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Questions regarding Food, Schooling, Plant Identification

Discussion in 'Aquatic Plants & Planted Tanks' started by Anonymous, Apr 14, 2009.

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  1. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    A few general questions

    I have a few questions that I can't seem to figure out the answer to, so maybe you guys know.


    1) I was buying some "bottom feeder pellets" from Walmart tonight and I saw in a tank with neon tetras, a type of floating plant. So I asked the guy about it while he was getting me two neons out and he said I could have a bunch of it for free. So, I would like to know what it is. I can take pics but it basically looks like a four-leaf clover with little roots on the bottom. There are a bunch of them that he gave me. They are all seperated but just float at the top like a clover patch. Any ideas?

    2) The bottom feeder food I bought was Wardley Shrimp Pellets. It says it is good for bottom dwellers like corys, plecos, and catfish. I have 1 emerald cory, 1 oto, and 1 rubberlipped pleco. The only one out of the 3 that has checked out the 3 pellets I dropped was the cory. After swimming RIGHT by it about 50 times he finally nibbled a little bit on it but just swam off after a few seconds. Has anyone else used this? Are corys just finicky eaters? And he chases my neon tetras occasionally. I thought they were peaceful. Any thoughts?

    3) I have 6 neon tetras as of yet. 4 were bought yesterday and 2 today from different stores. Yet they are all swimming alone for the most part. I wanted the effect of a shoal of them yet they won't stick together. Did I just get retarded fish or will they eventually swim together?
     
    Anonymous, Apr 14, 2009
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  2. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    Re: A few general questions

    1) would need to see photo
    2)Cory wouldn't harm a flea, none of mine ever liked the shrimp pellets (always done algae tabs/wafers in Hikari Brand). Can also do Spirulina Flakes (green).
    3)In large numbers they should shoal...probably getting use to the new setup and a bit stressed. in a 55g I would do at least 8-10.
    Let me revamp that...8-10 neon tetras in total, 3 or 4 corydoras in total (they do soo much better in small groups)...and I'd add 2 more ottos also.
     
    MOD_Dawn, Apr 14, 2009
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  3. NoctuVide

    NoctuVide Member

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    Re: A few general questions

    I tried the wardly shrimp pellets as well. My cory cats are also not fond of it at all. I use Hikari Sinking Wafers (the one with a picture of a cory on the front) and they absolutely love them!
     
    NoctuVide, Apr 14, 2009
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  4. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    Re: A few general questions

    Your using the micro-mini's (ie. Small tiny ones)...I use the large ones (but I have the bristlenose gang too.
     
    MOD_Dawn, Apr 14, 2009
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  5. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

    Top Poster Of Month

    Re: A few general questions

    Ah okay. Well that makes sense. It sucks that they don't like the pellets I bought. I'll take a pic of the plants.
     
    Anonymous, Apr 14, 2009
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  6. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    Re: A few general questions

    For the Discus & Neon Tetras do some Frozen Bloodworms...they'll got nuts for the stuff!
     
    MOD_Dawn, Apr 15, 2009
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  7. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    Anonymous, Apr 15, 2009
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  8. NoctuVide

    NoctuVide Member

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    Re: A few general questions

    looks like duckweed. I ended up with a small portion of that at one point and put it in one of my ten gallon tanks. A few months later (now), I ended up with a lot of it. It spreads like crazy
     
    NoctuVide, Apr 15, 2009
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  9. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    Re: A few general questions

    just googled the stuff and yeah it does look like duckweed. I only put it in there because I will be getting some hatchetfish and they like floating plants. Hope it doesn't get everywhere haha!
     
    Anonymous, Apr 15, 2009
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  10. NoctuVide

    NoctuVide Member

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    Re: A few general questions

    if it does you can just scoop it out and throw it away, or put some in another tank. Some fish will eat it.
     
    NoctuVide, Apr 15, 2009
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  11. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    Re: A few general questions

    That'd be my guess...Frogbit or duckweed
     
    MOD_Dawn, Apr 15, 2009
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  12. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    Re: A few general questions

    1) Thats Duckweed! It is highly invasive. I did let it go in my tank though! In a few months you will be throwing it out of the tank like crazy but its still not a bad plant to have. It does help control algae growth. Again I did add it to my tank so its not the end of the world having it.

    2) Corys eat almost anything. I dont feed mine anything in particular. They eat the leftovers from the Discus. (Tetra Color Bits, Frozen Bloodworms and Live Blackworms) They eat ALL of that and anything else that hits the bottom EXCEPT Beefheart.

