planted with fish

jamesh · Mar 11, 2009

my new axy tank for my babies is going to be my old aqua one 980 so nearly 50 gal
which will be fully planted with tubes in the bottom and a sand substrate with some large bits of bogwood but i would quite like to keep a few minnows with them in this setting so what are your opinions please?

also do you planted tank owners find that the axys break the plants alot and do you use CO2 on it?
:happy:

Jadore axolotl · Mar 11, 2009

I am not sure about the minnows but i have a glass catfish in with my axie and there is no trouble with it as of yet.
As for the plants, my axie rests on them and stuff but she has not broken anything off them yet but i have only had her about 5/6 weeks.

ferret_corner · Mar 11, 2009

I don't use CO2.

The only plants the axies break up is the naja grass which lanky and brittle.

They actually uproot very little. Once everything got established, I do very little replanting. I checked around on some fish forums and found some plants that do well in cold waters.

I keep feeder guppies in my tanks. They seem fine in cold water.

Does that help?

jamesh · Mar 11, 2009

oh cool i will have to see how they are with the more fragile plants then buy the whole CO2 unit as its about £250+ for some decent kit that wont gas my axys to death :s

jamesh · Mar 11, 2009

yes quite abit as its quite reasuring that they wont uproot as the last thing i want to be doing is spending my evenings pushing plants back in to have to do it in the morning too

guppys hmmmm not my fave fish but they are still quite nice but not very natural looking

ferret_corner · Mar 11, 2009

The glass catfish is an inappropriate fish because it prefers warm waters. Eventually it will wind up a meal or snack for the axolotl. I hope it isn't to large and gets lodged in its throat or mouth.

Please read this before adding anything to your tank.. http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/Mixing_disasters.shtml

I did a search for CO2 but got nothing. I get an uneasy feeling thinking about it though. Please do thorough research before doing things that are unnecessary.

jamesh · Mar 11, 2009

i did think that about the glass cat but did not want to start a row.

i know quite a bit about fish but obviously not much about axys, just the basics (like reading axolotl.org all the way through like 5 times

)

i am only seeing what peoples views are about fish with axys and plants (dense planted)

just a quick bit that i feel i must say about the glass cat is that they are shoaling fish so should be treated like a tetra (in other words a lone neon will hide and so will a glass cat)

ferret_corner · Mar 11, 2009

There is someone here who keeps a couple of mollies or platys in their tank. VERY pretty. I've forgotten how many but I'm thinking not more than a pair. Silly mollies adapt to so much! The petshop I worked at ran out of appropriate food for a large saltwater eel they had and fed it black mollies. the ones not eaten lived for a LONG time hiding in reef.

jamesh · Mar 11, 2009

i have a black molly in my marine tank and find it to be great at cleaning hair algae (i used reef bones which hold phosphate which causes hair algae)

i hope they know that its illegal to feed live fish in a public place (well it is in england)

i think mountain minnows and danio's are the best bet and would suit the tank better as regards to size, bioload, oxygen in take and axy compatability
i have read on here about cardinal tetra being used but they tend to do better in warmer water (hence why they do so well with discus) and the cost factor of them too sort of puts them out of the window.

ferret_corner · Mar 11, 2009

I had forgotten about the mountain minnows. I choose guppies because they're live breeders and I can raise my own without buying replacements and quarantining them for a month. They're counted as food & stimulation for my axies. Something to hunt in between feedings.

Live feeding here is allowed. Years ago a petshop used to show feeding a live rabbit to a large python, then they changed it to video, then they quit altogether. I think the animal lovers raised heck with them. Last I heard they had moved all the large pythons out.

jamesh · Mar 11, 2009

i suppose i could go for both as guppys are top dwellers and danio's and minnows are middle and top.

what about bottom feeders with axys like rubbernose plecs and dojo loach or butterfly plecs (non are aggressive and are suitable for cold water but what about axy compatability or is it just apple snails (not plant eaters)

ferret_corner · Mar 11, 2009

The problem with bottom feeders is most have spines, stiff feelers. If your axolotl decides to have a go at them those spines can do considerable damage.

