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How many Dicrossus filamentosus in a 60x60cm tank?

MaestroCygni

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5 Year Member
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Well, the title says it all. I have a 60x60x40cm (24x24x16") tank and I would like to stock it with some Dicrossus filamentosus. They'll be the only bottom dweller so they will have the entire 60x60cm for themselves. The bottom is pretty much covered in leaf litter and there's a huge piece of driftwood creating several crevasses though there are only a few stems of hygrophila. The tankmates are 9 cardinal tetras and 8 Nannostomus eques.
I've read about everything I could find online but I can't seem to find a specific answer. I've read way too many different things, from "you can easily keep 10" (which I find nonsense) to "just get 1m/2f". But I have also read I could keep 2m/3f and if possible aggression wise, that seems like a very good option.
Does anybody have any experience with them in a similar size tank?
 

Mike Wise

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I have kept 5 D. filamentosa by themselves in a tank with half that bottom area - but I don't recommend it. I had 1 male and 4 females and they got along much of the time. Females are not as territorial as apistos. Males will spar among themselves for breeding sites but are not strongly territorial.

This is obviously a community tank set-up with very little likelihood of producing any surviving fry. D. filamentosa females are rather 'casual' mothers and not as protective of their fry as apisto females. Your cardinals will pick off most, if now all, of the fry before they are too large to eat. I remember once observing a female who had spawned on the top of an Amazon Sword leaf. While happily fanning her eggs another female was just as happily eating them! This is what I mean by 'casual'.
 

MaestroCygni

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
19
I have kept 5 D. filamentosa by themselves in a tank with half that bottom area - but I don't recommend it. I had 1 male and 4 females and they got along much of the time. Females are not as territorial as apistos. Males will spar among themselves for breeding sites but are not strongly territorial.

This is obviously a community tank set-up with very little likelihood of producing any surviving fry. D. filamentosa females are rather 'casual' mothers and not as protective of their fry as apisto females. Your cardinals will pick off most, if now all, of the fry before they are too large to eat. I remember once observing a female who had spawned on the top of an Amazon Sword leaf. While happily fanning her eggs another female was just as happily eating them! This is what I mean by 'casual'.
Yes, it's a biotope community setup. Eventually I do plan on separating some eggs if they happen to lay on an easily removable object and I see it in time, but otherwise I'm fine with most eggs being eaten if that's what has to happen. The peat substrate and leaf litter do offer quite a few opportunities for small fry to hide though and the cardinals don't tend to get too close to the bottom let alone swim between the leaf litter.
Would you suggest 1 males and 2-3 females then?
 

rasmusW

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
455
-sorry, i can’t help you with your stocking question, but i would like to see some pictures of your setup. If you got any.

-r
 

MaestroCygni

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
19
-sorry, i can’t help you with your stocking question, but i would like to see some pictures of your setup. If you got any.

-r
Yes, of course. The setup is not 100% complete yet, I have yet to introduce the leaf litter and small twigs as I have to go to the forest first, but I do plan on covering pretty much 100% of the bottom with it. The Nannostomus are still in QT and that's why they're not visible.
20200805_154351.jpg
 

Mike Wise

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Location
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
Nice set-up (although the heater & spray bar look a bit unnatural;)), Yes, a male and 3 females would be fine. Also I doubt that you will be successful pulling a leaf with eggs, at least I have never know anyone who was.
 

MaestroCygni

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
19
Nice set-up (although the heater & spray bar look a bit unnatural;)), Yes, a male and 3 females would be fine. Also I doubt that you will be successful pulling a leaf with eggs, at least I have never know anyone who was.
Lol yeah it was some quick placement, I rescaped the tank a few days ago and the tank got too cold too quick so I placed it wherever the water was high enough :p same goes for the spraybar, had it lowered to avoid the splashing noises at night as I didn't have enough RO ready to top it off completely.

The heater will be replace by an inline heater and the spraybar will be invisible once the water gets a little darker.
 

rasmusW

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
455
nice setup. -i've had a similiare setup idea, also using hygrophila as imitator of small tree sprouts.
good luck with the fishes.

-r
 

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