Juice Bottle Yeast Reactor for Carbon Dioxide Supplementation
Take a plastic juice bottle approximately 2 liters in size. Make a hole in the cap just large enough for a piece of air line tubing. This can be done using either an electric drill or by holding a nail over a hot burner with a pair of pliers until it is hot enough to melt through the plastic cap.
Insert a piece of air line tubing into the cap and glue it in place with a hot glue gun. The tubing should just come through the cap, but not go far enough into the bottle that it will come in contact with the liquid below.
Using a funnel, place two cups of sugar and 1 teaspoon of yeast in the bottle. Then fill the bottle with lukewarm (not hot!) water to just about where the neck narrows and then shake to mix. Screw the cap back on and insert the other end of the air line tubing into the intake of a power filter or canister filter. The bubbles will be thoroughly mixed and will dissolve into the water inside the filter.
Until the liquid in the pop bottle has thoroughly cooled, keep the bottle higher than the tank to prevent a back siphoning. Once it is cool, it is usually safe to put the bottle beside or beneath the tank.
Within 24 hours, your yeast reactor should be producing enough carbon dioxide to make a noticeable difference in a tank of between 20 and 30 gallons. If your tank is larger, you may have to run more than one yeast reactor in series. If your tank is smaller, you may need to reduce the amount of yeast and/or add a little baking soda to slow the production of carbon dioxide.
In all cases, but particularly if you have a very small tank or very soft water, check the pH frequently to make sure it isn't dropping to dangerously low levels until you feel confident with your system. Depending on the tap water chemistry and the warmth of the room, you should find that the yeast reactor keeps producing a fairly good amount of carbon dioxide for about two to four weeks.
10- to 20-Gallon Communities That Work
Note: All tanks are 20 to 24 inches long.
Here are some ideas for fish communities that work and also have lots of educational possibilities. Of course, there are many other combinations that will also work, but if you don't have an experienced aquarist to help you make the decision, any of these combinations will work well. I have chosen these species because they are relatively hardy, inexpensive and available on a fairly regular basis.
In all tanks, it is a good idea to keep at least a few Otocinclus catfish, whether they are geographically appropriate or not. If Siamese algae eaters (Chrossocheilus siamensis) are available and you are experiencing algae problems, buy a small one, but be aware that it will outgrow the tank, possibly before the end of the school year, and will need to be traded in to the pet shop for a smaller specimen.
Where a range of numbers of individuals to keep is given for a species of fish, the smaller number is appropriate for the smaller tank. These numbers are based on a heavily planted tank. If the tank is not planted, you will need to adjust the number of fish downward. In all cases, for ease of maintenance and the health of the inhabitants, do not overstock or overfeed your tank.
Asian Theme Tank #1
Top Swimmers:
Six to eight zebra danios (Brachydanio rerio) or six to eight pearl danios (Brachydanio albolineatus) or one pair of Aplocheilus lineatus.
Mid-Water Swimmers:
Six to eight cherry barbs (Barbus titteya) — use only two males for the brightest colors — or six to eight checkered barbs (Barbus oligolepis) or 8 to 12 white cloud mountain minnows (Tanichthys albonubes).
Bottom Dwellers:
Three to four kuhli loaches (Acanthophthalmus kuhlii) or one to two zebra loaches (Botia striata).
If the top-swimming fish are left out of this tank and the tank is heavily planted, it is likely that some of the eggs laid by the adult barbs will be able to hatch and the babies will survive to adulthood.
Asian Theme Tank #2
Top swimmers:
One pair of dwarf gouramis (Colisa lalia) or one pair of honey gouramis (Colisa sota).
Mid-Water Swimmers:
Six to eight harlequin rasboras (Rasbora heteromorpha).
Bottom Dwellers:
Three to four kuhli loaches (Acanthophthalmus kuhlii) or one to two zebra loaches (Botia striata).
South American Theme Tank #1
Top Swimmers:
Three to four hatchetfish (Gasteropelecus sternicla) or four to six dwarf pencilfish (Nannostomus marginatus).
Mid-Water Swimmers:
Eight to 12 cardinal tetras (Paracheirodon axelrodi) or eight to 12 rummynose tetras (Hemmigrammus bleheri), or eight to 12 glowlight tetras (Hemigrammus erythrozonus).
