Leaderboard

Looking good Ineke.

As noted by the author of that article, things can be different in different tanks. My CPD breed readily and don't readily eat their offspring, allowing the population to grow without my intervention. When I had Glowlights (choprai) I could never get the population to increase like that. I have watched Halfbeaks hunting well below the surface many times well into the zone occupied by baby shrimp. Otherwise no surprises, all the tetras and Nannostomus are voracious hunters. The omission of White Clouds is glaring but unsurprising; they're one of the most underrated fish around. Just because they're cheap and common in the aquarium trade doesn't make them no good. I often hear aquarists carry on about "conservation values", well the humble White Cloud may be well established in the aquarium trade but it's extinct in its original habitat and now only occurs in an isolated population on Hainan Island. It's not the only "common" aquarium species to be critically endangered or extinct in the wild.

We had this discussion at the show this weekend and probably all types of fish, including Otocinclus (Dwarf Suckermouth Catfish), are a threat to new babies. If breeding a large number of shrimp is not a goal then it's probably alright to add some type of fish. Maculata and Chili Rasboras (Boraras maculata and Boraras brigittae) are both lovely little fish that aren't going to eat anything but the tiniest shrimplets. Galaxy Rasboras / CPD are bigger but don't seem to hunt little shrimp. Threadfin Rainbows (Iriatherina werneri) have such tiny mouths that they won't be a big threat either, and they're usually available through Aquagreen at a great quality and price. The good old White Cloud (Tanichthys albonubes), available in the coldwater section of probably every aquarium store in southern Australia, is an excellent choice too. It's available in a Gold form and rarely a Longfinned form and is a long-time favorite of mine.