Stocking ?12? gallon tank

[canadiancritter]

Okay, so I got a free tank. I'm guessing its around 12gallons


What should I stock it with. Were going away in August for a week.So I'm going to be keep it going and get it really cycled.
My Betta 'Barbado Bob' is livining the tank right now, because the ten gallon got a new filter thats too strong for him, but I took the old filter apart and fix it. . anyways.

So I'm going to use the new filter from the ten in the 12 its a stingray filter.
I'm thinking mabey a few dwarf puffers planted with mostly fake plants and a few live ones if i can keep them alive. With bottom feeder or someother fish.. I want to go for some more aggressive fish.

What do you think?All suggestions or welcome.

Thanks
-~MoI~-

[Jess]

A few platties and guppies might be pretty. Thats what I had.

[Leo]

Cycle the tank a minimum of 2 months before adding puffers they need a well cycled tank to survive.
Here is a site that would help you out more if you are interested in puffer fish:Puffer fish
Look at the PufferPedia and learn all you can about the different types of puffers and their needsDwarf Puffer

I successfully kept a SW Canthigaster Valentini Puffer (cammon name saddled puffer)... he was great at killing all my snails and hermit crabs... he liked to try and chip away at my heater trying to attack the light in it... he was a very hardy fish and aside from my Star Fish and Damsel was the longest living inhabitant in my tank. I could not add any more fish to the tank because he was VERY territorial. It was sort of a love hate relationship I had with him... I loved him because he was a beautiful fish and hardy, but I hated having to replace my hermit crabs and snails every month and the fact that I couldn't add anymore fish into the tank because he would chase/kill them.

I have toyed with starting up a small brackish GSP tank for in my kitchen. GSP's are one of the cheaper puffers (less than $10 per fish)... my SW puffer was $55.00 with no guarantee.

If you are going to do Puffers, do a puffer only tank a lot of puffers have territory issues !!

[canadiancritter]

Hi there. The tank will be cycled for over 2 months.
I have had figure 8 puffers but lost them all do to some internal issuse they had.

It probly would be a puffer only tank too.

Could one gps live in a 12 gallon tank. im still working on reaserching them .?


Thanks

[Sasami]

Dwarf puffers are a lot of fun . Just stock lightly and try to just have one male and a few females. You will need to feed live snails sometimes to keep the teeth worn down so keep that in mind. Krill wears down teeth but not as well as snails.

There aren't many fish that are "good" tankmates for dwarf puffers. Oto cats usually work and sometimes cory cats are fine too. Both species are peaceful bottom-dwellers.

This is a great dwarf puffer website: Dwarf Puffers : Home .

I wouldn't get a GSP. They get too large for a 12-gallon and are not freshwater fish. In fact, they do best in a marine aquarium by adulthood. Personally, I would stick to the dwarves. They stay small, are easy to care for, are now being captive-bred, and are one of the few truly freshwater puffers.

You don't necessarily have to cycle for two months...you should just cycle until you have no ammonia or nitrites for a few days in a row. The amount it'll take depends on the individual tank and cycling method. I knew someone who's tank took five months to finish cycling...I'm not kidding o_o. That's rare...just like the person who did fishless cycling and cycled the tank in a week.

If you want to cycle pretty much instantly then pick up some Bio-Spira. Don't let stores sell you other cycling products...they rarely do anything. If you don't use Bio-Spira then you could do the fishless cycling method of adding a small amount of fish food every day or so and monitoring the water parameters.

Make sure to get a good test kit...avoid the strips.

[canadiancritter]

Yeah, I figured GSP would get to big.

So I'm going for dwarf puffers. I know they need snails.I use to'try' and breed them for my f8'. Anybody know how to breed them. Mine would never breed [fast like everybody says]

So I should get a male and a few females? Would it be likley that they will breed. [although Im sure that it would be a good sign that their healthy and happy]

Also could a few ghost shrimp live in the tank also and mabey serve as a food soure [I think they might be to big ]

Well the tank will be cycled for close to 2 months as Im going to set it up before we go the flordia, and then work on it, before getting the puffers.

[Sasami]

Quote: Originally Posted by canadiancritter Yeah, I figured GSP would get to big. So I'm going for dwarf puffers. I know they need snails.I use to'try' and breed them for my f8'. Anybody know how to breed them. Mine would never breed [fast like everybody says] So I should get a male and a few females? Would it be likley that they will breed. [although Im sure that it would be a good sign that their healthy and happy] Also could a few ghost shrimp live in the tank also and mabey serve as a food soure [I think they might be to big ] Well the tank will be cycled for close to 2 months as Im going to set it up before we go the flordia, and then work on it, before getting the puffers.

