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As I told, I have just started my first tank for paros about three weeks ago – 30x30x30 cm, about 27 liters. I think now it nearly reaches the water equivalents I had in mind ……….. and will soon be ready for its first inhabitants. Hope I will find some ……..
I have an older 80 cm / 120 liters tank running for which I now and again thought about changing the fish community. I thought about some Pseudosphromenus dayi with a group of Boraras brigittae.
But now I ask myself – why Pseudosphromenus? Why not Parosphromenus? I have little room for further tanks (and an already angry looking husband 😉 ) – so that’s nearly the only chance to keep more than that one pair of Parosphromenus which I hope to get for the small tank mentioned above.It’s almost always recommended to keep paros as pairs in small tanks. Would it not be possible to keep more than a pair in such a bigger tank? I read about dividing such a tank into two smaller sections by pasting a glass plate vertically in the middle of the tank. But it’s a running tank with many plants and roots – I would rather not completely deplete it……….
What would you suggest – a group of Parosphromenus, or rather my first decision, Pseudosphromenus? Which would mean to have only room for one paro pair for now …………
Thanks for a piece of good advice!
Hi Stefanie
I think the reason we are always talking about one pair in one tank, is because of course it is always recommendable to try to breed the paros that we have. We encourage people to try to breed them, because they are rare and special – and they often thrive really good in that way – one pair together.
And also because, for most people, if they think that it is possible to have licorice gouramies in tanks with other fish they will very often be dissappointed and it will often not be successfull, because it needs to be a speciel kind of set up, and most people will not provide that.
But I think, that of course it is possible, and sometimes really a very good idea. In your case, the 27 liter is ideal for a pair or a smaller group. My experience is that they can feel very comfortable with small tank mates such as boraras.
Because I have quite a lot of fry, and in some cases too many of one sex (at the moment I have 10 p. harveyi males and 2 females + some unidentified young ones) – and I have a big 60 liter in which I have some of the males together with boraras. In this tank I have filter and some current, and a lot of plants. I actually think that I see these fish much more than some of the ones that are in smaller one-pair-tanks. So it is quite possible.
I keep the same waterparameters in this tank though, so ph 5.0 and very soft. The plants here can really mostly be javamos and javafern.
In other tanks I also have sometimes smaller groups of paroes together, – and sometimes they also breed in those tanks. Possibly not if there are boraras though, but if only one species of paroes, they might.
A big tank, though, 180 liter, I think is too big. First of all you would need to fill it up with water which is the right parameters, and that is quite a lot. And if your paroes dont feel ‘safe’, they will hide and in such a big tank you might never see them at all, they might hide.
I think its a question of that if we have the opportunity to breed, we should try. But that doesnt mean that its not possible in other ways, its just not so easy.
You can see a thread with a big tank with paros here https://parosphromenus-project.org/en/forum/26-Pictures/468-Toms-Bucket-Of-Mud—Paro-sp-sentang.htmlBecause of lack of space, I put a pair of sp. Sentang in a meter-aquarium with Dicrossus filamentosus with quite acidic water. The paros became very active and were not shy at all. After a while I even added a pair of Apistogramma agassizii.
They are making a nest and are courting at the moment, thus seem to thrive.
Thank you, Helene, for your answer. And thank you for showing me the link to this wonderful tank! That’s my ideal of a tank – open surface, plants growing inside and out.
The tank this thread refers to is not covered, too – because I keep my miniature orchids and tillandsia hanging over it to benefit from the ascending humidity. I plan not to fill it up to the rim, when I change the setup, but to leave a little space to let Pistia grow on the surface.So if you think there’s still a chance to breed Parosphromenus even if they are not separated pairwise in a small tank, I think I will try it. It’s surely more of a chance for breeding than deciding not to keep any paros in this tank at all 😉 ………It’s not my intention to keep several species in a mixed community. Just some individuals of one single paro species (how many??) and a small flock of Boraras, to give the paros the quiet they need.
There are still some Tanichthys in the tank now, which will have to move ….. And I have to change the water settings. The water now is very clear and not peat-filtered. The plants will have no problem with the new water, I think – they are Microsorum, Fontinalis, Cryptocoryne and Najas guadalupensis. The picture shows the actual setting – just to explain why I don’t like the idea of separating the tank into two halfs.
