Debating aquarium layout...
- Thread starter Guru
- Start date
Moss...
From where I sit...
I will see how I get on with this moss (Java), if I'm not happy after its properly established I will start again after I source some Phoenix moss.
(ignore the bit of wood covered in moss on the left...I had too much and kept it just incase)
Cheers,
G
From where I sit...
I will see how I get on with this moss (Java), if I'm not happy after its properly established I will start again after I source some Phoenix moss.
(ignore the bit of wood covered in moss on the left...I had too much and kept it just incase)
Cheers,
G
Last edited:
Added 3 tiger shrimp today, they are so funny! lol
Did a water test and confusingly everything reads zero, I expected some nitrate.
So far I have in there...
2x platy
3x White Cloud Mountain Minnow
1x Hong Kong/Butterfly plec
3x red spotted snail
3x Tiger Shrimp
Next I am considering adding (in stages) 3 shoals of contrasting small fish, 7 to 10 of each...
Thinking...
10x Cardinal Tetras (do they shoal?)
10x Penguin Tetras
Then 10 of something else but undecided as yet. Any suggestions?
I really don't want to over stock but would also like...
2x ottos
and a couple more different coloured snails
That would be 38 fish 3 shrimp and 5 or 6 snails.
The mrs then wants an African Dwarf frog, but I need to research that more before making a decision.
Any opinions on this lot? Or what my third shoal should be?
Cheers,
G
Did a water test and confusingly everything reads zero, I expected some nitrate.
So far I have in there...
2x platy
3x White Cloud Mountain Minnow
1x Hong Kong/Butterfly plec
3x red spotted snail
3x Tiger Shrimp
Next I am considering adding (in stages) 3 shoals of contrasting small fish, 7 to 10 of each...
Thinking...
10x Cardinal Tetras (do they shoal?)
10x Penguin Tetras
Then 10 of something else but undecided as yet. Any suggestions?
I really don't want to over stock but would also like...
2x ottos
and a couple more different coloured snails
That would be 38 fish 3 shrimp and 5 or 6 snails.
The mrs then wants an African Dwarf frog, but I need to research that more before making a decision.
Any opinions on this lot? Or what my third shoal should be?
Cheers,
G
You already added the fish?
AFAIK, you need to leave a tank alone with no fish for over 6 weeks before adding them.
I made this mistake when i started with my fish, i lost 20 tetra's in 12 days.
My tank has now been running for 3 years and i have some fish that are 1 year old.
I feel you rushed this
AFAIK, you need to leave a tank alone with no fish for over 6 weeks before adding them.
I made this mistake when i started with my fish, i lost 20 tetra's in 12 days.
My tank has now been running for 3 years and i have some fish that are 1 year old.
I feel you rushed this
Associate
- Joined
- 1 Sep 2013
- Posts
- 914
- Location
- Darwen
They are cheap to replace if the die it's not the end of the world. I wouldn't have the patience to wait 6 weeks either if they were marine fish then that's a different story
They are living beings...
You don't care if you were to buy some and then slowly kill them?
You have to let the tank do it's cycle, that's not the attitude from a very good fish keeper saying i have no patience to wait.
Soldato
- Joined
- 10 Mar 2009
- Posts
- 4,473
- Location
- South West
Not strictly correct to be honest. A tank can cycle quite quickly depending on several variables such as through using filter media from an existing or pre-cycled/established tank. I tend to find 2 weeks gets my levels to the point of stocking but of course you need to do test before adding fish, ideally.
There is an interesting theory by the owner of our local aquarium and aquatics centre that by adding too many neons into a new tank at once can cause issues (yes I know they get them all in at once in a shop). I'm not sure if there is anything official on this but I have seen this issue at least twice personally and heard of others losing their entire stock of neons within hours to a day or two of purchase (even in a well established tank). Personally my levels were absolutely fine at the time and tried to rescue them in my hospital tank but to no avail.
OP - I'm not the biggest 'unnatural' aquascape fan but I like what you've done. I would just ensure that your plastic dividers don't jut out much/at all but any areas that can be exposed through general fishy antics that angles and lengths are smoothed down, especially for your bottom feeders.
Only slight concern I have would be to perhaps raise your caniser filter inflow an inch or two or angle it slightly as judging from your spraybar you may not be catching as much as you could be if it was a little higher.
How big is your tank - sorry I looked but couldn't see it stated.
I presume you're going by the 1" of fully grown fish per 1x UK gallon rule? (Include filter's water capacity in there as well at a push).
I would avoid those frogs, especially with any kind of tetra in your tank - they can be nippy little blighters!
As far as other shoaling fish, I really like zebra danios. Some have electric blue eyes and they are really hardy and great community tank-mates.
