Hi all.
The local aquatic plant club asked me to put together a talk on native fishes for a high tech aquarium-- the kind with bright lights, enriched substrate, and CO2 injection.
If anyone has experience with natives that do well in such a setup, I'd love to hear from you.
Likewise, even if you have experience with a fish that you _think_ would do well in such a setup, I'd love to hear from you.
I'm especially interested in how cyprinids might do in a high tech plant tank. I haven't kept many native cyprinids, but I'm inclined to think that their are a lot of species that would do well.
Thanks.
Native fish for a high tech planted tank?
Started by
Guest_Bob_*
, Feb 03 2013 09:32 AM
19 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_EricaWieser_*
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Posted 03 February 2013 - 10:14 AM
The elassoma gilberti that I used to keep loved plants.
http://youtu.be/LnVXXwbIU5U
So do the heterandria formosa that I keep now
http://youtu.be/cGwHbKLtIJ0
and so did the orangethroated darters that I used to keep. They would climb up into the plants to hunt swordtail fry. They were very good at that.
Here is a female etheostoma spectabile in ceratophyllum demersum:
http://gallery.nanfa...ageViewsIndex=1
http://gallery.nanfa.../022-1.jpg.html
That one's a little surprising because you always hear darters get recommended powerheads. But it turns out if you give them a jungle they're explore that, too. The powerhead is even helpful for that; they're more able to life themselves off the ground initially and then hop from leaf ledge to leaf ledge.
A small powerhead is, despite the lack of their use in the community, compatible with a planted tank. If it's not disturbing the surface it won't drive CO2 out of the water.
http://youtu.be/LnVXXwbIU5U
So do the heterandria formosa that I keep now
http://youtu.be/cGwHbKLtIJ0
and so did the orangethroated darters that I used to keep. They would climb up into the plants to hunt swordtail fry. They were very good at that.
Here is a female etheostoma spectabile in ceratophyllum demersum:
http://gallery.nanfa...ageViewsIndex=1
http://gallery.nanfa.../022-1.jpg.html
That one's a little surprising because you always hear darters get recommended powerheads. But it turns out if you give them a jungle they're explore that, too. The powerhead is even helpful for that; they're more able to life themselves off the ground initially and then hop from leaf ledge to leaf ledge.
A small powerhead is, despite the lack of their use in the community, compatible with a planted tank. If it's not disturbing the surface it won't drive CO2 out of the water.
Edited by EricaWieser, 03 February 2013 - 10:14 AM.
#3
Guest_EricaWieser_*
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Posted 03 February 2013 - 10:21 AM
oh, and in a separate post, an aquarium does not have to be 'high tech' to grow plants well. I use kitty litter from Walmart (the pure clay kind with no clumping chemicals or fertilizers added, nutrients: http://www.thekrib.c...rate-jamie.html ) and $9 per pair full spectrum lights from Home Depot ( http://www.homedepot...ml#.UQ5_PqXAeuI ) in a $10 four foot long T8 light fixture from Walmart.
Total cost of setup is $20 per light fixture (you can fit two on a four foot long tank) and $4 for substrate. I don't use CO2 injection. And this is my tank:
http://gallery.nanfa...ageViewsIndex=1
http://gallery.nanfa...ageViewsIndex=1
Total cost of setup is $20 per light fixture (you can fit two on a four foot long tank) and $4 for substrate. I don't use CO2 injection. And this is my tank:
http://gallery.nanfa...ageViewsIndex=1
http://gallery.nanfa...ageViewsIndex=1
#4
Guest_EricaWieser_*
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Posted 03 February 2013 - 10:23 AM
Although I haven't kept them myself, I think orangespotted sunfish would go beautifully in a planted tank.
Picture of one:
http://gallery.nanfa...icture 2619.jpg
Perhaps you can ask Will Pruitt about his dollar sunfish planted tank.
http://gallery.nanfa...011703.JPG.html
Picture of one:
http://gallery.nanfa...icture 2619.jpg
Perhaps you can ask Will Pruitt about his dollar sunfish planted tank.
http://gallery.nanfa...011703.JPG.html
Edited by EricaWieser, 03 February 2013 - 10:24 AM.
#5
Guest_Kanus_*
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Posted 03 February 2013 - 10:26 AM
I have a 75 gallon that has gone through many lives but its initial setup was as a high-tech planted tank with a large group of banded sunfish. I had a large mixture of NC coastal plain fish in there also but I personally, for a nice professional look, would go with banded sunfish and a group of pteronotropis of some kind. Bandeds are bold enough to compete well for food with some shiners, and both them and pteronotropis are striking fish. Ironcolor or dusky shiners would also be suitable for the habitat and are quite handsome, though not colorful.
#6
Guest_Kanus_*
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Posted 03 February 2013 - 10:27 AM
Yes, dollars are great also, if you want to stick with a larger-fish-theme. But they would best be kept alone.