What sort of snails were you trying to breed? There are a few "pest" species that work well and you could always try a different kind . Also, you could see if a petstore would be willing to give you free pest snails...look in the plant tank. Ask friends with fish tanks, too.

I don't think you would end up with babies since breeding dwarf puffers isn't supposed to be easy. But I've never tried, so who knows.

Yup, ghost shrimp could live with the puffers . They might get eaten but at least it'd be good for the puffers.

[canadiancritter]

I was trying to breed pond and ramshorn for my f8's
I know I can get some at the pet store. I know super pet has a bunch
but their closing and changing to Petsmart and pesmart never seems to have any. And Big Als is really to far to have to drive to alot.

Also none of my friends or family own tanks,

Im going to have to try and find some ghost shrimp I really want some but their really hard to find. Atleast to me.


Thanks

[Sasami]

Quote: Originally Posted by canadiancritter I was trying to breed pond and ramshorn for my f8's I know I can get some at the pet store. I know super pet has a bunch but their closing and changing to Petsmart and pesmart never seems to have any. And Big Als is really to far to have to drive to alot. Also none of my friends or family own tanks, Im going to have to try and find some ghost shrimp I really want some but their really hard to find. Atleast to me. Thanks

I use live plants in my snail tanks like hornwort and java ferns. I think those probably help . You could also try buying an actual snail food. Unless you've tried that already. I feed my snails Hikari algae wafers, though.

I'm surprised ghost shrimp are hard to find where you live. They tend to be common feeder animals. That sucks =/.

[canadiancritter]

Well I didn't have live plants because their kinda expensive to buy. And I had one and it died so "I haven't tried again yet. I was feeding them bottom feeder tabled things that sink to the bottom. They were lying eggs just none really hatched or anything that I saw or all the babies died from getting stuck in the filter even getting through the stuff on the filter intake pipe thing and dieing.

As for the ghost shrimp I see them every once in while but my parents never let me get them. Bigs Al's used to have tanks full of them and few years back.

[Sasami]

Quote: Originally Posted by canadiancritter Well I didn't have live plants because their kinda expensive to buy. And I had one and it died so "I haven't tried again yet. I was feeding them bottom feeder tabled things that sink to the bottom. They were lying eggs just none really hatched or anything that I saw or all the babies died from getting stuck in the filter even getting through the stuff on the filter intake pipe thing and dieing. As for the ghost shrimp I see them every once in while but my parents never let me get them. Bigs Al's used to have tanks full of them and few years back.

Maybe try without a filter...I don't use one for snails. But then again, I do have the live plants. The two I mentioned are extremely cheap in the US (at most $1.50 US) but maybe plants are more expensive in Canada...I have no idea. Another easy, cheap plant is water sprite. Oh, and duckweed. You can get a ton of duckweed for a dollar or less.

I would send you some ghost shrimp if shipping to Canada wasn't so complicated =/.

Good luck.

[Jess]

Do you have any ponds near you? A while ago, I used to catch snails and breed them just for the heck of it. (weird hobby, I know.) Any way, I just put some in a 1 gallon fishbowl, put a leaf of lettuce in with them, and they multiplied by the hundreds! I eventually had to let them go cause my whole room started to smell like snail crap LOL! They are pretty small, and would be perfect puffer food! Good luck!

[canadiancritter]

Well I also had them in a tank with no filter and they still wouldn't breed.
The plants hear go for around 3.50 - 5.00 and I saw some for alot more.

Theres not ponds near my house and if there was I would never even go near the water due to high bacteria levels and contamination.

Im going to look into some duckweed although I had some before [the guy put some in the bag with the snails] and it died. I really can't keep plants alive. Its sad lol

[Jess]

Oh, thats too bad. The pond I used to get my snails from got really polluted too. There used to be tadpoles, snails and lots of stuff. Havent seen anything like that there in years...

I think they where just those snails thatare just considered pests at petstores. I used to keep some with my crayfish, and Petsmart would just give them to me free. Check the tanks where there are lots of live plants. There are usually alot in there.

[canadiancritter]

yeah I use to check the plants the none,not-a . I have bad luck finding what I need.
I'll check PetSmart when they open in 4 days.