Roy's 10 Gallon - Dicrossus Maculatus Species Tank

HI All,

It's been a while since I started a new journal so here we go. Standard 10 gallon Aqueon with Versa-Top, Aquaclear 20 HOB filter (with 2 used sponge media) and 75 watt Visi-therm heater. Light is a standard 2 incandescent socket strip light with two 7 watt horizontal plug corncob cool white lamps <Ebay G24 E27 5-13W AC85-265V 5050SMD Horizontal Plug LED Corn Light> providing PAR@30+ (to be revised when water clears0 at substrate level. Substrate is 3/4 used (4.5 years) Safe-t-sorb #7941 and 1/4 new STS. Tank parameters: pH@6.0; dKH@2.0; dGH@3.0; 0ppm NH4+; 0ppm NO2-; 0ppm NO3; 0ppm PO4

What to do, what to do? Watch this space!

2/23/2018 Day 1 Set-up (Immediately after adding water)



2/24/2018 Day 2 Starting to Clear

 

Nice setup so far!

Assuming that since you have a decent light you're going to be planting this tank? Any ideas for fauna?

 

HI Lorekeeper

Yes, I will be adding plants but this is going to be a 'species tank' (not a biotope) where the emphasis with be meeting the needs of the fish species and plants will be secondary.

 

What species?

 

What species?

HI KimberlyG

Now if I give all the good stuff away now then you won't come back, suffice to say it is a species not typically seen or kept.

 

Well we all like teasers...NOT. If you put in Gertrude's spotted blue eye rainbow fish, I'll be back to see if they live.

 

HI KimberlyG

Now if I give all the good stuff away now then you won't come back, suffice to say it is a species not typically seen or kept.

Ahhhh! The suspense!

 

Well we all like teasers...NOT. If you put in Gertrude's spotted blue eye rainbow fish, I'll be back to see if they live.

HI KimberlyG

Nope, good guess but the Pseudomugil gertrudae from Gary Lange are in my 20 gallon!

 

HI KimberlyG

Nope, good guess but the Pseudomugil gertrudae from Gary Lange are in my 20 gallon!
View attachment 413823

What the heck are you feeding them. I am down to 5. Those 5 are doing well but it is soooo aggravating.

 

HI KimberlyG

I feed mine freeze dried tubifex worms, frozen daphnia, and frozen bloodworms (actually I feed the German Blue Rams in the tank the bloodworms and the P. gertrudae just snatch a few as the worms head to the bottom.

 

HI KimberlyG

I feed mine freeze dried tubifex worms, frozen daphnia, and frozen bloodworms (actually I feed the German Blue Rams in the tank the bloodworms and the P. gertrudae just snatch a few as the worms head to the bottom.

Mine won't touch anything that big but thanks for the info.

 

HI All,

I'm setting this tank up as a 'species tank' not necessarily a planted tank which to my mind means I am trying to make the tank conditions appropriate for the featured fish species and the plants are 'second fiddle'. That said I did add some plants today and stirred up the substrate somewhat doing so. This is what I added from what I had on hand:

From left to right rear:
Nymphoides hygrophylla (aka sp. 'Taiwan') - rear left
Ludwigia simpsoniI - emersed grown from my plant bank
Eriocaulon Vietnam (aka Taiwan) -center - emersed grown from my plant bank
Hygrophilia sp 'Tiger' - emersed grown from my plant bank
Ceratopteris cornuta (aka Broadleaf Watersprite) - from one of my other tanks (right rear)

In front of the Ying/Seriku Stone that was darkened with muriatic acid
Cryptocoryne wendtiI 'Bronze'
Helanthium tenellum (Foregound) - from AFA tissue culture purchased 11/17 (yes they can last a long time in those little containers with sufficient light)

2/25/18 Before planting; light intensity improved with decreased cloudiness before planting PAR@30-40 at substrate level



2/25/18 After planting

 

Looking good.

 

HI All,

Late last night I finished the drip acclimation and moved the new residents into my 10 gallon. One of the six did not look well, poor color, not swimming well, pinched stomach.....did not make it overnight (purchasing wild fish this is not uncommon). However this morning this is how the tank, new residents, and plants looked.







