Jessica_L Posted September 23, 2012 Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 Hi all, I've just started cycling (fishless) my "new to me" 50 gallon freshwater tank. I'm hoping to make it a planted tank. Any suggestions on what to stock my tank with (I'm a beginner)? I'd like a community tank hopefully with some dwarf frogs and other invertebrates in addition to fish. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremoose Posted September 23, 2012 Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 Wanting to add shrimp to the tank really limits your stocklist, what type of shrimp were you thinking? Amano? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica_L Posted September 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 I don't know very much about the compatability of invertabrae. I have my heart set on african dwarf frogs, other than that I'm open to suggestions about what works in a community tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidbro Posted September 23, 2012 Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 Most fish (excluding herbivores) will eat any shrimp that fit in their mouths, particularly the small hatchlings. Flake foods are made of shrimp meal, so most have been effectively training their fish to know the scent as food. Many fishkeepers watch in horror as minutes after adding shrimp to the tank all have been eaten or killed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica_L Posted September 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 Thanks for the advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisher Posted September 23, 2012 Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 Hi Jessica_L. I was considering dwarf frogs not so long ago, and I discovered that dwarf frogs (genus Hymenochirus) and clawed frogs (genus Xenopus) are, at times, labeled interchangeably. So it's nice to find a website like this one, that tries to distinguish between the two, and tankmates for either. I can't find any info in that website that addresses inverts as adf tank mates (that I noticed anyways). However, shows one way to reckon that relationship. The tank in the video has plenty of plants which act in the shrimps' favor. But the owner is aware that her frog(s) see the shrimp as prey. Take a look at the video comments. She keeps both in the same tank; shrimp annihilation isn't the final conclusion.-f Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted September 24, 2012 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 I'm keeping some spanish ribbed newts that have just morphed. I initially added some cherry shrimp to feed them - they're big(ish) newts and the shrimp are the right size for a quick meal. The shrimp, however, are a bit too fast for the newts to make an easy meal of them... almost to the point that the newts have given up on ever catching them. You might get away with keeping cherry (or similar - I think Ammanos would be no problem) or most any other shrimp with your frogs. I wouldn't go with any of the more expensive shrimp for the very fact that there is a possibility that they will end up as snacks. If your heart is set on frogs, I'm not sure I'd go with a community set up. I have found that amphibians do best and show great character when kept in species tanks. IMO, save the 50 gal for fish, and get yourself a 15 gal for the frogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica_L Posted September 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 Fisher- Thanks for the links. I was aware the two types of frogs are sometimes confused at pet stores. The video was interesting. Jason- You've given me much to think about... a second tank... hmmmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJanzen Posted September 24, 2012 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 Just a little side warning here, if you go with dwarf frogs be extremely cautious of snails. My first tank I had set up had 5 dwarf frogs and some guppies. Everything was going smoothly until I decided to add some mystery snails as a clean up crew. Over the next week my frogs started disappearing. Couldn't figure out what was going on until when day by fluke chance I caught one of the mystery snails come across one of the remaining frogs legs and before the frog could swim away it had him in its evil snail grasp. Pretty crazy to watch, but the mystery snail managed to engulf and eat the frog in a very short sitting. Smaller snails probably wouldn't be a problem (any nerites, MTS, or RHS) but just a word to the wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishclubgirl Posted September 25, 2012 Report Share Posted September 25, 2012 I have 2 shrimp tanks and one is by accident... First tank has least killifish, giradinus(smaller wild type livebearer), bn plecos and whatever fry I've pulled out of my other tanks(mollies, swords, etc.) The accidental tank has betta fry,red sailfin cories, bn plecos and whatever fry I pulled out of my other tanks(anyone notice a pattern here). Somehow some cherry shrimp got in there and seem to have multiplied, even with betta fry. So my thoughts are to try smaller livebearers including endlers or non aggressive fry(my bettas are pacifists...),small cories, white clouds and bn plecos. Hope this helps !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica_L Posted September 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2012 Thanks for the input and suggestions AJanzen and fishclubgirl! I think I'm going to have a tank with just fish after everyone's input (with the exception of the assassin snail to keep the pest snail population down). Eventually I hope to start a dwarf frog tank. I still haven't figured out what fish though... so many great options! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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