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A Chocolate Puddle -

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Re: A Chocolate Puddle

Hi Alastair looking good, is that you hanging on the side of the tank? It really gives a sense of scale, that is one big mother of a tank! Unless you're of diminutive statue...that is.

And how's the water chemistry? I would love to know how it changes as the tank develops, e.g. as it goes through mineralisation etc.
 
Re: A Chocolate Puddle

Troi said:
Hi Alastair looking good, is that you hanging on the side of the tank? It really gives a sense of scale, that is one big mother of a tank! Unless you're of diminutive statue...that is.

And how's the water chemistry? I would love to know how it changes as the tank develops, e.g. as it goes through mineralisation etc.
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Re: A Chocolate Puddle

Looking good Alistair (well, good 'n muddy :lol: ). Those cyperus will probably soon be tall enough to plant directly into the soil, I should think.

darren636 said:
is it a gourami -only tank? i really love the sparkling gourami but they prefer warmer conditions than my microdevario...might have to steal some cyperus off shoots from you when they get bigger! :twisted:
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Just to let you know, my sparklers are living and breeding successfully at 23 degrees, so they are fairly adaptable I think.
 
Re: A Chocolate Puddle

BigTom said:
Looking good Alistair (well, good 'n muddy :lol: ). Those cyperus will probably soon be tall enough to plant directly into the soil, I should think.

darren636 said:
is it a gourami -only tank? i really love the sparkling gourami but they prefer warmer conditions than my microdevario...might have to steal some cyperus off shoots from you when they get bigger! :twisted:
Click to expand...

Just to let you know, my sparklers are living and breeding successfully at 23 degrees, so they are fairly adaptable I think.
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oh man- i am going to ma in bracknell to get some then ! thanks dude! :thumbup: my tank is 23 degrees. do i need a male to female ratio?
 
Re: A Chocolate Puddle

I suspect you'll struggle to sex them at the size they typically sell them (I have difficulty with the adults to be honest). As long as the tank has plenty of hiding spots then in my experience any aggression tends to be fleeting, so you should be fine just to buy a group.
 
Re: A Chocolate Puddle

ok thanks- will get the q tank ready.
 
A Chocolate Puddle

Troi said:
Hi Alastair looking good, is that you hanging on the side of the tank? It really gives a sense of scale, that is one big mother of a tank! Unless you're of diminutive statue...that is.

And how's the water chemistry? I would love to know how it changes as the tank develops, e.g. as it goes through mineralisation etc.
Click to expand...

It is a pretty hefty tank thinking about it. I'm struggling with what else to put in to plant it up with.

Water chemistry wise, Ph is stable at 6.5 although this would lower over time with less water changes as I've done a few to clear the water. One thing I've noticed though is I wished I'd have had more capping on as I don't think I've out enough florabase intop and can see a fine dusting of soil on the top. Not that it matters too much as I'll not be pulling up plants anyway


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A Chocolate Puddle

Gill said:
Great Size, And Really like the idea of using Caddies. Nice and Easy to Use with Suckers.
Chocco's will look great in here
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Thanks Gill, I'm not putting the chocco's in until I'm certain the water is stable enough.

However, I have a slight set back with this tank now, I had a E.schlueteri leopard popped into my friends tank over night where all my other fish from my 5 foot are (which most of he is keeping) and I planted this in the tank this week along with two e.cordifolius or radicans triffids from big Tom, and noticed on the underside of the leopard there were lots of cory eggs. Now these can either be from my wild panda corys, or albinos. I genuinely thought they'd all die or not hatch but low and behold I have a puddle full of teeny cory fry swimming every where so until these become stable I'll not be popping in masses of plants at present. I have put few crypts in, mosses n needle leaf java fern which are all doing well and I love the ATI unit. Virtually no glare at all which I'm impressed with.

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The woods finally sinking but have left a bit of terracotta pot on to made sure for a good couple of weeks.

On another positive too, the cyperus in the planters has gone mental

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this was when the ATI first went on
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As you can see The cyperus was no way near as tall in this last pic and now it's almost touching the light and sending out big roots


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Re: A Chocolate Puddle

Theres a spot of luck with the cories mate, i would have thought the eggs would die in transit.