Last edited:
Thanks for the reply.
It's a 200 litre tank, I'm not sure what you mean by raising the intake? and what I'm not catching?
The 6 fish I have I've had for months and months and months, they seem much happier in their new tank
the 3 shrimp are new, but also seem to be loving it /edit the plastic was meticulously smoothed off, huge ballache, but can't be too careful.
Cheers,
G
Last edited:
Soldato
- Joined
- 10 Mar 2009
- Posts
- 4,473
- Location
- South West
Your cannister filter has an outflow (spraybar) and inflow (where the cr@p gets sucked up). I was just saying I may just place it a little higher up the back of the bank as with the outflow configuration you have, to best catch some of the crud floating around I've found with the inflow 4-6" above the substrate works best. If it's working well as it is then ignore me but if you do find a build up when you syphon the substrate then perhaps raise the pipe up slightly.
200 litres is 43 UK gallons so a good rule of thumb is 43" of fully grown adult fish. That should give you a rough guide as to the stocking levels of your tank, certainly if you want a few shoaling groups you can work those around the ottos and other varieties you really want.
I personally don't think you have a problem, especially as you seeded your tank with stuff from your established tank. You would know by now if there was a problem!
200 litres is 43 UK gallons so a good rule of thumb is 43" of fully grown adult fish. That should give you a rough guide as to the stocking levels of your tank, certainly if you want a few shoaling groups you can work those around the ottos and other varieties you really want.
I personally don't think you have a problem, especially as you seeded your tank with stuff from your established tank. You would know by now if there was a problem!
Don
- Joined
- 20 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 17,093
- Location
- In a house
Neons do not do well in new tanks.
Cycling can be done with fish, but usually just a few, and it requires regular water changes to keep the levels down to keep the fish happy.
A fish-in cycle is quicker. Not had to start a tank from fresh for a while now, but the last time I did a fish-in cycle with aged media from another tank using some rasbora I had to kick it off.
Daily 50% changes were done for he first few days, dropping down to 30/20/10 over the next 10 days. Seemed to work well
Fish-in cycle is not cruel, provided it is done well, and you take a lot of care. I dont
Cycling can be done with fish, but usually just a few, and it requires regular water changes to keep the levels down to keep the fish happy.
A fish-in cycle is quicker. Not had to start a tank from fresh for a while now, but the last time I did a fish-in cycle with aged media from another tank using some rasbora I had to kick it off.
Daily 50% changes were done for he first few days, dropping down to 30/20/10 over the next 10 days. Seemed to work well
Fish-in cycle is not cruel, provided it is done well, and you take a lot of care. I dont
Went down the the LFS last night to take a sample of water and have a chat about my fish choices. They said my water is impecible so I'm pleased with that. They knew straight away that the tank was planted and seemed quite impressed when I showed them a picture
I thought this was weird because I haven't had to do a single water change yet! (planning to do one this weekend)
They said that the penguin tetra's get larger than I'd thought and that they can become a little rowdy and potentially fight. So I think I've decided to get Harlequin Rasbora's instead.
Going to pick up 10 of them OR 10 Cardinals tonight.
Will see what I like the look of when I go down there.
Any other suggestions for something a completely contrasting colour to the Cardinals and Harlequins?
Cheers,
G
I thought this was weird because I haven't had to do a single water change yet! (planning to do one this weekend)
They said that the penguin tetra's get larger than I'd thought and that they can become a little rowdy and potentially fight. So I think I've decided to get Harlequin Rasbora's instead.
Going to pick up 10 of them OR 10 Cardinals tonight.
Will see what I like the look of when I go down there.
Any other suggestions for something a completely contrasting colour to the Cardinals and Harlequins?
Cheers,
G
Last edited:
Don
- Joined
- 20 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 17,093
- Location
- In a house
woaaah..
How many fish are in the tank at the moment, how long have they been in, and how much have you fed them since they went in?
Please think about adding fish more slowly, or at least wait for longer before introducing such a large number of fish.
I have a larger tank than you and have been keeping fish for almsot 20 years. I would never add that many in one go, unless they were replacing something that I was removing beforehand... If you have a big tank with a decent existing bio-load, it would be ok, but I don't think your tank qualifies at this time.
Also, when it comes to shoaling, do you mean that, or schooling? Loosely speaking, a shoal is just a group of fish living together, in close proximity, whereas schooling is a swimming about together in the same direction.
Also, Proper schooling is usually a threat response in most fish, although some species are more prone than other to the behavior. Rummynose tetra are supposedly very close nit, and common schoolers, although I have never kept them myself..
