Got My Fish

[CAC]

Hi, went to BAS today, and got my fish, for my 38g!!! Im so happy!
Well the choice was massive, and there were a good number of eels, including half barred, yellow tailed, golden wonder (or something , £150 anyaway!!!), tire tracks, and something called a tire track, but which to me was more of a zig-zag eel, or something. They had loads of arowanas too, including a grade 2 asian red...They had two massive tanks, with wolf fishes etc too. I was tempted buy some 'long finned' gobies, but they were abit of a risk, so i didnt bother. And they had chaca chacas, and big ones too....
In the end i chose 2 male wrestling halfbeaks, and 3 females, as well as one barred eel (Macrognathus pancalus i think, or that could be the others i got...) and two yellow-tailed eels(Macrognathus circumcinctus) unless i mixed the names arround ... The barred is about 3" long, and the yellow tails about 4-5"...They are all getting on fine, and the barred has eaten some frozen bloodworm allready. One of the yellow tails has gone, and cant seem to find it, but it'll turn up.
I think that i may be a little over stocked, when everything grows up, but theres plenty of room for now...
The eels only get to 7 or 8" so they will be ok, and the half beaks get only 3" ish

Anyway, ill get some pics on a camera phone (as dont have a digital camera ) later, and post em in the photo section.

Thanks alot, Mikey

 

[pica_nuttalli]

can't wait to see the pics! sounds like a really interesting tank.

 

[CAC]

Yeah, its all going good thanks
Only problem is, one of the yellow tails is in the filter, and i kinda need to get him out, but im waiting for my mum to get back, so she can help abit. The eels are all getting on fine,and everyones eaten something. Ill keep you updated, and ill get some pics
Can anyone verify that the half banded is actually a Macrognathus pancalus or a Macrognathus circumcinctus???
I think its the circumcinctus, and that the yellow tails are pancalus', but i need a verification

Thanks alot, Mikey

EDIT: After look at images, i can confirm that the half barred or half banded eel, is infact Macrognathus circumcinctus. I can tell that the yellowtails are Macrognathus pancalus because of the dotty markings along the body, and head.

 

[cane76]

cool look forward to the pics

 

[CAC]

cool look forward to the pics

Dont know how theyll turn out, but i need to get this eel out 1st....

Mikey

 

[cane76]

eels are a nightmare for getting into places they shouldnt.you will have to make your tank eel proof once you have got it out

 

[CAC]

Yeah, hes out now, but abit stressed....We got him out by turning off the tank lights, and shining a bright light into where he was...He came out pretty fast
Ive got some very bad photos of them all acclimitising from yesterday, and ill get a full tank shot later, when the eels calm down...
Have a look in the mambers photos place, cos i cant post pics here...

Mikey

EDIT: The board says that the images take up too much room...Anyone know how to make their size smaller? I surrpose i could use photobucket???

 

[nmonks]

Sounds a nice mix. Fits in around a "Asian lowland river" theme. Add some glassfish or small barbs, and bam, you'll have something at the top, middle, and lower levels.

All things being equal, you should have some baby halfbeaks within a month, if your halfbeaks are mature. With wrestlers, the males need to be about 4 cm long and the females about 5 cm or so before they will breed successfully. Keep the females well fed, and be sure and add some algae to their diet. Veggie flake food (i.e., guppy food) is ideal, if they'll take it.

Spiny eels are fun, but you do need to make sure they can't escape. Sealing up the tank as much as possible helps, but so do floating plants. For whatever reason, fish don't jump through floating plants.

How are you decorating? Apart from the mandatory sand for the eels (gravel is a no-no with small species) I'd be thinking about things that suggest the lowland part of a river. Big, water-worn stones, for example. Halfbeaks couldn't care less about decoration as they're open water fish, but eels do like a bit of cover.

Good luck with it all,

Neale

In the end i chose 2 male wrestling halfbeaks, and 3 females, as well as one barred eel (Macrognathus pancalus i think, or that could be the others i got...) and two yellow-tailed eels(Macrognathus circumcinctus) unless i mixed the names arround

 

[cane76]

what was in the tank up until yesterday?isnt that a lot of fish to add at once?

 

[CAC]

Spiny eels are fun, but you do need to make sure they can't escape. Sealing up the tank as much as possible helps, but so do floating plants. For whatever reason, fish don't jump through floating plants.

How are you decorating? Apart from the mandatory sand for the eels (gravel is a no-no with small species) I'd be thinking about things that suggest the lowland part of a river. Big, water-worn stones, for example. Halfbeaks couldn't care less about decoration as they're open water fish, but eels do like a bit of cover.

Well thats exactly what ive got, lots of large stones, and two pieces of bogwood for eel cover. I have some hornwort i could use for a floating plant, but i put it in last night, and its just got blown arround by the filter outlet... Ill put a pic up of the full tank later, in the topic i made in the aquarium photo forum
I also have some other plants, which should eventually reach the surrface, for abit of cover.
What barbs would you surrgest??? And by glassfish, do you mean the ones with the bumps on their heads??

Thanks, Mikey

 

[nmonks]

Yes, but the ones with the bumpy heads are quite big (12 cm or so) and are predatory.

BAS periodically gets some of the smaller glassfish, any of which would work well. None of the traded species need saly (despite the myth). I wrote a piece a week or two back about some of the stock at BAS here, and say a little more about the glassfish they had at the time. A little time on Google or Fishbase will show you pictures of the beasts in question.

Glassfish are nice animals. When settled in they are active and quite pushy. They do lack colour though, so if you want something colourful, barbs are a better bet. Ruby barbs or pentazona barbs would be nice in your tank.

Cheers,

Neale

And by glassfish, do you mean the ones with the bumps on their heads??

 

[CAC]

Cheers neale
I think some barbs would be a good addition, how many would you think would be best?
Do they need to be in groups??

Thanks, Mikey

 

[nmonks]

I'm far from a barb expert, so you might want to canvas opinions on this. But my experience of barbs (and pretty well any schooling fish) is that your need at least 5 ot 6 before they [a] behave themselves with regard to their tankmates, and behave naturally in terms of being outgoing and happy.

So depending on your tank, but half a dozen of a nice, colourful species that won't outgrow the aquarium. Tiger barbs are the easiest to find but they're not, in my opinion, the best barbs out there. Cherry barbs are nice, though they don't really school, being territorial mostly. Golden barbs (Puntius semifasciolatus "schuberti") are schooling fish and very pretty, and they don't get too big either (6 cm). Black ruby barbs are also very nice. There's really a lot of options.

Cheers,

Neale

I think some barbs would be a good addition, how many would you think would be best?
Do they need to be in groups??

 

[CAC]

Allright, well im going to wait until the external filter is in, then ill get some of what you surrgested.
Thanks again.


MIkey

 

[CAC]

Put in a couple of plants just now, and ive got a few more to put in, but im gonna see how these go first, as im not sure if theyll get up-rooted....They havent get the lead weight attached, cos i took em off, but i can put them back on if that will help them from being up-rooted..

Mikey