Its looking smart mate and the ATI looks good. Is it the dimmable?
Im think ive seen the cyperus in MA at the pond section and it was about 6 ft tall 🙂
 
Re: A Chocolate Puddle

easerthegeezer said:
Theres a spot of luck with the cories mate, i would have thought the eggs would die in transit.

Its looking smart mate and the ATI looks good. Is it the dimmable?
Im think ive seen the cyperus in MA at the pond section and it was about 6 ft tall 🙂
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Me too mate, he only lives 5 mins drive from me but the plant was lay out on the table for a good ten minutes. I've counted 19 fry swimming around but really hard to tell what they are at present. Probably albino knowing what the two I gave the lad were like. I'm hoping to get my wild pandas breeding in here though.

The ATI is brilliant mate, I miss the halides effects but this is great, the light is pretty much all going straight into the tank and I'm only running two tubes. I know some of the light is shining on the back wall but think that's because I couldn't get brackets long enough to allow the unit to be positioned exactly half way on the tank. Silent too which is a bonus.
 
Re: A Chocolate Puddle

Looking really great, even though you havnt been able to plant up fully yet you can see its gonna look crackin.
Thats some growth already from the cyperus, and cory fry too.....must have you feeling pretty chuffed.
Nice to hear good reviews of the ATI light unit, ive considered one of these in the past because of their diversity, but worried about light spill, so hearing first hand that its good at keeping the light in the tank is encouragement enough to splash out a few hundred quid sometime in the future :shh: . Quiet aswell which is a bonus.
Cheerio,
Ady.
 
Re: A Chocolate Puddle

I hope you have a good alarm system Alastair !!! I'm planning a stealth visit to aquire me a sexy looking light unit :twisted: mwahahaha....

Its all looking great though. Good/bad news about the fry LOL. I love those little panda cory's though. I had three but within a day two had died. Nothing to do with my tank apparantly as when I went back to the shop nearly all the ones they had were dead too. 🙁 The one remaining one is a happy bunny though and loves swimming round with the protection of his 6 "big brothers" in the shape of my 6 Schwartzi's which are beautiful too. MAN I REALLY LOVE CORYS :thumbup:
 
A Chocolate Puddle

Ady34 said:
Looking really great, even though you havnt been able to plant up fully yet you can see its gonna look crackin.
Thats some growth already from the cyperus, and cory fry too.....must have you feeling pretty chuffed.
Nice to hear good reviews of the ATI light unit, ive considered one of these in the past because of their diversity, but worried about light spill, so hearing first hand that its good at keeping the light in the tank is encouragement enough to splash out a few hundred quid sometime in the future :shh: . Quiet aswell which is a bonus.
Cheerio,
Ady.
Click to expand...

Thanks ady. I am pretty happy with how it's looking at the minute, and once the immersed e. radicans comes above the water and blends in with the cyperus I'll be happy. Kind of would liked to have gone co2 etc on this tank but I want a very very low maintenance tank.
The baby corys seem to be doing great too there's loads of them. Hoping they are pandas as they'll be wild off spring.
The ati is great mate. Totally silent and have the optional fans to turn on at what ever speed if need be. I think I may switch one of the GE 6500k for a lower kelvin to get a bit of yellow in.
I know it will take a while but if I can get this looking half as nice as toms bucket of mud I'll be more than happy.

Ha ha chris my house is alarmed to the eye balls with zig zag infra red sensors, emergency shutters infront of the tank and tear gas so my light units safe guarded very well.


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A Chocolate Puddle

Gill said:
Very Lucky with the Cories. The Cyprus will grow very fast, grew like wildfire when I kept them.
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Thanks Gill. Im really hoping they are from my pandas. The cyperus is really taking off, they must have grown almost ten centimetres already and also new shoots are coming up from the planters. I like the roots that they've sent out below water level too, will provide lots of shelter for shrimp and gouramis.
The frogbit Tom sent me is loving this tank too they've really coloured up and new leaves appearing really quick. I'm desperate to want to put fauna in but don't want to risk it just yet


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