[fishscale]

Similar to the thread I posted earlier, but I think I am closing in on fish that I want. I've been reading Fishbase in my spare time, and I'm looking at:

Microdevario Kubotai
Microdevario Nana
Boraras Micros
Boraras Merah
Boraras Brigittae
Sundadanio Axelrodi

My main goals are schooling, size, and cost. I want fish that school tightly and often, as small as possible, and obviously as expensive as possible :icon_bigg

Would any of you who own any of these fish please comment on their behavior?

 

[brohawk]

What size tank? IME kubotai schooled OK in my 29 gal but I get the feeling more tank length would have improved things. they still at least stayed close together constantly. They're virtually the same size as T. Espei which knock the pants off the Kubotai w/ REALLY tight schooling, but the Kubotai beat them out in coloring IMO. I still haven't decided which to restock my tank w/ for those reasons.

B. Micros are always hiding, but when they come out they school tight and quickly, and also school w/ my cpds from time to time. I'm noticing the longer I've kept them, the less shy and more frequent schools do appear.

 

[fishscale]

I've got a 20 long. I thought espei were larger?

 

[problemman]

no bout the same maybe a tad smaller. great fish i love them to be honest and i think im getting them for my tank when i can find them

 

[lauraleellbp]

I love my B. brigittae. They're always up at the front of my tank, begging for food lol. They shoal more than school in my 10gal, however. Not much to scare them into schooling, nor much room to school.

 

[rmc]

Espei are larger than Kubotai. Not so much in length but the Espei have much more girth.

The Espei also tend to use more of the tank whereas the Kubotai stay closer to the surface. Both species are very attractive in a planted tank but the Kubotai are absolutely stunning if given bright lighting.

I find they are both fairly easy to spawn in the right conditions. Espei fry like to hide in dense growth close to the bottom and grow to a safe-from-being-eaten size quickly. Kubotai fry hug the surface and are easily picked off by the adults if there are no surface plants for the fry to hide in.

 

[brohawk]

Espei are larger than Kubotai. Not so much in length but the Espei have much more girth.

The Espei also tend to use more of the tank whereas the Kubotai stay closer to the surface. Both species are very attractive in a planted tank but the Kubotai are absolutely stunning if given bright lighting.

I find they are both fairly easy to spawn in the right conditions. Espei fry like to hide in dense growth close to the bottom and grow to a safe-from-being-eaten size quickly. Kubotai fry hug the surface and are easily picked off by the adults if there are no surface plants for the fry to hide in.

I honestly disagree size wise--at least the female Kubotais seem to be so much girthier than the males, so maybe it's fair to say the fems are about the same as Espeis. And yes, their color is stunning. Of the Trigonostigma species, I think the Espeis are the most attractive too--I don't know why so many skim them over for drab Harlequins instead. They also seem to actually enjoy schooling just for fun, whereas the Kubotai only when nervous, otherwise they tend to just shoal.

 

[SearunSimpson]

and obviously as expensive as possible :icon_bigg

Would any of you who own any of these fish please comment on their behavior?

Why do you want the most expensive fish?

 

[lauraleellbp]

Why do you want the most expensive fish?

He's a glutton for punishment (of the wallet)

 

[rmc]

I have espei and kubotai for $30 each..... I can charge more if you take at least 6 of each.

 

[fishscale]

Why do you want the most expensive fish?

I have espei and kubotai for $30 each..... I can charge more if you take at least 6 of each.

I was kidding, nice try though :flick:

 

[rmc]

I honestly disagree size wise--at least the female Kubotais seem to be so much girthier than the males, so maybe it's fair to say the fems are about the same as Espeis. And yes, their color is stunning. Of the Trigonostigma species, I think the Espeis are the most attractive too--I don't know why so many skim them over for drab Harlequins instead. They also seem to actually enjoy schooling just for fun, whereas the Kubotai only when nervous, otherwise they tend to just shoal.

I just went and sized up my espei and kubotai. Both groups are spawning and have fry in the tank and the the tanks are side by side. The espei females are probably twice the size of the kubotai. The espei females look like livebearers that are about to burst whereas the kubotai females still have a slender shape in comparison.

