Jump to content


Killifish tank questions


34 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_fishlvr_*

Guest_fishlvr_*
  • Guests

Posted 02 August 2008 - 09:19 PM

Since I'm cutting down to one tank, I figured I would keep a lot of smaller fish in a large tank instead of only a couple large fish in the same tank. I have a 55 gallon aquarium (about 48" long and 18" high) and wanted to put some killies and livebearers in it. I was wondering what killies and livebearers will do good together and which ones won't. I want to have some of the smaller killies and livebearers, such as bluefins and H. formosa. I've already got a bunch of formosa and bluefins pop up in the feeder tanks every once in a while, so I could get a pair and breed them 'til I had however many I wanted for the tank. :D I wanted to get some ommata in there as well and some others but I'm not sure of what else I can put in there that won't eat the formosa and pygmy killies. Are there any others I can put in there?

#2 Guest_butch_*

Guest_butch_*
  • Guests

Posted 02 August 2008 - 11:13 PM

Rainwater killifish, a relative of bluefin killifish would be work.

#3 Guest_topminnow_*

Guest_topminnow_*
  • Guests

Posted 02 August 2008 - 11:18 PM

Keep the Heterandria formosa in a two and a half gallon aquarium. Your fifty-five gallon aquarium should be large enough to house a few Leptolucania ommata and Lucania goodei along with a Funduls species. As for livebearers, there are a few Poecilia or Poeciliopsis species to consider.

#4 Guest_fishlvr_*

Guest_fishlvr_*
  • Guests

Posted 02 August 2008 - 11:34 PM

Thanks for the replies guys. Would flagfish work as well? As far as Poecilia, would FL strain sailfins work?
Why wouldn't the hets work but the L. ommata would since they're the same size? Is it because of temperament?

#5 Guest_topminnow_*

Guest_topminnow_*
  • Guests

Posted 03 August 2008 - 02:42 AM

Flag fish can be a little aggressive sometimes and would not mix well with the smaller fish you want to keep. If you really enjoy Flag fish then I would suggest keeping Fundulus and large livebearers. Yes, native Mollies are a great fish.

I'm just wondering if H.formosa or L.ommata will appreciate the space as one might expect. Is your fifty-five gallon aquarium heavily planted?

#6 Guest_fishlvr_*

Guest_fishlvr_*
  • Guests

Posted 03 August 2008 - 08:19 AM

Flag fish can be a little aggressive sometimes and would not mix well with the smaller fish you want to keep. If you really enjoy Flag fish then I would suggest keeping Fundulus and large livebearers. Yes, native Mollies are a great fish.

I'm just wondering if H.formosa or L.ommata will appreciate the space as one might expect. Is your fifty-five gallon aquarium heavily planted?


It's going to be. I have Elodea, American vals, and ludwigia in it right now. I'm going to put the taller plants in the back of the tank and have a "lawn" of microswords in the front of the tank.

Well, I don't have any flagfish. I was just wondering if it would work, so I'm going to pass on them.

#7 Guest_topminnow_*

Guest_topminnow_*
  • Guests

Posted 03 August 2008 - 10:36 AM

How well are the plants growing in your aquarium? Be sure to use appropriate substrate with the plants you have in mind. Fifty-five gallon aquariums can be hard to illuminate because of the height. If you find that you aren't having much luck with your current stock of aquatic plants, you might want to consider ones which float or can be placed on the substrate or attached to objects.

#8 Guest_butch_*

Guest_butch_*
  • Guests

Posted 03 August 2008 - 11:03 AM

Im sure Steve knows what he do with his aquatic plants so no worries.

You can go ahead to start your 55gal project with plants and nanofishes. Add java moss for the heterandria fry to hid into.

Ommata, heterandria, bluefin and rainwater could work in 55gal together. And you should try add gold form heterandria too only if they are males (if you want keeping pure gold going on then don't add females to your 55gal)

#9 Guest_fishlvr_*

Guest_fishlvr_*
  • Guests

Posted 03 August 2008 - 11:36 AM

The plants have been doing great besides getting occasionally pulled out of the substrate by a nesting male green sunfish (he's going in a 100 gallon pond I have in my backyard today, so that problem will be solved. I'll get a picture of the tank and post it up in a little bit. It's pretty bare right now, but I want to get it heavily planted.

#10 Guest_fishlvr_*

Guest_fishlvr_*
  • Guests

Posted 03 August 2008 - 11:37 AM

And you should try add gold form heterandria too only if they are males (if you want keeping pure gold going on then don't add females to your 55gal)


What do you mean?

