Fauna Gardens Private Collection

Javan Rhino

Javan Rhino

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Now that my brother has moved out, I have a spare room in which I can finally start a small private collection. This will focus mainly on reptiles, fish, small mammals and birds. However, since I am a beginner in many aspects (have never kept reptiles before), I may need some help on here, so will be grateful for any advice/tips :).
Mainly, I am looking for how feasible certain things are. For example, whether a species is good for beginners, how much set-ups for the species would (approx.) cost (and what it would include) and how easy it is to aquire species (common in pet shops/private breeders).

So, here is the proposed collection:

Bearded Dragon (1.1 or 1.0 or 0.1)
Leopard Gecko (0.2)
Corn Snake (0.2)

Siamese Fighting Fish (1.0 or 1.1), sharing a tank with Neon Tetras (unknown number) and Gold Mystery Snails (0.0.2)

Long-nosed Elephant Fish (unknown number)

Degus (2.0, 0.2 or 1.1)

Sugar Gliders (0.1)

Lovebirds (1.1)

If this all goes ahead, I shall start a facebook page for the collection and hopefully, over the years, I shall be able to expand upon it (with more space/money/knowledge).
 
That actually sounds pretty cool!I keep leopards and beardies and can give some advice on what you need.(I will post leopards later)

Bearded Dragons:
*A 50 gallon enclosure per specimen (I can usually get these cheap or free from garage sales,craigslist,etc.You could also build a nice habitat yourself)
*A water bowl (you can go cheap and get a 2 dollar dog bowl or by a big rock dish for like 10)
*A food bowl (Same)
*A uvb fluorescent tube and fixture (really expensive,check ebay)
*A spot basking light preferably like 115 watt (bulbs are like 10 dollars and the fixture is also around 10)
*Tile flooring,Laminate,Newspaper,Carpet,or Slate cut to fit the cage (I had xtras from a project and I used them)
*A shelter (log hides work best because there way more opened)
*A log or some other way to get 6 inches away from basking light
*A digital temp gun (usually expensive)
*Vitamin D3 Calcium Powder (4 dollars)
*Crickets/Dubia Roaches/Veggies/Greens

It gets really expensive but its way worth it
 
Cool, I have a tank for the Beardies that I got free :), but that could be used for the geckos or cornsnakes yet (though since this is gradual, Beardies are my prefered). I nearly got the Degu's yesterday from Pets at Home adoption service, but somebody got them a couple of hours before I could get down :(. Got to clear out the room yet, but hoping to get the first species in within a couple of months at latest.

(I also have 1.0 Otter Rex Rabbit, but it is technically my brothers, though I don't know if he is going to take it eventually, if not it will be included on the list).
 
What type of lovebirds are you planning on getting? I'm assuming Peach-faced Lovebirds because they're the easiest to find, or at least they are around here.
 
siamang27 said:
What type of lovebirds are you planning on getting? I'm assuming Peach-faced Lovebirds because they're the easiest to find, or at least they are around here.
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I would be happy with any species of Lovebird, so it really does depend on which ones I see and when I see them. I think it will probably be Peach-faced though.
 
I wouldn't consider an elephant-nosed fish unless you have a lot of experience with fishes. I suggest you look into the sizes of tank you can fit into your space (and that you can afford, with all the equipment of stands, heaters, lights, filters etc) before you decide which species to keep. Neons and Siamese fighters are sensible choices, but perhaps not the best species to keep together.

Alan
 
gentle lemur said:
I wouldn't consider an elephant-nosed fish unless you have a lot of experience with fishes. I suggest you look into the sizes of tank you can fit into your space (and that you can afford, with all the equipment of stands, heaters, lights, filters etc) before you decide which species to keep. Neons and Siamese fighters are sensible choices, but perhaps not the best species to keep together.

Alan
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Ahhh cool, I will go for Siamese fighters and Neons first (though maybe not in the same tank if this is unwise). Are Siamese fighter males alright on their own (for obvious reasons I couldn't keep it with another male, and I don't want to get into breeding yet so no females). If not are there any other species that they can be kept with?

Regards :)
 
as gentle lemur says, don't try an elephant-nose unless you are an experienced fish-keeper. Mormyrids are very sensitive to water conditions and you'll probably lose it quickly.

Siamese fighter males are fine on their own (and as you know, not with other males!). Don't keep a male and female or you'll end up with a dead female. Two females to a male may work, but much better to either have just the male by himself, or several females by themselves (no male). Females obviously aren't as attractive as males and have shorter finnage, but there are some pretty ones around nevertheless. Note that fighters have quite a short lifespan.

You could keep neons with either male or female fighters, although neons prefer cooler water. Male fighters only attack each other, but conversely other fish species may shred a male fighter's fins so the tankmates need to be chosen with appropriate care (eg, no barbs). Good species to mix with a male fighter would be Corydoras catfish which are cheap, easy to keep, and bottom-dwelling (to offset the fighter's mid- to surface-level space); a bristlenose plecostomus; coolie loaches; and some of the more laid-back tetras or cyprinids (nothing too active or nippy). School fish (eg tetras) should always be kept in groups of at least six but the more the better; same goes for Corydoras
 
stubeanz said:
You deffinatly dont want to keep sugar gliders alone! they are highly social animals and need to be kept in at least a pair!
Heres a brilliant forum for you to research them :)
Sugar Glider Forums - Index
stu
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I should of picked up on this too! They cannot be kept on their own. They also pee up the wall etc. Well thats what people have told me!

Think hard about what you want, I know my plans have changed ALOT!
 
Yeah, just done some research on long-nosed elephant fish and have decided to wait for a while. I would love a bristlenose plec, are these easy enough for beginners?

