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I am planning my first planted tank - and while I am a far way off from being anything ready to safely accept fish - I have been contemplating what I want to stock it with.
Conceptually - the tank is a 10 g rimless with driftwood and lightly to moderately planted (but with more of a focus on the wood - manzanita branches arranged in mangrove like-roots). Planning on canister filter (Eheim), Lily tubes and Fugeray light. I am hoping that the light is good enough to grow the plants - but not so bright as that I have to worry about CO2. Maybe on a future tank - but not this one.
I really like the tiny fish that establish schooling/shoaling - although I realize in a 10 g - the behaviors will be more limited due to size constraints.
I would like either one species, or two species that get along well but stay pretty segregated in behavior.
Thoughts?
Update - 1/18/2013
I stocked my tank last week with fish from Frank's Aquarium. I went for a Myanmar biotope with the following fish:
Danio margaritatus (CPDs)
Microdevario nana
Yunnanilus sp. (Burmese Rosy Loachs AKA Petruichthys sp. 'rosy' AKA Tuberoschistura arakensis)
It has only been one week - but so far I am extremely happy with the grouping.
- The CPDs are gorgeous little fish - that transition from being out in the open to darting behind the driftwood and into the background plants. But because they can readily hide behind something, there are always a few of them out and about.
- The M. nana exhibit great schooling behavior even in a small tank (since they themselves are so small - there is a good about of swimming room). Time will tell if they lose that behavior or not. Their subtle iridescence is really nice. I currently have 7 (one jumped out at some point after being startled) - but am looking to add a few more as they seem to be stressed if one individual gets segregated by themselves. This way - they can at least form two small groups if split up.
- The loaches are extremely cool. Hang out on the bottom - occasionally darting up to the midwater and occasionally chasing the CPDs out of their way. Their coloration has greatly increased in the week that I have had them.
Tank parameters - pH 6.6, KH 2-3, GH 5-6, temp 73
Conceptually - the tank is a 10 g rimless with driftwood and lightly to moderately planted (but with more of a focus on the wood - manzanita branches arranged in mangrove like-roots). Planning on canister filter (Eheim), Lily tubes and Fugeray light. I am hoping that the light is good enough to grow the plants - but not so bright as that I have to worry about CO2. Maybe on a future tank - but not this one.
I really like the tiny fish that establish schooling/shoaling - although I realize in a 10 g - the behaviors will be more limited due to size constraints.
I would like either one species, or two species that get along well but stay pretty segregated in behavior.
Thoughts?
Update - 1/18/2013
I stocked my tank last week with fish from Frank's Aquarium. I went for a Myanmar biotope with the following fish:
Danio margaritatus (CPDs)
Microdevario nana
Yunnanilus sp. (Burmese Rosy Loachs AKA Petruichthys sp. 'rosy' AKA Tuberoschistura arakensis)
It has only been one week - but so far I am extremely happy with the grouping.
- The CPDs are gorgeous little fish - that transition from being out in the open to darting behind the driftwood and into the background plants. But because they can readily hide behind something, there are always a few of them out and about.
- The M. nana exhibit great schooling behavior even in a small tank (since they themselves are so small - there is a good about of swimming room). Time will tell if they lose that behavior or not. Their subtle iridescence is really nice. I currently have 7 (one jumped out at some point after being startled) - but am looking to add a few more as they seem to be stressed if one individual gets segregated by themselves. This way - they can at least form two small groups if split up.
- The loaches are extremely cool. Hang out on the bottom - occasionally darting up to the midwater and occasionally chasing the CPDs out of their way. Their coloration has greatly increased in the week that I have had them.
Tank parameters - pH 6.6, KH 2-3, GH 5-6, temp 73



