FW: Medaka pond-stye 'biotope'

[~LadyBug~]

I'm currently in the (very, very) early planning stages for a Medaka/ricefish (Oryzias latipes) 'biotope' tank with emergent growth, and want to model it after Shrimpery's(on Instagram) Oryzias latipes pond-style shallow, emergent tanks, and the traditional shallow pond dishes used to keep them in Japan(check out the hashtags on Instagram, it's all in Japanese but the photos and videos are awesome!)

 

First choice: Long or shallow? I would like to put it on the back of my desk to enjoy while I work(weight isn't an issue, I'm building the desk) and a 12G long tank is the only option that will fit. If a shallow (such as UNS 60S or 45S) would be significantly superior for aquascaping I can just put it on a stand next to the desk.

 

Thoughts?

[Chris's Fishes]

I'd go for the 12G long. Personally, I think the footprint and proximity to your desk will probably allow to you enjoy the ricefish a bit more than in a shallow tank.

 

I actually had some ricefish for a short time in a 13 gallon "tank" - a rubbermaid bin. Low flow, pond plants, a decent light, and no heater. They did well for me, but the tank was taken down to make room for a bigger project. I noticed that although I had read that the fish are almost exclusive surface-dwellers, mine would venture down across all levels of the tank pretty often.

[~LadyBug~]

20 hours ago, Fisker said:

I'd go for the 12G long. Personally, I think the footprint and proximity to your desk will probably allow to you enjoy the ricefish a bit more than in a shallow tank.

 

I actually had some ricefish for a short time in a 13 gallon "tank" - a rubbermaid bin. Low flow, pond plants, a decent light, and no heater. They did well for me, but the tank was taken down to make room for a bigger project. I noticed that although I had read that the fish are almost exclusive surface-dwellers, mine would venture down across all levels of the tank pretty often.

I agree. It would be awesome to be able to look up from my work and have the tank right there. A nice rest for my eyes, too. 

 

Thanks for sharing that information about their swimming behavior, you are correct, no one mentions that.

[Ohmegg]

I know this is an old thread, but wondering how this turned out?