# Bookshelf aquarium



## mutt (Dec 30, 2006)

Putting together my new tank, it's 7 gallons but called "bookshelf" so it's long and skinny. This makes for alot of floor room which is great for the stock I've put in there so far:

1 Kuhli Loach 
1 Golden Mystery Snail 
1 Upsidedown Catfish 
1 Bamboo Shrimp

They are doing really well, but they are all basically bottom dwellers. I'd like to put something that would be in the upper portion of the tank, any ideas of fish that won't get too large, are colorful and would not bother the residence? I suspect I may have to move the catfish and/or loach when they get older but for now there's plenty of space for all of them and they barely seem to notice each other.

I'm mostly looking for an interesting but compatible tankmate; this tank has been dubbed "The Freakshow" for a good reason. lol

Also, has anyone had any problems with the gold mystery snail trying to get out of the tank? Ours crawls to the top on a regular basis but he never goes above the water line. It has a hood but there's still plenty of spaces he could get out if he wanted. We have two cats so if he were to make it out of the water, it would be over for him.

Also, do live plants effect the "living" capability of a tank more than silk plants? 

Thanks!


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## sazzy (Oct 20, 2006)

cant wait to see pictures, sounds unusual


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## Amphitrite (Sep 8, 2006)

Look forward to seeing pics. I would recommend that you get more kuhlies though as they should be kept in groups.


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## mutt (Dec 30, 2006)

So we wound up getting another Kuhli and they just both curl up together and hide. I haven't seen either but for brief instances. I hope when they become more comfortable they will emerge more often. They do come out at times when all the lights are off around them (even in the house not just the tank) but when I flip on the light they scitter away but that's not even very often. Anyone have experience with these?

Also put a scissortail rasbora to have something in the upper levels. He has a defect, a little kink in his spine that makes him rather s shaped. He's pretty active and normal looking/acting otherwise so we thought we would give him a chance. So far so good.


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## mutt (Dec 30, 2006)

*ADF vs Kuhli Loach?*

The little Scissortail Rasbora didn't make it after all, so he was traded in for a healthier kin. Also verified that the water is perfect in every way - hurray for distilled bottle water - the tap here is terrible and wrecked havoc with my other tank.

Added a small school of neon tetra to add some life to the upper levels, And also an african dwarf frog. He's really small but already made a big meal of blood worms. However, I noticed that one Kuhli Loach turned up as an empty skin. Is it possible that the frog actually killed and ate him or would he only have touched it after it was dead?


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

*Re: ADF vs Kuhli Loach?*



mutt said:


> However, I noticed that one Kuhli Loach turned up as an empty skin. Is it possible that the frog actually killed and ate him or would he only have touched it after it was dead?


Is your frog the clawed species? I have heard from some owners that clawed species are horrible to say the least when mixed with fish.:shake:


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## mutt (Dec 30, 2006)

The sign said african dwarf frog. I double checked and he has webbing between his front toes as well as back, and as far as I understand, that is the most obvious difference between dwarf and clawed?

Also, has anyone mixed ADF with ghost shrimp? So far they don't bother each other - the shrimp just swim over him while he's doing his acrobats.


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