The large snails pose a danger when axies try to eat them. The hard shells become stuck. I used to collect those small roundish snails from my local petshops' plant tanks. they use no chemicals in those tanks (I used to work there) and the axies really enjoyed them. I watched and the axies would snap them off the glass and a puff of cloudy stuff would come out of their mouth/gills.

The smaller axies will try to investigate the "hole" in a large snails shell - and the ones with trapdoors will shut it or are in the process of shutting it, trapping the axies head. That disk used as a "trap door" is VERY sharp. I pulled the pieces of an apple snail out of my turtles tank, and was playing with the disk and cut my finger.

I THINK in that disasters page I gave you there is either a picture or description of an axolotl or newt that stuck its head in there and was partially decapitated. YUCK.

Plecs not only have wicked spines but non aggressive or not I've seen some attach themselves to a large fish and when you pull them off there is a raw spot on the fish, leaving it open to infection.

jamesh · Mar 11, 2009

would you not be able to discount the dojo (weather loach) from this catagory as it as large not spiny does not nibble things or suck?

this is beggining to turn into a very interesting discusion

ferret_corner · Mar 11, 2009

Ok this is what I found (its a good thing google doesn't charge per search!)

http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/freshwater/loaches/dojoloach.html

"Front ray of pectoral fin in male is larger and stiff, resulting in a triangular shaped fin and the ability of the male to "stand" on them. Female's pectoral fin is rounder." Of course the author doesn't know we're considering this fish as potential food and doesn't specify how stiff...

"Five pairs of barbels surround the mouth." again the author doesn't specify if this are stiff or soft... but they sound stiff!

"Dojos are called "weatherfish" for a reason. When the barometric pressure drops - especially if it drops quickly - they become completely deranged. They streak around the tank as if someone set fire to their caudal fin, then dive into the substrate." I don't know about where you live but we tend to have rather abrupt changes in barometric pressures (if my dentists' office bubble thing is accurate) I would think this would disturb your axolotls greatly.

However all that said - if you know differently I'd consider adding them to my tank as the bottom quickly accumulates a large amount of detritus. Keep in mind the dojo does not see well and the behaviour described by the author indicates to me that it'll wind up lunch in short order!

jamesh · Mar 11, 2009

we must have been reading the same web sites

the front barbels are very soft (had them years ago) but the pectoral being stiff... i see what you mean how stiff... i am gonna have to grab one next when i am in work next to see just how stiff they are.

the whole stiff fins part brings me to the point that molly and platy fins are quite stiff too (well the dorsal is)
so maby these are questionable too

this is so swings and round-abouts

ferret_corner · Mar 11, 2009

Hahahaha as i make it a point to NOT fondle fish (LOL) I'm not really sure about it.

I just prefer to stay on just this side of cautious.

Ok in the event we decide these loaches are safe, what is the one with orange and black bands? its not this clown loach... http://www.loaches.com/species-index/clown-loach-chromobotia-macracanthus

but i know i've seen them. they are worm like, eel like, which ever, small and sinuous. driving me nuts I can't think of their name....

jamesh · Mar 11, 2009

i suppose the whole disturbing the axys part sort of is made better with my tank plan is it is a medium-large (compaired to most axy tanks) tank with alot of cover (from the plants and pipes/wood) so would mean that the axys would be able to excape and not be in constant view of the manic fish.

until a have a grab and closely ***** this fishs behaviour i can not fully say if it is remotely compatable with axys

jamesh · Mar 11, 2009

khuli loach (pangio khuli)

jamesh · Mar 11, 2009

the ****** thing was me trying to write asess lol

ferret_corner · Mar 11, 2009

and still no cigar for you!! a-s-s-e-s-s is how merriam webster dictionary spells it. lol but i can see why the language filter caught it.

and I found the kuhli loach almost right after i hit "submit reply" thanks!

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