Central Taiwan Biotope Creation Log and Journal
- Thread starter cockroach
- Start date
How are the Stiphodon ornatus getting on, are you still able to supply enough algae for them.
So what is the last fish you got.
So what is the last fish you got.
They have been doing very well and eating non stop.
However, came home after lunch this afternoon to find something white and stringy among the rocks. Sadly, realized it was the little bit left of one of the Stiphodons. Another seems quite damages along the back half of the body on the dorsal side.
I sat and watched for a while to see what could have happened.
It wasn't the filter, I don't have a heater, the circulation pump propellers are covered, no rocks had fallen over. This led me to assume only one thing. It was a fish.
But who..........?
Another stiph? Nope. They were still in their loose group and grazing away. All three of them.
The shrimp? No he is not fast enough. He has an occasional tail nip but that is more or less it and the fish show no signs of fear around him.
The other fish added, which by the way are sicyopterus japonicus or mountain rock goby, seemed uninterested in any fish besides the other sicyopterus. And then only males checking out males at the moment. So no.
I added 5 small rhinogobius over the weekend. So couldn't be them as they are way too small and like to hang around the stiphs.
And then I saw what I think may be a clue. The horse mouths.
I saw the largest go for one of the rhinogobius when I added them. I can only find three rhinogobius so am assuming they were eaten by the horse mouth.
While watching them, I noticed every time the largest horse mouth went near the stiphs they darted towards, not quite into but towards, shelter. This they had not done before.
From my observation I am guessing that adding the small rhinogobuius set off the predatory instinct in the horse mouth which seems to be a strong drive in them. They rhinogobius were caught in very shallow, about 3-5cm deep water away from the larger horse nouths, zaccos and another fish species.
After adding sinking veg pellets the stiphs may have gone in between rocks to get at the food. With heightened hunting instincts the horse mouth saw the tail of the stiph sticking out and went for it. The stiph tried to bolt in deeper but couldn't and was mauled. It later died from the injury and the smaller horse mouths and the shrimp cleaned up the crime scene.
The second injured stiph may have been lucky enough to scraoe between rocks and away to safety.
However, came home after lunch this afternoon to find something white and stringy among the rocks. Sadly, realized it was the little bit left of one of the Stiphodons. Another seems quite damages along the back half of the body on the dorsal side.
I sat and watched for a while to see what could have happened.
It wasn't the filter, I don't have a heater, the circulation pump propellers are covered, no rocks had fallen over. This led me to assume only one thing. It was a fish.
But who..........?
Another stiph? Nope. They were still in their loose group and grazing away. All three of them.
The shrimp? No he is not fast enough. He has an occasional tail nip but that is more or less it and the fish show no signs of fear around him.
The other fish added, which by the way are sicyopterus japonicus or mountain rock goby, seemed uninterested in any fish besides the other sicyopterus. And then only males checking out males at the moment. So no.
I added 5 small rhinogobius over the weekend. So couldn't be them as they are way too small and like to hang around the stiphs.
And then I saw what I think may be a clue. The horse mouths.
I saw the largest go for one of the rhinogobius when I added them. I can only find three rhinogobius so am assuming they were eaten by the horse mouth.
While watching them, I noticed every time the largest horse mouth went near the stiphs they darted towards, not quite into but towards, shelter. This they had not done before.
From my observation I am guessing that adding the small rhinogobuius set off the predatory instinct in the horse mouth which seems to be a strong drive in them. They rhinogobius were caught in very shallow, about 3-5cm deep water away from the larger horse nouths, zaccos and another fish species.
After adding sinking veg pellets the stiphs may have gone in between rocks to get at the food. With heightened hunting instincts the horse mouth saw the tail of the stiph sticking out and went for it. The stiph tried to bolt in deeper but couldn't and was mauled. It later died from the injury and the smaller horse mouths and the shrimp cleaned up the crime scene.
The second injured stiph may have been lucky enough to scraoe between rocks and away to safety.
I have two or three options:
A. Remove the largest horse mouth and get the river rack set up before the next ones reach size enough to do damage. This does not seem right as the tank was to be a Taiwan tank not a Sulawesi tank.
B. I have a small tank, maybe 5 gal with high flow and it is a very mature tank. I could house them in there for a a month or two while I heal them and get the racks up and running. The tank has enough micro fauna and flora to sustain the three little guys with the addition of river rocks. I am also able to do 50%+ daily water changes bar one day a week.
