the-obstacle Posted May 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2011 Is that a towel rail in the back of the tank? :slfg: Looks like it eh? I laughed when I realised what I had created :slfg: :sml1: :facepalm: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted May 11, 2011 Report Share Posted May 11, 2011 All good (Babel) fish need something on which to hang their towel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-obstacle Posted May 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2011 All good (Babel) fish need something on which to hang their towel and it doubles as a bike rack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-obstacle Posted May 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2011 Updated tank shot. Heaps more twisted val. Now have 10 or so swords - all different flavours. Some chain sword and this freaky pond plant that I'm hoping will survive but I've got my doubts. Most of the plants that had black leaves now have green leaves only and they're really starting to rocket. I pick up my charged co2 extinguisher on Monday so I'm hoping I can get a bit more growth with a bit better co2 insertion. Oh, I've also shaded the front half of the tank with a sheet of ply which I will ultimately line with poly if my experiment works. The fish are heaps happier having a shady place to hang out while the halides are on and if anything they've all become more active because of it. Other than that it's just a waiting game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfishybuisness Posted May 21, 2011 Report Share Posted May 21, 2011 looking good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-obstacle Posted June 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 So I went to my usual dog walking spot out at Muriwai today and took a bucket and an empty daltons sand bag and got about 20kgs of beautiful black black sand. I'm not sure it's going in this tank yet as I want to test what it does to water conditions, plants etc. but I'm in the mood to strip down my living room tank and re-scape it so it'll go in there for the trial. Once I know it works and is safe I'll be collecting more for the big tank. I'll hopefully get some pictures tomorrow if I get the lounge tank torn down, cleaned and rescaped tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted June 6, 2011 Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 it's now tomorrow, are you done rescaping yet? :sml2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-obstacle Posted June 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 Nope, I've had to put it off for another day :roll: I'm off to Hamilton to pick up some fish Might get a bit of time tonight but it all depends on whether or not I can get the apisto wrigglers out first. It's fairly bad timing to be honest as I'd like them to grow out enough to at least be able to survive without their mother guarding them. I did test the sand in a glass and it looks awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GZ_Loach Posted June 7, 2011 Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 Theres a free neon if you want it :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-obstacle Posted June 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 Theres a free neon if you want it :thup: Ha ha, I was just in Hamilton too. I'm currently building up a stock of 'fish to pass on' in the guppy tank so I'm not allowed any more new fish until they're gone. I've got cardinals though which are better than neons, it's been scientifically proven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GZ_Loach Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 Sorry i meant to say cardinal, not neon.. lol always say neon for some reason. :digH: Would have been a good excuse to check out my tank to :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-obstacle Posted June 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 Sorry i meant to say cardinal, not neon.. lol always say neon for some reason. :digH: Would have been a good excuse to check out my tank to :roll: Yeah, that would have been awesome. I'm really looking forward to seeing it in the flesh actually. Next time I'll advertise my travels a bit more in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-obstacle Posted June 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 FTS as requested - The tank from a couple of weeks ago before I got the ferts and co2 sorted. It's coming along nicely. Thanks to all who have helped so far. I just need to finish with the river stones, put the wood back and add the black sand in the front (in test phase at the moment) and it's done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwan Posted June 11, 2011 Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 Looking good man, nice growth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-obstacle Posted June 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 Looking good man, nice growth! Thanks! Looking at the previous shots the only thing that's not growing is the stem on the right next to the stargrass. It's been spreading at ground level but not going up. In my other tank it's a beautiful red/pink at the tops and grows vertically like crazy. I wonder what it's missing at the moment? Maybe the magic juice from p44 will sort it out :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunbird73 Posted June 18, 2011 Report Share Posted June 18, 2011 hiya obstacle - have you updated anywhere on how you are getting on with your muriwai sand? Vy keen to know if its successful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted June 18, 2011 Report Share Posted June 18, 2011 I am also waiting patiently.... it seems there is an obstacle in the way of TheObstacle posting his pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-obstacle Posted June 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2011 haha, the obstacle in this case is cleaning out and getting the lounge tank ready to be the test bed. I painted it this evening and I'm hoping to have the final coats on tomorrow so it'll be Monday before it's back inside. I've tested the water it's sitting in which it's been in for a week in a large bucket and the pH hasn't changed and the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate are all 0 so I'm guessing it's fairly stable. The only problem will be whether or not it lifts and gets into the filters but if I swirl the water around in the bucket it doesn't lift anything. I'll get there... :yaw2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunbird73 Posted June 18, 2011 Report Share Posted June 18, 2011 sounding very promising Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted June 19, 2011 Report Share Posted June 19, 2011 Obstacle's Rome was not built in a day :cofn: I don't think you will find the sand in the filter - I never have after all my swirling and reswirling and dropping sand in from above. Only thing was that day I found the filter sponges full of mud but that hasn't happened again. It could have been dirt that somehow escaped the rinsing but it certainly wasn't sandy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-obstacle Posted June 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2011 Lounge tank in and full. Black sand looks awesome! It has a dusting of brown once it's got lights on it but that just seems to imply it's got gold specs in it. It seems to have raised the pH a bit so I've got the co2 on the tank to bring it down (it's only 7.6 at the moment but I like it below 7) and then hopefully the fish will be transferred back tomorrow. Will take pics tomorrow once all the micro bubbles have gone. They're making it look a bit cloudy at the moment. If this works out I'll be getting much more sand this week and then the big tank will finally be finished. For now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony law Posted June 20, 2011 Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 :spop: :spop: :spop: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted June 21, 2011 Report Share Posted June 21, 2011 it sounds like it looks like my black sand then hahaha :slfg: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-obstacle Posted June 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2011 I took a load of photos last night and then deleted them all. Oops. Lights are off now so I'll take some more tomorrow. That's about the lounge tank though. This thread is about the big tank and I'm definitely putting this sand in the big tank. It's awesome! I think I'll do it on water change day so I can add it in lower water levels and not spread it all around so much. it sounds like it looks like my black sand then hahaha :slfg: yeah, pretty much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-obstacle Posted July 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 I ran out of my last batch of ferts so today I mixed up some new ones and dosed as per usual and WOW! I don't think I was even dosing anywhere near enough. My rotala is red! It's never been red in this tank. The twisted val has also put up a flower stem! I'm so very very stoked. I'll sort out some photos tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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