As for sugar gliders, that is my mistake. I had heard that it is easier to get them to bond to their owner if they are alone, and if you keep them in a pair it is alot more difficult to have them bond. I will get two when I get them :)
 
@Javan Rhino: I have been keeping tropical fish since I was 8 and if you have any questions regarding keeping tropical fish, just let me know.

As for your Siamese fighting fish, keep the fish with other docile fish. If you are doing a biotype tank (I assume you would do this since you want to represent biotypes in your collection) I would recommend some Harlequin rasboras (or any species). Keeping them in a group of 8 or more will help them feel secure and your beta as well. Do not keep betas with other fish that have the same fin patterns, like some species of tetra (diamond tetra, black skirt tetra) gouramis, or angel fish.

I don’t know if you already have a tank, but if you are still shopping for one, buy the biggest you can with in your budget. This will give you the best possible choice for fish and aquarium layout.

As for pleco species, the bristle nose pleco is a great choice for beginners. They are cheap and relatively hardy species. One thing to keep in mind is their size when they are full grown (6inches). Keep them in a tank with tons of driftwood and provide them with algae wafers. Mine like spinach, pieces of cucumber, and peas. Some species of pleco prefer soft substrate like sand, because gravel can irritate the underside of the plecos gills.

Hope this helps
 
Yeah, thanks for that :). I don't have a tank yet, so will look out for a large one.

On a side-note, if I kept a second Siamese Fighter male (obviously not in the same tank), would it be alright to keep it alone in a smaller container? I've heard from a lot of people that they thrive much more in smaller areas for a couple of reasons. One is that they get less stressed in a smaller space, since they feel more secure and have a smaller territory to 'patrol.' Another is that it is easier to keep the temperature at a decent level (I've heard that room-temp is good for Siamese Fighters). I've heard from several people that they noticed their fighters get stressed in a larger tank, and only calmed down when they were moved back into a smaller container, but then again I've heard it is cruel to keep fish in small spaces (in the wild they live in small ponds, so it would probably be a similar water area anyway).

I ask because I am after 1 red and 1 blue fighter, but would struggle to afford 2 large tanks, so would keep one on its own.
 
there's all sorts of crap said and written about fighters by people to justify the way they keep them (eg, in jam-jars or tiny bowls) - you'll often hear that they live in shallow puddles in the wild so it's best to keep them in tiny containers. Don't do it if you care about the health of your fish. Likewise with temperature, they prefer higher temperatures and will only survive (note survive, not thrive) at room temperature if your house is fully-heated. Its actually more difficult to keep a small tank at a constant temperature because the volume of water is so small. Give them a proper tank and proper heating.

Javan Rhino said:
I've heard from several people that they noticed their fighters get stressed in a larger tank, and only calmed down when they were moved back into a smaller container
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this would be because the fish has been removed from its own territory and placed in a different one - nothing to do with them preferring small containers. Fighters breathe air so can survive in tiny and polluted water bodies but it is certainly not their preferred existance
 
Right on all acounts Javan Rhino. If I may sugest something, if you have an Asian Back Water Biotype tank complete with some rasboras and other fish, you could rotate the two beta fish. To make your life even easier, purchase a refugium. The refugium hangs on the side of the tank and has the same water conditions as your tank. So instead of acclimating them every time, just simply scoop them out. On second though, if they get rotated too often they may get stressed. Just an idea.
If you'd like i can give you some fish sugestions if you would like to do a biotype tank. I can send you some pics of my Orinico River Biotype tank if you would like?
Good luck!
 
NAIB Volunteer said:
Right on all acounts Javan Rhino. If I may sugest something, if you have an Asian Back Water Biotype tank complete with some rasboras and other fish, you could rotate the two beta fish. To make your life even easier, purchase a refugium. The refugium hangs on the side of the tank and has the same water conditions as your tank. So instead of acclimating them every time, just simply scoop them out. On second though, if they get rotated too often they may get stressed. Just an idea.
If you'd like i can give you some fish sugestions if you would like to do a biotype tank. I can send you some pics of my Orinico River Biotype tank if you would like?
Good luck!
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Please, if you would :) (also, I'm gonna sound thick here, but is a Biotype tank another name for community tank?).

As for the other fighter Chlidonias, I was not going to use a jam-jar, but was looking at just a small fish tank or a large container (like a large 2-4 litre tub). I have heard mixed feelings about housing Siamese fighters, so I may just go for one at a time in a community of other [compatable] species.
 
Basically a biotype tank is representative of a specific area. The tank has all indigenous fish and plant species as well as a recreation of the habitat. The tank has around the same water parameters as the actually waterway (for example an Amazon River tank should have around the same pH as the Amazon River which is around 6.4). In most cases, it helps the fish and plants thrive in their natural environment. A community tank on the other hand is a fish tank composed of compatible tank mates from all over the world. Now don't get me wrong, if you pick the right type of fish, a biotype tank can be just as successful as a community tank.
I'll have the fish list and pics shortly for you.
 
@javan Rhino, good luck with all that, sounds like it will be fantastic if you manage to get all the species you listed!!

Whilst on the subject of fish, my favorite fish that i ever kept in my tropical tank were 3 Khuli (coolie) loaches, which are long and thin and stripy and burrow into the substrate. Every now and again, they come out into the open, and whizz around the tank, before going back into hiding again. Great fish, if a little secetive.
 
Re: Degu's

You definately do not want to have 1:1 degu's, as they breed like mice! and have a litter size of between 8 and 10. We have two seperate groups of degu's in work, we just don't tell the students which are which so we don't get any accidents. Our female group are more friendlier than the all male group. Ours are kept in groups of 3 (female) and 4 (male)
 
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