new hillstream tank

[animalkidd]

hi there,
i'm new here so, my name is nick and i'm 15 years old and i live in the netherlands. so if my english isn't correct, that is the reason

well, i have just started a new tank, it's 60 x 30 x 30 cm so that is about 54 liters. i'm looking to make a hillstream tank out of it, with white clouds in it (they already are in) whith maybe sptiphodon, of other gobies with loaches.

but, i want to make it just like the river where the white clouds live in in the wild, so a china biotope. does anyone of you know what plants belong here?

greatingss

[jonstfrancis]

Found this about their habitat(s) in the wild:
Habitat
Little published information exists but one of the populations rediscovered close to the type locality in Guangdong inhabits a sluggish, spring-fed mountain stream with clear, shallow water and dense growths of aquatic vegetation (Yi et al. 2004). Macropodus opercularis and introduced Gambusia affinis were the only other fish species recorded.
The Hainan Island fish occupy a clear, slow-moving coastal stream and its tributaries. The substrate is composed of sand, pebbles and leaf litter and even during the wet season the maximum water depth was only 23.6″/60cm.
They were observed swimming in schools in calmer zones and backwaters close to patches of dense, trailing marginal vegetation. The pH was 6.4 with low hardness values and plant species present included Blyxa japonica, Rotala rotundifolia, Ludwigia prostrata, Ceratopteris thalictroides and Limnophila sp. Other fishes included Puntius semifasciolatus, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, Macropodus opercularis, and Channa gachua as well as non-native Gambusia and Oreochromis.
http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/ta ... albonubes/

I keep white cloud mountain minnows too

[animalkidd]

so, if i understand it right, they don't even live in hillstreams??

[jonstfrancis]

Must admit I was surprised a bit too. I've always kept them in fast moving water and they seem to enjoy the flow from the filter. They do manage to sleep at night in a small part of the tank that is more still and hide around a rock there or even tucked up in some java moss. The water in those natural places is also really shallow and makes my aquarium look really deep. Considering how hardy they are I suspect they manage to inhabit everywhere in any brook/river they live in and so exist in a variety of habitats - deep/shallow, fast moving/slow etc.

My advice is to give them a large area in the middle and front of the tank to swim about as a group. That shows them off the best. Surround this area with stones and plants that look good/natural and into which the minnows can explore and hide when they wish too.

[animalkidd]

heey,
wel, i was thinking to make it like on the picture, but then with one or 2 places with plants, a bit nature looking
but, with wich fish do they live in the more fast flowing areas??

[animalkidd]

alright,
i found this, it is about another species i know, but they do live in the same area.
but, i'm nog an expert in english zo could anyone please tell me what this text means?
because do the white clouds live with the chinese hillstream loach or do i understand it wrong?

Habitat
Restricted to shallow, fast-flowing, highly-oxygenated headwaters/minor tributaries characterised by stretches of riffles and runs broken up by pools or cascades in some cases. Substrates are normally composed of smaller rocks, sand and gravel with jumbles of boulders, and while riparian/stream-side vegetation and patches of submerged leaf litter are common features aquatic plants aren’t usually present.

The most favourable habitats contain clear, oxygen-saturated water which, allied with the sun, facilitates the development of a rich biofilm carpeting submerged surfaces. During periods of high rainfall some streams may be temporarily turbid due to suspended material dislodged by increased, sometimes torrential, flow rate and water depth.

Guangdong Province is the centre of Chinese ornamental fish exports and other species occupying similar habitats exported from the area include Beaufortia kweichowensis, Erromyzon sinensis, Pseudogastromyzon myersi, Sinogastromyzon wui, Vanmanenia pingchowensis and Rhinogobius duospilus. At the Shenzhen locality pictured above sympatric species include Tanichthys albonubes, Parazacco spilurus, Pseudogastromyzon myersi, Oreonectes platycephalus, Pterocryptis anomala, Rhinogobius duospilus, Glyptothorax pallozonum plus introduced Xiphophorus variatus.

http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/li ... -disparis/

thanks

[Jim Powers]

They do live with hillstream loaches according to the txt.

[animalkidd]

alright! that's nice you all know that that text wasn't about the white clouds?

[Jim Powers]

Yes, it was about Liniparhomaloptera disparis. I have kept both species together.

[animalkidd]

alright that's perfect
but, there is one thing that's bothering me, the text says: "sympatric" and that means not in the same area?

i'm sorry that i'm making it all so difficult, but a real biotope for me is much better :$

[jonstfrancis]

but, there is one thing that's bothering me, the text says: "sympatric" and that means not in the same area?

Sympatric means species inhabiting the same area/environment and implies that they live alongside each other, meeting in that environment.

And that is interesting to find out that White Cloud Mountain Minnows do live with hillstream loaches in the wild.

[jonstfrancis]

This page has a photo of the ecological environment of Liniparhomaloptera disparis:

http://www.hkis.hk/contents/Publication ... 1115_c.php

[animalkidd]

that's just absolutely perfect!!!

alright, so that brings us to the point of making a correct combination with the fish. (sorry, that is a bit poor explenation :$ )
there are 12 white clouds in it already.
the tank is probably going to change fron 30 cm in height to 40 cm in height (then they have more space)
so, what do you all think that are the options?


(sorry for my bad english )

[jonstfrancis]

I would only worry about the other fish in your tank because White Cloud Mountain Minnows are hardy and enjoy a variety of set ups.
You're correct in keeping them in a group (school) as they become nervous when there are too few of them. I currently have 9 together in my 60 litre tank, although I may increase their population sometime.

Just be careful about keeping them with larger fish that could harm them. They are rather prone to being hurt as they are so small and quite innocent to dangers. Personally I think they are best kept as the sole swimming fish. They do well with hillstream loaches, other loaches. So you'll be fine there. I keep mine with Corydora paleatus but they are not from the same locality. I have kept them with Misgurnus anguillicaudatus but I don't advise you to do that as your tank is a little small and they grow big; also these Weatherfish are messy and pull up plants and can easily spoil a nice minnow set up.

Have you done any research on shrimps? I've been looking into adding some to my tank as I think they'd look good in a natural looking set up.

[animalkidd]

so, if i keep them with not to big, non predetorial fish, it should me oke?

i think, this should do:
1male 2/3 female rhinogobius duospilus
12x white clouds
loaches

the loaches i'm not able to get right now, so i'll start with the rhino's??