Scarletmonuka Posted January 7, 2013 Report Share Posted January 7, 2013 Ok so by providing the funds for my partners new blue tounge lizard (Hagrid) she has given me her 300 Litre Jebo tank and fish (apart from her breeding pair of bristlenoses). I am completely changing her set up and selling the fish in it. It currently holds a breeding colony of Electric yellows (15 fish), a 30 cm BGK and a couple of common Pleco's (sailfin/goldspot/redspot don't know which ones they are). all of which are for sale. I have just done a big tank clean/water change and change around in there today and once the water clears i will get a pic taken as my starting point for this thread. I have to decided to try my hand at a low tech semi planted comminty tank. (No co2 a bit of liquid fert dosing) i know the main group of the tank will be 10 young tiger barbs. i was gonna have some odessa barbs with them but have decided that i will just stick with the tiger barbs that way i can have more of other species. i haven't made up my mind totally as what i want to put with them and am completely open to any sugestions... i do however like the idea of a firemouth cichlid (ofcourse again it will be young so it just doesn't munch on the barbs). i also want a pictus catfish (again young) as a bottom dweller. i don't know what it is about them but ever since i've seen at the LFS i've always wanted one, only trouble is they want $74.50 for one. I think thats about it for the intro to this. cheers Oh and yeah substrate will be this fine brownish gravel that can be got from the LFS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletmonuka Posted January 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 So i guess its time to update and add some photo's. i believe i have come up with my final stock list. i have decided to go with 8 tiger barbs instead of 10. am going to put two firemouth cichlids with them an albino rainbow shark and i pictus catfish. i currently have one common plec that is not on trademe (bout 10 cm) that i am debating weather or not to keep. the main reason for not keeping it will just be the size it will get to and having the room to have it with what i want to do with drift wood. does anyone have any sugestions for a smallish pleco that isn't bristle nose that i could have in this 1.2 metre tank? and does anyone else see any problems with the combo i am planning on stocking in here? the electric yellows have been sold and so has the BGK all pending payment. there is a couple of small spare tanks here that can be used to house the common plecs short term once these fish go so i can drain the tank and remove the river rock substrate that katie had in it and get my set up started. i have decided not to plant this tank. rather i am going to use a fine brownish gravel substrate with 2 or 3 big feature pieces of driftwood coming out of. and sever small pieces of rock poking out of it. I already have my pieces of wood selected and in a bath outside waterlogging.. (will a couple of weeks in there be long enough to do the trick?) once they are done in there it will be down to the cow shed with them to soak for a little bit in 80 degree + water to kill any possible bugs on the wood (oh the joys of working on a dairy farm). I am currently waiting on a slow ass photobucket to upload a couple of photos to add to this thread. I think thats about it for now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletmonuka Posted January 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 ok time for some photo's heres the tank at the moment. drift wood selection i am going to use. and that same driftwood in the bath water logging So the buyer pulled out of buying the electric yellow colony and after the email i sent him about the BGK i think he will also pull out of buying it. I really kind of hope they do TBH. Once again can anyone tell me if soaking the driftwood for two weeks will be long enough to water log it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godly3vil Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 Hard to say Ian, some wood I have had has taken months to water log, best way is to put some heavy rocks on top of it while it is soaking to make sure it stays fully submerged and keep checking it every few days. Or you can cheat and tie it to some rocks with nylon and put it straight into the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletmonuka Posted January 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 yeah its under rocks and fully submerged... nothing here will be able to move the rocks sept katie and i. only thing i have to watch is the water level with the dog drinking out of it. boiling it is far quicker but can't with that size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 Once again can anyone tell me if soaking the driftwood for two weeks will be long enough to water log it? Probably. Unless it's not. Just put it in the tank with a rock on top if it's not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 is that a metal bath???, build a fire around it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletmonuka Posted January 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 yes it is a metal bath and yes i could do that but then i'd have to empty it and drag it (its bloody heavy even when empty) to somewhere where its safe enough to do that. i still have to get rid of stock in the tank so i'll just leave it for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletmonuka Posted January 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2013 So after a short visit to the river after water level dropped enough this is what i found.. I have come up with a scape of how i want the substrate, wood and rocks to look... at least in my head anyways.. could look completely different infront of me as i am not that much of a creative person... I have however changed my mind once again about plants and decided to have some low growing ones around the rocks and all that (any thoughts of what ones?).. maybe some idian fern growing up at one end. i will have to research more though. Alas the buyer has pulled out of buying my electric yellows and the BGK so i won't be able to get underway as soon as i had hoped that is all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godly3vil Posted January 12, 2013 Report Share Posted January 12, 2013 Gonna look good dude, I would go with plants that you can attach to wood and rocks like anubias and java ferns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletmonuka Posted January 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2013 dwarf sag wouldn't do well without CO2? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted January 12, 2013 Report Share Posted January 12, 2013 Mine did :dno: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletmonuka Posted January 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2013 i guess then i shall stick to what i do with all plants above water then.. shove it in and if it grows then it grow and it doesn't try another one :bggrn: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted January 12, 2013 Report Share Posted January 12, 2013 Mine did :dno: :iag: never used CO2, always had good plahtnt growth.... ok never tried some like glosso but the regulars like Dwarf sag work well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godly3vil Posted January 12, 2013 Report Share Posted January 12, 2013 Dwarf sag will grow fine with no co2, with low light you will find it grows taller than usual as it reaches for the light. Sword plants are another great easy plant to grow that don't require much nutrients and light. Crypts as well. All should do fine in your tank Ian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletmonuka Posted January 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 So i've been looking around at different plants on the web... all of what has been sugested to me.. problem is there are different varities of each.. i'm just wondering if there is anywhere i can go where i can find what is avaible in nz? like that like to the fish list. Because knowing me i'll find something i absoulutely love the look of and then someone will tell me its actually a noctious weed and i'm not allowed it.. that way i also don't have to pester you people with dopey questions about plants... hehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 http://www.fnzas.org.nz/?page_id=2379 banned plants http://www.fnzas.org.nz/?cat=92 a lot of work has gone into this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletmonuka Posted January 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 awesome thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 Yes, our very own website (of which this forum is just a part) has the answers you need! :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletmonuka Posted January 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2013 so i was in the LFS the other day and they had two small firemouth cichlids in there.... i just couldn't help myself.. what should i name them? mean while i have some java moss and java fern on its way (big thanks to Caryl) and some twisted val, dwarf sag and featherfin being posted on monday (thanks to livebearerbreeder) have made another couple of purchases on trademe as well. Meanwhile i still need to move ghostknife, electric yellows and a comman pleco on. :dnc1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted January 18, 2013 Report Share Posted January 18, 2013 rusty, fantapants, red, pumpkin nuts ( if you have a male), roughie, carrot chin.... the ideas are limitless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletmonuka Posted January 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2013 and i bought a albino rainbow shark yesterday.. was very tempted by a pictus but they are just too expensive at our lfs.. i'm going to have to wait till chch for that i think. tank starting to look a bit crowded at the moment anyways Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletmonuka Posted January 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2013 Ok so time for an update.. the breeding colony of electric yellows is finally gone :happy1: :happy2: . took them up to dunedin to a guy on monday. must say i am really quite dissapointed with dunedin's "biggest pet centre". even more dissapointed with the fish selection at the only place in Oamaru to stock tropical fish... (went up there for a job interview). Still have mr bgk for sale. tank looks a bit empty at the mo with just two small firemouths, knifey and 4 plecs in it. my albino rainbow shark somehow managed to find its way into katies tank... look nice and plump after a good feed of baby guppy's (that'll teach ya!). A member has pointed me in the direction of maybe purchacing a red hump earth eater (can't be bothered finding its scientific name) if i can get one i am wondering if an extremely fine gravel substrate will be ok for it? as all the research i have done says sand... drift wood is still in the bath soaking.. still not waterlogged. am seriously considering moving the bath and lighting a fire under it to boil it.. Why does this make wood sink far more quickly? i think thats about it for now.. cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletmonuka Posted February 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2013 is that a metal bath???, build a fire around it So after being sick of waiting for wood to sink i've done this..... surprised how little time it took to get the water to boiling point and how easy it was to keep the bath boiling. it boiled for about an hour and a half. then had to add more water coz the wood was starting to show. so i've left it for the time being for the fire to burn out (yes i'm checking it regularly) and i'll check it in the morning. took a couple of pics on my phone so once i find the cord to plug it into my puter i'll post them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletmonuka Posted February 18, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 So I just got katie an ipad and we is trialing how good the camera is. heres a pic of my a couple of fish from it not that bad really Tank looks like crap atm.. doing a big fish shop on thursday.. fish and substrate. so will hopefully be moving the tank and changing things around and planting some plants on monday. wood still hasn't sunk. it won't be the final layout as we will be moving at the end of may to a new farm. will do the proper scape then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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