Introducing myself & set-up questions

Jordy, nice to meet you here, so finally it has worked.
Ypur questions:
1. tank size: Paros need not much space for their behaviour. Your tank is fine but think how you would raise the young. Some pairs tolerate the young, but you will really be unable to feed them properly; it’s too big. But you can try.
2. Filtration is not really necessary. Peat is best.
3. Substrate is not really necessary because you can’t use many plants in such water (no calcium, pH below 6.5, best between 5 and 6). At any rate the substrate must only cover the glass bottom. Leaves are important (oak, beech). Collect them dry from the wood and soak them in hot water.
4. The material of the cave is unimportant (plastic, clay, wood). But the cave should be small (diameter not more than 3 cm, perhaps less) and the surface level should make sure that no nest or eggs slide out.

Just seen Peters response 🙂 .. of course you might think that it could be a problem feeding fry, – however, I would not be too pessimistic about this. If you provide an area with a good bit of javamos – say in one corner, and the cave close to this, – the fry will certainly be in this area and you could point your feeding to this area.
The problem of feeding fry I think is a problem even in smaller tanks, because you have to have very very small food available, and this is often difficult for new breeders. But if you find this and find out the tricks to handle it, – I think you would be able to feed fry also in a tank this size.
I currently have a 30 liter tank with a pair of P. nagyi, – and find no problems here, – fry is growing up fine, finding food good.
But I also do see Peters point, theres no saying if it might turn out being a problem, – but then i do think its probably linked to other problems too, such as getting aquainted with very small type food and so.

But there might be a contradiction here 🙂 … though I do think its possible to solve.
But with paros, – we really encourage you to have focus on the breeding aspect. Keeping paros for display is not encouraged because of their rare occurance and difficulty. You might have lots of troubles finding some, and finally having obtained a few fish, it is a pity to simply ‘maintain’ these in a display tank without giving them the best options where they will breed. You might not succeed at first, – but not trying would really be a pity. Because before long you might again find that you are without paros, and not able to find them again in shops.
However this of course does not mean that you cannot try to make a tank which also is worth looking at. But much gravel probably a lot of times prohibit that you can obtain the right ph value for breeding, – which is below 6 really.
You might read my thread called My P. Nagyi Cherating home – in this forum, European section, pictures. in this tank, which is 60 liter I have not used gravel and therefore also not many plants, however, I think this is more true in some ways to the natural habitats, which also consists mainly of peat and fallen leaves etc. and by no means is less ‘beatiful’ than a green tank full of plants. I also have experimented a bit with cryptocorynes and some will grow in very soft acidic waters and you can even get them to grow in peat substrate.
I will post a few video clips of this tank one of the nearest days to show how its getting along.

Okay, maybe there was a misunderstanding there on my part. But have a look through the different threads here in forum, there should be plenty of images which could inspire you. I have 25 + small 12 liter tanks, all breeding tanks, but I have lots of plants in most of them, – in fact some are totally overgrown 🙂
I use mainly javafern, javamoss, but also lots of salvinia natans for example.

Hoi, nog een Nederlander hier!

Tank size really isn’t a problem. I have a lot of fry growing fine alongside Betta strohi in 160 liters. I dared to try this because it is the sp. Sentang, which is quite common so no big deal when the fry wouldn’t survive. This tank is full of Ceratopteris, which is, in my opinion, perfect for rearing fry. In contrast to javamoss this plant rapidly dies and grows, producing al lot of waste which is consumed by small organisms, which in turn are a perfect food for fish fry. This is a lot more like how it happens in nature.

It appeared to me these fish are actually quite easy to breed with a lot of Ceratopterus. The tank is not even really acidic and I feed mainly frozen food.

I accidentally put it in there when adding Pistia. It started growing over the surface and soon after took over the tank. I now let it float in my other tanks.

You’re planning to keep macrostoma in another tank? Better don’t mix or the paro’s might get eaten.

Betta are great too, I’m keeping four species at the moment.

Jordy, your plant list must be commented upon in many respects. I confine myself to
“crypto soorten”: Most commonly used aquarium crytos are Sri Lanka species. They live in water totally different than that for Paros. It is a science of its own to develop a method of keeping those fish together with cryptos of the black waters. It is nearly impossible, a matter of different structure. Better, you leave cryptos out.
As the other plants with a great foliage are concerned you must mind that they all live form nutrients dissolved in the water. But your problem is to keep your nearly nutrient-free water blackwater as stable as possible. Using nutrients for plants is out. I don’t see a solution. Of course you can have a green tank with Paros (mine are green too), but mainly with Ceratopteris (very good) and other swimming plants and an occasional rank of Ludwigia or Hygrophila. But the lower your pH the number of suitable plant species is reduced to few. And for some Paros you need pH of 4, even of 3.5. The main aim is to reduce germs which attack the eggs and the larvae. Therefore you need the low pH. Plants are possible only with compromises, pH 6 – 6.5 for example. But the normal planted aquarium is an underwater-garden run with much carbon dioxide, and the Paro-habitats are not of that kind. Paros live within the riparian grasses that hang into the flowing water; that’s different.
Nevertheless, your tanks could be full of green and look wonderful, as do mine, but forget the normal scheme of gravel and underwater gardening. Amano is nothing for Paro-lovers (to name an extreme example) Even a Holland-aquarium (as we call them in Germany: heavily and nicely planted tanks with many plant species) are not suitable and practicable. It’s for show not for use. At least not for keeping and breeding Paros.
I wish you luck with your experiments.