# Flag Killifish and Betta community? 38g Tank - Image Incl.



## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

Hi All,

I have a 38 gallon tank that has:
1) a _Jordanella floridae _(Ã¢â‚¬Å"Flag KillifishÃ¢â‚¬Â


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

This site explains Beta breeding in ten steps. In a nutshell, the harem approach is not workable with Betas. Instead, the male and the female are kept in separate tanks, and are only combined shortly to perform the act of spawning.

This recent thread discusses the stocking of a small community tank including a Beta. I think it's particularly important to stock keeping in mind which area in a tank the fish will occupy. Betas and Killis both occupy the upper water column. I have no personal experience with the American-Flag Killi, but they have a reputation of being a bit boisterous. Betas are extremely mild mannered fish, except when it comes to con-specifics. So a Beta could feel a bit stressed by the Killis, but I dare say assuming you provide enough hiding spaces at the top in form of floating plants, the combination could work.

Rasboras and Tetras also prefer the upper to middle part of a tank. To limit competition for that area, I would not stock both, but limit myself to one school of either.

That leaves you with a gap at the bottom, and since Sailfin Plecos are fast growers, I would not expect that fish to remain in the tank for very long. You could stock a pair of BN plecos, which remain small, or maybe a school of Corydoras.

To recommend numbers for the different schools of fish, one would need to know the dimensions of your tank. 38G is a non-standard tank size, making the dimensions impossible to guess.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

fmueller said:


> 38G is a non-standard tank size, making the dimensions impossible to guess.


Actually it is a standard size made by AGA (Aqueon) - The dimensions are 36x12x17 I believe


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

As far as saying all killifish live near the surface, that's like saying all Cichlids are mouthbrooders. In fact, _Jordanella _are bottom dwellers; males select a territory, much like a male mouthbrooding cichlid, and often clear a nesting area. They can be quite aggressive in their defense of that territory. A lot of folks use them in planted tanks to control hair algae, and they are very good at it. Some of their closest relatives are from brackish waters, but _J. floridae _is very much a freshwater species. I've collected young in heavily overgrown ditches and along the shallows of larger streams.

Keeping hot water (80+ preference) fish like Cardinals with cool water natives like Florida Flagfish is not a good choice. Putting a slow moving fin feast like a _Betta _(Beta is a letter in the greek alphabet) with a territorial Flagfish is probably not a good idea. The tank is large enough for some of the wild type Swords, or some of the more colorful domestics. They are tough enough to coexist with the Flagfish, and like very much the same conditions. However, they will stay nearer the surface, while the _Jordanella _are going to stay at the bottom. There are a ton of other possibilities, but I have a personal soft spot for Swords.


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

Chubbs the Jellybean said:


> Actually it is a standard size made by AGA (Aqueon) - The dimensions are 36x12x17 I believe


Thanks for pointing that out. I guess a standard size to me means it is in this list 



Chromedome52 said:


> As far as saying all killifish live near the surface, that's like saying all Cichlids are mouthbrooders.


Ah, I guess I just learned something about killifish! As I said, no personal experience. I think I might have to rectify that the next time I come across some of these fish at a good price :thumb:



Chromedome52 said:


> (Beta is a letter in the greek alphabet)


Yes, right, let's all keep beating on the moderator while he is down







:lol: :lol: :lol:


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## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

Hi *fmueller* & *Chromedome52*,

Thank you for the help; I appreciate it.

I believe *Chubbs the Jellybean* got the dimensions of the tank right; I know it is 36" long by 12" wide.

I feared and expected your guys' response. However, not having much experience with these fish, I thought I should ask. Sounds like a Betta will have to get his own 10 gallon; if I get one.

Swords are a great idea and one of my favorites as well; perhaps it is time I keep some again. *Chromedome52*, beside my basic assumptions/knowledge of ornamental fish bread for the hobby, what is the difference between wild type swords and domesticated swords? Where would you get the wild type?

Thank you for the help.

Thanks,
Matt


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## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

fmueller said:


> You could stock a pair of BN plecos, which remain small, or maybe a school of Corydoras.


Hi fmueller,

Is there a reason to keep a pair of BN plecos opposed to one. I would prefer one based on the mess they produce.

I was also curious as to your (and anyone elseÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s) experience of keeping BN plecos, or any larger growing plecos, with corydoras. Can it be done? Will the pleco attack, stress and/or out compete the corydoras.

There was a brief period of time I had a juvenile pleco with a school of _Corydoras melini_ in this 38 gallon tank. All the melini ended up dying over a period of time before, during and after the pleco was in the tank with them. He did seem to push them out of the way during feeding. Was the pleco killing them? Is it a bad idea to keep robust plecos with delicate corydoras?

Thanks,
Matt


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

There are many dependable sellers of wild type swords on Aquabid, and some species, such as the real X. montezumae, are actually making it into commercial channels. Monties have extremely long tail spikes, and at least two color forms that are easily obtained.

Wilds generally do not have the bright reds of domestics, or the elongate finnage of some varieties. There are also a number of domestic strains with a lot of black in their patterns, some that are red and yellow, and even some that are colored like red and white Koi carp.

The American Livebearer Association is a great place to make contacts with people who keep both.


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

Oh, and fmueller, there used to be a shop in my town, older couple and great people, but the lady used to always call them Bay-ta when I went in there with a friend of mine, who would get very annoyed and use that same phrase I used above. Once I went in by myself, and she mentioned that they had just gotten some nice Bet-tas. I mentioned that she always said Bay-ta when I was in there with my friend, and she said, "yes, I say it that way because I know it gets to him!" I couldn't help laughing, and have always remembered the lesson.


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

mlancaster said:


> Is there a reason to keep a pair of BN plecos opposed to one. I would prefer one based on the mess they produce.


Well, I don't believe breeding has been observed by people who keep just one :lol:

Kidding aside, if your pleco produces a huge mess, it is unlikely to be a BN pleco, but a common pleco. As the name suggests, common plecos are the most commonly found pleco in the pet trade, never mind that they are utterly unsuitable for aquarium keeping due to the huge size they reach. From people who have tried them I have heard that they make good food fish in South America, where they come from, but they are creating very serious environmental problems in Central America and the Southern USA, where they have been introduced by irresponsible aquarists who dump their tank busters into the environment.

BN plecos stay relatively small (4-5") and are good algae eaters throughout their lifespan. They breed easily under aquarium conditions even in a community tank. Their breeding behavior is interesting to observe with the male being responsible for all brood care. This makes them a favorite with women, even if they are not into fish keeping  Last but not least, BN plecos are amongst those fish that most pet stores will gladly buy from you or trade for store credit. I reckon those are good reasons to keep a pair, but if you don't want breeding, keeping one BN pleco is perfectly fine.

Regarding Corydoras, of course they compete with plecos for the same tank space, but BN plecos are very mild mannered fish that get along with everybody provided there is a reasonable amount of space. Common plecos can be a lot more boisterous, and I could easily see them cause a problem with smaller Corydoras.


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