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Re: Killies and tanks
> How many killies could you safely keep in a 10-gallon tank?
I know this doesn't answer your question directly, but how about if you
start with a pair in a well planted tank and counted how many youngsters
grew up with them. :)
I certainly have kept four pairs of gardneri Misaje comfortably in a ten
with cover plant and glass). They were raised together and had settled
pecking order issues long before they grew to adult size. But there were no
fry.
A lot of it depends upon what you want to do. If you want to see how the
killies interact with each other you might want to get a couple of pairs or
trios. It is probably best to just have one species or one strain per tank.
I would recommend getting young fish raised with each other. Too many and
there will be casualties. On the other hand, a grow out tank of youngsters
can be remarkably crowded.
A caution: heavily populated tanks need lots of water changes. "Crazy Man's
Disease" acidosis or pH plunge will happen when waste materials build up
beyond a critical point. The then crazy fish will dart around the tank
erratically and even kill themselves smashing into tank sides. A genuine
danger of wiping everything out exists. One morning that was observed, a
quarter teaspoon of plaster of Paris was dumped in as a holding action (hey
it was what was available minutes before work.) That evening the entire tank
was torn down, sloshed out and re-established. Everyone survived. With care,
that didn't happen again.
Years ago we set up a special tank for Aphanius mento. It was divided
by rocks into zones with foliage zones to the sides and back (sort of like
setting up an Apisto or Mbuna tank, but on a smaller scale.) At a CKA open
house one of the members brought a couple of males to go with three lonely
females. They danced and displayed in their newly established zones. So
enthusiastic were the mentos that four of us sat on the rug just entranced
about 3 AM (long after the others had left and the timers were re-set)
watching their antics. The mento were also oblivious of the hour. It was one
of those small wonders remembered long after...
All the best!
Scott
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