flow and temp for weather loaches

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glenna
Posts: 484
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:28 pm
Location: Sanford, NC

flow and temp for weather loaches

Post by glenna » Sat Feb 12, 2011 6:38 pm

Well, I finally got my 55 gallon up and running.
Tank inhabitants are three weather loaches and 9 white cloud minnows. The tank has completed the fishless cycling process, the fish are done with quarantine and have been added to the tank. Substrate is pool filter sand and the various live plants are doing well (added during fishless cycle). There is no heater in the tank, filtration is from a cruddy "top fin 60" HOB filter that came stock with the tank (this will be replaced SOON, but that has not happened yet). Lighting is from a Hagan glo 48" fixture which houses one 54W T5HO bulb. This is sitting about 6 inches above the water surface, which is covered by tight fitting class canopy, as I hear these weather loaches are jumpers.
Water parameters are okay, I think: pH 6.4, KH 20, GH 60, NO2 zero, NO3 10, NH3 zero.(I never have figured out WHY the KH is so low in my tanks, but I have some calcium carbonate rocks to add). I do weekly water changes, about 40%, using dechlorinated tap water.
I added a small powerhead for flow, thinking the loaches might appreciate the current.
The problem is that the tank is too hot. I keep the house at about 75F. I hate to be cold, and this works GREAT for all the other fish tanks in the house.
Any thoughts, or suggestions? I really think buying a chiller for a freshwater tank would be ridiculous!
glenna

Hokum
Posts: 103
Joined: Sat Jan 23, 2010 2:00 pm
Location: Glossop UK

Re: flow and temp for weather loaches

Post by Hokum » Mon Feb 14, 2011 4:06 am

23C is a little warm, for Weather loaches, but not to high I feel. I assume your referring to Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (chinese weather loach). If its Misgurnus fossilis (european or russian Weather loach)it is a bit too warm.

Which powerhead did you add? For a 55g i'd use a large external canister filter. Im not familiar with that size tank but i'd guess an eheim 2260 may fit the bill?
Last edited by Hokum on Mon Feb 14, 2011 10:00 am, edited 1 time in total.

glenna
Posts: 484
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:28 pm
Location: Sanford, NC

Re: flow and temp for weather loaches

Post by glenna » Mon Feb 14, 2011 8:56 am

the powerhead I added was just an aquaclear 50. I am not really sure if weather loaches prefer a nice current, or not. I am thinking about a rena filstar XP3 (I will likely leave the topfin HOB on the tank as well). This will also add some flow with the spray bar and make up for the lousy filtration. I could go with the XP4, which is what I have on the 75 gallon angel -yoyo tank.I am not sure if I need that. Will make my decision when I look on the box to see how many gallons per hour each provides, with the aim of 550 gallons per hour. This is a bit of an unusual tank in that it is four feet long, but only 12" from front to back. I had never seen one that dimension before, but thought it would provide a little more "zoom room" for the loaches.
They are misgurnus anguillicaudatus (sp?...but you know what I mean!) by the way (at least I am pretty sure they are)
I am thinking about losing the glass canopy, and replacing it with a mesh of some sort, which may help cool it down a bit, but keep the loaches safe. I also closed the heat vent in that room. I know that having the tank more open top will add to evaporation, but so what.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the temp, as I have been a little worried about them!
glenna

Hokum
Posts: 103
Joined: Sat Jan 23, 2010 2:00 pm
Location: Glossop UK

Re: flow and temp for weather loaches

Post by Hokum » Mon Feb 14, 2011 10:06 am

Your 55gal is 208litre. I have a 100 litre with an aquaclear 50, eheim 2215 and an eheim aquaball 130. But I have hillstream loach, but Weather loach can live in streams fish so they will enjoy some flow.

Diana
Posts: 4675
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:35 am
Location: Near San Franciso

Re: flow and temp for weather loaches

Post by Diana » Mon Feb 14, 2011 9:38 pm

That is the typical dimension of a 55 gallon: 4' long x 1' deep front to back and 20" high.
That is a hard one to aquascape, too.

Anyway, 75*F is at the top end for these fish. That is OK. Try a mesh top. I think that would help cool the tank. A small fan blowing across it would help, too.

More water movement would be good. Aim for a minimum of 550 gph, but more is great for the fish, but might become more than the plants want.

XP3 ought to be perfect. I am running thin one on several tank. When the water from the spray bar hits the front glass it will be deflected downward. Put a few rocks right there, the XP3 will blow the sand away.
Or, make it into more of a river tank by placing the spray bar at one end of the tank.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

glenna
Posts: 484
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:28 pm
Location: Sanford, NC

Re: flow and temp for weather loaches

Post by glenna » Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:44 pm

Hokum and Diana,
Thanks for your recommendations.
I think I am getting some plans in place: screen for the top, and an XP3. These loaches are like none I have seen. They are very active, yet docile. I can reach in and touch them when I am moving stuff in the tank.I have not done that on purpose ( I imagine it is not good for them to be touched), but they are so calm that they have let me move them if I need to. They are soft and gentle.
I hope I can make the tank nice for them. All in all, it is rough, yet pretty tank! Alll my tanks seem to be ugly at first. The fish do not seem to mind the extra algae during the first months. We'll see how this "not so cool water" tanks goes!
glenna

Dojosmama
Posts: 219
Joined: Wed Dec 29, 2010 11:37 pm

Re: flow and temp for weather loaches

Post by Dojosmama » Tue Feb 22, 2011 9:27 am

On my 20-gallon-high with three dojos in it, I have an Aquaclear 50 hob with the flow valve wide open, and in the opposite corner of the tank, standing vertically on the substrate, I have a 4-inch airstone powered by an external pump. The dojos don't have any problem at all with the current. They rest themselves right up in the floating plants at the surface and just hang out motionless in them.

I am wondering if your pH isn't a little too acidic for dojos? Mine is 7.4, which is fine for them.

If you use mesh instead of a glass lid, be sure to secure it well. A jumping dojo could push it right off the top of the tank if it isn't secured well.

You can aim an electric fan at your tank to keep it cooler. Also, if the water gets too warm, you can float ice cubes on the surface -- just not sure how you would go about dechlorinating them, first. If you have well water, that wouldn't be an issue.

Dojos shouldn't be in water above 70F continually. It can shorten their lives.

Hope this helps ...

-- dojosmama

glenna
Posts: 484
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:28 pm
Location: Sanford, NC

Re: flow and temp for weather loaches

Post by glenna » Fri Feb 25, 2011 8:50 pm

thank you for the suggestions.
my plan for this weekend is to use the supplies I got LAST weekend, but ran out of time!
I got two different sizes plastic screen mesh: one is 1/2 inch open weave which makes me nervous as the "thread" is very thin and I can imagine a fish getting lucky and making it out regardless of the mesh. The other is a house vent plastic mesh with I'd say has quarter inch openings, but unfortunately thicker plastic thread. I will have to experiment to see what works best to keep fish in, but also let light in. I got the screen window edging, corner pieces, and spline and will coat the bottom of the edging as it is made of aluminum ( I do not know if the metal is a problem but am worried a little about that0
It should fit pretty tightly and though not heavy at all, be heavy enough that a fish should not be able to knock it off.
Will post some pics when I have it done!
Thanks for the fan idea. I thought about it, but thought it might not be good to BLOW the surface of the water like that. I guess that this is okay?
I am hoping work leaves me alone for the weekend enough to get this tank set FINALLY.
thanks again!
glenna

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