New CPD tank

[stonec0ld]

Hi, I’m new to this forum but not to fish keeping.

I’ve recently got a new tank L 60cm x W 30cm x H 33cm which I’ve filled with 50 litres of dechlorinated water.

I’ve got an eheim pickup 60 (2008) running with a sponge in it that I had maturing in my main tank’s external for the last 2 months, and I’m keeping the bacteria alive by adding a small amount of ammonia and testing the levels daily.

Substrate is pea gravel and I’m going to plant the tank with some Elodea Densa and probably some Camboba Caroliniana.

pH is 7.4

So to my questions;

I was thinking about getting 20 CPD and keeping it as a species only tank, is there a rule as to M:F ratio like Livebearers?

Will they appreciate some caves and bogwood or will just the plants be ok?

Foodwise, I was thinking something along the lines of flake food Monday-Friday, Bloodworm on Saturday, Sunday starve day. Is this ok, or do they prefer more veg?

Is there anything else I need to know?

Thank you in anticipation

[MChambers]

I think you’ll be fine. Some wood or caves might be nice, just to add some shelter, but as long as you have a fair amount of plants, I think the fish will be comfortable.

I don’t think there is any preferred male/female ratio, although I suppose that if you want to breed them you would be better off having more females than males. If you’re not worried about breeding, the males are more attractive. It’s not all that easy to tell the genders, so I wouldn’t worry about it.

Your feeding plan seems fine, but understand that bloodworms are a little big for them. You might want to shave off little pieces of the bloodworms, but make sure you don’t get an allergic reaction from handling them.

I find that frozen daphnia is a little better suited for CPDs.

[stonec0ld]

brilliant, thanks

[Carmon in NM]

I have a healthy stand of wendtii at each end of my CPD aquarium and the CPDs seem to enjoy hiding out in and swimming through the stems. I’ve never seen them take any other shelter and they really like the open swimming area in between.

I recently started a daphnia culture and they definitely go nuts hunting for and eating the live daphnia. I suck the daphnia up in a plastic turkey baster and then squirt them out at the level the CPDs spend the most time in.

[AquaGirl]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

I am feeding mine all kinds of foods, decapsulated brine shrimp eggs, white worms, Walter worms, live daphnia, chopped blood worms, crushed flake food and golden pearls (thanks Dennis!).

Good luck and please keep us posted on your progress.

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