[saros]

Hello!

I just set up a small 14g (60x30x30cm) tank specifically for my lucky bamboo. I unintentionally had to add a TON of sand though (16kg... oops) to keep the bamboo upright. I don't mind it myself, but it does take a whole bunch of water volume away. I originally intended for it to just be a home for maybe a betta or some male fancy guppies, but now I'm wondering, are there any fish or other aquatic critters that enjoy a deep sand substrate that can also go into a smaller tank? Maybe certain bottom feeders/fish that like to bury themselves?

Here is a picture of the tank. The water is incredibly cloudy because I'm too lazy to rinse the sand, just gonna let it filter away before I add a heater/light and some plants and start cycling.

Thanks for reading and I welcome any advice/stocking suggestions!!

 

[ProudPapa]

Welcome to the forum.

Throw a handful of brown fallen hardwood leaves, and maybe a clump of Java moss or susswassertang in it, and add some shrimp in about three months, probably neocaridinas (red cherry shrimp or one of the other color varieties), but if you have soft low pH water caridinas would be a better option.

 

[saros]

Welcome to the forum.

Throw a handful of brown fallen hardwood leaves, and maybe a clump of Java moss or susswassertang in it, and add some shrimp in about three months, probably neocaridinas (red cherry shrimp or one of the other color varieties), but if you have soft low pH water caridinas would be a better option.

Thank you!

I already have a shrimp tank, and a blackwater tank, so I'm looking to keep fish or other critters in this one and keep the water clear (as in no tannins) I'm not against having shrimp in it in the slightest but if I do add maybe a betta or some guppies I'd be too worried they'd just eat the shrimp and/or their babies. I wouldn't be against keeping a bigger species of shrimp like a single bamboo shrimp either but I'm not sure if the tank is big enough for one? The LPS I saw them at said 14g is fine but online I read you need 20 gallons Or maybe dwarf crayfish?

I'm definitely gonna add a bunch of susswassertang though, what a great idea, thank you <3

 

[ProudPapa]

Given places to hide shrimp will reproduce and build a nice colony with guppies, or at least they do for me. The adult shrimp will be out and about ignoring the guppies and the juveniles will hide until they get large enough to feel safe.

 

[saros]

Given places to hide shrimp will reproduce and build a nice colony with guppies, or at least they do for me. The adult shrimp will be out and about ignoring the guppies and the juveniles will hide until they get large enough to feel safe.

Good to know! I've never tried guppies with shrimp before, might give it a go, I've been wanting to try out a big colony of multiple colored neocari's for a while just to see what happens

 

[Aaronious]

Good to know! I've never tried guppies with shrimp before, might give it a go, I've been wanting to try out a big colony of multiple colored neocari's for a while just to see what happens

Just a heads up. Doing it skittle style will yield "wild type" collorations after a few generations. Basically brown shrimp. What you could do however is use different kinds of shrimp. Neos and Cardinia(Tigers, Crystals and such) can be kept together. Amanos as well. However, as mentioned above, Neos prefer slighter harder water than other Caridinia species. So while it can be done, generally one or the other type is favored and will breed better than the other or the other may not breed at all. Be reminded that Amano do not successfully breed in freshwater. So they should be considered a non-reproducing shrimp.

 

[saros]

Just a heads up. Doing it skittle style will yield "wild type" collorations after a few generations. Basically brown shrimp. What you could do however is use different kinds of shrimp. Neos and Cardinia(Tigers, Crystals and such) can be kept together. Amanos as well. However, as mentioned above, Neos prefer slighter harder water than other Caridinia species. So while it can be done, generally one or the other type is favored and will breed better than the other or the other may not breed at all. Be reminded that Amano do not successfully breed in freshwater. So they should be considered a non-reproducing shrimp.

Oh yeah no worries I read about that and am prepared for it! I just like watching the way nature happens and see what comes out of it haha. I had a skittles tank before and I loved it but the tank suddenly burst after a week (worst day in my fishkeeping life) so I never got to experience the offspring part. I have white pearls that I can throw in the mix too (I learned today that those are not davidi's but zhangjiajiensis's... what a name). My country has relatively hard water (Netherlands, it's always around 8GH for me) so I don't really feel like getting Caridinas cause I'd have to mess with the hardness constantly. Thank you for the heads up either way!

 

[Aaronious]

Oh yeah no worries I read about that and am prepared for it! I just like watching the way nature happens and see what comes out of it haha. I had a skittles tank before and I loved it but the tank suddenly burst after a week (worst day in my fishkeeping life) so I never got to experience the offspring part. I have white pearls that I can throw in the mix too (I learned today that those are not davidi's but zhangjiajiensis's... what a name). My country has relatively hard water (Netherlands, it's always around 8GH for me) so I don't really feel like getting Caridinas cause I'd have to mess with the hardness constantly. Thank you for the heads up either way!

messing with hardness can be as easy as doing 50/50 tap and RO/DI water. On a smaller tank it could be worth it to buy some distilled water here and ther from the store. But at the same time, it took me over 2 years to get to actually feeling that I had something worth that extra hassle. hahaha. Good luck! I'm curious if the White Pearls will mix with the others.

 

[saros]

messing with hardness can be as easy as doing 50/50 tap and RO/DI water. On a smaller tank it could be worth it to buy some distilled water here and ther from the store. But at the same time, it took me over 2 years to get to actually feeling that I had something worth that extra hassle. hahaha. Good luck! I'm curious if the White Pearls will mix with the others.

Yeah it's really too much effort and money for me at the moment, sadly Maybe one day I'll be able to give it a try though! Thank you for your kind words and advice!

 

[susankat]

Banjo catfish would enjoy the deep sand bed, but they will also enjoy the shrimp.

 

[saros]

Banjo catfish would enjoy the deep sand bed, but they will also enjoy the shrimp.

They're not exactly suited for a 14g tank though, according to care sheets

 

[Bettakenzie]

some black kory loaches might find it appealing if you give them a few hidy holes! they love to dig and burrow in the sand and would be fun!