penguinleo Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 Started a new tank (like Reef) and also started this thread (like Reef) The tank is: *1000mm x 500mm x 400mm (200 litres) + black stand *300 Watt Eliet Hagen Heater *Arcadia T5 light (39W x 4=156W) 6500K T5 Plant Pro bulbs *Ehiem 2026 Professional 2 canister filter *JBL Aquabases ground fertiliser *Dark coloured gravel 2-3mm *JBL Proflora CO2 injection system with Ehiem regulator *JBL ProTemp Basis 250 Got the tank started a week ago. Sorry, don't have any photos of the setting up process. Photos were taken with a cheap video camera. Not the best quality. A brief sketch on what I am planning to do with this tank :lol: 2 pictures I was inspired by The tank at the moment looks very bare, which it is. Awaiting some more plants which will arrive next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The filter, substrate heater, and the cables... And I just spotted my tiny Tiger Lotus plant (which Antwan sent me for free ) producing another tiny leaf. Thanks Antwan. In the tank there are currently: 2 Apistogramma Huallagas 2 Hatchet Fish 2 Black line flying foxes 6 Cardinals 1 Schwartz Cories And I am planning to add: 10-14 more Cardinals 5 Otocinclus 2-4 Tri-line torpedo barbs 5 Schwartz cories 3 young wild Cockatoo Dwarf cichlids 1 Flagtail catfish 2 Golden Black-Eyed Ancistrus Maybe 10 Emperor tetras Plants to come: Green Pine, Red Pine, Glosso, Polysperma, Sagittaria Grass May add: x1 Aqua UV Sanitizer (11Watts) Going to take a while to get everything settled. I will keep updating after changes take place. Thanks for looking :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penguinleo Posted January 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 More photos CO2 which will be used. Just need to refill it. A few Cardinals.... A small clump of Java Lace fern that will hopefully stick onto the wood and cover the whole piece of wood! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 Looking very nice mate. This tank has alot of opportunity to turn into an awesome tank. Well done. You have obviously done your research!! Keep us updated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianemone Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 Nice tank dude. Love the Rimless look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penguinleo Posted January 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 Thanks to both of you The rimless look is interesting I guess. I will keep everyone updated. Maybe next update when plants arrive. And this time I will use a digital camera... :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 nice start, im sure the return on a bet that the cabomba will win the race to the top would not be very high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shiuh Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 niceman....this tank got everything....all equipments and the looks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penguinleo Posted January 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 Hmm..I don't have any cabomba.. :lol: It is Ambulia I think you are talking about. But still Ambulia will win the race. I had some cabomba in my last tank but it grew so much so quickly it was like a pond weed...I liked the thick heavy leaves but they fell off too much and went everywhere. Too hard to root too. :-? So this time I am not getting any. And thanks for the compliment Shiuh. :bounce: I'll keep you updated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 sorry, thought the back left plant was cabomba from the pic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penguinleo Posted January 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 :lol: Not good enough video camera.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishboi Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 its already looking great. keep us posted. good choice of plants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penguinleo Posted January 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 A small update. Just got bored.. More photos but with a digital camera. Happy Mr Huallaga And happy Mrs Huallaga Plants are starting to give off new roots...slowly... And does anyone know the name of the bright green plant in this photo? The one on the right. I'll keep updating.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 Tank looks great and nice work getting quality gear to put it together. One note I should mention is that those hatchet fish and an open topped tank are a very bad combination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billaney Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 Tank looks great and nice work getting quality gear to put it together. One note I should mention is that those hatchet fish and an open topped tank are a very bad combination. I agree those guys WILL jump out its when not if Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 The plant is Lysimachia nummularia, the easy one to say is Lysmachia, Lice-ma- cheera, also comes in a gold form, aurea. Pge 39 FNZAS Plant Survey, 1st Ed. 1997 Alan 104 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afrikan Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 The tank is looking great and can only get better! Awesome 8) And definately what