Dividing tanks.

[Maurice Matla]

Just a thought that crossed my mind.

We can keep Paros in small tanks but in lager volume´s usually water quality is easier to maintain. At least that is what i have been told for over 30 years now.

Would it than not be an good option to instead of using multiple smaller tanks dividing a larger one.

With fine filterfoam for example. you get to keep multiple pairs in their own compartments but the larger volume of water makes fore a more stable envirement ?

Your thoughts on this would be appreciated.

[Pavel Chaloupka]

I think you could do that but if you are getting your first Paros, I would use it like this for couple pairs of the same population from the same breeder. If you put fish from different sources in to one such tank, there is always a risk of diseases and I would try to avoid that especially at the begging.

[Stefanie Rick]

I have some experience with that. I have divided 25 liter tanks into two – so I have two 12,5 l sections. And I have divided a 54 liter tank into three – so now I have 3 sections of about 18 liters.

I can clearly say that the water is much better in the bigger tank. The water in my smaller single tanks of about 12 and 18 liters and in the 25 liter tank divided into two has almost the same parameters: pH around 4,3 and a conductivity of about 48 µS.
Same intervals of water changes – the water in the bigger divided tank of 54 liters has the same pH of about 4,3, but a conductivity of only 21 µS.

Deepin peat’s advice is right – and I have yet another reason for even keeping only the same species in these divided sections: The partitions are not tight, and they are not wanted to be tight – because of the advantage of the greater overall water volume. The water is desired to diffuse between the single sections. And I have experienced that also very young fry diffuse between the single sections. We don’t want to mingle fry of different species, don’t we? So I would not recommend to keep different species in neighbouring divisions of one large tank.

In my divided 54 liter tank I have my P. quindecim – eldest pair in the left section, younger pair in the right section – and their offspring in the middle.

[Pavel Chaloupka]

[quote=”Stefanie” post=4145] And I have experienced that also very young fry diffuse between the single sections. We don’t want to mingle fry of different species, don’t we? So I would not recommend to keep different species in neighbouring divisions of one large tank.[/quote]
That is very good point 🙂 not only parasites diffuse trough the foam of whatever is used.

[Maurice Matla]

Thanks again for your thoughts.

So clearly, as with anything in life, there are pro´s and con´s to think throuhg.

[Andy Love]

I have done similar (i.e. have a relatively-larger tank subdivided) and attach a piccie of the assembly. The sponge plugs between the tanks are c3cm thick : I can’t imagine much getting through that would compromise the integrity of (say) two different species in adjoining compartments …

… except that I have lingering worries over particularly enthusiastic sperm! This is because there is a current, albeit very slow, from the left-most compartment to the right-most.

Is the possibility of the transmission of sperm from one compartment to the next something that I need to keep in mind, do you think? Or are they so short-lived that it’s not an issue?

[Maurice Matla]

I do not really think that is a very great issue. Sperm usually is not long lived as far as i know.

But another thing that come´s to mind is that not also 2 pairs would have to spawn so close to eachoter in time changes are very low and of course eggs are so quickly fertilized after the female releases them also the cange that the current leads it to the right place in the right time…

I think the changes would be very slim indeed.

[Pavel Chaloupka]

I would not be concerned about this at all. If you want to transfer the milt during artificial fertilization as it is done with most of the Synodontis species for example, you do not even have the time to suck it in to the syringe and transfer it to the bowl with the eggs, you need to use deactivation solution with the milt or it it is already out of energy and not capable of fertilization when you mix it with the eggs. It takes few seconds at most. So the current would have to be enormous and the single sperm cell would have to be lucky enough to hit the egg directly, which is close to impossible as you would need the egg to be layed just in time to be capable of fertilisationa and not to be fertlized already by the right father who is in the cave with the female. And we could go on… 😀

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