Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => Fish Species => Topic started by: charlesd6308 on July 21, 2020, 07:28:15 PM

Title: Zebra Danios with other fish and shrimp
Post by: charlesd6308 on July 21, 2020, 07:28:15 PM
Hello all! I recently acquired a US 20 gallon tank with an oversized external filter. After cycling it for 6 weeks, I added 7 zebra danios and one betta, as well as two assassin snails to help with a snail infestation that had come in with some plants. Now, at the time I got the fish, I did so on the understanding that the danios were perhaps prone to nip the betta if there weren't enough of them. Fortunately, this has not been a problem. The betta ignores the danios, they ignore the betta, and everyone is happy so far.

My question goes to what might happen were I to add some Amano shrimp to the mix. Would this be a problem? I don't wish to add shrimp just to have them eaten.

I'm considering as the next additions a small group of harlequin rasboras and then later (as the final addition) some pygmy corydoras, and would appreciate any insights, or perhaps better suggestions.

Thank you!
Title: Re: Zebra Danios with other fish and shrimp
Post by: fcmf on July 21, 2020, 10:31:11 PM
Welcome, @charlesd6308  :wave:

I can't reply tonight, unfortunately, but will endeavour to do so tomorrow.

Title: Re: Zebra Danios with other fish and shrimp
Post by: Sue on July 22, 2020, 08:52:04 AM
Tanks with bettas in are very hit and miss. I have had three bettas with shrimps, although these were cherry shrimps which are smaller than amanos. The first of the three was very laid back so i moved some shrimps from my main tank. He ignored the adults and baby shrimps to the extent that the population expanded and I was finding baby shrimps in the bucket at every water change. After that betta died, I bought another. This betta ignored the adults but I no longer found babies in the bucket and the shrimp population remained stable.  The next betta (which has just died) attacked and ate the shrimps. I kept finding bits of shrimp all over the tank.
With amanos, there won't be any baby shrimps as they can't breed in fresh water, and they are larger and less colourful than red cherries so they might work.



But it is my duty to the fish to warn you. Danios are fast swimming fish and they should not be kept with slow swimming fish such as bettas or harlequins. Fast swimming fish stress slow swimming fish just by their behaviour.
And bettas are not community fish, they should be kept alone. So many people think the fish are getting on OK then one or other snaps (often the betta) and that fish goes on a killing spree. If you can find somewhere to fit a 25-ish litre tank and move the betta into that, it would be much better for the betta and the other fish.
Title: Re: Zebra Danios with other fish and shrimp
Post by: Littlefish on July 25, 2020, 12:26:59 AM
Hi @charlesd6308  and welcome to the forum.  :wave:

I have had zebra danios with anamo shrimp and they have been fine. I had them in a temperate tank along with peppered corys, leopard danios and white cloud mountain minnows for many years without incident.

As @Sue  has mentioned, the issue would be more with the betta, and moving that to it's own tank might be a good idea, especially if you are looking to increase the inhabitants of the tank with the danios.

Good luck and please keep us posted.  :)
Title: Re: Zebra Danios with other fish and shrimp
Post by: charlesd6308 on July 25, 2020, 12:55:13 AM
Thank you for your help!

Since reading Sue's reply, I've been observing the fish even more closely than usual. I have concluded that my betta is living like he's surrounded by noisy teenagers, and though my tank is heavily planted, so provides numerous places where he can get away from them, he still would probably be happier on his own. To that end, I've ordered a new tank for the betta and will add different fish (for instance, cherry barbs) to the existing tank with the danios at some point in the future. I'm quite fond of the betta and don't want him to be stressed out. And of course, I don't want murder in the tank, either.
Title: Re: Zebra Danios with other fish and shrimp
Post by: Sue on July 25, 2020, 09:12:17 AM
Thank you for your reply, and for the new tank for the betta. So many times the response is - everything is fine, I'm not going to change anything.

Make sure the filter on the new tank is not too strong for him, if it is there are things you can do. You can cycle the new tank instantly by using some media from the current tank's filter. Just 'persuade' it to fit.
Title: Re: Zebra Danios with other fish and shrimp
Post by: fcmf on July 25, 2020, 02:14:06 PM
I can't reply tonight, unfortunately, but will endeavour to do so tomorrow.
Apologies for not having replied before now but my advice would have been the same as Sue's.
Great to read that you have a new tank planned for the betta.
Cherry barbs are a feasible option with the zebra danios, and they are lovely fish, so that sounds like a good plan - their temperature requirements do overlap as well as activity levels being closer than your previous thought of harlequin rasboras, while Littlefish's suggestions are good possibilities too (there's a golden version of the WCMM as well).

Title: Re: Zebra Danios with other fish and shrimp
Post by: charlesd6308 on July 27, 2020, 10:37:19 PM
Thank you for your reply, and for the new tank for the betta. So many times the response is - everything is fine, I'm not going to change anything.

Make sure the filter on the new tank is not too strong for him, if it is there are things you can do. You can cycle the new tank instantly by using some media from the current tank's filter. Just 'persuade' it to fit.

Thank you, Sue! It just so happens that when I set up my rather large canister filter, I added a net bag of Siporax Mini filter media to the filter media that came with that filter to provide more surface area for beneficial bacteria. That has been there since I set up the tank and has gone through the fishless cycle and has been there ever since. The new tank will come with a Dennerle Eckfilter Nano, with the optional extension which allows for the addition of filter media.

So, my question to you is, how long must I leave the new tank up and running before it's safe to add the betta, given that I will be using the filter medium from a cycled aquarium? Would I need to do anything with the new tank in terms of fishless cycling?

I am most grateful for everyone's time and care in answering my questions here! I thank you, and Rama, whose photo is attached, thanks you.
Title: Re: Zebra Danios with other fish and shrimp
Post by: Littlefish on July 28, 2020, 05:43:43 AM
Rama is lovely.  :)
I think you are doing the right thing by getting him his ow place. I'm sure he'll appreciate it.
If you use the mature media from your existing tank you don't have to go through cycling the smaller tank for you betta. You can move him in as soon as the tank is set up.
Title: Re: Zebra Danios with other fish and shrimp
Post by: Sue on July 28, 2020, 09:43:23 AM
I agree, Rama is gorgeous  :)

Keep an eye on the ammonia and nitrite levels though just in case, and do a water change if you have a reading above zero for either of them.

Live plants will help as well especially floating plants. And bettas like something on the surface of the water  :)
Title: Re: Zebra Danios with other fish and shrimp
Post by: fcmf on July 28, 2020, 04:38:55 PM
Oh wow - what an absolute beauty Rama is!   8)

Glad you're getting the optional extension for the filter.  I actually bought that filter as a back-up for my hospital/QT on the basis of good reviews about how gentle a flow it had and how silent, etc, but found its design didn't accommodate other media; however, the extension module entirely addresses that issue, and isn't that expensive, so thank you for mentioning that as I hadn't realised it existed! 
:cheers:
Title: Re: Zebra Danios with other fish and shrimp
Post by: Matt on July 31, 2020, 04:48:27 PM
Send us a picture of Rama in his new tank when you get it set up! What a stunner :)