Billaney and Blue have said is a definate.. There was a guy who opened a pet store down here (no longer open) he ordered in a heap of hatchet fish... he put them in the tank with no top and they pinged out like pop corn.. really sad.. he lost over 20 And they weren't the cheaper variety either, so it was an expensive mistake. And not to mention the poor fish only doing what was natural :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwan Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 Tank is looking good Penguinleo and will only get better. I am 99% sure your apisto's you have there are Apistogramma sp. pebas and not huallaga's. I'll confirm this in a few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penguinleo Posted January 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 Thanks everyone. I hope it will get better. I don't see why it should get worse. :lol: And the hatchet fish...yeah I noticed they jumped around a lot..especially when they get frightened by a person walking by. I have had them jump out while feeding as well. So do you think I should get rid of them? They don't seem to actually jump "out" but more on the spot :bounce: And thanks Alan for the plant name. Antwan, so you don't think these guys are Huallagas? They seem a bit differnt to Pebas. More colour around the eyes and fins. But I'm not that sure too. :-? Phil told me that they were Huallagas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afrikan Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 I would certainly look at parting with the Hatchets if you want to keep a lid off the tank, they are pretty good at spotting little insects and moths flying above and it's all over rover :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 I would certainly look at parting with the Hatchets if you want to keep a lid off the tank, they are pretty good at spotting little insects and moths flying above and it's all over rover :lol: :lol: haha our oscars do that Went in to the kitchen because I could hear a banging noise, was the oscars jumping at a moth that'd got trapped under the light! (and yeah I'd get rid of the hatchets or put glass over your tank, it sucks finding fish on the floor, I've lost a few danios before to small holes in lids) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwan Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 They could just be nicer pebas' of the brood that he bred. Phil's mix-up was a right pain. I got my 12 apisto's from him and only got 2 individuals of the species I wanted (and even they were labelled incorrectly). But hey, I ended up with some beautiful fish from it, and I'm not complaining. Like I say, I'll get back to you in a few days and can hopefully figure it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 You could always construct some kind of barrier to keep the hatchets corraled in the open top tank but if they get going they really can fly over anything they want. So, for the most part it looks like you have an amazon theme biotype going? Be careful about what plants you put in the tank, as "stemmy" plants will need constant pruning in a CO2 and high light tank. I'd recommend using some for the background and possibly sides, but use medium height plants for the centre of the tank. Then again, you might appreciate the value in the cuttings on TradeMe. A very good way to finance the hobby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penguinleo Posted January 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 The hatchet will probably have to go then...they are really striking though in this tank.. Will be great if you do that Antwan. And thanks for the tips Blue. Kind of like an amazon biotype. But I am not sticking strickly to this. For example I am planning to invest in getting some Tri-line torperdo barbs. I think they look very nice. P.S: I got my CO2 bottle refilled at Nova Fire for $5. I'm planning to use it when all the plants are planted and fish are removed. Don't want algae to get the upper hand and I don't want to risk any fish. :roll: I will start the CO2 at 1 bubble per second. Sounds alright doesn't it? And does anyone know what pH level is okay to start CO2 in? Since the pH and kH will fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quack Posted January 8, 2007 Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 i think you need to adjust the co2 rate to get the kh and the ph right. so the pH sould be around 6.8-7.2 and the kH around 5-8 sure someone will curret me if im wrong heres a good read http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/c ... d_tank.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DubbieBoy Posted January 8, 2007 Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 Lookin' good there Leo, I really like the over tank luminaire - looks great. What you need in there now are some nice Sag plants... Have fun planting 'em. Don't sweat the pH/KH thing too much. Its good to be aware of the possibility of overdosing CO2 and causing swings in pH and all that, but you're not going to wreak havoc with 1 bubble/sec, that's a good starting point. You won't be risking the fish at all; make changes slowly and it'll be sweet. Looking forward to seeing it grow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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