I was surprised how good the fins looked on these fish, wild fish are usually pretty chewed up



Oh, and a short video

 

Checkerboards? I was so psyched...Alright they are good looking. Next tank something truly different? Yes?

 

Beautiful fish! Don't you think that 5 checkerboards might be a bit much full grown in a 10 gallon?

 

HI KimberlyG

I literally 'stalked' the weekly fish list of my favorite online vendor, it has been almost a year since this species has been in stock. The Dicrossus filamentosus was available several times over the last year but not D. maculatus. Next, getting wild fish to eat can be a challenge, lets hope they are hungry!

 

HI FishFlake38

I agree, when they are adults they will be +/- 2" but I learned a trick from Gary Lange (rainbowfish breeder/explorer) when he did a talk here in Seattle. Keep fry in smaller tanks, that way it is easier for them to find the food we feed them, they grow faster and there is less uneaten food. I did add a small Corydoras aeneus that I bred a couple of years ago and a Corydoras habrosus to do 'clean up' duty in the tank.

 

HI KimberlyG

I literally 'stalked' the weekly fish list of my favorite online vendor, it has been almost a year since this species has been in stock. The Dicrossus filamentosus was available several times over the last year but not D. maculatus. Next, getting wild fish to eat can be a challenge, lets hope they are hungry!

How is the tank this morning? Did everyone settle in nicely? Do these guys breed in captivity? I may be thinking of another fish that I was looking at that has yet to be bred in captivity.

 

HI All and KimberlyG ,

So this morning I woke up, went to the garage, opened the downstairs refigerator, and cleaned breakfast for the Dicrossus maculatus. Then I went into my office, turned on the tank light and computer and had a cup of coffee. Came back, took a few still photos and then shot the video at the bottom......I guessed right on what they might like!

Lights on guys and gals!



They must be hungry they are foraging among the plants



Hmm, the Ludwigia simpsoniI (emersed grown) on the left is already reaching for the light; the Hygrophilia sp 'Tiger' (on the right) not so much yet



And now the big question....will they eat?

 

Dicrossus maculatus gets twice the size of D. filamentosus, IME. I had a big male that was all of 3.5 inches. would not keep a single pair in anything smaller than a 15, and that was crowding. For 5 fish, you will eventually need a 36" long tank. Adults are not as nice to one another as Lyretail Checkerboards, either. Good luck.

 

HI chromedome52

Thank you for the 'heads up', I do have a 30 gallon breeder (36.25" x 12.625" x 16.75") so once they get bigger I will make that their new home.

 

HI All and KimberlyG ,

So this morning I woke up, went to the garage, opened the downstairs refigerator, and cleaned breakfast for the Dicrossus maculatus. Then I went into my office, turned on the tank light and computer and had a cup of coffee. Came back, took a few still photos and then shot the video at the bottom......I guessed right on what they might like!

Lights on guys and gals!
View attachment 414454

They must be hungry they are foraging among the plants
View attachment 414455

Hmm, the Ludwigia simpsoniI (emersed grown) on the left is already reaching for the light; the Hygrophilia sp 'Tiger' (on the right) not so much yet
View attachment 414456

And now the big question....will they eat?

Glad to see they are doing well!

 

HI All,

A few new photos from today. Please recall this is low tech; no CO2 and relatively low light with PAR@40 at the last reading.

The tank is still a little cloudy likely from the dust of the STS that the corys have been rooting in.



The emersed stems of Ludwigia simpsoniI are putting out their second set of submerged leaves



While the emersed grown stems of Hygrophilia sp 'Tiger' are just barely starting their first set of submerged leaves

 

HI All,

Yesterday was water change day so no pics but I did add a new plant to the tank and take some more pics today.

Here we are, day 6 and the water is cleared fairly well now.



I added a plant yesterday that I uprooted when cleaning the glass on my 75 gallon; I tried to grow Eleocharis in PAR@30 with no CO2 in the past...let's try a little higher PAR



The emersed grown Ludwigia simpsoniI continues to grow, and quickly I might add



And of course, the family portrait

 

The checkerboards look great! well done.

