Hi all,
I purchased a pair of A Macmasteri to go into a 60l new tank that I have been setting up over the last month or so. It is designed to have an Amazon Biotope feel although it may not be strictly accurate with regards to species. It is a community tank.
The tank has a fine sand substrate, several lumps of twisted Redmoor root and the floor is covered with oak leaves and twigs. Plant wise there are some Amazon Frogbit to diffuse the light.
Tank mates include 2 sterbai corys, 3 otocinclus and a group of 8 ember tetras.
I acclimatised the fish slowly adding water from my tank to a bucket over the course of a couple of hours before releasing them. I believe they are a male and female.
Since adding them they seem to spend a lot of their time in the corners of the tank and nestled under the Frogbit. It's Almost as if they are gasping for air although I'm not convinced they are? They are both eating and at times are seen chasing one another and exploring all the leaf litter and wood?
My filter outlet has been partially blocked with a sponge finger to slow the flow and not stir the tank as I heard they prefer this. I wonder whether there is not enough surface agitation or oxygen getting into the water?
I'm not sure if they are just settling in and finding their feet (or fins) or whether they are unhappy?
Water params are all good and whilst the PH isn't perfect (around 7.1) it is stable and far softer than the water they came out of which was heading towards 9.
Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
Many thanks, John.
I purchased a pair of A Macmasteri to go into a 60l new tank that I have been setting up over the last month or so. It is designed to have an Amazon Biotope feel although it may not be strictly accurate with regards to species. It is a community tank.
The tank has a fine sand substrate, several lumps of twisted Redmoor root and the floor is covered with oak leaves and twigs. Plant wise there are some Amazon Frogbit to diffuse the light.
Tank mates include 2 sterbai corys, 3 otocinclus and a group of 8 ember tetras.
I acclimatised the fish slowly adding water from my tank to a bucket over the course of a couple of hours before releasing them. I believe they are a male and female.
Since adding them they seem to spend a lot of their time in the corners of the tank and nestled under the Frogbit. It's Almost as if they are gasping for air although I'm not convinced they are? They are both eating and at times are seen chasing one another and exploring all the leaf litter and wood?
My filter outlet has been partially blocked with a sponge finger to slow the flow and not stir the tank as I heard they prefer this. I wonder whether there is not enough surface agitation or oxygen getting into the water?
I'm not sure if they are just settling in and finding their feet (or fins) or whether they are unhappy?
Water params are all good and whilst the PH isn't perfect (around 7.1) it is stable and far softer than the water they came out of which was heading towards 9.
Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
Many thanks, John.