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WCMM care questions

2K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  KeshiaB 
#1 ·
Hi all. For the last few months I've been keeping a few white cloud mountain minnows in a 20 gallon outdoor water garden/pond for mosquito control over the summer. Now that it's autumn here and cooling down I've bought them inside for the winter (it will get to cold to keep them out there in winter).

I was originally going to keep them in a 60 litre (15 gal) food grade storage bin on the floor inside, however now that I have a new kitten I didn't think this would be the best idea! I don't have space to have a large tank/container that's elevated. So I've put them in a spare 24 litre (6 gal) tank for now. I was wondering if this size tank is adequate for 8 WCMM's for the next few months?

I have 2 x 38 litre (9 gal) tanks running, each home to a betta. I could switch one of the bettas over into the 6 gallon but it would mean moving all the tropical plants over too which could be a pain...

I've used an extra sponge filter from one of my betta tanks and also set up a HOB filter in the tank. The strongish current keeps the fish moving. There's also a heater (set to low just to keep the temp steady), a bunch of elodea, some gravel, a pipe and a freshwater mussel in the tank. As the tank is smaller I'm prepared to do extra water changes as needed. Is there anything else I'd need to consider?

The last thing is that when I was setting up the tank I noticed a small fry that must I must have picked up with the elodea out of the pond. It's possible that there's other fry still in the pond but I'm not sure how to find them or get them out. Anyway, if the WCMM's are breeding, then should I cover the HOB filter intake so that the fry don't get sucked into the filter? Also, how to I avoid sucking them up when doing water changes? Are the adult fish likely to eat most of their young? How do I feed fry and keep them alive? I don't mind if the fish breed, it will save me buying more in future!

Sorry for the long post, I'm a novice when it comes to these fish and feel like I'm just winging it right now!

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#2 ·
I have some WCMM that I plan on keeping out side this summer then bringing back in this fall also. So I have been researching all the same stuff you are asking about, so I will tell you what I have learned.

On the tub a 6g is a little small but it could be done. I would see about picking up plastic tub (rubbermaid type) with a lid. You can cut a few holes in the lid so you can feed air line and feed through. Or if you could find a way to put a lid over the one you have it could keep the cat out. I think it biggest issue keeping small tanks (Less than 10g) is the smaller water volume makes it harder to keep the water safe from fish it can swing very fast in small tanks. But if you do water changes every week and are careful about over feeding they should do well.

As for spawning in a smaller tank they might not do that too much. When spawning WCMM will drop eggs in the substrate and the males will fertilizes them, if the gravel is too large they could drop between them and the males can't reach them. I like sand for my substrate I think it is easier for the males and I should get more fry in the end.

1--I would put a sponge over the HOB intake something with big enough holes water can get thru but most of the fry will stay clear or can get off if they get too close.
2--As for sucking up fry when water changing most of them will run so not a huge issue, I do check the bucket to be sure I didn't get any.
3--Lots of places say WCMM won't eat the fry and from what I have seen they don't mess with them. You might lose a few but I would say less then 10%.
4--Caring for the fry is very easy grind up fish food into a fine powder, take a small amount between your fingers and put it into the water below the water line. If you drop it on top it will float and they won't get much, dropping below the water line will cause it to float in the water for a few mins giving them time to eat it. If you have any sticks or rocks from the pond out side put a few in the tank also, the will have algae on them and the fry will eat on that also.

You will want to have some hiding places for the fry so maybe some DIY spawning mobs.

Anymore questions feel free to ask.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.
 
#3 ·
I've got a 60 litre (15.8 gallon) storage bin in the garage that my partner stores "stuff I might use one day" (i.e. old junk) in! I could put all that stuff in a box and use that bin. It's like this one but clear: Taurus 60 L Storage Organiser

Would it be safe to use as a temporary tank? I can't find any other information on it other than that it's made from polypropylene and BPA free.

The only downsides are that the filter might not fit (Hagen Elite Hush 55) on the edge, I won't be able to view the fish as easily as in a tank and the bin will look kind ugly sitting on my dining room side table...
 
#4 ·
My only concern about the bin is what kinds of stuff were kept in it, such as chemicals. Otherwise, sure you can use it. And yes, those are the downsides :). I think a simple sponge filter would be the best choice for such a container.
 
#5 ·
I'm wondering if it's worth the hassle of setting up just for some extra space. I don't think my current sponge filter and air pump will provide enough filtration: https://www.petology.com.au/ocean-f...Y-zEJ4MOcuIX-nkCvoRMK7By-95sLskfjcaAocl8P8HAQ the air pump is a Worx WXA101 and runs 120lph but it's already running 2 of those sponges in my Betta tank (I always like to have a spare), not sure it would be able to handle a third larger sponge?

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