Suggestions... please?

Discuss planted aquarium inhabitants
rich_one
Posts: 353
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2007 5:12 pm
Location: Waldorf, MD

Post by rich_one »

I think I have decided to go with Microrasbora Erythromicron. I found a site that says that Furcata Rainbows are known to eat small crustaceans. uh... that makes me a tad uncomfortable. so the micro rasboras win!

Now, uh... I gotta find 'em!
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Aaron
Posts: 3647
Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2004 11:18 pm
Location: Woodstock, MD

Post by Aaron »

Well, I wouldn't consider Amano shrimp small crustaceans. I have about a dozen in my tank with West African chiclids and furcatus rainbows and they're too big for either fish to worry about.
rich_one
Posts: 353
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2007 5:12 pm
Location: Waldorf, MD

Post by rich_one »

yeah... but this tank also has cherries!
seiji64
Posts: 211
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:19 pm
Location: Takoma Park

Post by seiji64 »

I will watch the recently added Furcatus in my work tank closely to see if I notice a drop in the number of baby shrimp in the tank. Interestingly, I don't see any right now. Doh! But I do have at least one berried female shrimp. We will see. I've always been suspicious of a lone Caridinal Tetra I have in that tank that is always looking plump, despite not always coming out to feast on the Tetra granules that I drop in the tank.

Also, I found an interesting article on Microrasbora Erythromicron here:

http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-exclusi ... sbora.aspx

They imply that adults will eat anything that'll fit in their little mouths, including their own fry. So I don't know if they are a sure bet not to eat the shrimplets either.
Doug
rich_one
Posts: 353
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2007 5:12 pm
Location: Waldorf, MD

Post by rich_one »

interesting article... I appreciate it. let me know if you notice anything between now and Saturday... I plan to make my fish order Saturday. I do really like the furcatas, and if I am going to be taking a 50/50 chance either way, then I would lean that way. both fish are quite beautiful though.
JMLenke
Posts: 1007
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 7:39 pm

Post by JMLenke »

In all the time I have kept fish, I have come to the conclusion that if it THINKS it can eat it, it will try to at least once.

Size, type, temperament, etc all dont seem to make a difference. At this point I just take my chances and keep an eye on the fish to see what happens.
The other Jeff

Master of growing algae and getting better at plants
seiji64
Posts: 211
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:19 pm
Location: Takoma Park

Post by seiji64 »

Sorry I wasn't able to give you more info before you bought your fish, but wanted to follow up on my P. furcatus/cherry shrimp observations. I removed a suspected shrimp eating Cardinal Tetra from the tank. That left me with these tankmates: rummynose tetras, amano shrimp, and dwarf crays. Now that the Cardinal's gone, the tiny shrimplets are noticeably more abundant and out in the open.

Sadly I can't keep my P. furcatus fry around. I had an issue with my timer where the tank light was on 24/7 for 2-3 weeks. That's one down side of a work tank - You don't notice when the lights are on all night! The interesting side effect of this was that 15+ furcatus fry emerged, 1 or 2 new ones each day. They liked to hover near the surface in the open areas of the tank near the filter current and were doing well on Hikari First Bites. But once the lights went back to their normal schedule, the population steadily dwindled to nil. :cry: Now when I see new furcatus fry, they are gone by the next day. The good news is that adult furcatus and baby shrimp seem to coexist nicely, in my tank anyway.
Doug
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