New Hillstream tank - attempt at breeding G. ocellatus
Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:23 am
Hi all,
This is my 4th attempt at a hillstream tank. I learnt about these fish roughly 1 year ago and started off with 2 sharing a 20L tank with 3 comets Everybody starts somewhere, right?
Anyway, I've fallen completely in love with them and have been constantly upgrading my tank for them. We went from a 20L, to a 54L, to a customer built 140L with a 120x40cm footprint. As a part-time minimum wage, school student, they've eaten away every spare dollar I've earned I reckon they're worth it!
The 140L was meant to be my dream tank, but sadly it didn't take long to realise that it couldn't work for me where I'm living right now, as in the summer we barely have enough water to wash with, never mind do water changes. My Dad got annoyed, and we came to the conclusion that if I wanted to keep the loaches I'd need to do it in a smaller tank. So here we are, my 54L semi-dream tank haha.
It's 60x30x30cm, with a 700lph 3 stage filter and a bubble bar for extra oxygenation. The substrate is sand, with smooth rocks and aged driftwood, and a few Amazon Sword plants at the back. I've got some lovely baby balansae plants growing in the tropical tank but prefer the swords because the loaches seem to like grazing on the broad leaves. Temperature is ambient at the moment and fluctuates between 20-22C day to night. I don't like the idea of a constant temperature because surely in nature there is some variation overnight? I've got a very good quality heater for strict temperature control when I try to breed them.
I'm particularly interested in G. ocellatus, and want to breed them. Is it right to think that this hasn't been done before? If so, I'm all for a challenge
At the moment I've only managed to find one G. ocellatus, but didn't want to take him home alone so got another happy, healthy looking hillstream loach to keep him company. I think she's a G. zebrinus but would love your opinions on this as soon as I can get a good pic.
Pics up as soon as possible, I'm having difficulty loading them.
Ideas/advice/comments would be appreciated as always!
Eika
This is my 4th attempt at a hillstream tank. I learnt about these fish roughly 1 year ago and started off with 2 sharing a 20L tank with 3 comets Everybody starts somewhere, right?
Anyway, I've fallen completely in love with them and have been constantly upgrading my tank for them. We went from a 20L, to a 54L, to a customer built 140L with a 120x40cm footprint. As a part-time minimum wage, school student, they've eaten away every spare dollar I've earned I reckon they're worth it!
The 140L was meant to be my dream tank, but sadly it didn't take long to realise that it couldn't work for me where I'm living right now, as in the summer we barely have enough water to wash with, never mind do water changes. My Dad got annoyed, and we came to the conclusion that if I wanted to keep the loaches I'd need to do it in a smaller tank. So here we are, my 54L semi-dream tank haha.
It's 60x30x30cm, with a 700lph 3 stage filter and a bubble bar for extra oxygenation. The substrate is sand, with smooth rocks and aged driftwood, and a few Amazon Sword plants at the back. I've got some lovely baby balansae plants growing in the tropical tank but prefer the swords because the loaches seem to like grazing on the broad leaves. Temperature is ambient at the moment and fluctuates between 20-22C day to night. I don't like the idea of a constant temperature because surely in nature there is some variation overnight? I've got a very good quality heater for strict temperature control when I try to breed them.
I'm particularly interested in G. ocellatus, and want to breed them. Is it right to think that this hasn't been done before? If so, I'm all for a challenge
At the moment I've only managed to find one G. ocellatus, but didn't want to take him home alone so got another happy, healthy looking hillstream loach to keep him company. I think she's a G. zebrinus but would love your opinions on this as soon as I can get a good pic.
Pics up as soon as possible, I'm having difficulty loading them.
Ideas/advice/comments would be appreciated as always!
Eika