zebra danio olympics......

[Pysgodyn]

Hi All,

well, I decided that the zebra danios were just too frisky in my planted tank, I prefer the WCMM in terms of speed / size with the planted aesthetic. They were also getting a bit too boisterous and I suspect stressing each other and the WCMM out. So, my idea is to take the ZD's out and see how the WCMM do by themselves and if I like the tank better. (the ZD's are quite cool fish otherwise and I like how they explore every nook and cranny of the tank)

anyhow, of the three ZDs, one disappeared* when I was on hols. the second I managed to catch and put in my quarantine tank. The third........ still hasn't been caught ! the super fast and agile blighter !

So I'm going to try to get an even bigger net.... I also might try a DIY 'trap' made from a clear pop bottle.
It is a bit of a nightmare with all the plants..... almost had 'him' yesterday too.....

I'm reluctant to spend too much time 'hunting' as no doubt it will stress out all the fish in the tank (I think fish release stress hormones too ?)

G.

* still not found, neither inside or out of the tank.

 

[Pysgodyn]

well.... the pop bottle doesn't seem to be working.... great for WCMM, not for the ZD.... need to get to a LFS for a big net.

I might try to catch 'him' when snoozing late tonight. hopefully I can limit the damage to the plants.... he's getting good at hiding.....

 

[Pysgodyn]

hooray, big net, low light and starvation tactics result in one rehoused ZD.

the WCMM do seem happier now there are no ZD cohabiting, much happier to explore the whole tank; they had seemed to just hang around one top corner before. Oto cats possibly also happier, but they didn't seem that bothered by the ZD before. (otos being a bit weird with eating at the moment, algae is low, but they are not eating the algae wafers, fussy fish ! I'll try some courgette again)

So.... can anyone suggest other fish that are similar to the WCMM and not as active or teratorial as the ZD were ? the tank is 20-22ish degrees. (ie substantially unheated, though I do have a heater for winter)
I guess there aren't many options in that temperature range....
I did see some of the golden WCMM, but they just look wrong to me, too pale.
maybe just some more WCMMs. I have quite young small ones at the moment.

G.

PS I may well need to find a new home for the ZD's. maybe a LFS will accept a donation ?

 

[alto]

Congratulations on the successor capture

There are likely more fish than you expect that will do fine in that temp range, example

Sawbwa resplendens - these are often sold as general tropicals when they really do prefer slightly cooler temps, there are a number of species that fall into this category

Most endlers & platy ... depends what you like

 

[Pysgodyn]

Hi,

Those 'sawbwa' look interesting - thanks a lot for the tip, not a fish I'd thought of, but also not a fish i've seen for sale either. I'll keep an eye out.

little update.

I've added five golden WCMM (after a very short 10-day quarantine) which had been tendign to be towards the bottom of the Q tank.

now the bigger group of mixed WCMM are much happier ! the gold ones seem to have taught the originals to not be so timid and to explore the rest of the tank, they all now go high and low around the plants and decor. I wonder if the ZDs had scared the original WCMM so much they didn't dare explore far ?.

the goldWCMM fish were from a local maindenhead and aren't that washed-out/translucent compared to the ones I saw in P@H. (also the other normal WCMM at all the LFS's didn't look in too good condition. )

I'm tempted by some harlequin rasboras, but none for sale locally (was told atock quality has been very poor recently)
maidenhead also has the simialr Trigonostigma hengeli which looked cool, so some of them is tempting, thugh they are maybe a bit too translucent. I'd like maybe the espie type instead if I could find any.
I should be able to have them all together if I set the temp at 22c ?

I saw some golden ? gourami seem fairly small and should be healthier than the dwarf gourami. No idea if they would fit in ? I have a fair amount of water movement, so they may hate it adn be unable to make a bubble nest.

G.

 

[PBM3000]

It took me weeks to remove all my Leopard Danios. Nightmare...