Bottom Dwellers:
Three to four Corydoras species (choose any species) or three Otocinclus species.
Livebearer Tank
Mid-Water Swimmers:
Six to nine platys (any color variety, male to female ratio at least 1:2) or nine to 12 guppies (any color variety, male to female ratio at least 1:2) or one to two trios of each of the above species.
Bottom Dwellers:
Three to four Corydoras species (choose any species) and three Otocinclus species.
If the tank is heavily planted and includes floating plants, many fry will survive. If you work with a single color variety of each species, the fry will be more salable as they attain adult size.
Cichlid Breeding Tank
"Dither Fish":
Six to eight zebra danios (Brachydanio rerio) or six to eight pearl danios (Brachydanio albolineatus) or six to eight white cloud mountain minnows (Tanichthys albonubes).
Cichlids:
One pair of kribs (Pelvicachromis pulcher).
Many Cichlids, including the species listed above, exhibit parental brood care. There are many other species that can be used, but kribs are less aggressive than many, and because the sexes are easily identified at a fairly young age, it is possible to start with a single pair. With most species, you must start with a minimum of six individuals and let pairs form naturally. This means that in the confines of a small tank, you soon need to find homes for the non-paired fish.
If you choose the white clouds as dither fish, you may very well find that you have a family of kribs at the bottom of the tank and a swarm of baby white clouds at the top! The danios are voracious egg eaters and will devour their own eggs as they are laid.
Dither fish are those species that create "dither" in the aquarium — small, peaceful species that the cichlids observe to determine if it's safe to be out in the open. When the dither fish hide, the cichlids take this as a warning to also hide.
20- to 29-Gallon Communities That Work
Note: All tanks are 24 to 30 inches long.
Here are some possibilities for fish communities that work and also have lots of educational potential. Of course, there are many other combinations that will also work, but if you don't have an experienced aquarist to help you make the decision, any of these combinations will work well. I have chosen these species because they are relatively hardy, inexpensive and available on a fairly regular basis.
In all tanks, it is a good idea to keep at least a few Otocinclus catfish, Siamese algae eaters and/or Ancistrus species, whether they are geographically appropriate or not. Where a range of numbers of individuals to keep is given for a species of fish, the smaller number is appropriate for the smaller tank. In all cases, for ease of maintenance and the health of the inhabitants, do not overstock your tank.
Asian Theme Tank #1
Top Swimmers:
Four to six brilliant rasboras (Rasbora borapetensis) or six to eight zebra danios (Brachydanio rerio) or six to eight pearl danios (Brachydanio albolineatus).
Mid-Water Swimmers:
One to two Siamese algae eaters (Chrossocheilus siamensis) or six to eight tiger barbs (Barbus tetrazona) or six to eight black ruby barbs (Barbus nigrofasciatus) or six to eight rosy barbs (Barbus conchonius).
Bottom Dwellers:
Three to four kuhli loaches (Acanthophthalmus kuhlii) or one horseface loach (Acanthopsis choirorhynchus).
In a 29-gallon tank, you could use six tiger barbs and four of one of the other two barb species. Never include fewer than six tiger barbs in a community tank or they will harass other tankmates. In larger numbers, their overactivity is directed to the other fish in the school.
Asian Theme Tank #2
Top Swimmers:
One pair of giant gouramis (Colisa fasciata) or one pair of pearl gouramis (Trichogaster leeri) or one trio of blue gouramis (Trichogaster trichopterus) (30-inch tanks only).
Mid-Water Swimmers:
Eight to 12 harlequin rasboras (Rasbora heteromorpha) or eight to 12 cherry barbs (Barbus titteya) or four to six checkerboard barbs (Barbus oligolepsis).
Bottom Dwellers:
Two to four zebra loaches (Botia striata) or two to four orange finned loaches (Botia modesta) (30-inch tanks only) or one red-tailed shark (Epalzeorhynchus bicolor) (30-inch tanks only).
South American Theme Tank
Top Swimmers:
Three to six hatchetfish (Gasteropelecus sternicla) or six dwarf pencilfish (Nannostomus marginatus) or six other pencilfish species.
