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Oh yes! its the brown on brown camo thing 😳 It doesn't help I'm looking at a phone image on my 27' iMac - The pic is 52x29cm before I 'click to see full size image' :watching:

Wheres those DSLR image got too 😉
 
Hi Alastair, I've just been having a good read of your journal and its looking really good. Wish I had the room for such a big project!
Sorry to hear about your crypt melt. Why do you think they melted. My crypts seem to grow really well and then a few leaves just melt for no apparent reason.
Hope you are well mate :thumbup:
 
I thought of that but sounds a bit wrong or inappropriate ha ha
Ive been looking for a 2180 but havent found one at anywhere near that price and buying the heated version second hand can be a bit of a risk if its not from anyone I know.

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Hello. I'm also looking for an eheim 2180 at the moment. Can you help me out finding one? 🙂
 
looking great alistair hope yhe crypt melt has passed and started recovering as everyone says the amount of plants and fish it will take for this to look (full) is unreak and very expensive only way is replanting and breeding and hopefully works iut that way and sure it will keep the pictures and updates coming looking forward to seeing it thrive and grow



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Wow Alistair, that's looking great! I've regularly considered doing a similar set up with the other big beast currently sitting empty in the basement. I love the heavily wooded look in a tank full of Crypts, Anubias, and Ferns. It'll be a stunning home for your gouramis when it's all grown in. The simple quartz sand was an excellent choice too. :thumbup:

I'm seriously considering getting some of the CAL Efflux pipes for one of my tanks and would be interested in hearing more about them. Why do you feel they're "bloody perfect"? Do you think the same outlet (17mm) would be suitable for a long, but shallow tank?
 
another nice addition with the armoured cat mate, they are stunning fish. and top news on more babies.
great to see the tank on something bigger than your phone. Certainly takes a lot of plants to make a tank this big not look bare!!
how is the Cladophora getting on following the moss issues?

Thanks mate. The farlowella is stunning. Even more so in that I purchased another to accompany it only to find out once it had settled and got its full colour they are 2 different species. Oh well. They certainly 'stick' together ha ha.
There's a lot of plants in their iain theyre slowly now just starting to take off. I think with it being such a big amount of water im struggling to get lighting levels correct. Even though they are running at 50 percent, that night at Dans, George Jeremy and Dan and myself had a long chat about the level of lighting in their and that its actually much lower at substrate level than I think.
The Cladophora moss is fantastic. Its very lush, colourful and is extremely healthy. The other mosses just didnt keep. Something isnt right but not sure what regarding moss in this tank. It grows but almost brown.

Definitely agree on having a ukaps invite over soon.
Looking great Alastair, and good to hear the choccos have carried on where they left off!
Love farlowella catfish too, they'll love your large branches.
Cheerio,
Ady.

Hiya Ady great to hear from you mate. I hope your marine tank isn't tearing you away from us......dont gooooooooo ha ha.
Strangely they spend more time on the substrate. Im getting 2 more I think but will leave it until these 2 grow up.

Your samoa sand looks quite pale in the photos. Is is darker in person? I 've been looking at the senegal as it looks a bit darker. Really need to see it in a shop before deciding though.
yep its darker in the person. Not vastly by much but a shade or 2 darker.
Senegal was what I was stuck between but I got it right with my choice as it seems to blend well with the wood and petrified wood.

The think fish website stocking calculator reckons your tank could cope with about 443 adult Chocolate Gouramis 😎 but I cant see a single fish in your recent whole of tank pic of the chocolate 'inland sea' :cigar: Its a good thing your Gouramis are breeding. It'd cost more than the tank to fill it :greedy:

How many fish are hiding away in there?
Hiya James,
Ha ha yep I think other than a photo a few pages back which you can see the choccos its hard to see them. They do tend to swim in pairs or alone unless feeding time. I will take one of feeding time with filters off which will show all inhabitants.
There's roughly 30 choccos plus the babies I added, quite a lot of licorice gouramis but theyve now taken there territories up but come out when they see me, corydoras habrosus, about ten cherry shrimp, 30 ottos (one appears pregnant) 2 farlowella and a new group of fish ive added which will post up shortly. Im due another 20 licorice gouramis and 100 choccos.

Oh yes! its the brown on brown camo thing 😳 It doesn't help I'm looking at a phone image on my 27' iMac - The pic is 52x29cm before I 'click to see full size image' :watching:

Wheres those DSLR image got too 😉
Theyll be up shortly mate

Hi Alastair, I've just been having a good read of your journal and its looking really good. Wish I had the room for such a big project!
Sorry to hear about your crypt melt. Why do you think they melted. My crypts seem to grow really well and then a few leaves just melt for no apparent reason.
Hope you are well mate :thumbup:
Hi Matt Thank you for the kind comment.
I wish I had the room for such a big project ha ha. I lost most of my dining room for this. Planning on opening up front and back room to create space and allow viewing of the tank from both sides.
The crypt melt I think ive gotten to the bottom of.
When I fill back up with a hose, the flow from it came out directly at them and if the boiler went off for a few seconds and then kicked in again it would effectively be pouring out cold water and its this instant temperature fluctuation that caused it. I know some people never have problems with crypts I never have usually but they dont like change imo.

looking great alistair hope yhe crypt melt has passed and started recovering as everyone says the amount of plants and fish it will take for this to look (full) is unreak and very expensive only way is replanting and breeding and hopefully works iut that way and sure it will keep the pictures and updates coming looking forward to seeing it thrive and grow

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Cheers Deano. Crypts are all looking great again now. Nice bright green leaves showing already. Its taking off now and really looking forward to it progressing.
its times like this I want co2 but I want this tank long term ie 3 or 4 years but do a little something co2 wise in my living room.
 
