I think Lupin's issue stems more from the fact that you're hijacking one person's thread to berate another who never solicited your opinion, kind of exactly like what I'm doing now!
:bling:
Polypterus Senegalus in 40 Breeder?
- Thread starter Lillyan
- Start date
I think Lupin's issue stems more from the fact that you're hijacking one person's thread to berate another who never solicited your opinion, kind of exactly like what I'm doing now!
:bling:
If you can eventually get a 75 gallon tank for it, you might try a gold severum(or 2 depending on when you can upgrade).
If you will being using the 40 breeder permanently, I would look for species topping out at 10 inches. The Macaw cichlid(Hypsophrys nicaraguensis) might be a good option. There are a lot of Haps that could work, but they usually take a while to reach full size.
If you will being using the 40 breeder permanently, I would look for species topping out at 10 inches. The Macaw cichlid(Hypsophrys nicaraguensis) might be a good option. There are a lot of Haps that could work, but they usually take a while to reach full size.
I agree with the severum. I've got a red-spot gold sev in my 75 gal and LOVE it. They are slow-ish growers, but will need more than 40 gal eventually. Mine started out about silver-dollar sized a year ago (maybe 2 or 2.5" long including tail). He's around 4-5" or so in length now, and will slowly keep growing over the next few years.
But since you're wanting something that will stay in the 40 G, I'd suggest maybe rams. Bolivian are nice and not quite as needy as the GBR's. Just a thought. Good luck.
But since you're wanting something that will stay in the 40 G, I'd suggest maybe rams. Bolivian are nice and not quite as needy as the GBR's. Just a thought. Good luck.
Are you buying the fish online, or locally?
If locally, then it seems like putting the cart before the horse to draw up a stocking scheme without taking a close look at the LFS selection first. Write down the fish that interest you, and see how you can work them into a community.
If you don't think you'll get bichirs, what about loaches? Zebra loaches or yoyo loaches would work well in a tank this size (but I don't think both together). The problem is that they are generally expensive, and to keep them happy you need to have 4+...hard to do when the fish are $12-17 a pop
Strictly speaking stunting is a result of water quality, not tank size, though there are some other factors I'd rather not get into in this thread since we've already gotten slightly off topic. You can stunt a fish in a large tank without maintenance whereas you can have a non-stunted fish in a smaller tank with something like a drip system changing out water 24/7. Assuming the fish is not physically too large to move in the aquarium.
There are a lot of educational institutions that grow out fish in enclosures that would be considered "overstocked" judging by the amount or size of the fish per enclosure, but they have drip systems changing out water constantly so nitrates and other organics are low or nonexistent. Public aquariums for instance often get away with a large amount of stocking due to their filtration and water change out scheme, whereas the average hobbyist with that set up WOULD indeed have stunted fish.
If you take the Tennessee Aquarium for instance, who grows out sturgeon for release, they have a "touch tank" with juvenile sturgeon that at first glance appears much too highly stocked. But if you ask about their filtration scheme it would soon be evident that the water quality is not degraded due to that stocking level.
So there are many more factors that lead to stunting rather than just tank size compared to the size or amount of fish.
When we talk about overstocked there are two definitions depending on context. Overstocked as in many more fish than generally should be in the tank, but with a filtration and water change scheme that keeps water quality perfect. (There are plenty of hobbyists that overstock by this definition without detriment to the fish, so you cannot know whether someone is stunting their fish sheerly based on their stock list).
Or the definition used by people to refer to an amount of fish that will degrade water quality based on the persons filtration and maintenance schedule.
By the first definition you can be overstocked and still have healthy fish. The second definition is where we end up with fish that are stunted.
So it's not really fair to assume that someone has poor water quality and is stunting their fish based on their stock list for the size of their aquarium.
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Lillyan - as far as an unusual fish that can be kept in a 40 breeder, since you've discounted bichirs, how about something like dwarf pike cichlids? They have an elongate shape and are pretty interesting.
Re: Bold section above...
You obviously haven't read any of that poster's other threads.
Pretty much everything on the Petsmart website I can find in their stores.
Others that I would have to buy online, really are not even an option.
What about the Eel or the spotted leaf fish? Also, I'd like more than one fully grown in a 40breeder, so keep that in mind.
Both LFS aren't that good at keeping fish and they are no where near local, lol.
Others that I would have to buy online, really are not even an option.
What about the Eel or the spotted leaf fish? Also, I'd like more than one fully grown in a 40breeder, so keep that in mind.
Both LFS aren't that good at keeping fish and they are no where near local, lol.