[quote=”bartian” post=1226]Because of lack of space, I put a pair of sp. Sentang in a meter-aquarium with Dicrossus filamentosus with quite acidic water. The paros became very active and were not shy at all. After a while I even added a pair of Apistogramma agassizii.
They are making a nest and are courting at the moment, thus seem to thrive.[/quote]
Thank you – that gives me hope!!
Last night I thought about how to change the water parameters in the running 120-liter tank ………… and I think, maybe you are right, Helene, and it’s too difficult to change the parameters in such a lot of water in a running system.
The actual water parameters are pH 6,5 – KH <4 - GH <8 - it would not be the greatest problem to decrease these, because it's rain water mixed with tap water. Our rain water has no measurable KH and GH, a TDS of around 30 µS and pH 6,0 - if I take pure rain water, I can easily lower the pH to 5 or 5,5.
But the TDS in the tank now is around 250 µS ....... I think due to the soil, the rocks and organic material like hazel twigs etc. in the tank. I'm afraid - to lower the TDS would mean to empty the tank. And that's something I do not like to think about .........
Does somebody else here have experience in changing the water parameters of a running system?
That’s as easy as starting a new tank. Just start changing water with rainwater(I use RO) and after a while the water will be very soft. Then start filtering over peat.
I did it in several tanks.[quote=”bartian” post=1233]That’s as easy as starting a new tank. Just start changing water with rainwater(I use RO) and after a while the water will be very soft. Then start filtering over peat.
I did it in several tanks.[/quote]Thank you – and you succeeded in bringing down the conductivity this way, too? I think the conductivity depends on the complete setup – not only on the water, doesn’t it?
I often find that gravel is a big problem in changing water parameter, – some gravels might have a big influence in drawing up parameters such as ph-value.
[quote=”helene” post=1237]I often find that gravel is a big problem in changing water parameter, – some gravels might have a big influence in drawing up parameters such as ph-value.[/quote]
Yes, that’s what I think.
I set this tank up for fishes that like average water equivalents (neutral pH, middle hardness) – with no focus on very special requirements.
I often make water changes only with rain water – because I do not want to amplify the hardness. And the conductivity always raises up to 250 µS again ……..
Hi I used to keep my Paros with small Rasboras. They make very good tank mates and in my opinion play the role of dither fish giving the Paros confidence to come out of hiding. The main draw back I encountered was that Rasboras can be prone to oodinium
Hope this is helpful
Regards
Kevin
Thank you, Kevin – that’s what I had in mind, and it seems that several keepers made good experiences in keeping Rasboras/ Boraras and paros together.
I think about two aspects:
– How many Rasboras can I keep in such a small tank as recommended for paros? For example, my 27 liter tank? Rasboras like to live in small flocks, one shouldn’t keep too few of them. But how many are appropriate?
– I keep 8 Boraras maculatus together with a pair of Badis kanabos (and their fry) in a 54 liter tank. The Badis are slow feeders, too – they have to observe an object for a while to be sure that it’s alive and edible. The Rasboras are very fast and eager to feed. The combination Boraras/ Badis works well because of the differences in food size – the Boraras eat only small food, the larger remains for the Badis. But as I hear, paros also eat very small food, and very slowly. What about the food competition in keeping Parosphromenus and Boraras together?
But again, – here I would say, in the smaller tanks, if you keep boraras with the paros, you will not be succesful breeding the paros, – because the paros will not have the quietness they for breeding, and even if there were any fry they would be eaten by the boraras.
And even if you did not want to breed them, I would say having boraras in smaller tanks is less optional, – even they are small, they like a certain space to swim.Helene, please don’t misunderstand me – I never had in mind to keep Paros and Boraras together in the 27 liter tank at the beginning. I thought about keeping them together in the 120 liter tank. I began to think about it in the smaller tank, when you wrote in your first answer
But I think, that of course it is possible, and sometimes really a very good idea. In your case, the 27 liter is ideal for a pair or a smaller group. My experience is that they can feel very comfortable with small tank mates such as boraras.
Now Kevin said
Hi I used to keep my Paros with small Rasboras. They make very good tank mates and in my opinion play the role of dither fish giving the Paros confidence to come out of hiding.
And as you see from my questions regarding tank/ flock size and food competition – I still have reservations ……….
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