Prestocking 480 with breeding little ones

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OnceLoyal

OnceLoyal

Candiru
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May 13, 2008
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So plan is get a bunch of guppies or mollies, or ... whatever. Small guys that breed. The plan is to have my new baby atf, armatus,, cat, etc have some food already in the tank established and waiting. I don't mind going a month before intro of permanent guys. (Permanent until I get the bigger tank going).
Any idea of what my first stocking should be? Mollies breed quick, but I didn't really want to mess with salt.
Guppies sound good??
 
Yeah, should be fine. But you're only going to have maybe 1 generation in a month. Going to have to wait a couple months for the population to really explode.
 
TwoHedWlf said:
Yeah, should be fine. But you're only going to have maybe 1 generation in a month. Going to have to wait a couple months for the population to really explode.
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I was kind of figuring that. I can try my best to hold out another month or so. Sometimes I can be patient and other times I make spur of the moment decisions. Like a guy close to me has a 5" Armatus at a good price!!, but I must hold fast.
I don't recall mollies doing to well without some salt, at least for breeding purposes. Sound right? Been a long time. I bred some for baby RB Pirhana to eat a long time ago.
 
I agree that a month is not really enough time for anything to reproduce to the degree that you want. You will probably have the fish that you put in, and a few tiny little babies which your fish won't even notice. If you were willing to give it more time you could put a few pairs of convicts in there, and they would fill the tank up with babies. I'd say it would probably take at least 3 months, whether you use convicts or livebearers, to have the fry grow to a size where it gives the effect you want.
And you are right the mollies do much better with salt. Guppies and swordtails do fine without any.
 
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Gourami Swami said:
I agree that a month is not really enough time for anything to reproduce to the degree that you want. You will probably have the fish that you put in, and a few tiny little babies which your fish won't even notice. If you were willing to give it more time you could put a few pairs of convicts in there, and they would fill the tank up with babies. I'd say it would probably take at least 3 months, whether you use convicts or livebearers, to have the fry grow to a size where it gives the effect you want.
And you are right the mollies do much better with salt. Guppies and swordtails do fine without any.
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Thanks,
I am debating on some other guys to try and stock for the lower portion, but a lot depends on cover available for their future livelihood. I have to leave enough free space for the big boys and actually for a decent sized cat on the bottom. Pleco also...... I have a lot of planning if I can make this turn out the way I want it too.
 
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Daphnia would fill that tank in a month fi fed well, but may not be big enough for you armatus to eat.
 
Just get the fish straight, why have a buffet of potentially ill food for a new and stressed fish?

I don't really see the point of having feeders in beforehand, maybe it's just me...
 
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Hendre said:
Just get the fish straight, why have a buffet of potentially ill food for a new and stressed fish?

I don't really see the point of having feeders in beforehand, maybe it's just me...
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1. I need to cycle the tank.
2. I know they will be clean
3. I always wanted to see a huge quantity of tiny fish in the tank
4. They will be adapted/acclimated to their new environment so maybe I can see the new guys "hunt"
5. I dunno. I guess because I want to see how many could survive utilizing cover
6. Gives me a buffer of time for my intense schedule.

Sure I have more reasons, but that's off the top of my head..... why not?
 
I think you might be best off with a refugium. Grow the guppies up in a section of the sump, you can regularly scoop them out into the main tank.
 
So what do you guys have against lre stocking guppies? Just curious.
Here is my dilemma. 1st fish will probably be the ATF. Undecided on GATF or VATF. Either way they grow about .5 per month. The Armatus and Aro will come in after. Their growth rate is about double. The Armatus will quickly outgrow the ATF. I do not want to raise my ATF or anything in a 55/75 before moving him into a 8ft tank. Trying to grow a 3" fish in an 8ft tank is not easy. Not for me anyway. This way a nice stock is already established. He can hunt and stuff himself till he gets a bit bigger. Maybe I am missing something, but I like the idea.
 
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