Mid-Water Swimmers:
One or two of the following species, at least six individuals of each species: diamond tetras (Moenkhausia pitteri), bleeding heart tetras (Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma), serpae tetras (Hyphessobrycon callistus or related species). They can be nippy - do not mix with slow or long-finned fish. One or two angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) (two adult males may fight) (29 gallon tank only) or one pair Bolivian Rams (Microgeophagus altispinosa) or two Aequidens dorsigerus or two Aequidens curviceps.
Bottom Dwellers:
Three or four Corydoras species (choose any species).
One clown pleco (Peckoltia species).
Three Otocinclus species.
West African Theme Tank (29-gallon only)
Top Swimmers:
One or two pairs or trios Aphyosemion gardneri (or other Aphyosemion species) or one or two pairs or trios Epiplatys dageti.
Mid-Water Swimmers:
Six Congo tetras (Phenacogrammus interuptus).
Three or four upside-down catfish (Synodontis nigriventris).
Bottom Dwellers:
One pair Kribensis (Pelvicachromis pulcher) or one pair butterfly cichlids (Anomalochromis thomasi).
Livebearer Tank
Mid-Water Swimmers:
One or two trios (one male, four females) swordtails (Xiphophorus helleri and hybrids) (any color variety) or one or two trios mollies (Poecilia hybrid).
Bottom Dwellers:
Three to four Corydoras species (choose any species).
Three Otocinclus species.
If the tank is heavily planted, and includes floating plants, many fry will survive. If you work with a single color variety of each species, the fry will be more saleable as they attain adult size.
Hard Water Cichlid Breeding Tank
"Dither Fish":
Six to eight Celebese rainbows (Telmatherina ladigesi).
Cichlids:
Six Lamprologus brichardi or six Lamprologus "daffodil."
Many cichlids, including the species listed above, exhibit parental brood care. There are many other species that can be used, but these are less aggressive than many. You will need to start with a minimum of six individuals, and let a pair form naturally. This means that in the confines of a small tank you will soon need to find homes for the non-paired fish. Once the pair has formed, not only will they care for the fry, but siblings from earlier spawns will also guard the younger fry. The young are very saleable.
While these fish can be kept in a planted tank as long as the water is not too soft and the pH is at least 7.5, they are most appropriately displayed in a tank with rocks under which they can dig caves to spawn.
Soft Water Cichlid Breeding Tank
Cichlids:
Six keyhole cichlids (Aequidens maronii) or six angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) (29 gallon tank only) or six blue acaras (Aequidens pulcher) (29 gallon tank only).
Dither Fish (not necessary for angels):
Six to eight of any small schooling tetra. Cichlids feel secure and will spend time in open areas as long as dither fish are active.
Many cichlids, including the species listed above, exhibit parental brood care. There are many other species that can be used, but these are less aggressive than many. You will need to start with a minimum of six individuals and let a pair form naturally. This means that in the confines of a small tank, you will soon need to find homes for the non-paired fish.
Recommended Plants
Here is a list of good sturdy beginner plants. Those with a * are fast-growing and thus particularly good "nutrient sponges," and should be emphasized in a start-up tank.
Java fern
Microsorum pteropus
Asia
Java moss*
Vesicularia dubyana
Asia
Water sprite*
Ceratopteris thalictroides
Worldwide
Water wisteria*
Hygrophylla difformis
Asia
Small-leaved hygro*
Hygrophylla polysperma
Asia
Giant hygro*
one of several Hygrophylla sp.
Asia
Willow leaf hygro*
Hygrophylla angustifolia
Asia
Vallisneria or tape grass
Vallisneria sp.
New World and Africa
Swordplants
Echinodorus sp.
New World
Rotala rotundifolia*
same
Asia
Milfoil or foxtail
Myriophyllum sp.
Worldwide
Ambulia
Limnophila sp.
Asia
Fuzzy duckweed
Salvinia sp.
New World
Anubias barteri
same
Africa
All of these plants should be readily available. If your local pet shop doesn't regularly stock them, they should be able to order them for you from their supplier.
Beware of choosing plants for your aquarium just because they look pretty. And, just because they are submerged in the pet store doesn't mean they are aquatic plants. Many pet stores sell a number of terrestrial plants as aquarium "decorations." These will not survive long-term, and as they deteriorate they will add to the waste materials in your tank.
There are also a number of very tempting red plants for sale. While some of these are good aquarium plants, most need very strong light and are a little more sensitive than the species listed above.
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