 PM

It's going to cost between $80 and $100 for all the fish that are going into this tank...

Poor Yankee... you should come down to the south... where these fish are found in the roadside ditches, and back country swamps...

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

Back to top

#46 Guest_NVCichlids_*

Guests

Posted 23 July 2010 - 07:39 AM

Right Side

The piece of wood to the right looks to have some sort of jelly/film or something growing on it. Is that safe?

Back to top

#47 Guest_Fatman_*

Guests

Posted 23 July 2010 - 11:48 AM

Poor Yankee... you should come down to the south... where these fish are found in the roadside ditches, and back country swamps...

I wish I could just find these fish around lol. Would help out my wallet a lot.

The piece of wood to the right looks to have some sort of jelly/film or something growing on it. Is that safe?

I've gotten that fuzz on some of the driftwood in my 120 before. It's not harmful and eventually goes away.
Not really sure why it shows up, but I've had it on both this mopani wood and other kinds of driftwood so I'm not worried.

Back to top

#48 Guest_Fatman_*

Guests

Posted 23 July 2010 - 02:49 PM

So I found an ad on craigslist where someone was giving away water lettuce not too far from me.
It was from their koi pond so the stuff was HUGE lol, but I grabbed a few of the smaller ones and a couple larger ones.
It looks with the large roots hanging down in the water. Don't want it to take over the top completely though and block out my new lights lol.

Back to top

#49 Guest_NVCichlids_*

Guests

Posted 23 July 2010 - 07:26 PM

i really wish it wasn't illegal to have them I would love to get some water lettuce. It was always was my favorite

Back to top

#50 Guest_Fatman_*

Guests

Posted 23 July 2010 - 10:26 PM

Yeah, I really love how the roots look hanging down. I put the larger plants into my 120 gallon tank and the fish lot the extra cover.

Back to top

#51 Guest_gzeiger_*

Guests

Posted 24 July 2010 - 05:46 AM

Is there a reason you wanted Okefenokee and not Banded pigmies? I could probably help with E. zonatum (honestly I can hardly tell them apart in an aquarium, though there are some differences) for less than half what you're talking about paying (and if you can live with priority rather than overnight shipping, probably for less than $20). I can get some H. formosa too if you decide to go with those.

Back to top

#52 Guest_Fatman_*

Guests

Posted 24 July 2010 - 01:11 PM

The reason I had chosen the Okefenokee over the Banded was because the site I was looking to buy from had them for a little cheaper than the Bandeds. I also like the blue bars the male Okefenokees get when breeding.
For a better price though I think I'd be interested in the Bandeds though.

Just a few questions about them though...
What can you tell me about them? Do they differ from the Okefenokees much?
Can they go with least "killis"? If so would I also be able to put bluefin or pygmy killis in there?
Are there any fish they can go with that Okefenokees can't? (If you say rainbow darters I'm sold lmao).

One last question for now on this tank.
I've noticed that a few ghost shrimp (probably about 4) have just dropped dead.
There was only like 12-14 of them so it doesn't make sense that they would be creating that much ammonia....
Any ideas on this? I just got home from work so I haven't had a chance to test the water yet, but I bought ammonia remover just in case. I've heard that the soil can sometimes leach out ammonia so I'll have to see if that's the issue.

Back to top

#53 Guest_Fatman_*

Guests

Posted 24 July 2010 - 06:50 PM

I'm not reading ANY ammonia or nitrite in this tank.....
I'm pretty stumped as to why everything is cloudy and shrimp are dying.

Back to top

#54 Guest_Elijah_*

Guests

Posted 25 July 2010 - 03:27 AM

The reason I had chosen the Okefenokee over the Banded was because the site I was looking to buy from had them for a little cheaper than the Bandeds. I also like the blue bars the male Okefenokees get when breeding.
For a better price though I think I'd be interested in the Bandeds though.

Just a few questions about them though...
What can you tell me about them? Do they differ from the Okefenokees much?
Can they go with least "killis"? If so would I also be able to put bluefin or pygmy killis in there?
Are there any fish they can go with that Okefenokees can't? (If you say rainbow darters I'm sold lmao).

One last question for now on this tank.
I've noticed that a few ghost shrimp (probably about 4) have just dropped dead.
There was only like 12-14 of them so it doesn't make sense that they would be creating that much ammonia....
Any ideas on this? I just got home from work so I haven't had a chance to test the water yet, but I bought ammonia remover just in case. I've heard that the soil can sometimes leach out ammonia so I'll have to see if that's the issue.

