Tom’s Paro Project – take 2

[Tom Black]

Hi all,

After spending a while breeding egg-scattering loaches and cyprinids from Myanmar, I am turning my three nano tanks over to Paros and thought I should begin documenting them here.

The first tank is now up and running. It has a false back made from coarse foam which acts as a mattenfilter, substrate for riparium plants and also perhaps a refugium for potential fry – I have included small holes into the space behind big enough for fry but too small for adults.

There are 4 young and currently unidentified Paros from my local shop. I think 2 males, 1 female and the smallest I am not sure about.

The males are currently showing turquoise edges, a turquoise dorsal ribbon and red/brown central patch on the caudal –

Whilst the female(?) exhibits a brown coloured dorsal band and little visible edging –

So that’s it for now. I am hoping for some parvulus and perhaps opallios for the other two tanks, but my import is currently delayed until next month.

[Tom Black]

Just got a couple of slightly better shots of the colours of the males in an aggressive mood after feeding –

[Aleksandr Egorov]

Hi Tom.
Very interesting. I will follow the theme.
How many liters in the tank? What have the pump? What thickness of the sponge?

[Tom Black]

Hi Aleksandr. The tank is 25 litres (perhaps a little small for 2 pairs, but will do for now). The filter is what was in the tank already – a Dennerle ‘Eckfilter’, I have simply passed the outflow through the foam to create a mattenfilter, providing a large surface area for filtration, moss growth and perhaps microfauna. Already the fish seem to spend quite some time grazing on it.

Water stats are currently pH 5.6, 90µs and 24 degrees. I started the fish in tap water (as at the fish shop) and am performing frequent small water changes with RO to bring the numbers down gradually.

[Aleksandr Egorov]

Thank you Tom.
What kind of lighting?

[Tom Black]

[quote=”Aleksandr” post=2919]Thank you Tom.
What kind of lighting?[/quote]

There are three of these tanks all in a row with a single Hagen 36w T5HO unit suspended above to provide lighting to all three.

[Lee Sweeting]

Its looking great Tom. Are you planning on reducing the pH further? I’m seriously thinking about setting some smaller tanks up for breeding, rather than just having the big tank. I’m not quite sure where i’m going to find the space though.

[Tom Black]

[quote=”Leesweeting” post=2933]Its looking great Tom. Are you planning on reducing the pH further? I’m seriously thinking about setting some smaller tanks up for breeding, rather than just having the big tank. I’m not quite sure where i’m going to find the space though.[/quote]

Yeah the pH is coming down slowly as the percentage of RO goes up. I’ll probably hold it around 5 or so.

[Ed Prust]

Hey, some familiar faces B)

[Author]

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