^^ Beautiful shots.
What filter do you use?
Cheers! Eheim 2324 - woefully under capacity for the volume technically but the massive riparian plants keep all the nitrogenous compounds at zero.
Your current Fish tank Setups!
- Thread starter Malt_Vinegar
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Cheers! Eheim 2324 - woefully under capacity for the volume technically but the massive riparian plants keep all the nitrogenous compounds at zero.
Unless the oscar won't eat prepared foods there's really no good reason for using feeder fish. All you do is provide a gristly end for the feeders and risk introducing disease/parasites.
Soldato
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Feeder fish from stores are often riddled with disease, they are often kept and bred in awful conditions. If you have a fish that must eat live fish, it is far safer and nutritious to raise your own, livebearers being the easiest choice. This practice is illegal in the UK, but not in the USA as far as I'm aware.
Blood worms are not that nutritious either, they should be a treat weekly.
But Oscars are not picky eaters, they will eat just about anything and those cute babies will rapidly reach >30cm SL in a suitable 125+ US gallon tank for a singleton with no other fish. That is if they get quality protein food such as Tetra Prima, a good quality filter (eg. FX6) because they are messy fish and 50% weekly water changes (more regular smaller ones are far better for young fish).
Blood worms are not that nutritious either, they should be a treat weekly.
But Oscars are not picky eaters, they will eat just about anything and those cute babies will rapidly reach >30cm SL in a suitable 125+ US gallon tank for a singleton with no other fish. That is if they get quality protein food such as Tetra Prima, a good quality filter (eg. FX6) because they are messy fish and 50% weekly water changes (more regular smaller ones are far better for young fish).
Turns out that Iguanadectes are not easy to photograph without flash! AF wasn't cutting it because they wouldn't sit still long enough, but weirdly just using room lights gave better contrast and allowed faster locks, so a couple of keepers. White balance all over the place!
I also beefed up the pencilfish shoal
I also beefed up the pencilfish shoal
Thank you, good advice. Shall hit the pet shop and see what food to get him. May even put an insect catcher in the back yard and feed him those.
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When I kept Oscars the advice was to feed lean beef heart once a week with a good cichlid food and frozen mix on a rotation in between (I think, it was a long time ago!)
Mine grew well and were great till my aunt killed them when I was on holiday. I told her to leave them alone, they were on a starve week, but she overfed and didn't remove the excess. Huge milky bloom and they all suffocated in a few days before I returned
Mine grew well and were great till my aunt killed them when I was on holiday. I told her to leave them alone, they were on a starve week, but she overfed and didn't remove the excess. Huge milky bloom and they all suffocated in a few days before I returned
When I kept Oscars the advice was to feed lean beef heart once a week with a good cichlid food and frozen mix on a rotation in between (I think, it was a long time ago!)
Mine grew well and were great till my aunt killed them when I was on holiday. I told her to leave them alone, they were on a starve week, but she overfed and didn't remove the excess. Huge milky bloom and they all suffocated in a few days before I returned
That's so sad. I bet you went ape.
Soldato
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No worries, just trying to offer an opinion, as someone with five active tanks and ~250-300 fish (I have a Rio400 in the garage with at least 125 Ilyodon xantusi in it, impossible to count).
I buy Tetra Prima in bulk 3Kg tubs, which are only opened periodically to refill smaller tubs, cost me ~£65 plus shipping earlier this year for latest tub. Far more economical than the small tubs in shops... But I have plenty of fish to feed, from adult ~3cm SL Beckford Pencilfish to a ~30cm SL adult Auchenoglanis cf. tchadiensis!
Another food I rate highly are the New Era range, I again buy bulk ~1.8Kg (far cheaper per weight) tubs of Plec Pellets and Tropical Pellets, going to order another tub of Tropical Grazer.
Soldato
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Decided to get the 120cm one next year, i managed to blag the Mrs in giving me the bigger alcove for it to sit in
They are seriously nice tanks and its good that they are finally moving away from the MAX design as it was super old fashioned.