#11 Guest_topminnow_*

Guest_topminnow_*
  • Guests

Posted 03 August 2008 - 12:02 PM

I think butch is trying to suggest the addition of male gold Heterandria formosa.

A photograph of your aquarium would be great! Have you come up with a complete list of plants you want to keep? In my opinion the most difficult part of setting up a planted aquarium is locating the species and amounts you wish to use. Especially for a fifty-five gallon.

#12 Guest_fishlvr_*

Guest_fishlvr_*
  • Guests

Posted 03 August 2008 - 12:09 PM

I think butch is trying to suggest the addition of male gold Heterandria formosa.

A photograph of your aquarium would be great! Have you come up with a complete list of plants you want to keep? In my opinion the most difficult part of setting up a planted aquarium is locating the species and amounts you wish to use. Especially for a fifty-five gallon.


Not sure on the species yet, but I would like it to be mostly natives, except for a couple plants (like microswords and java moss).

#13 Guest_butch_*

Guest_butch_*
  • Guests

Posted 03 August 2008 - 12:15 PM

Oops my bad. What I mean that if you don't want to cross between normal colored heterandria to the gold form as the females might carried offspring of different sires at same time.

Im sure you will do fine with all of these nanofish in 55gallon tank with no problems.

#14 Guest_fishlvr_*

Guest_fishlvr_*
  • Guests

Posted 03 August 2008 - 12:19 PM

Oops my bad. What I mean that if you don't want to cross between normal colored heterandria to the gold form as the females might carried offspring of different sires at same time.

Im sure you will do fine with all of these nanofish in 55gallon tank with no problems.


That's what I thought but I wasn't sure. I don't mind the crosses. It's mainly for display. I'll probably keep a seperate pair of gold form hets for breeding. This is mainly just a display tank.

Thanks for y'all's help. I'm about to post up some pics of the tank.

Edit: Here they are. The ludwigia is just 1/2" tall cause a couple crawdads I had nibbled it down, so I couldn't get a clear pic of it.

Full tank:
DSCF3102.JPG

Cabomba:
DSCF3111.JPG

Planted side:
DSCF3118.JPG

Edited by fishlvr, 03 August 2008 - 12:24 PM.


#15 Guest_fishlvr_*

Guest_fishlvr_*
  • Guests

Posted 03 August 2008 - 01:10 PM

One more question. Would pygmy sunfish (Elassoma) work in the same aquarium?

Edited by fishlvr, 03 August 2008 - 01:10 PM.


#16 Guest_topminnow_*

Guest_topminnow_*
  • Guests

Posted 03 August 2008 - 01:11 PM

fishlvr, I would recommend changing the substrate if you plan to keep the species pictured or others which require planting. You might also consider using small pots or shallow containers if you feel that removing gravel is to large of a project or unnecessary. Just my opinion though. I really like your substrate, however, I'm unsure how it would compliment the small fishes you're going to use.

#17 Guest_topminnow_*

Guest_topminnow_*
  • Guests

Posted 03 August 2008 - 01:15 PM

One more question. Would pygmy sunfish (Elassoma) work in the same aquarium?


I'm still unsure of your species list but Elassoma should work fine. E. zonatum would be my first choice.

#18 Guest_butch_*

Guest_butch_*
  • Guests

Posted 03 August 2008 - 01:20 PM

Just my opinion though. I really like your substrate, however, I'm unsure how it would compliment the small fishes you're going to use.


I don't understand why 55gal would be problem for small species? Anyone will say the bigger tank is, the more happy for fishes. I want to know what's your deal about keeping small killifish species in huge 55gal tank.

#19 Guest_fishlvr_*

Guest_fishlvr_*
  • Guests

Posted 03 August 2008 - 01:22 PM

I'm still unsure of your species list but Elassoma should work fine. E. zonatum would be my first choice.


So far I'm going with:
H. formosa
L. ommata
L. goodei

and possibly wild FL P. latipinna if they can work with what I've got.

Butch mentioned rainwater killies, but I thought those had to be in brackish water?

#20 Guest_topminnow_*

Guest_topminnow_*
  • Guests

Posted 03 August 2008 - 01:51 PM

Lucania parva pefer salt but, like most brackish water fish, can adapt to freshwater.

You might want to reconsider the addition of P.latipinna if you choose Ellosoma.



Reply to this topic



  


0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users