Wow Alistair, that's looking great! I've regularly considered doing a similar set up with the other big beast currently sitting empty in the basement. I love the heavily wooded look in a tank full of Crypts, Anubias, and Ferns. It'll be a stunning home for your gouramis when it's all grown in. The simple quartz sand was an excellent choice too. :thumbup:

I'm seriously considering getting some of the CAL Efflux pipes for one of my tanks and would be interested in hearing more about them. Why do you feel they're "bloody perfect"? Do you think the same outlet (17mm) would be suitable for a long, but shallow tank?

Hi Phil thanks lots. Im VERY happy with this one. I was with my others but love this alot. Wish I could go forward in time to see what it will look like ha ha.
I think just something such as wood anubias ferns etc can be a very bold natural look and also look equally as impressive as some of the more advanced plants/set ups.
Although this was never simple to set up ha ha. I think I chose wisely on the unipac samoa. I dont want it all covered either. Front left to the wood in the middle will be open area.

The cal aqua efflux gets flow straight down much earlier than most lily pipes. So with this the plants about ten centimetres from the rear right are swaying heavily and flow reaches much much further where as with the others it wasnt until about half way you got the flow from it.
Ummmm long tank yes definitely and shallow yes but depends how shallow and at what velocity. Either way it would look stunning.
 
Just a little update. I wanted to add in something colourful fish wise to break up the browns and creams of the various gouramis but still have the choccos as the largest main fish.
So there are now 50 Celestial pearl Danios in happily and greedily eating. They're very small at present so arent coloured up yet but think theyll be nice and round soon.

Have been taking some par readings today and was surprised at how much effect such a deep amount of water has on penetration.

So im going to upgrade my lighting some point soon.

Will hopefully know what to get above this over the next few days.
 
CPDs are fabulous little fish. I have 20 of the little critters, now fully coloured and growing. They are always on the move chasing each other about. They LOVE lobster eggs btw.

As they're small do you worry about them getting eaten? Lfs warned me about setting them up with congo tetras (same size as your choccos)
 
Would enjoy a picture of your cpds en masse

When theyve filled in a little I will darren as theyre pale as only just gone in.
CPDs are fabulous little fish. I have 20 of the little critters, now fully coloured and growing. They are always on the move chasing each other about. They LOVE lobster eggs btw.

As they're small do you worry about them getting eaten? Lfs warned me about setting them up with congo tetras (same size as your choccos)

These are, mainly around the centre of the scape darting too and fro.

I may up the group but will see. I believe there may also be two species of them on a forum devoted to these. You get the red and black and the orange and black. Cant tell on mine yet.

I wouldnt say congo tetras are the same size as chocolate gouramis, plus, have you ever seen a choccos mouth mate??? They are really tiny. Id never put any fish in a tank knowing there will be risks of them being eaten. Fry is a different matter though.
 
Of course mate. Give em time to settle.

Funny thing is, my local has a batch of cpds, and their colouring is remarkable considering their temporary lfs housing. Im gonna grab some. Never seen any looking so colourful at a shop before. All the best with your new additions chap.
 
These are, mainly around the centre of the scape darting too and fro.

I may up the group but will see. I believe there may also be two species of them on a forum devoted to these. You get the red and black and the orange and black. Cant tell on mine yet.
.

Yeah they hang about in open water, but within just a short dart for cover. I have both red & orange. Was following Seriously fish explanation that red=male orange=female

I missed that the word giant that was in front of chocolate gourami in the description!!! Oops. I know you care for your fish mate. My 20 CPDs really catch the eye and demand to be watched! I can only imagine what 50 looks like 🙂. They'll defiantly be worth a video
 
a very quick phone video as the main lights have dimmed and the night light is dimming down too. The fish seem even more at ease like this but for darren you can make out all the little CPDS at the top


best played in 1080 or 720
 
Stunning mate. I'm so envious of this.. I don't even have room for my 180lt to be set up. I'm really really keen to have a "fish" tank again. My tmc is way to much about plants and I miss my fish!!

When we moved to a bigger house I didn't think I would have to get rid of some of my tanks.... Its the wrong shape though.

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That is so relaxing to watch I think I'd be in there with a pile of chips n dips and never move again! Those are very lucky fish...

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I see fish 😉

The way the CPDs play really adds that certain 'realism' of the wild. Totally stunning

This is making me think I shouldn't add big (congo tetra) fish for my tank so I can use my CPDs. Stick with several large groups of smaller fish. I CPDs soooo much. That oto doing his dance on the glass is really funny

Once again Alastair.....inspirational 🙂
 
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