If the 170 is around £500 il happily pick one up.
Close, £525 for black and £550 for white for the 170.
Looking forward to seeing the ultra clear glass and how much a difference it makes, will be hanging new LED's on this open top.
Hi All,
An update on the tank.
I bought salifert tests and tested my water a week after putting the plants in. All readings were fine, ammonia 0. So I bought a few fish on the advice of my fish shop guy who seems really knowledgeable and cool. 3 swordtails, one male two ladies, who are now preggers and fit to busrt. So ha, spoilsports, I knew I was right
I also have:
20 neon tetra
4 rainbow gurami (2 m 2 f) the men are real swines, I have introduced floating moss at either end of the 180l tank and it seems to have calmed them a little.
One awesome blue discus (my fave)
One sliver shark plec
5 cherry shrimp
6 barbs
2 awesome mini orange crayfish (my faves)
one spotted suckerfish
I did have 2 female fighting fish in there but they seemed miserable from day one and eventuall kicked the bucket. But everything else has done brill, and I am really proud of them all! (especially my beastie crays!)
Soldato
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Hi All,
An update on the tank.
I bought salifert tests and tested my water a week after putting the plants in. All readings were fine, ammonia 0. So I bought a few fish on the advice of my fish shop guy who seems really knowledgeable and cool. 3 swordtails, one male two ladies, who are now preggers and fit to busrt. So ha, spoilsports, I knew I was right
I also have:
20 neon tetra
4 rainbow gurami (2 m 2 f) the men are real swines, I have introduced floating moss at either end of the 180l tank and it seems to have calmed them a little.
One awesome blue discus (my fave)
One sliver shark plec
5 cherry shrimp
6 barbs
2 awesome mini orange crayfish (my faves)
one spotted suckerfish
I did have 2 female fighting fish in there but they seemed miserable from day one and eventuall kicked the bucket. But everything else has done brill, and I am really proud of them all! (especially my beastie crays!)
I cant even begin to say how wrong the stocking of this tank is, I really hope it works out but ill bet half the tank is dead within 3 months
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Your fish shop guy sounds like an utter money grabbing knob tbh.
Neons require a much more mature tank, and a single discus won't be happy on its own.
What is your pH, GH and temps? Also, nitrates?
Make sure you test for ammonia and nitrite regularly. What fish store did you go to?
Oh, and you certainly aren't right.
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Hi all,
Can anyone help with suggestions for stocking a 140L tank please.
It will be my girlfriends third tank, she currently has:
125L (Fluval 306) 1x Male Betta, 8x Neon Tetras, 8x Glowlight Tetras, 8x X-Ray Tetras, 3x Peppered Corys, 3x Ammano Shrimp, 3x Oto's, 3x Orange Posso Snails, 2x Red Spotted Snails, 2x Horned Nerite Snails, 1x Assassin Snail.
60L (Fluval U2) 1x Male Betta, 5x Celestial Pearl Danios, 5x Red Cherry Shrimp, 2x Horned Nerite Snails, 2x Orange Posso Snails & 3x Baby Orange Posso Snails.
The 125L has been up and running for a year and the 60L for 7 months and now she's looking to get completely new fish for her 140L.
It will be running a Fluval U4 (Rated 1000L/H) with the pre-configured media with a few extra biomedia balls as it comes with enough to only half fill the space. Tap water is very soft with a pH of 7.2.
Her current thoughts are currently a pair of German Blue Rams, although research suggests they prefer a much lower pH although some say they can adapt to a pH of 7 which we might be able to achieve with a peat moss substrate and adding bogwood. She's also thinking of getting a Bristlenose Pleco or 2x Pitbull Pleco. What are peoples thoughts on the above? Any other suggestions?
Thanks in advance.
Can anyone help with suggestions for stocking a 140L tank please.