C. I take the fish to my classroom guppy breeding rack and house them in a cycled and mature 30cm X 30cm X 30cm (1'x1'x1') breeding tank for a while. They get almost daily water changes so will be fine. They could each get a tank and clean up some long standing algal patches. However, I would need to make a plan with the back and front edges of the tank as there are no lips to stop them climbing out.
Worst case scenario I go get a 10 gal or so and use it for that time until the rack is operational.
A. Remove the largest horse mouth and get the river rack set up before the next ones reach size enough to do damage. This does not seem right as the tank was to be a Taiwan tank not a Sulawesi tank.
B. I have a small tank, maybe 5 gal with high flow and it is a very mature tank. I could house them in there for a a month or two while I heal them and get the racks up and running. The tank has enough micro fauna and flora to sustain the three little guys with the addition of river rocks. I am also able to do 50%+ daily water changes bar one day a week.
C. I take the fish to my classroom guppy breeding rack and house them in a cycled and mature 30cm X 30cm X 30cm (1'x1'x1') breeding tank for a while. They get almost daily water changes so will be fine. They could each get a tank and clean up some long standing algal patches. However, I would need to make a plan with the back and front edges of the tank as there are no lips to stop them climbing out.
Worst case scenario I go get a 10 gal or so and use it for that time until the rack is operational.
Ok update.
I Have been watching the tank and discovered, and would like to make it public, that the horse mouth have been found innocent before a jury of their peers ( and my observations). I sat for a long periods not moving to see what was happening.
That shrimp in the tank is a culprit. Pretending to be all slow and what not. LIES!!!! He ambushes the stiphs while they feed. What alerted me was when the stiph was attacked, it had two areas damaged, behind the head and on the caudal penduncle. He lies under certain rocks and the darts out to catch them.
I will close him in a container in tank until the breeding rack is built for the stiphs and panda loaches I just got.
The tank is maturing well and fish growing well. I added a 34W LED light and this has definitely helped the algae even after four days. The light cycle of 10 straight hours helps too.
The Sicyopterus are doing very well and are establishing pecking orders and territories. The males are coloring up really nicely. Pics below and video to follow. The largest male quickly claims the added algae rocks until he is done with his favorite one.
Pics
The male stiph grazing hard
Female and alpha male sicyopterus and female stiph
Even the horse mouths love grazing the long algae on the added rocks. What's funny is after 24H of having added the rocks, all the fish have bright green poo. In pics 3 and 4 in the bottom right corner you can see the baby rhinogobius. I currently still have three.
I love the dorsal fins on the alpha males of the sicyopterus.
Everyone going to town on them there rocks.
I spread the rocks all around the tank to give everyone a share of the buffet.
Some closer shots of the algae covered rocks I add. I look for different types of algae to add each time.
What a group of algae grazers will do to a rock. The top right corner of the left rock was where they started. After about 4-5 days it was all cleaned with no algae left.
I Have been watching the tank and discovered, and would like to make it public, that the horse mouth have been found innocent before a jury of their peers ( and my observations). I sat for a long periods not moving to see what was happening.
That shrimp in the tank is a culprit. Pretending to be all slow and what not. LIES!!!! He ambushes the stiphs while they feed. What alerted me was when the stiph was attacked, it had two areas damaged, behind the head and on the caudal penduncle. He lies under certain rocks and the darts out to catch them.
I will close him in a container in tank until the breeding rack is built for the stiphs and panda loaches I just got.
The tank is maturing well and fish growing well. I added a 34W LED light and this has definitely helped the algae even after four days. The light cycle of 10 straight hours helps too.
The Sicyopterus are doing very well and are establishing pecking orders and territories. The males are coloring up really nicely. Pics below and video to follow. The largest male quickly claims the added algae rocks until he is done with his favorite one.
Pics
The male stiph grazing hard
Female and alpha male sicyopterus and female stiph
Even the horse mouths love grazing the long algae on the added rocks. What's funny is after 24H of having added the rocks, all the fish have bright green poo. In pics 3 and 4 in the bottom right corner you can see the baby rhinogobius. I currently still have three.
I love the dorsal fins on the alpha males of the sicyopterus.
Everyone going to town on them there rocks.
I spread the rocks all around the tank to give everyone a share of the buffet.
Some closer shots of the algae covered rocks I add. I look for different types of algae to add each time.
What a group of algae grazers will do to a rock. The top right corner of the left rock was where they started. After about 4-5 days it was all cleaned with no algae left.
I am pretty sure it is Oreochromis mossambicus. Once it warms a bit I am going to try trap them and leave them for the birds to eat.