#7
Guest_gerald_*
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Posted 03 February 2013 - 12:58 PM
Agree with Derek on banded sunfish (and all Enneacanthus) and pretty much any other swamp-stream fishes (pteronotropis, dusky & taillight shiners, sawcheek & tesselated darters, mudminnow, killies, etc. I'd guess they can handle more CO2 than flowing-stream fishes that only have to deal with CO2 at air-equilibrium concentration. I've never done high-CO2 planted tanks myself, but are there certain tropical fish that don't do well in those setups?
#8
Guest_Bob_*
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Posted 04 February 2013 - 01:41 PM
I agree about aquariums not needing to be high tech. My tanks are set up Todd Crail style and informed by a lot of Diana Walstad. But the folks I'm speaking to are high tech out the Wazoo, so I'm looking for stuff that will do well in that type of environment.
oh, and in a separate post, an aquarium does not have to be 'high tech' to grow plants well. I use kitty litter from Walmart (the pure clay kind with no clumping chemicals or fertilizers added, nutrients: http://www.thekrib.c...rate-jamie.html ) and $9 per pair full spectrum lights from Home Depot ( http://www.homedepot...ml#.UQ5_PqXAeuI ) in a $10 four foot long T8 light fixture from Walmart.
Total cost of setup is $20 per light fixture (you can fit two on a four foot long tank) and $4 for substrate. I don't use CO2 injection. And this is my tank:
http://gallery.nanfa...ageViewsIndex=1
http://gallery.nanfa...ageViewsIndex=1
#9
Guest_Bob_*
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Posted 04 February 2013 - 01:43 PM
Part of the equation is CO2 injection, the other part is the addition of ferts to the water column. I'm inclined to think that fish from soft acid water wouldn't care for that.
Agree with Derek on banded sunfish (and all Enneacanthus) and pretty much any other swamp-stream fishes (pteronotropis, dusky & taillight shiners, sawcheek & tesselated darters, mudminnow, killies, etc. I'd guess they can handle more CO2 than flowing-stream fishes that only have to deal with CO2 at air-equilibrium concentration. I've never done high-CO2 planted tanks myself, but are there certain tropical fish that don't do well in those setups?
#10
Guest_EricaWieser_*
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Posted 04 February 2013 - 08:00 PM
Leptolucania ommata would probably like CO2 driven low pH. It lives in the Okefenokee swamp, which has a pH of like 3 or 4. Ditto Elassoma okefenokee. And heterandria formosa.
Edited by EricaWieser, 04 February 2013 - 08:01 PM.
#11
Guest_Auban_*
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Posted 16 February 2013 - 04:58 AM
ill toss in a vote for bluefin killifish(lucania goodie). here is a video of my tank. it was medium to hight light when the video was shot, and was running DIY CO2. i know most people think that CO2 is wont help a tank as large as this 65g, but i use a very powerful diffusion method, which makes a big difference. the drop checker on it is always yellow. the fish dont seem to mind ferts.
http://s1242.photobu...nt=IMG_0747.mp4
what you dont see in the video is also two pairs of rainwater killifish(lucania parva). at the time i only had four, but right now i have about 60(they breed fast). the blue fins have been breeding as well. i swipe the hair grass with a net from time to time, rescue some fry, and when they are big enough, i add them back in. in the last couple months i have gotten enough to send two people a colony of 25 fish each. very easy fish to keep and breed.
i also have a few in this tank. it has VERY high lighting, 6 T5HO bulbs over it, and also gets CO2 and lots of ferts. they seem to be doing fine, but they hide from the congo tetras. this tank was set up mainly to grow plants, and is only a few months old.
this is the bluefin killifish tank now. there are probably about fifty in there, but most of them are still on the small side. there is enough plants in there to hide them pretty well. there are also dwarf livebearers(heterandria formosa)
http://s1242.photobu...nt=IMG_0747.mp4
what you dont see in the video is also two pairs of rainwater killifish(lucania parva). at the time i only had four, but right now i have about 60(they breed fast). the blue fins have been breeding as well. i swipe the hair grass with a net from time to time, rescue some fry, and when they are big enough, i add them back in. in the last couple months i have gotten enough to send two people a colony of 25 fish each. very easy fish to keep and breed.
i also have a few in this tank. it has VERY high lighting, 6 T5HO bulbs over it, and also gets CO2 and lots of ferts. they seem to be doing fine, but they hide from the congo tetras. this tank was set up mainly to grow plants, and is only a few months old.
this is the bluefin killifish tank now. there are probably about fifty in there, but most of them are still on the small side. there is enough plants in there to hide them pretty well. there are also dwarf livebearers(heterandria formosa)
#12
Guest_Bob_*
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Posted 20 February 2013 - 04:18 PM
Very, very nice, Auban. I'm impressed. I've dabbled in bluefins in the past, but have never been able to get them up to any appreciable numbers. Thank you for posting. Do you mind if I use your photos for my slide show?