    3) Tetras are funny fish. Sometimes they shoal and sometimes they dont. I almost gave up on Tetras myself because they do shoal for a bit and then they quit once they get used to the tank. Mine always just cruised around the tank in groups of 2-3 and sometimes even singles. I had at most 20 at one point. It was nice for the few days they did shoal but then they just were all scattered around the tank. That behavior seems to be a matter of comfort for them and if they feel comfortable they adapt to not doing it. If you do something like hit the tank they will group back together quick for a bit and then wander apart again.
     
    LemonDiscus, Apr 15, 2009
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  13. Guidoman888

    Guidoman888 New Member

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    Re: A few general questions

    Okay about corys like dawn already said. They do best in small groups for example 3/4

    Dawn also stated to add some ottos agreed!

    Lemon stated corys eat anything. Yes they do they eat anything! :)

    And about tetras. I keep 5 myself. I'm planning to add more since they do best in groups of 7+. My tetras were in the first few days shy and didnt shoal much together. But after a week max they were in a nice shoal :)

    Tetras tent to shoal alot more when you have a predator in the tank. When your discus grow up the'll definatly shoal more then they did before ^^

    I hope i've been of help
     
    Guidoman888, Apr 15, 2009
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  14. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    Re: A few general questions

    I would disagree with this Guido... The Discus will not be viewed as predators! Actually in my experience they see the Discus as "Dither Fish" themselves and judge the environment by the behavior of the Discus.... Mine separated even though I had a large number of large Discus in the tank.... Discus pay Tetras absolutely no mind at all!
     
    LemonDiscus, Apr 15, 2009
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  15. Guidoman888

    Guidoman888 New Member

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    Re: A few general questions

    I didnt mean that the discus are predators. But I thought the neons would see them as predators because they get quiet big. Well thanks for correcting me lemon ;)
     
    Guidoman888, Apr 15, 2009
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  16. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    Re: A few general questions

    No problem... no I understood... I was just meaning before that the Tetras dont even see Discus as a predator. They pay the Discus no mind at all and vice versa
     
    LemonDiscus, Apr 15, 2009
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  17. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

    Top Poster Of Month

    Re: A few general questions

    So for an update:

    The cory seemed to have picked off all of the pellets throughout the night, well they're all gone so something ate them haha.

    The neons are still being retarded, not shoaling and I haven't even seen them eat! I alternate their food (all of my fish/tanks) one day flake food the next dried shrimp.

    I also didn't want to admit it to you guys because it was a spur of the moment buy (I know those are bad) but I bought a freshwater flounder the other day. I know they need brackish when they get older but he is not even over an inch right now so I'll find him a new home when he gets a little bigger. Was a mistake buying him though as I NEVER see him.

    You live and learn I guess haha. But todays lesson kids, RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH before you buy haha.
     
    Anonymous, Apr 15, 2009
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  18. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    Re: A few general questions

    No Worries, Most of us (rather we admit it or now) have impulse bought at some point or other without properly reasearching first. Lol!
     
    MOD_Dawn, Apr 15, 2009
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  19. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

    Top Poster Of Month

    Re: A few general questions

    I forgot to ask earlier. But a girl at Petsmart told me that corydoras only shoal in the same species i.e. Emeral Green, Albino, Peppered, etc. and that they won't mix together if you have different species in the tank.

    Is this true?

    Also, I saw a video of corydoras in the wild and there were about 50 or more of them swimming together scavaging so I might even add more than 3! I might go with like 5 or so. Plus I wouldn't mind breeding them so I can put some in my other tank!

    Anyone have any luck breeding corys?
     
    Anonymous, Apr 16, 2009
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  20. NoctuVide

    NoctuVide Member

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    Re: A few general questions

    It's best to take what people at petsmart and petco have to say about fish care with a grain of salt. 99% of the time they are just trying to sell a product/fish and wont have 100% accurate info for you. I have many different types of corys in my community 55 gallon and they all shoal together. Also, you mentioned emerald greens. Be careful with what you get at big box stores with that label. A lot of the time the label will say that they are Brochis splendens (Emerald catfish), but the fish in the tank will be Corydoras Aeneus. This isn't a problem if you want an Aeneus, but if you're looking for a brochis it's another story lol (they also shoal with corys...they are pretty much a higher bodied and a little larger cory)
     
    NoctuVide, Apr 16, 2009
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