I am getting 3 DP's for my birthday, in a 15 gallon tank which I intend on Scaping to have a good amount of sight line blockage and hiding spaces/territories. If you feel it is too small, let me know which tank size would be better. My primary questions were mostly in regards to plants, feeding and breeding. I have done a good amount of research and know that I am able to take care of the fish, but I wanted to make sure I am providing to optimum care so I am asking all of my unanswered questions here before I begin cycling my tank this week.
1. I really like the look of Monte Carlo for a carpeting plant, I want to keep it short by trimming it frequently and clearing out debris stuck under the leaves, but I wanted to know if Monto Carlo is a suitable plant to have in a DP tank. I have a scape planned out, so most of the feeding will take place on sand substrate so that minimal food will be in the carpet, but is it okay to have a carpet inside of a DP tank even if the feeding will take place away from it? I also will get a strong filter with low flow so that it mimicks the slow flowing river of their natural habitat.
2. How much of Bloodworms/snails should I be feeding my DP's a day? is there an amount of snail/worm to DP ratio that I missed somewhere? there is usually a food chart, but not an amount on the sites that I have searched on.
3. For breeding, what is the optimum grounds for the DP's? I want to breed DP's because I really enjoy breeding and raising fish, but what constitutes for the optimum grounds for the most successful spawning of DP fry? And I have only bred live bearers in the past, so if you have any other tips in regards to egg layers, please share them with me!
4. Do DP's prefer cave like structures for their territories? Almost every site I read said they claim a territory as their own, but should that territory be almost like a cave? Or is there something else that the DP's prefer as a territory?
5. I wanted to breed snails in my community tank so that I can feed my DP's snails regularly in their diet, but which type of snail is the most preferred type of snail for breeding and also for feeding to DP's?
Sorry for the abundance of questions, I want to provide the best care for my fish, so I want to make sure I have minimal gaps in my knowledge, so I came here to hopefully have all the questions that weren't answered in my research answered.
Thanks again everyone
-Miksmo
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