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4ft up and running


Nymox

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Finally got the 4ft up an running, been cycling for 3 days now. Filled it with water from my w/c's and used media from well established tanks to get the ball rolling faster.

Plans for stock are

1x Fire Eel

1x common pleco

6x pictus catfish

1x senegal birchir

2x ornate birchir

Im wanting to add another couple of fish to this list, I want something that spends alot of time near the surface. An oddball fish is best as the tank is already headed in that direction.

Stocking calc's only problem was making sure tank was lidded for the fire eel, and there was driftwood for the pleco

Any idea's?

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Yup My fire Eel has already jumped ship a few times when he was little, and that was in all-in-one tanks, so hes not going in there until I find some glass and gets some lids made. Ill be buying my pictus 1 per week I think lol, they arent cheap but I think they will be well worth it once I have them schooling.

I got guppies in there now to help it cycle and some kribs, its doing really well water is very clear, it smells good and the fish look comfortable (i dont have test kits)

Im looking to get a camera to use tomorrow to get some pics up, its already looking pretty good although it needs planting alot more, I need to wait for some more lighting.

Im planning on using 3 desk lamps, with eco bulbs, or a method thats roughly as cheap and easy to install, as well as kind on my power bill. Ive used a light layer of gravel in certain parts of the tank where I plan to plant heavily, Im hoping this will keep the fire eel from digging them all up.

Not sure what plants I want in there, I wont want ones that have a huge demand on light due to my lighting setup, so hopefully I can still get some nice variation. At the moment there is a tiny bit of twisted val, cabomba and indian fern. Im wanting some swords I know at least that much, is there anything like hairgrass thats not so light demanding?

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would someone be able to let me know which of these types of plants are available here?

Crinum, Ceratopteris, Hygrophila, Cryptocoryne, Nymphaea

I don't know about Crinum but all the others are here, in one species or another.

HTH

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thanks sam, Ill see what I can find. thinking of making the plants all southeast asain if I can get enough, might look into another tank and doing a southeast asain biotope in the near future, I havnt seen too many around and it would be an interesting adventure.

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Got some lids, they need cutting down a bit but theres only about a 4mm gap, I decided to get Iggy (fire eel) in there today. Wont know how much he likes it untill hes out hunting tonight, wonder how many guppies will be left in the morning. Used some old bed slats and a few bits of filter netting to block any gaps or holes, so with a bit of luck I wont find him on the floor when I do my morning rounds.

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knife's (would I say knife's for a fish rather then knives? {confusing lisdexia}) are from southeast asia too aint they? Would be a nice biotope with some Bala, knife and a fire eel. I wonder if some larger loaches could avoid being eaten too.

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knife's (would I say knife's for a fish rather then knives? {confusing lisdexia}) are from southeast asia too aint they? Would be a nice biotope with some Bala, knife and a fire eel. I wonder if some larger loaches could avoid being eaten too.

Im sure just as long as they cant fit in anyones mouth? I was told iz crazy having the fish i do in the same tank but as long as theres plenty of hiding spaces and they are all raised from babies togeather they seem fine. of course if you try introducing a stranger like i did, yul find it dead in minutes. once they have established their territory it pays not to upset it. poor wee oscar was ripped to peices.$40 pinga down the toilet

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Well thats one night down, couldnt find any eels on the floor this mornin, mind you, I couldnt find him in the tank either :P but he'll be there. I figure, he only tries to get out when there isnt enough suitable hiding places. Grabbing a class cutter this morning so the lids should be all Iggy proof in a few hours.

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Got a light today for really cheap, tube it came with was a sylvania gro-lux f18w/gro

* High level of blue and red radiation helps promote healthy plant growth

* Strengthens the natural colours of aquatic plants and fish in aquariums

Anyone used one of these before?

Im not sure on any of the specs, looking for it all now.

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Unusual colour spectrum of 8500K I think.

Works wonders on green plants though!

is it new?

Yeah its new, was $25 so I thought I would be still a good buy.

what's the tank being supported with? do you think it will be strong enough over time? i would hate for you to get a crack in the centre of the base.

There is an old rimu headboard between the tank and the saw horses, its solid as, got some cinder blocks arriving next week as extra strength in the centre although Im certain its more then strong enough.

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Thanks for the concern smidey, checked it with a strait edge, its good. Will still add the cinders, better safe then sorry as they say. But 3 of us stood in the middle and bounced around a but before putting the tank on, its solid as. Always pays to be sure with this kinda thing tho huh.

Made a budget reflector and light stand, added lots more plants too.

IMG_1747.jpg

Bad pic but gives a rough idea.

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