#13
Guest_Auban_*
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Posted 21 February 2013 - 01:34 AM
Do you mind if I use your photos for my slide show?
dont mind at all
#14
Guest_Usil_*
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Posted 25 February 2013 - 02:43 PM
Nice tanks. Now that is how you grow plants and keep them happy.
Usil
Usil
#15
Guest_PolitikzAmore_*
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Posted 06 March 2013 - 11:57 PM
Already seeing a few people mention the same species, but I also keep black banded sunfish, and bluefinned killis in my planted tank. I run 6ft of 6 bulb HOT5 racks on the 180g tank. Standard daily ferts, and injected co2. I have had no issues personally with dosing, or using flourish excel weekly. pool filter sand over dirt mix. Ground water here is close to 18 grains per gallon hardness, so I do mix some RO/DI water into my tap, and run co2 24/7 to drop ph further. I will attempt to take some pictures when my other half gets home with her smart phone. Photography is tricky with the sister tanks transversely located.
#16
Guest_BTDarters_*
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Posted 07 March 2013 - 01:43 AM
I keep almost all of the natives that I offer on my website in "high-tech" tanks. I do not use CO2, however. I fertilize the water column with Seachem Flourish and Flourish Excel every other day. The Vallisneria and the Fantail Darters don't like it if I dose every day. My plants are growing luxuriously, though. I'll see if I can post some pics in the next couple of days.
Brian
Brian
#17
Guest_BTDarters_*
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Posted 07 March 2013 - 02:13 AM
I remembered that I already have some photos to share. Here they are:
P1040145-HCRBDR-768x576.jpg 97.15KB
2 downloads
One of my High-Color Rainbow Darters (Etheostoma caeruleum) and some Blackside Darters (Percina maculata) in a planted tank. Not too much current, but they don't seem to mind.
P1040151-JYDR-768x576.jpg 87.32KB
1 downloads
Johnny Darter (Etheostoma nigrum) among the Sagittaria subulata.
PA240063-Blackside_Darter-768x576.jpg 85.97KB
3 downloads
Blackside Darter hiding among the driftwood, rocks and Sagittaria.
PC260102-BSDR-hiding-768x576.JPG 72.26KB
4 downloads
Blackside Darter among the Sagittaria.
Feel free to use my images for your talk if you'd like. If you need higher-resolution images, please give me a call.
Brian
P1040145-HCRBDR-768x576.jpg 97.15KB
2 downloadsOne of my High-Color Rainbow Darters (Etheostoma caeruleum) and some Blackside Darters (Percina maculata) in a planted tank. Not too much current, but they don't seem to mind.
P1040151-JYDR-768x576.jpg 87.32KB
1 downloadsJohnny Darter (Etheostoma nigrum) among the Sagittaria subulata.
PA240063-Blackside_Darter-768x576.jpg 85.97KB
3 downloadsBlackside Darter hiding among the driftwood, rocks and Sagittaria.
PC260102-BSDR-hiding-768x576.JPG 72.26KB
4 downloadsBlackside Darter among the Sagittaria.
Feel free to use my images for your talk if you'd like. If you need higher-resolution images, please give me a call.
Brian
#18
Guest_PolitikzAmore_*
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Posted 04 April 2013 - 11:55 PM
Just an update for people who may be interested.
Still lacking good full tank pics. I will get around to it one day...
Stocking for the 180g community tank looks like this.
Heterandria Formosa
Jordanella Floridae
Etheostoma Fricksium
Enneacathus Gloriosus
Enneacanthus Chatedon
Lucania Goodei
Fundulus Cingulatus
Pteronotropis Stonei
Corydoras Hastatus
Grammarus sp.
Palaemonetes Paludosus
I have been adjusting my oxygen/co2 ratios to help the darters.
Otherwise everyone seems to have found a good niche in the tank
Still lacking good full tank pics. I will get around to it one day...
Stocking for the 180g community tank looks like this.
Heterandria Formosa
Jordanella Floridae
Etheostoma Fricksium
Enneacathus Gloriosus
Enneacanthus Chatedon
Lucania Goodei
Fundulus Cingulatus
Pteronotropis Stonei
Corydoras Hastatus
Grammarus sp.
Palaemonetes Paludosus
I have been adjusting my oxygen/co2 ratios to help the darters.
Otherwise everyone seems to have found a good niche in the tank
Edited by PolitikzAmore, 05 April 2013 - 12:02 AM.
#19
Guest_PolitikzAmore_*
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#20
Guest_velvetelvis_*
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Posted 19 June 2013 - 11:27 PM
I like that! It looks very natural. Do you have any updated pictures?
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