I would avoid least killies if you want to breed your pygmy sunfish. I added some to my banded pygmy tank and now the least fry are out competing the pygmy fry for food and taking over. My pygmy fry numbers are way down. Pygmy Killifish do not reproduce as much and are pretty cool. I would reccomend going with the pygmy killies for a more balanced tank.
I have noticed that ghost shrimp tend to die off in my tanks after a while. I think in part it is because of their health- if you get them from the pet store. I have started feeding mine shrimp pellets which contain a lot of salt water fish meal. They seem to be surviving in larger numbers now. I believe I even have some new generations of shrimp in my banded pygmy tank.

Back to top

#55 Guest_NVCichlids_*

Guests

Posted 25 July 2010 - 10:01 AM

I would avoid least killies if you want to breed your pygmy sunfish. I added some to my banded pygmy tank and now the least fry are out competing the pygmy fry for food and taking over. My pygmy fry numbers are way down. Pygmy Killifish do not reproduce as much and are pretty cool. I would reccomend going with the pygmy killies for a more balanced tank.
I have noticed that ghost shrimp tend to die off in my tanks after a while. I think in part it is because of their health- if you get them from the pet store. I have started feeding mine shrimp pellets which contain a lot of salt water fish meal. They seem to be surviving in larger numbers now. I believe I even have some new generations of shrimp in my banded pygmy tank.

I would have to agree. THe state of health of the ghost shrimp that pet stores get in are not the best. I , also, had noticed that feeding shrimp pellets/shrimp flake food will prolong their lives ( in college had a ghost shrimp live for 1.5 years with my lamprologus occellatus pair)

Back to top

#56 Guest_Fatman_*

Guests

Posted 25 July 2010 - 05:00 PM

Thanks for the info on the Least Killis, I'll just stick with the pygmies I think.

I've noticed the same thing with ghost shrimp. Though I've usually had them last about a week. Recently though I've only bought them as food for my Angels though. These guys I have been feeding either a few Omega One Tropical flakes or shrimp pellets at night and then I take out any uneaten ones in the morning.

Back to top

#57 Guest_gzeiger_*

Guests

Posted 26 July 2010 - 09:29 AM

Banded pigmies are found in the wild with Bluefin and Least killies (also bluegill and grass pickerel!) and they can be kept together, but I imagine in an aquarium setting this would inhibit breeding. I've never had any fry myself. They can be kept with swamp darters, but rainbows probably need lower temperatures and would certainly eat fry. I don't know a lot about rainbow darters as they are not found down here. The water where I catch Elassoma varies in temperature during the year from 48-92F.

I'm not familiar with pigmy killies, and I don't really know much about Okefenokee sunfish either, as far as telling you the difference between them.

Clouding of the tank may just be bacteria in the water column and may as well be an effect as a cause of the shrimp deaths, or unrelated.

Back to top

#58 Guest_Fatman_*

Guests

Posted 26 July 2010 - 03:16 PM

Thanks for the info. The Banded Pygmies sound great. I'm definitely interested in them.
I'm going to look into both the pygmy and bluefin killis more, but will probably go with the pygmies.
I know that there will still be competition between the 2 species, but this tank should be large enough and
from what I've read the sunfish should out compete the killis...

The water seems to be clearing up. I figured that it would and that the tank was just cycling.
The fuzz is also starting to thin out, not to mention snails snacking on it.
Everything seems to be going well. I just got some green cabomba to put in here. I think it'll contrast nicely with the red cabomba.

Back to top

#59 Guest_NVCichlids_*

Guests

Posted 26 July 2010 - 05:07 PM

when you get your pygmies let me know, as I have a 5.5 gallon tank all set up waiting for some. I have yet to pull the trigger to purchase any, but I am also not really caring what species I keep. I just want to know how the ones are you got are and where you got them from, so maybe I could order from them.

Back to top

#60 Guest_Elijah_*

Guests

Posted 26 July 2010 - 11:25 PM

when you get your pygmies let me know, as I have a 5.5 gallon tank all set up waiting for some. I have yet to pull the trigger to purchase any, but I am also not really caring what species I keep. I just want to know how the ones are you got are and where you got them from, so maybe I could order from them.

Dustin can probably sell you some. His prices are very good and every fish I have bought from him is still alive and well 6 months or so later. I highly recommend!