compatibility - Galaxy Rasboras

tedr108

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I've had a non-CO2 20G tank for about a month now. It has 19 Galaxy Rasboras in it with one red cherry shrimp (RCS). Other than small amounts of thread algae, there is no algae whatsoever. The thread algae is very easy to remove every few days, so it's not a big deal.

My question: What are some of the best thread algae eaters that would get along well with Galaxies? I would prefer an algae eater that didn't eat the Galaxies' eggs. I've had SAEs in the past, but they seem to grow a little too big for a 20G. I've also had SAEs get pretty mean in the past, but I think that was because I was feeding them wafers, which gave them something to guard/protect.

I've heard that RCS eat thread algae, but haven't witnessed it myself so far.
 

Gerryd

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Sep 23, 2007
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Hi Ted,

What about the florida flag fish? They love thread algae and are very nice fish. Males are very colorful..

They behave well and will get along with all.

Get 4-6 of them......

They will tend to stay more towards the bottom of the tank (IME) so will leave plenty (in a 20 gal?) of room for your rasboras.

I had them for a while and liked them a lot.

Unfortunately, fish eggs are caviar to ALL other fish once they are found and esp if not defended.

You may want to use a small 5 gal breeding tank with marbles or a moss mop. Put a pair or 3-4 fish in this tank after a good feed and let them do their thing. Then remove the adults and raise the young in this tank.....

Good luck.
 

tedr108

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Hi Gerry,

I just read up on flag fish after your post. They seem to be really awesome algae eaters. Perhaps I should give them a try. I did read that they are very, very fast, which may cause one problem -- they might out-compete the galaxy rasboras (GRs) for food. The reason I made a separate galaxy rasbora tank was because the GRs are not agressive eaters. I was always doing tricky things to make sure some food got to the GRs -- all tetras and pencil fish easily got to the food before the GRs did.

Anyway, thanks very much for the suggestion. I'm making a 29G non-CO2 tank to hold mainly tetras (probably cardinals for the most part), and I think the flag fish would at least be a good addition to that tank. They are actually beautiful looking little fish. What happened to yours?

Yeah, I hear you on the caviar. Some (but not all) GR owners have decent luck breeding them in a main tank (fry hang out at the top, adults on the bottom), but I saw some of mine searching for eggs the other day, I'm sure. I have the bad habit of collecting mosquito larvae for my GRs -- I'm sure that only encourages fry eating also. After I'm done setting up the 29G, I'm going to make a 10G breeder tank just for fun -- I'll breed them in that.

I was actually able to rescue one GR fry from my main tank a while back. I just threw it into an outdoor 25G "pond" (half of a barrel with floating plants) and let it be -- about a month later I had a 1/2" female GR who is now swimming with the other GRs in my 20G tank. Next summer, I'm going to breed them outside, since they are so tough. The nights are cooling off now, so it is too late.
 

guy tillmans

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Galaxy rasboras who lay eggs?? I thought they don't multiply in tanks and that they were almost extincted due to the big demand all over the world(bacause it is one of the most beautiful fish i've ever seen and have ). The environment where they live is now a national reservate, so there won't be any wild catch anymore. Untill last year there was no evidence that they would breed in captivity.

I've also roasboras galaxy's and i keep them with ottocinclus affinis, They do nothing else than searching for any algae. By the way they don't grow further then 5-6 centimeters.
 

tedr108

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Hi Guy,

Galaxy rasboras are ridiculously easy to breed -- put a pair or 2 in a 10G tank with some java moss, remove them in a week or 2, and you will have fry. They will never become extinct ... guaranteed. Here's a cool site you might enjoy visiting: The Celestial Pearl Danio Forum :: Index -- you can read up on them. Some of the site members there have bred hundreds of them. Farm/tank bred GRs are becoming more and more available. I have living proof in a nice little new female. :)

My understanding is that the decimated environment thing was overblown a little. At first they were only supposed to be in one lake, now they have found them in more. The locals catch GRs by the thousands, dry them and eat them. Go figure.

I've got a couple of Otos I can throw in with them ... good idea.
 

Tom Barr

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I have them with CRS, Otto cats, Botia sidmunkthi and amano shrimp.

No issues.

Regards,
Tom Barr