Wow! It's been 2 years since I've been here! As you can tell, I've stayed in the fish keeping world pretty intensely and even have my own fish keeping forum!

Anyways, my plan to put a DP in my 5galHEX never quite worked. In 2008, all my tanks crashed. It was because of all the crap they put into the city water [my mom says it differently! LOL], so I ended up switching to my well water which made things a LOT better and no real fish losses since 2008.

Anyways, I'm back in full gear right now, enjoying my 10gal planted tank for a male betta and some other fish...along with the 29 [though, those fish are going in a 125 and it's becoming brackish for a Figure 8 Puffer] and the 55 [which is a goldfish tank and also evolving]. And a few other nanos/a soon to be 20gL.

Ok...so back on topic, I'm going to be buying a planting up a 12gal eclipse for a dwarf puffer, 2 otos, 2 frogs, & some blue pearl shrimp....obviously, puffer will be added last, but I've heard that they can get along with those animals, and they will probably never even meet due to my tendency to stuff tanks full of live plants.

Here is the AqAdvisor idea on the tank: http://aqadvisor.com/AqAdvisor.php?AquT ... Size=short [note, I used RCS as a fill-in for Blue Pearls]

I wouldn't put African dwarfs with DPs. The frogs are too passive and weak.

Before trying any sort of expensive exotic shrimp, do a test run with a cheap ghost shrimp or two, to see if your puffers will tolerate them.

Other than that, sounds great! Be sure to post some pictures.

I guess the frogs could go in the 5gal Corner Tank with the betta....and I was planning on the ghost shrimp just in case...because these would be my only pearls and unlike my RCS, they aren't cheap/always replacing themselves.

Ok...so...for substrate, I'm thinking Onyx Sand...since I'm changing my 10 to it and having the 5gal Corner it...as well as the 55 & 125 [maybe others too?]...it makes sense to co-ordinate all my tanks so I know what to expect with all of them...

The only thing I'm using in here besides the Tetra AquaSafe BTW [I don't like Prime in FW, but will use it in the SW tanks...I guess...] is Tetra Black Water Extract to keep the pH lower [onyx sand is a buffer-er lol] and quite possibly make it feel more at home...The only other stuff I need besides the tank/stand[I'm outta money at the moment... ] is just 50W Heater [Tetra presets like in my other tanks, I'm pretty happy with], Glass Thermometer, Driftwood, Bubble Stone/Airline Tubing/Air Pump/Checkvalve and the Plants/Fish[of course after the cycle with some ghost shrimp & guppies? I don't like fishless cycling either since everything spiked as soon as I added fish the 4 times I did it and these fish are hardy[but will become food for the F-8 I guess]]

Unlike my 10...I have a different plan for planting this tank..plants will be more in clumps then spread out...so there will be little patches of plants here and there...plants will be like Crypts, Rotalas, Hygros, Ambulia, foxtail...wanna be plant I have so much of!, a water "lotus"...and that kinda thing...

For now,
Kenny

It's quite important not to feed fish to F8s, since they're not piscivores. If you do a fishless cycle right, you shouldn't have a spike. Check this out: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/lib ... s-cycling/

Why don't you like Prime for FW? I love it!

I wouldn't worry about softening the water. To be honest, the fish will not care at all.

Prime & I don't have fun memories, but I forget now why...

I *CAN* fish-less cycle, but there will be a test fish before the DP since for some unknown reason, it never worked the last 4 times I tried it... :S But, I would like to expand my methods of fish keeping since I like doing what's best for the fish....

Oh, and I'm sorry, I didn't mean feeding the guppies to the F-8[or even the DP], but the ghost shrimp, since I don't like them very much, will get split between the F-8 and Waspfish if I ever get it. They've eaten some of my most prized betta's fins before [making them weaker in the long run], so I will give them a chance in the 29 with the puffer...but it's doubtful for them...

The guppies are going in either the newt tank [25gH][newts are too slow to eat fish...and I keep their water perfect] or the 125gal...

A "test fish" is a great idea, since DPs are so sensitive. Good plan!

Guppies and bettas don't do well together, since guppies have such long, colorful fins - bettas think they're other bettas and attack them. My guess is that they had a skirmish and the guppy(s) fought back.

Only one of my bettas *Pumpkin* has been attacked by guppies[he is weak to begin with, but he's still alive and OK in his own tank[QT, 2.5gal MiniBow]...], but I meant the ghost shrimp hurt my other [almost show-type] bettas which is why I have no hard feelings of feeding them to my angelfish[in the 55gal goldfish tank. :S], puffer, or waspfish or whatever else eats ghost shrimp...lol

I do have 3 fancy guppies in with Vervayne, my marble veiltail [random WalMart buy...he was OK and I didn't need another betta...lol] and they are getting along perfectly, but the conditions that may cause this "harmony" to thrive, are the betta mostly paces the back glass [he's a weirdo...cuz he likes the filter too...lol] and the tank is heavily planted and it's a green water farm[ ] right now...

If you are curious here they are:

Vervayne[when he was in QT]:


Guppies:


And how their tank[10gal] looks:


There is also 2 threadfin rainbowfish, so this tank has a weird combo that just...works...

Oh, those fancy guppies are pretty plain-looking. That's why it's working, then. I was thinking about the larger ones with massive tails and bright colors all over.

Nah..I don't like those in my communities as much since they have problems swimming [atleast in my eyes] and they usually get the Q.T. tank by themselves if I buy any...

I've found African dwarf frogs and bettas to be a great combination. The frogs only move in spurts(except when eating) so they don't stress the bettas, and the bettas will flare at them when they move a bit, then swim off when the frog just sits there totally ignoring the flare(silly things are nearly blind, lol).

I recently introduced a frog to one of my betta setups. It was hilarious - Pirate, the betta, kept getting close and flaring, then dashing off to the other side of the tank when the frog moved. I took so many pictures. Now that I know these guys get along, I'll be getting the frog one or two buddies - they like groups.

I'm pretty sure the ADFs will work well too!

Here is the current betta who will be going in with them:


He's not exactly the strongest, but good enough....this was him in his prime when he finally started feeling better:


Oh, I'm pretty sure my 10gal is going shell dwellers so I won't have to buy another tank for them which MEANS...the fish from that tank are getting switched around with most going into the 125 [with bigger schools] and the oto + 2 more is going into the DP's tank:

That's a gorgeous cellophane betta. Great job getting some weight back on him. And that oto is so fat! Heehee! I wish I could get mine to put on juuuuust a tad more weight.

Thanks! He's my baby...a WalMart rescue and has been through hell..quite literally, the whole 9 yards...septicemia, fin rot, biting his own fins, etc...but FINALLY, he's getting back to himself! [He's been with me since October]

Oh...and I had an idea hit me like a ton of bricks! hahaha

Here's what's in my 10gal:

2x Threadfin Rainbow Fish:
[and his woman is less colorful!]
1x Male Betta:

1x Oto: You already saw it...and yes, he IS fat, but he's very active so he burns it off quickly
3x guppies: You saw them...

Soo...I was thinking about moving the threads and the guppies to the 125gal anyways...plus the betta...elsewhere. LOL and turning the 10 into my D.P. tank instead of the 12gal...

Here's what it looks like right now...but it's probably gonna change cuz I don't really like it.



Sooo what do ya think???