It will be my girlfriends third tank, she currently has:
125L (Fluval 306) 1x Male Betta, 8x Neon Tetras, 8x Glowlight Tetras, 8x X-Ray Tetras, 3x Peppered Corys, 3x Ammano Shrimp, 3x Oto's, 3x Orange Posso Snails, 2x Red Spotted Snails, 2x Horned Nerite Snails, 1x Assassin Snail.
60L (Fluval U2) 1x Male Betta, 5x Celestial Pearl Danios, 5x Red Cherry Shrimp, 2x Horned Nerite Snails, 2x Orange Posso Snails & 3x Baby Orange Posso Snails.
The 125L has been up and running for a year and the 60L for 7 months and now she's looking to get completely new fish for her 140L.
It will be running a Fluval U4 (Rated 1000L/H) with the pre-configured media with a few extra biomedia balls as it comes with enough to only half fill the space. Tap water is very soft with a pH of 7.2.
Her current thoughts are currently a pair of German Blue Rams, although research suggests they prefer a much lower pH although some say they can adapt to a pH of 7 which we might be able to achieve with a peat moss substrate and adding bogwood. She's also thinking of getting a Bristlenose Pleco or 2x Pitbull Pleco. What are peoples thoughts on the above? Any other suggestions?
Thanks in advance.
I would wait until the tank is fully operational / cycled. Then, the water will dictate what you can have in there.
Yes, rams are soft water fish and would want a pH ideally below neutral. I'd read up on them though, as I haven't had much experience with keeping that type of fish.
To help with the water, you could try using this substrate and instead of tap water, buying R.O. from your local fish store.
http://www.aquaessentials.co.uk/colombo-flora-base-black-10-litres-p-4595.html
Not the cheapest of substrates, though I don't think I paid as much as that when I purchased it from my store.
I can wholeheartedly recommend bristlenose plecs. They don't grow anywhere near as much compared to some of the other plecs, and are stellar algae eating machines (best I've ever had). I don't 'think' one or two of those will be too big a fish for a 140 litre tank. As long as you avoid extremes with them (pH too much below 6 / above 8), then you'll be fine. Their range for GH is very easy to accomodate. Something between 2 - 20, for example, will be good. They really aren't a fussy critter at all.
http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=49
Yes, rams are soft water fish and would want a pH ideally below neutral. I'd read up on them though, as I haven't had much experience with keeping that type of fish.
To help with the water, you could try using this substrate and instead of tap water, buying R.O. from your local fish store.
http://www.aquaessentials.co.uk/colombo-flora-base-black-10-litres-p-4595.html
Not the cheapest of substrates, though I don't think I paid as much as that when I purchased it from my store.
I can wholeheartedly recommend bristlenose plecs. They don't grow anywhere near as much compared to some of the other plecs, and are stellar algae eating machines (best I've ever had). I don't 'think' one or two of those will be too big a fish for a 140 litre tank. As long as you avoid extremes with them (pH too much below 6 / above 8), then you'll be fine. Their range for GH is very easy to accomodate. Something between 2 - 20, for example, will be good. They really aren't a fussy critter at all.
http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=49
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Soldato
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I have bred GBR without problems as with most fish if you buy captive ones the ph issue is less of a problem. You can give them a massive boost by acclimate the right way.
A) stable tank, your want all your water parameters to by steady, does not matter if a little or low or little high just steady (common sense applies here)
B) You should be water dripping method into the tank for min 1 hr, none of this float the bag for 20min.
c) after 1 hour maybe 2 you can let this fish out of the bag and you will find that they should fairly happy and adapted to the water even if the ph.gh is a little off for their type HTH
A) stable tank, your want all your water parameters to by steady, does not matter if a little or low or little high just steady (common sense applies here)
B) You should be water dripping method into the tank for min 1 hr, none of this float the bag for 20min.
c) after 1 hour maybe 2 you can let this fish out of the bag and you will find that they should fairly happy and adapted to the water even if the ph.gh is a little off for their type HTH