# The wood pile



## Iain Sutherland (5 May 2014)

As life is busy and I was struggling to keep 4 planted tanks I broke my 60 down and left it empty for a while.
What I didn't count on was how annoying an empty tank would be! 
Setting up a loose Asian 'biotope' low maintenance tank had been an itch I'd had for a long time so by impulse I grabbed a bunch of materials and threw this together in about half an hour a week or so ago. 

Coming back to the forum after a little time away it seems everyone is doing black water, so here's mine to add to the club.

In the tank
Ada Amazonia
Petrified wood
Manzanita
Loads of oak, catappa and alder cones
Little cabomba in the back
Silvinia natans and frogbit 
Variegated Philodendron sp.
Ficus Columbia 
May add some buce's later
Tds 80
Ph 5.8 ish
26c
Guess GH 4 maybe?? 

Stock is licorice gourami at the moment
Simoni simoni shrimp soon
Would like some chocolates but not for the moment.
Loads of critters... Cyclops, micro worms and other weird wrigglers.

iPhone with 24hr 1w led on





Rock on top just holding the wood as didn't soak.
Also runs a tmc 1000HD tile for 7 hours, very mature crystalprofi 901e on 1/4 flow via Lily's.

7 Paras went in yesterday as they needed rescuing from the shop, they have coloured up great and seem really happy fattening up on critters.

Have a good bank holiday.








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## Greenfinger2 (5 May 2014)

Superb Biotope


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## EnderUK (5 May 2014)

amazing, but needs more photos.


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## Edvet (5 May 2014)

Nice job!


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## Iain Sutherland (5 May 2014)

Thanks guys, more pictures will follow once settled and I can dust off the camera.
The paras are amazingly addictive to watch scooting around foraging.


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## Lee Sweeting (5 May 2014)

Welcome to the club . The tank looks great Iain, very nice. What species of parosphromenus have you got? Looking forward to some more pics 


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## Iain Sutherland (5 May 2014)

thanks lee, tough to tell while young but  from looking at the biggest male best guess would be bintan or gunawani due to the round tail and blue edging, Allani is possible but no visible black dot on caudal fin yet.
Now ive seen all seven out and about i think i have 4 males and 3 females..... no idea what a good mix is?[DOUBLEPOST=1399314140][/DOUBLEPOST]reading  a bit more, my new guess would be bintan as gunawani doesnt seem to be imported according to para project.....


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## Lee Sweeting (5 May 2014)

Hi Iain! I think it's usually best to have a balanced ratio, however I think it's pretty impossible to tell when we buy the fish as they never show full colour in the dealers tanks. I don't think you have anything to worry about though. I have 4 males to 3 females, and haven't had any incidents. Paros are non aggressive and are more about showing off rather than nipping. My males are always flashing each other. 


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## Lee Sweeting (5 May 2014)

[/DOUBLEPOST]reading  a bit more, my new guess would be bintan as gunawani doesnt seem to be imported according to para project.....[/quote]

I think its almost impossible to tell until they start showing full colour. The paro project is defiantly the best place to ask though. 

I could be wrong but I'm sure Colin from the fish hut was importing p. gunawani?



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## Iain Sutherland (5 May 2014)

Who knows then?! Time will tell.
I've got a nippy male, keeps nipping the same spot in the middle of the caudal on one other, tail is split in two. 
Now they are feeding it should heal quickly and hopefully he will settle now they aren't as stressed.


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## Alastair (5 May 2014)

Iain Sutherland said:


> Who knows then?! Time will tell.
> I've got a nippy male, keeps nipping the same spot in the middle of the caudal on one other, tail is split in two.
> Now they are feeding it should heal quickly and hopefully he will settle now they aren't as stressed.
> 
> ...



Nice little blackwater mate. Glad the pics finally went up. 
I have 2 aggressive males too. Literally take hold of one another over who's turfs who's. 
I'm not sure why people think they aren't. Males are always going to do the 'whos boss thing and have seen it in the various part species I have. 

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## Lee Sweeting (6 May 2014)

Alastair said:


> Nice little blackwater mate. Glad the pics finally went up.
> I have 2 aggressive males too. Literally take hold of one another over who's turfs who's.
> I'm not sure why people think they aren't. Males are always going to do the 'whos boss thing and have seen it in the various part species I have.
> 
> Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk 2




Haha! Mine must be pretty chilled then. Their more interested in showing off to each other than actually nipping. I have a chocco that's a real bully though. He's always chasing the others. He's defiantly the boss of the tank. 


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## aliclarke86 (6 May 2014)

Oooh I want black water too! But I'm trying to go down to one tank and don't wanna give up on shrimp!

Looks great Iian !

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## Iain Sutherland (6 May 2014)

quick pic from banana worm breakfast
paras by iainsutherland24, on Flickr


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## Alastair (6 May 2014)

Iain Sutherland said:


> quick pic from banana worm breakfast
> paras by iainsutherland24, on Flickr



Looking very nice and happy there mate. I think you've got some similar species to one of the groups of mine by the looks of it

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## Iain Sutherland (6 May 2014)

cheers al, they seem pretty happy. The  big male has a lot of red in his fins so still unsure what they are.
Either way they are ace, not shy at all.


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## Edvet (6 May 2014)

Sweet!


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## TOO (6 May 2014)

Beautiful pic with the light coming down. Precious fish (in more than one sense since their natural habitat is apparently disappearing).

Thomas


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## Iain Sutherland (8 May 2014)

Got a bit snap happy tonight...
Not sure where all the tanins have gone??   filter is just alfagrog.

IMG_4345 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

IMG_4350 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

IMG_4354 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

red is starting to show in a couple of others..
IMG_4361 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr


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## Edvet (8 May 2014)

Still looks good.
(i guess the tanins got stuck to the coloids in the filtermedia, these appear in all filter material as far as i know)


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## Alastair (8 May 2014)

Think you may have a mix of species In their mate. Lovely pics and a nice little home for them. I was looking forward to doing similar on an ada tank from off here but that fell through


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## Iain Sutherland (9 May 2014)

what makes you think they may be mixed al?  Its quite possible given that the species are often mixed but did think as they were the same batch they would be the same...

Shame about the 60p, no doubt something better will come along pal


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## tim (10 May 2014)

Superb scape Iain, something I've wanted to do for a while, just not sure I'm dedicated enough for these wonderful little fish, subscribed to this one mate


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## Hamza (10 May 2014)

Lovely setup! You have managed capture the 'raw' appeal every biotope is supposed to have, yet being aesthetically correct. I see a very few biotopes that have this quality. Great job!

And I absolutely love these tiny gouramis, pity that they are still very rare in our market...


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## Iain Sutherland (10 May 2014)

tim said:


> Superb scape Iain, something I've wanted to do for a while, just not sure I'm dedicated enough for these wonderful little fish, subscribed to this one mate


thanks tim, the reason i started it was because i couldnt be as dedicated to so many tanks, i guess you need to commit to them long term though as taking them back to the shop is the same a flushing them.



Hamza said:


> Lovely setup! You have managed capture the 'raw' appeal every biotope is supposed to have, yet being aesthetically correct. I see a very few biotopes that have this quality. Great job. And I absolutely love these tiny gouramis, pity that they are still very rare in our market...


your comments are much appreciated hamza, i really didnt try very hard at all so it could easily be replicated by anyone with some wood.  They are great little fish, very active but in a sedate sort of way.
Looking forward to getting some shrimp in with them to help tidy up a bit and deal with the wood mould.


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## allan angus (10 May 2014)

great scape


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## Iain Sutherland (22 Jul 2014)

was getting a little frustrated with the perpetual diatoms in this tank, almost broke it down but instead decided to change it a little and give it some love.  Thankfully it has rewarded me with these displays for the last few days, video doesnt come close to showing how electric the colours are..  Youll also notice some cool cats i added...
excuse the reflections and the  'of' 'off' at the end.


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## BigTom (22 Jul 2014)

Lovely footage Iain. They must still be establishing dominance I reckon, that was much longer sparring than I ever saw with mine.

Also those catfish are brilliant, another one for the wish list.

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## Greenfinger2 (23 Jul 2014)

Hi lain, Fantastic


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## DTL (23 Jul 2014)

Can I ask what species of catfish these are?


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## BigTom (23 Jul 2014)

DTL said:


> Can I ask what species of catfish these are?



_Hyalobagrus flavus_ I think, although Iain may need to correct me.


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## DTL (23 Jul 2014)

BigTom said:


> _Hyalobagrus flavus_ I think, although Iain may need to correct me.


 Very nice, and very black water / paro  compatible.
Not to much indication of where to source them on the net though!


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## BigTom (23 Jul 2014)

I think Maidenhead sometimes have them, could try asking Fishkeeper Glasgow?


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## Iain Sutherland (23 Jul 2014)

BigTom said:


> Lovely footage Iain. They must still be establishing dominance I reckon, that was much longer sparring than I ever saw with mine.
> Also those catfish are brilliant, another one for the wish list.



ah ok, quite possible tom, just assumed was sparring for spawning as he then ran of with the female round the back for a while.

they really are brilliant, they require multiple feedings a day and really arent the smartest.  Almost think they are blind as daphnia can be all around them but unless it actually touches the barbels then they dont 'see it'.  



BigTom said:


> _Hyalobagrus flavus_ I think, although Iain may need to correct me.


 Cold day in hell when i correct you on a fish identification Tom   Only flavus is known to be exported to the trade and believe them to be so.  



DTL said:


> Very nice, and very black water / paro  compatible.
> Not to much indication of where to source them on the net though!



Both my local MA's have them at the moment and an article in PFK this month about them so guess they are 'in season' ATM.


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## Edvet (24 Jul 2014)

Iain Sutherland said:


> Hyalobagrus flavus


 Nice find!


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## Iain Sutherland (27 Aug 2014)

Went over to MA wildwoods near peterborough yesterday and was again Soo impressed. The staff are amazing and stock really fantastic... All sorts of fish, many I've not seen at other shops.
So found some lovely little pencils which have added to this tank.
Will get some pics at some point but trying to identify them at the moment.
Thinking nannostomus rubrocaudatus??? But maybe all female


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## Iain Sutherland (27 Aug 2014)

Bad iphone pic, they have red spots on the fins and a red stripe along the lateral line...


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## Iain Sutherland (27 Aug 2014)

Better one.


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## Edvet (27 Aug 2014)

trifasciatus?
Got to say from the second pic i thought Paro's, but the last pic shows them more like Nannostomus spp.


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## dw1305 (27 Aug 2014)

Hi all,
I think they may be a colour form of _N. marginatus_. Have a look here: 
<http://www.britishcichlid.org.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=8324>.

cheers Darrel


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## Iain Sutherland (27 Aug 2014)

Thanks guys, will do some reading. Could quite easily be either of those though, three line looks more likely..?
They are very happy in the black water though, colours are setting in nicely.
Have to say that the licorice are a little shaken up to be sharing their home now.

On the up side I'm 99% sure now they have matured a little that the licorice are gunawani.
Amazingly paro project says there has been a wild specimen at 27.7cm! That must be a sight! (4cm aquarium)


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## BigTom (27 Aug 2014)

Heh yeah thats a typo. There's a few of them on the English PP pages.


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## Ady34 (27 Aug 2014)

Love the pencilfish, hope the floaters prevent them from jumping though, in my experience they sadly find the floor eventually in open top tanks. I'd love some n. Eques for my tank, but know without a top or surface vegetation they will jump. 
Great tank mate.


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## dw1305 (28 Aug 2014)

Hi all,





Iain Sutherland said:


> Could quite easily be either of those though, three line looks more likely..?


 If they have both an adipose fin and 2 distinct red marks either side of the caudal peduncle, where it joins the caudal fin, they are_ trifasciatus_. Have a look here: <http://apisto.sites.no/fish.aspx?fishIndexID=1806&gruppeID=5>.

_Marginatus_ doesn't have an adipose fin.

cheers Darrel


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## Iain Sutherland (28 Aug 2014)

dw1305 said:


> Marginatus doesn't have an adipose fin.



looks like we have a winner.  Thanks darrel


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## Iain Sutherland (30 Aug 2014)

couple of pics.

pencils by iainsutherland24, on Flickr

licorice gunawani seem to be taking hikari micro pellet, which ive been feeding for the pencils.
licorice by iainsutherland24, on Flickr


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## mattb180 (30 Aug 2014)

Those Licorice Gourami's are amazing!


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## tim (30 Aug 2014)

Love the fish selection in this tank Iain, those pencils are stunning little fish.


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## Boxerbrad (26 Jan 2016)

Any updates on this tank? Absolutely amazing fish and photos


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