Fish that prefer no substrate?

[DCJ]

Hallo!

Sorry for the really weird question here forum, just throwing it out

I tried to Google the answer but it was really condescending to me

Basically, I have a tank 80cm x 30cm x 25 cm (31 x 12 x 9") = 14.5 us gal where the bottom is covered in siliconed-in slate, as was intended for a baby axolotl at one point in time.

I was just wondering if it could be repurposed while still making use of the slate.

Im planning on scaping it with wood pieces, maybe terracotta pot caves or slate caves, and by epiphyte plants attached to the wood pieces and " potting" some plants, probably hardy nano types, maybe accented with some larger anubias, idk

So it'll have as much green as I can put in there without actually planting anything, probably sponge filters like in all my tanks, heated or unheated.

I'm just stumped on stocking

Obviously no one who likes to snuffle around or bury themselves in the substrate, so cories and loaches are out

I could put whatever like smaller danios in there, or just mid dwelling/top dwelling nano fish, but it'd be cool if anyone knew of any fish that would particularly enjoy having no substrate or would be served in some way by having a substrateless tank?

Even an easy amphibian if there's one that's suitable?

Open to hearing any ideas, even anything really obscure, although I might not be able to entertain everything, I'm disabled (boo) so might have some limitations, but I'd love to hear ideas

Thank you if you can take the time to leave a comment on this weird one, appreciate it!

 

[Cyberfish]

There's nothing that wouldn't prefer it but most midwater fish and surface won't mind. There's plenty of amphibians out there like fire-bellied or alpine newts that would prefer it. Not sure you can keep fish with those though, and you would need a land area

 

[NoRoom4Shoebox]

hillstream loaches would like the smooth areas of slate for the algae that it will grow, I used to have slate in my tank in 2 corners balanced on glass candle sticks, and my hillstream loaches could often be sceen squabbleing over the algae.

How do you feel about snails, it might be a great place to kee rabbit snails for the algae and the smooth surface, then you could do a small top mid dwelling fish, Im tempted to get forktail rainbows and rabit snails in a similar set up. Thanks for the idea!

 

[Mudminnow]

Any fish that likes to hang out on rock would probably like the slate. With a bit of added current, there's a bunch of fishes that would probably be happy. NoRoom4Shoe mentioned Hillstream Loaches. There's plenty of other sucker type loaches out there too. Several Garras, Gobies, and sucker mouthed catfish would probably fit the bill too.

That being said, 14 gallons is kind of small. If it were me, I'd go with something little--maybe Annie's Gobies?

 

[DCJ]

Cyberfish Ehhhhh, I'm beginning to think so. It's a shame, I wanted to utilise it rather than just leave it there. I wouldn't mind an amphibian, but it would have to be fully aquatic, or an air gulper (???) because the tank's so shallow I wouldn't be able to put a land area in there without risking a great escape. Or I'd keep mudskippers! Though the tank's probably too small for that.

Thank you for taking the time to reply, I appreciate it


NoRoom4Shoebox hallo again my friend! That's a good point! I wonder if I set up a spot light situation above a corner, to encourage algae growth, if the ambient heat would cause a kind of temperature gradient, that would also drop at night when the light is off, that would be nice for them? A kind of natural heating up/cooling down effect in part of the tank? I don't know. It'd probably be minimal regardless, but it might be nice? Or it'd go overboard and crack the tank. Good grief.

I love snails, I've never kept rabbit snails. That sounds lovely, you're welcome, I'd love to know how it goes when you get around to it.

I'm of two minds about this.

I'm thinking of just leaning in to the artificial aspect and, I don't know, going a little abstract, using pieces of quartz and things, using underwater lights to illuminate them from below, go really fantasy-like with it

I don't know

Stocking wise I was thinking maybe brachydanio tinwini, POSSIBLY danio choprae and maybe some kind of hillstream loach at the bottom, very maybe. I could pop a tiny wavemaker at one end or somesuch for flow.

I was going to use a tank with the same dimensions and stock it with 20x emerald dwarf rasbora and some danio choprae, but this might be a better use of those fish

Sorry for rambling!


Mudminnow hallo long time no see! nice to see you again!

I kept hillstream loaches once and loved them, and have never kept them since for some reason. You might be right about the little gobies too. I don't know if they need angled surfaces though? Man, that might put a stick in my gears about keeping them.

 

[Cyberfish]

because the tank's so shallow I wouldn't be able to put a land area in there without risking a great escape

I mean you could just use a mesh lid and there would be no escape. Mudskippers typically still do need land. How big is it? Indian Dwarf Mudskippers don't need to much area.

 

[DCJ]

Cyberfish it's 80cm x 30cm x 25 cm (31 x 12 x 9") = 14.5 us gal - it's so shallow that I think the land area would have to protrude over the top of the tank, otherwise I don't think there'd be enough space for a land area and a water area within the size of the tank if it had a lid.

I could use like plastic to enclose the land area and increase the height of the tank, but I think that's too much work and too much risk. But it'd definitely be the Indian type, Africans would be way too big.

I did entertain the idea once before, but it was a long time ago and I can't remember what I concluded anymore. Do they need substrate in their water area? I suppose the land area would kind of slip into the water area

 

[Cyberfish]

DCJ I think you could keep 2-3 Indian Dwarfs in there, and use sand to create a bit of a land area on one side. It doesn't need to go above the waterline, but they should be able to breathe air when they're resting on it. 9 IN should be deep enough to make that happen. However, they do need a bit of a sand substrate, and they can't be kept on just slate at the bottom.

9 IN should be deep enough for a land section for newts, if you do 5-6 IN of water and 1-2 IN of land, that's around 6-8 IN of depth

 

[Mudminnow]

You might be right about the little gobies too. I don't know if they need angled surfaces though?

I've had some Annie's gobies for over a year now. They seem perfectly happy on smooth surfaces to me. They spend most of their time out and about, but they like to hide away in holes from time to time. So, your slate cave idea seems like it'd suit them well.

Freshwater Blue Neon Gobies could be a good choice too for the same reasons. Although, they're a little bigger.

 

[Cyberfish]

Freshwater Blue Neon Gobies could be a good choice too for the same reasons. Although, they're a little bigger.

Most stiphodons should be fine.

 

[DCJ]

Cyberfish Ah, I'm trying to make use of the tank with the slate at the bottom as it is at the moment, without having to put substrate over it if I can help it. I haven't thought about newts before, I might look into that! Thank you for the suggestion

(And stiphodons, lol)


Mudminnow that's good to know! I'm going to do some research on them, see if they'll fit in, but I DO like those blue neons... thank you for giving me a huge problem, lol!

 

[Cyberfish]

Blue Neon gobies are a type of Stiphodon. In 14g you could easily do a small colony and some midwater fish

For newts, you have a couple of options, like fire-bellied or alpine; a group of around three of either species would be good. I'd personally go with fire-bellied, as alpines need, like, a half-land setup, whereas fire-bellied would be good with some floating cork with moss on it. You'd need a lid though cos they can climb glass walls.