See here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWj71L7khPE&feature=related
That said, I would expect them to calm down once they have settled into a tank, I very much doubt that behavior would last more than a few days without a predator (or at least a larger fish they might assume is a predator) present.
How many fish are in the tank at the moment, how long have they been in, and how much have you fed them since they went in?
Please think about adding fish more slowly, or at least wait for longer before introducing such a large number of fish.
I have a larger tank than you and have been keeping fish for almsot 20 years. I would never add that many in one go, unless they were replacing something that I was removing beforehand... If you have a big tank with a decent existing bio-load, it would be ok, but I don't think your tank qualifies at this time.
Also, when it comes to shoaling, do you mean that, or schooling? Loosely speaking, a shoal is just a group of fish living together, in close proximity, whereas schooling is a swimming about together in the same direction.
Also, Proper schooling is usually a threat response in most fish, although some species are more prone than other to the behavior. Rummynose tetra are supposedly very close nit, and common schoolers, although I have never kept them myself..
See here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWj71L7khPE&feature=related
That said, I would expect them to calm down once they have settled into a tank, I very much doubt that behavior would last more than a few days without a predator (or at least a larger fish they might assume is a predator) present.
Initially I wanted schooling, but I don't want the fish to feel threatened in any way so I'm no longer looking for that.
Are you saying the 10 would be too many? I wasn't going to add 20 at once.
There are 6 fish in there right now, been in for maybe 10 days. Also 3 snails and 3 shrimp. I feed tham a pinch every 2 days. (like I always have)
Would I be better to just add say 3-5 Endlers for now?
/edit the tank has had water and plants and amonia in since the 17th of Feb (ish).
Cheers,
G
Are you saying the 10 would be too many? I wasn't going to add 20 at once.
There are 6 fish in there right now, been in for maybe 10 days. Also 3 snails and 3 shrimp. I feed tham a pinch every 2 days. (like I always have)
Would I be better to just add say 3-5 Endlers for now?
/edit the tank has had water and plants and amonia in since the 17th of Feb (ish).
Cheers,
G
Last edited:
Soldato
- Joined
- 9 Nov 2005
- Posts
- 9,318
- Location
- Southampton, hopefully not too hot, or too cold
Added 3 tiger shrimp today, they are so funny! lol
Did a water test and confusingly everything reads zero, I expected some nitrate.
So far I have in there...
2x platy
3x White Cloud Mountain Minnow
1x Hong Kong/Butterfly plec
3x red spotted snail
3x Tiger Shrimp
Next I am considering adding (in stages) 3 shoals of contrasting small fish, 7 to 10 of each...
Thinking...
10x Cardinal Tetras (do they shoal?)
10x Penguin Tetras
Then 10 of something else but undecided as yet. Any suggestions?
I really don't want to over stock but would also like...
2x ottos
and a couple more different coloured snails
That would be 38 fish 3 shrimp and 5 or 6 snails.
The mrs then wants an African Dwarf frog, but I need to research that more before making a decision.
Any opinions on this lot? Or what my third shoal should be?
Cheers,
G
Your existing fish are sub-tropical and should be kept at 18-20C, so anything else you add needs to be comfortable at such temps.
Cardinal Tetras; (False) Penguin Tetras; Otocinclus spp.; Harlequin Rasbora are not sub-tropical. Suitable temps for these (~22-25C) would be very bad for your WCMM (much raised metabolic rate, drastically reduced lifespans) and the higher temp will lower oxygen levels that could endanger your "hillstream loach" (horribly named Hong Kong Plec).
Your WCMM would do far better in a 10+ group, doing the same for the Platies will reduce the odds at them including other fish in the hierarchy aggression/nipping.
Having used gravel, be careful what you consider adding as a tank floor group, for example Peppered/3-lined Corydoras could very well suffer barbel erosion.
Thanks for the reply.
The tank is at 24.4c. Under the advice of the LFS I was told that the fish I have would be fine to adapt to this temperature. You post makes me think otherwise though
Should I re-home the WCMM? They seem very happy, but if they don't like that temperature then that's not cool.
I don't plan to get any bottom dwelling fish, only a couple of Ottos (not sure if they are classed as such?)
Also will the plants not increase the oxygen levels in the tank for me? If not my powerhead can if I chose to attach the air line it has.
The tank is at 24.4c. Under the advice of the LFS I was told that the fish I have would be fine to adapt to this temperature. You post makes me think otherwise though
Should I re-home the WCMM? They seem very happy, but if they don't like that temperature then that's not cool.
I don't plan to get any bottom dwelling fish, only a couple of Ottos (not sure if they are classed as such?)
Also will the plants not increase the oxygen levels in the tank for me? If not my powerhead can if I chose to attach the air line it has.
Last edited: