Suitable tank for P.taeniatus biotope?

[Scare_Crow]

Hi I've been interested in setting up a biotope tank for P.taeniatus since I kept them in a community tank years ago. On researching biotope conditions I stumbled across an article in pfk that suggested that P.taeniatus can be found in shallow streams.

Recently a friend gave me a tank that he had previously used to breed betas. The dimensions are 36long x 6high x 8wide. So the total volume is approx. 30 litres.

I was wondering would this size tank be suitable for a pair of P.taeniatus given its foot print?

thanks in advance

 

[gerald]

The length is good, but the volume is awfully small, and I think Pelv's will be nervous in a tank that shallow. When American fish biologists talk about "shallow streams" they're typically referring to streams with an average depth of maybe 2 to 3 feet (with some deeper pools) -- not 6 inches. Many benthic-oriented cichlids are nervous about being too close to the surface.

 

[Scare_Crow]

Thank you for the quick reply. That was my concern, however the article states that they have been found in water only a few inches deep! This is what got me thinking. The article goes on to say that in these areas the male: female ratio favours females (1:2) as predation is lower.

As always your thoughts are appretiated.

 

[gerald]

My guess is they move cautiously into very shallow water to hunt for bugs among the leaf litter and plant beds along the shore, but then dash for deeper water when something scares them (heron, kingfisher, otter, human, etc) just like many of our local sunfish, suckers, darters, and minnows do. Having a school of surface-dwelling fish above them can help comfort their nerves, but I still think confining them to only 6" of water will make them jittery.

 

[Scare_Crow]

Thank you for your input. I'll have a re-think of what to do with this tank then. Suggestions are more than welcome!

 

[gerald]

How about using it mainly as a tank for of emergent plants (Crypts, Anubias, Hygrophila, Sagittaria) and for fish use Corydoras, galaxy danios, rasboras, badis, scarlet dario, small livebearers, ... ???

 

[Pisces 56]

I've got a 40g breeder going as a Congo biotope. Ittiz still a work in progress so please keep that in mind. Right now I've got 4 female Congo Tetras (will get some males to beef up the shoal; the ones I had died), some - enough to keep them happy - Up-Side-Down Catfish (S. nigrientris) and two more (male) Ctenopoma fasciolatums. These guys all live around/near together. All my wood is African and all the plants are, too; most Anubias. It's coming along nicely, but there have been setbacks with illness, getting things established, etc.

The 40's working well. Can have two pair of the Pelvies in there with no probs with the way I've divided the tank with wood and plants. I have cheated a bit and put in a BN pleco for algae control. I don't count him. But other than him, it's a kosher Congo biotope.

There are other fish you could mix together. Just gotta do your home work. Google biotopes. There's a couple or two out there specifically on the an African riverine setting.

Good luck and keep us posted.

mk

 

[Scare_Crow]

Thanks for your comment, what dimensions are your tank out of interest?

 

[Pisces 56]

Hoo-boy. You HAD to ask. Ah, 36" long for sure. And then like 18" and 16" respectively. I think. Google "aquarium tank sizes" and look for 40g breeder.

For some reason, I never knew, 40g breeders seem to be the choice of many aquariests for display tanks. I think it's because the dimentions look good and they're, the tanks, easy to work with and get into to mess with.

 

[Scare_Crow]

Thanks, I've seen on a lot of forums the term 40g breeder or 40g long etc. In the UK we tend to just refer to the tank volume. But obviously the requirements of some species are such that knowing the dimensions of the tank is helpful.

 

[Pisces 56]

Yeah. Like some of the, what are often called, 'beasts' (huge big fish that have no right being confined in a hobbyists' tank, no matter what the size tank) need like longer length. Take a 20g tank. You can have a 20g tall or a 20g long. Talls are pretty but fish don't swim vertically, they swim horizontally. So, a 20g long can hold more and a little larger fish. You should keep less fish (if you did things properly) in a 20 tall vs. 20 long. Does that make sense?

But can't you do the same with your tank volume, using the volume of the fish (volume to volume)? Or not? I am HOPELESSLY math challenged and volume vs mass and other stuff like that makes my eyes cross.

I hope I have not confused you. Being confused about this math stuff is no fun. Trust me.

 

[Pisces 56]

Oh! And labyrinth fish? They usually come from shallower waters and do better in NON-tall tanks because in them they have to go farther to the top to get air, make nests, yada, yada, yada. The longs are much better for them.