Planning a tank for Kryptopterus minor.

[Sfamnun]

Hey everyone!

I recently got a new Juwel Rio 180 aquarium, in which I'm planning to keep a group of

Kryptopterus minor

. I've got some ideas on how to set it up and I'd like to run them by all of you before I actually do anything!

I doubt that I'll make it into a proper biotope aquarium - though I would have liked to if it was easier! The size of the tank is 101 x 41 x 50cm (holds about 180litres) and I am planning on using the original Juwel filter as well as the original lighting, which are a couple of 45W T5 tubes.

My substrate will be soft sand with a grain size of 0.25 to 1mm. This is my first time trying sand as a substrate, so I don't know how well it will work with plants and so on. I was thinking of having some granite rocks as well as a bit of larger gravel, with small plants (small crypts and Eleocharis, for example) planted here and there in the foreground and some of the center, with taller plants in the sides and back. I'm not sure which plants I should choose for the back and sides - maybe Vallisneria nana and Limnophila? I was also thinking of planting several larger crypts as midground plants, among rocks. I'd also like to have some driftwood - something nice and branchy, like redmoor wood. Do you think that this will be enough cover for the fish, if I plant well enough and give the plants some time to grow?

How about tankmates? I have been considering either Rasbora lacrimula or R. borapetensis, as both are available here.

Does this sound like a reasonable set up? How many fish of each species do you think I should have? I'm definitely no fan of overstocking, but I'd like there to be enough fish of both species so that they feel secure.

Thanks in advance!

Raviv

[coelacanth]

All sounds pretty good to me. We've had a decent-sized group now since 2005 under similar conditions, along with cherry shrimps, Pangio sp. Hyalobagrus etc.
Keep a good number, they'll look much better.

[Sfamnun]

Thanks for the reply. I've read your thread from 2005 before - sounds like a nice set up! Do you have any pictures of it that you would like to share?

As it is now I planted it with what is probably Cryptocoryne wendtii and am cycling (fishlessly). Got quite a variety of small snail species (one of which I haven't seen before!) with the crypts as well, which I enjoy. I will get the fish once I've planted it more thickly (with taller plants!), let the plants grow in and am sure that the cycle is complete.

How about stocking? How many do you think would do well in a 180 litre tank?

[Sfamnun]

So back in April I planted the tank and have been letting the plants grow ever since.
It now looks like this:

The plants are Vallisneria nana, Limnophila, Hygrophila polysperma, Cryptocoryne pontederiifolia, C. wendtii and Eleocharis.
I haven't been putting in any stones or driftwood. I don't really have much space for stones and I haven't found any nice driftwood pieces yet - I might skip driftwood as well.

The water is pretty soft and has a pH value of about 6.3. The temperature has been pretty high lately (28C), but it's been pretty warm in the apartment, too!

[Sfamnun]

... And now I bought some nice redmoor wood anyway. Couldn't help myself! Pictures when I finally get it to sink.

Sorry to ask about stocking again, but how many do you all think I could keep in there? Again, the tank holds 180 litre (about 47 US Gallons) and the filter is the standard Juwel one. Would 15 be a good number? Possibly 20? I'm going to start by keeping only glass catfish, but I would like to have the stocking capacity to keep a medium sized school of small rasboras later on.

[gedtranter]

Hi Sfamnun,

Any update at all on this tank, any new pics? I'm gearing up at the moment for a Kryptopterus-only tank, should be up and running in a week or two.

[Sfamnun]

Well, I got a group of 14

Kryptopterus minor

back in July - though I've just recently lost one, I'm afraid. The tank looks a bit worse now as I haven't taken such good care of the plants, but I could upload a more recent picture soon.

The remaining ones are doing very well, eating dry food and not being as shy as in the beginning. They will even swim all over when looking for food - even if the lights, which are a bit too bright, are on. Just today I've even seen them do this: http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... 1&p=219991

All in all I am very happy with them!

[minipol]

Well, it sounds like a nice tank setup

[gedtranter]

Another pic or two would be good. So do your fish hide in a dark most of the time or are they out and about? As much as I want to go for a big group of cats only, I'm wondering if I'd benefit from some dithers? Have you added anything else to yours? What about water flow, is it only the Juwel filter in your tank?

[Sfamnun]

They hang out in shaded areas most of the time. If they think that food is on the way then they swim out and about. The only filter/pump is the Juwel one, and it's doing an okay job - it's even a bit too much flow for the Kryptopterus at some spots. I don't know how they'd react to dithers but it's been on my mind. I might add some

Rasbora sarawakensis

at some point, as I've recently learned that they are available here.

Here is a picture from the summer:

I have to admit that it hasn't looked so nice in a good long while, though! I think that I need to add some fertiliser tablets to the sand. It's a bit of muck on the sand in this picture, too - that has since been siphoned up, of course!

[gedtranter]

Thanks for that, tank's looking good. Picked up 12 this weekend, I'll start a new post with pics soon.

[minipol]

The tank looks good. I had them some years back and they were always swimming close to each other and like you mentioned, a bit hidden.
Adding some dithers will at least provide for some more action