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60L inspired biotope tank for A.Abacaxis

Claire Bou

New Member
Messages
20
Location
France
Hi!

Here is my 60L tank (60*30), originally set up for A.sp Abacaxis

Population
a group of juvenile A. sp abacaxis
4 endlers livebearers

It is not a biotope aquarium because I didn't pay attention to original location of the plants (so I have bucephalendras, riccardia and anubias...

For my ghost fish, they arrived a month ago but they are still very shy.... I know they are still there and healthy (because I hide and wait to spot them...). I tried to add some guppies that I had in my other tank, but it is still a No.... They arrived as juveniles, now they grew but I have no clue on how many male and female I have...
Lot of hiding spots and leaves.

If you have any clue or advice on how to see my fishes, I take!
26032018-IMG_0326_DxO.jpg
 

Drayden Farci

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
207
They may be shy for a while. I bought 3f1m A. eremnopyge last May and I couldn't even sit motionless and watch them, as they ducked behind driftwood constantly. About 5-6 months later, they settled in and were moving around just fine, establishing territories. For the past few months, two of the females have been breeding with the male in their respective ends of the 4ft tank - one under a pile of rocks, one in a savu pod or similar pod. Not sure if the third female has laid, but I doubt it based on her lack of apparent territory.

Just be patient and they'll adjust to you. More leaves never hurts!
 

Claire Bou

New Member
Messages
20
Location
France
Thank you for your reply!
I have also a WC pair of sp. tefé (in another tank) but they settled in way faster (after 2 weeks they didn't mind me being in front of the tank and after 3 weeks they use to be even curious (see if I have so food for them I bet...).
I've add some more leaves. They already settled in and have there own territory. I start spotting them (if I don't move for a while, I even managed to take some pictures (I had to go undercover, meaning under a black blanket and bait them with white worms :D). One of them is more photogenic than the other and less shy. As surprising as it could sound, it is the dominated female.
Unfortunately the confirm my doubts that there are only females.... So I'll need to re-home some and find a male... Perhaps with this setting, I can consider keeping 2 females and a male?

27032018-IMG_0430_DxO.jpg
27032018-IMG_0458_DxO.jpg
27032018-IMG_0477_DxO.jpg
 

Claire Bou

New Member
Messages
20
Location
France
They are pretty ladies indeed but they are A. sp Abacaxis and not A. sp tefé ;)

They start to get more confident and show up in the tank. Unfortunalty I cannot keep them all and I need to find a good mate for the one I will keep and re-home the other.
When I see how my a. sp tefé behave now that she has a spawn... I don't think the tank would be good for a trio even if there is a lot of hiding places!

(front glass is really dirty in the picture, it is the dominant female who's been guarding the food all day from everyone else....)
29032018-IMG_0604_DxO.jpg 29032018-IMG_0556_DxO.jpg
 

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rasmusW

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
455
really nice fish and tank. make sure to post more pics when they start to get more color.

-r
 

Claire Bou

New Member
Messages
20
Location
France
Thank you!
For now I don't think they will colored much more because they are all females. I need to find a male (perhaps I will order one from an online shop next month if I haven't find one till then). By good point is they aren't shy anymore! or at least the dominant female... because if the other dare show a scale she kick them out of sight...
But Yes I will post some update
 

TCMontium

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
179
Location
Germany, Kassel
Oh my.... I just saw the topic title... I am an idiot >.<

Actually, the aquarium isn't fully filled with water, so the question was very logical for me. I also have a 60*30*30h cm aquarium, but even when fully filled it is just around 50 liters (because of the substrate and a few cm empty distance on top water level). I would guess this aquarium (or riparium) has around 35 liters of water if the size is 60*30*30h. If it is bigger than 60*30*30h, maybe 60*50*30h, then of course it may be 60 liters. Let's just wait Claire Bou's answer instead of discussing. :D
 

Claire Bou

New Member
Messages
20
Location
France
Dimensions 60*30*37, indeed as it is not fully filled it is less than 60l net (should be around 40-50 Lwith a filtration 2*300l/h but no current). But even if the amount of water itself could be important, the surface area of the aquarium is maybe even more important. in the end this tank will be only for a pair.
The dark part are in fact roots and rocks with a lot of holes and places to hide in between, so it is not full and fish go underneath it and it provide very efficient hiding spots. Last week I had to take everything to pieces to catch one fish (I even thought she was dead...)

Here is a view of inside the tank. 04042018-IMG_0435_DxO.jpg
 

Claire Bou

New Member
Messages
20
Location
France
Fish can also swim on the back angles and behind the rocks (there is 2 to 3cm large passage between the glass and the rock on the back of the tank
In the end the endlers livebearers will move out and just a pair of Abacaxis will stay (I am actively looking for a male now, but they tend to be rare here...).

I have also in mind to introduce some micro-fauna such as asellus (Asellus aquaticus), tubifex worm, black worms and cyclops, in a sufficient number so they can start reproducing in the tank and not all be eaten at once. I already have a few asellus that came on their own. But for that I need I tank where prey can hide from predator ^^' (and it will not release me from feeding of course, it is more a good help on cleaning and keeping a balance in the tank, a natural renewal of the litter as they are detritivores).
I will start raising some for at least 2 months before introducing them in.
 

chris1805

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
333
Location
Odijk, the Netherlands
I actually had the feeling that it was a 30x30cm tank or something, that was why i asked :) IMHO your tank is a nice size to keep one mature pair in the end. I also like the look. Hopefully your plan works out!
 

Claire Bou

New Member
Messages
20
Location
France
Well, I will keep the thread update.Today I started the breeding of the black worms, the other will come later. I planning on the other species in the on coming weeks.
 

Claire Bou

New Member
Messages
20
Location
France
Some updates! I miserably failed the blackworms and the tubifex. or to be more precise, I failed them once, tried again and then the birds have eaten them (put in a shallow basin.. too shallow...).
I ordered a bigger custom-made tank (should arrived in a month or a month and half), so I could keep 3 apistos.
I finally I found a male (F1), pretty but so mean to the females... they spend most of their time hiding because he chase both of them... Hope with a bigger tank it would be better. Perhaps I will be thinking about adding dithers fishes but as I want to make them spawn and raise their young....

13052018-IMG_0068_DxO.jpg
 

Claire Bou

New Member
Messages
20
Location
France
Yeah, it is supposed to arrived by the end of the month. In the meantime both females have eggs (or I think it is wriggles now for one one them). So I don't how I will do to move the male, both females with their offspring to the news tank... perhaps I will just separate the females from their baby and reintroduice only the females to the tank, in a month they should be old enough.
 

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