The kubotai fry are about the smallest fry I've ever seen. I'm afraid to put baby brineshrimp in the tank because they could probably eat the fry. lol

 

[brohawk]

OK, now I know what you mean. Would you agree length/height wise they're about the same still, or am I recalling incorrectly? I've never kept both at the same time, but w/in a few months of each other.

Back to the OP, I hear the M. Nana are quite a bit smaller than the Kubotai, w/ slightly less flashy color as the trade off. Also, anybody have input on Asian Rummynose and their upper/lower preference in the tank? I've only seen juveniles at the LFS so don't know if they get too big for the OP's needs.

 

[rmc]

The length is about the same. If I get time later today I'll take some pics of both and post them.

 

[GTR]

I've had Boraras Brigittae in a 20 gallon since Monday. They stay pretty close to each other but might be broken into two schools at times and then regroup. Pretty much mid-water fish so far. Don't seem to be overly shy which surprises me.The tank is in a room in the back of my warehouse so the only foot traffic they see is when I go in there. Lots of fish in those circumstances would go straight into hiding as you approach. No other fish in this tank. These have got to be the smallest adult fish I've ever seen but I'm sure there are smaller ones.

SteveU

 

[Karackle]

I had a nice school of boraras brigittae in my 30g and they schooled quite well I found, in fact, the 2 i have left are the smallest fish in the tank but they are also the bravest! Whenever I walk by the ember tetras and CPDs swim behind the rock at first, but the itty bitty boraras keep doing their thing :hihi: and my goodness but they are TEENY!

Actually though, I know you didn't list them, but another brightly colored, very small fish that schools well is the ember tetra, they school really well in my tank. And they will hide when you walk by the tank, but if you stand still for about 30 seconds they start swimming around again They're about the same length as the boraras but look quite a bit larger because they are sort of disc shaped instead of torpedo shaped like the boraras.

 

[fishscale]

Embers are the fish I just lost, actually. My heat went out and I lost a lot of fish. For some reason, all the fish in my 20L died EXCEPT for my CPDs. The tank temp was in the low 60's when I got home.

*sigh*

I am also looking at green neons and ruby tetras at this point. Anyone have any schooling/size info on those? I've been told rubies are slightly smaller than embers.

 

[lauraleellbp]

I am also looking at green neons and ruby tetras at this point. Anyone have any schooling/size info on those? I've been told rubies are slightly smaller than embers.

That's exactly the combo I'm about to put in my 29gal... but I don't have them yet, so really I'm no help at all. LOL

(anyone heard from Invertz Factory in the past week or so, BTW??)

 

[Karackle]

I'm sorry to hear about the embers and all of your other fish, danios are very hardy, it doesn't surprise me all that much that the CPDs were the survivors, though they are so tiny I would have expected the temp to have a more damaging effect than on the larger danio species. Though I am glad that isn't true!

As for the other fish you're looking at, I've never had experience with either of them myself, but I believe mizu-chan had a school of them in her 20L and from the pictures they appeared to school quite well. I'll see if I can find the link for you and post it.

*edit* did a little research and I was correct green neons in her tank http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t.../68755-20-gallon-long-journal-new-pics-9.html starting at post # 324, more good pics at posts #342, 486 is a really good one, and 598 (and many others if you look through her journal).

 

[fishscale]

That's exactly the combo I'm about to put in my 29gal... but I don't have them yet, so really I'm no help at all. LOL

(anyone heard from Invertz Factory in the past week or so, BTW??)

I know, right?!! Actually, yes, I've been in contact with Niko. I just really want a full stocklist update so I can see a whole bunch of neat fish.

I'm sorry to hear about the embers and all of your other fish, danios are very hardy, it doesn't surprise me all that much that the CPDs were the survivors, though they are so tiny I would have expected the temp to have a more damaging effect than on the larger danio species. Though I am glad that isn't true!

As for the other fish you're looking at, I've never had experience with either of them myself, but I believe mizu-chan had a school of them in her 20L and from the pictures they appeared to school quite well. I'll see if I can find the link for you and post it.

*edit* did a little research and I was correct green neons in her tank http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t.../68755-20-gallon-long-journal-new-pics-9.html starting at post # 324, more good pics at posts #342, 486 is a really good one, and 598 (and many others if you look through her journal).

Thanks for that link, I remember seeing that a while back. She's got the same tank size, I just wish I could see it in person to see the size of the fish. They look small, but she did a great job scaping so that everything seemed tiny.