 

HI All,

The tank was exceptionally clear today so I took another PAR reading, it looks like the light intensity at the substrate is PAR@50 which should allow good growth without a lot of algae



The emersed grown Ludwigia simpsoniI and the Dicrossus both seem to like the conditions in the tank; the fish are filling out on live blackworms, frozen daphnia, and freeze-dried tubifex worms

 

HI All,

Remembering that this is a species tank where the fish are the primary concern I did decide on a very, very 'lean' dosing regimen for the plants in this 10 gallon tank.

KNO3 = 1/64 tsp 2X week (2.2 ppm X2)
K2SO4 = 1/64 tsp 2X week (1.28 ppm X2)
KH2PO4 = 1/128 tsp 2X week (0.82 ppm X2)
CSM+B = 1/128 tsp 2X week (0.07 ppm Fe 2X)
Ferrous Gluconate = 0.16 ppm 2X week
CaSO4 = 1/8 tsp 2X week (2.98 ppm 2X)
MgSO4 - 1/16 tsp 2X week (1.04 ppm 2X)

Here are some pictures from today. I added two new plants, Nymphaea species.

 

HI All,

No gratuitous fish pictures today, today it's about plants. If you recall this 10 gallon tank is a low tech, medium/low light (PAR@50), and no CO2 'species' tank - but today we will discuss the plants that have been in there exactly 2 weeks. Several species I planted were submerged grown such as the Cryptocoryne wendtii, Nymphoides hygrophylla (aka 'Taiwan'), and broadleaf watersprite (Ceratopteris cornuta). But I also planted some emersed grown plants from my plant bank such as Ludwigia simpsoniI (#1), Hygrophilia sp 'Tiger' (#2) and Eriocaulon 'Vietnam' (#3). I also planted some tissue culture Helanthium tenellum (Pygmy Chain Swords). So how are those emersed grown plants plants doing today? Have the emersed grown leaves all died off? Here are the current results which are impressive considering the extremely lean nutrient dosing:
KNO3 = 1/64 tsp 2X week (2.2 ppm X2)
K2SO4 = 1/64 tsp 2X week (1.28 ppm X2)
KH2PO4 = 1/128 tsp 2X week (0.82 ppm X2)
CSM+B = 1/128 tsp 2X week (0.07 ppm Fe 2X)
Ferrous Gluconate = 0.16 ppm 2X week
CaSO4 = 1/8 tsp 2X week (2.98 ppm 2X)
MgSO4 - 1/16 tsp 2X week (1.04 ppm 2X)

When planted on 2/25/18



Here is the tank today (3/11/18) after two weeks



Here is the Ludwigia simpsoniI (starting its 4th set of submerged leaves)



And the Hygrophila sp 'Tiger' (slow starter, starting 2nd set of submerged leaves)



And Eriocaulon 'Vietnam' (new submerged leaves coming out of center)



And how about the tissue culture Helanthium tenellum? The emersed leaves are dying off but there are a few new leaves and a 'runner'



Interestingly the only plant that is showing signs of losing emersed grown leaves is the tissue culture Helanthium tenellum.

 

HI All,

It's been a while since I did an update. All five (5) Dicrossis maculatus are doing well and seem to be large enough to sex. It appears that I have one (1) lucky male and four (4) females. The male is now about two times the size of the females and is starting to 'color' up. They eat flake food, frozen bloodworms, freeze-dried tubifex worms, and live blackworms. Here is a picture I took today.

Dicrossus maculatus (wild caught - male in rear)

 

HI All,

It's been a month since my last update. The Dicrossus maculatus are continuing to grow and thrive. They get fed twice a day; usually I give them live blackworms in the mornings and either frozen bloodworms or Ken's Flake Food in the evenings.

The male is probably 4X the size and females 2X the size that they were when purchased. The male has been 'displaying' but the females don't have the full bodies or reddish pelvic areas indicating they are ready to mate but I have only had them for 3 months and they were wild juvies when I received them.

The Black Phantom Tetras have worked out fairly well as dither fish, the Dicrossus are 'out and about' most of the time however the tetras are more aggressive feeders so I have to watch and make sure that the Dicrossus are getting sufficient food.

Dicrossus maculatus (wild; immature)

 

They are so beautiful !

 

HI DoubleDutch

I agree, this is a species I have wanted to keep (and hopefully breed) for several years now. It took me checking the inventory lists on various websites for over a year to find them. I would have preferred F1 or F2 as opposed to wild caught but this species doesn't seem to be bred by many folks.