Letters of a Betta Addict

So, well… I’ve been thinking (WARNING DANGEROUS HABIT)… I’d really like to work on a spawn, not nessicarily a Betta spawn (sniff I wanna but I can’t) but some sort of Breeding Challenge. Now there are a few requirements for whatever species I choose.

1st) I need them to have some sort of value. That means no Guppies, Platy’s, Molly’s or Convicts. They’re all great fish but they breed so easy they tend to be hard to give away never mind sell.

2nd) I want to limit the number of grow-out tanks. Which means I either need smaller spawns to begin with or fish that can be raised in the tank with their parents at least for awhile.

3rd) They can’t be huge. I like Goldfish but I don’t have to room to house that many excess fish if I can’t sell them.

4th) I want parents that can RAISE their fry. (Which would likely mean cichilids or wild caught fish)

Current Idea’s:

• Dragon Goby -Rhinogobius Wuii (old name)
• Bearded Cory-
• Lamporologus Signatus-
• Rams
• Apisto’s

However I’m still toying with this idea.

~*~

More Thinking! (this is becoming and dangerous and expensive past time…)

OK, Well I’ love my Betta’s. I do! But Lately I’ve been thinking about trying different species. So let’s sit back and take a look at what we’re working with. According to the stock that I’ve got now.

For tanks I current have the following:

56 gal -cool water-

• Current stock: 2 Fancy Goldies
• Lightly planted (sort of)
• Substrate: None
• Filter: Whisper 70 gal

32 gal -tropical-

• Current stock: 1 RTS
• planted
• Substrate: gravel and laterite substrate
• Filter: canister filter

20 gal -tropical-

• Current stock: 3 Bronse Cory’s
• 2 plants
• Substrate: gravel and laterite
• FIlter: AquaClear 30

10 gal -tropical-

Divided Betta Tank

• Current stock: 1 M.Betta, 1 F.Betta
• planted
• Substrate: soil under gravel
• Filter: 5-15 gal filter

5 gal -tropical-

• Shpae: hex betta tank
• Current stock: 1 M.Betta
• planted
• substrate: soil under gravel
• filter: box filter

5 gal -tropical-

• current stock: 1 M.Betta
• one plant
• substrate: gravel
• filter: box filter

5 gal -tropical-

• current stock: 1 M.Betta
• planted
• soil under gravel
• sponge filter

5 gal - tropical-

• current stock: 1 F.Betta
• planted
• substrate: soil under gravel
• Filter: Elite 5 Hush

3 gal -tropical-

• current stock: 1 M.Betta
• non planted
• substrate: gravel
• filter: box filter

2.5 gal -empty-

• shape:hex tank
• planted
• substrate: soil under gravel
• filter: none

2.5 gal -empty-

• substrate: gravel
• Filter: none
• non-planted

2.5 gal - empty-

• substrate: gravel
• filter: sponge
• non-planted

So now what’s the plan?

56 Gal -cool-

+ 1 fancy Goldie = 16 gals remaining

32 Gal -tropical-

+ 7 Tiger Barbs = 0 gals remining

20 -tropical-

switch to cool water

+ 3 Bronze Cory’s = 5 gals remaining

(asking fishlore about adding White Cloud Mountian Minnows)

NOTE: After debating the conclusion was come to that with regular water changes, an extra filter for increased current and a stock of 7-10 WCMM this stocking would be possible

5 Gals are stocked

3 Gal are stocked

10 Gal is stocked

2.5’s are unstocked QT/Shrimp?

Shrimp links:

• Petshrimp.com
• Canadianaquatics.com

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/cichlid/shelldwellers/php

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1632

http://www.cichlidrecipe.com/shellweb/shell_species.htm

Now your first thought is probably, “Red what is all this about!” Well to answer that these are links to my latest idea. Shelldweller cichlids. I’ve decided to go with Fancy Goldies in my big tank but I really kinda want to try raising fry. Just once. I don’t really like livebearers, convicts are too easy and both are hard to get rid of. Betta’s (which I’d love to try) require more time and $$$ then I have at the moment. Other cichlids require either too large a tank or (again) spawn constantly. What shellies offer is a small size, and generally smaller spawns. As far as I can find they are also a rarity in my area so therefore it “should” be fairly easy to sell of re-home the fry.

Right now the species that I’m really interested in is Lamprologus signatus. However the following are species that are recommended as well…

Neolamprologus brevis

Neolamprologus multifasciatus

Neolamprologus similus

Laprologus occelatus