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African antics... NA120

Iain Sutherland

Iain Sutherland

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UKAPS Team
Joined
7 Jul 2011
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3,744
Location
Cambridge
To cut a long story short i decided to run a low tech african tank just for me a while back, it was nice to have my first 'fish tank' rather than worrying about plants, co2, ferts etc.. Just something i could sit in front of with a beer and enjoy. I dont even have a photo of it but will get hold of one someone else took to add to this journal just for the sake of continuity.

Then came the holiday, that along with my brothers being here from oz and starting a new business it went a little south. So a week ago i decided to give it a big clean which, unlike me, turned into a spur of the moment rescape.

Its a lot brighter than the old one, no master piece but quite natural feeling. Its currently has 24/7 low levels of co2 and low light. There are loads of bulbs in the back yet to sprout... hoping for a red bank of nyphaea behind the wood.... time will tell.

20410527625_d91d9bd233_c.jpgafrican by iain sutherland, on Flickr

20222476170_5427a56a3f_c.jpgbanded bards by iain sutherland, on Flickr

and my favourate fish and photo of the moment...... Anomalochromis thomasi

20384293426_086d86a3d9_c.jpgafrican butterfly cichlid by iain sutherland, on Flickr

hope you like :)
 
Thanks Sentral.

Also have a good group of congo tetra, some microsynodontis polli and a few Synodontis nigriventris. Neither of the synos i see much of but its a nice treat when they do come say hi.

This was from before the rescape and a repost....
17910029168_356df75bd4_c.jpgcongos by iain sutherland, on Flickr

I really happy with the fish is here, aside the congos being too tame, just have the 20 lampeyes to go in when they are big enough so they dont get eaten and its done.... maybe ;)

Before people ask, the pics arent photo shopped, the futura light gives an amazing luminescence especially in the front inch of the tank. I do have the saturation up a little on the camera though.
 
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Hi Ian
An other great scape!!
I have kept many times Congo tetras, but now almost ten years I didn't. Your picture have given me the thought to go back with them !
Now I have almost three years of learning aquascaping and growing plants without fish and now I want fish.
As I am in Congo it s hard for me to have "fancy" fish that you guys can get in your LFS. The only option for me will wild fish from the Congo.
I first wanted to put butterfly barb, but I am a bit concern about a flow too strong for them. As they usually live in slow rivers or natural "pond" I think they will have a hard life in my tank with a FX5 (tank 90cm). Also I am concern about food for these small fishes.
Do you know a bit about these fish, will they survive in this type of tank ?

So I think it will be better to put some Congo tetras or some yellow tail Congo tetras, as they will suite better my type of tank, with strong flow. As they naturally live on the lower part of the Congo river (pool malebo) where flow is stronger and also theirs body shape is more for strong flow. I also know that they are easier to feed they do well with dry food (flakes).

I don't know why I am writing all this in your journal ...? Maybe you have inspired me and give me the want to put back some fishes in there.

If you have other idea about Congo fish I am open mate.

Cheers


Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Tapatalk
 
Chris Jackson said:
Very nice Ian
Click to expand...
cheers chris, nice to have a hassle free tank however seeing all the IAPLC entries is giving me a high tech itch...

Edvet said:
Those congo's could be a reason to make an African tank for me:joyful:
Question: is that a HQI light?, aren't Congo tetra's jumpers?
Click to expand...
Still running the giesemann futura, i love it but really need to sort some par reading soon as i havent quite worked out how much light i can get away with still...
Do it Ed, only thing id really like is an African butterfly fish, Pantodon buchholzi, i had one years ago in my juwel vision and loved it. Feeding it crickets never got boring!! Open top its a non starter though.
Congos havent shown any inclination to jump although they do splash a lot of water around at feeding time.

Dantrasy said:
Lovely shapes, hope you manage to keep the arc.
Click to expand...
Thanks, good trimming should keepthe shape. Background bulbs are putting out leaves now so should be visible soon, however all of the red nymphaea are doing nothing which is frustrating.... maybe duff bulbs?

Wendal_spanswick said:
Really nice Ian as usual. Great fish as well.
Click to expand...
The fish are really good fun wendal, sadly one of the butterfly cichlids was found behind the tank all crispy the other day. They are a bit agressive with each other so im not overly surprised, time for some corner covers.

zanguli-ya-zamba said:
The only option for me will wild fish from the Congo.
Click to expand...
Cant have it all i guess, while you dont have the choice we might have, id love to be able to go and collect fish locally.
zanguli-ya-zamba said:
I first wanted to put butterfly barb, but I am a bit concern about a flow too strong for them. As they usually live in slow rivers or natural "pond" I think they will have a hard life in my tank with a FX5 (tank 90cm). Also I am concern about food for these small fishes.
Do you know a bit about these fish, will they survive in this type of tank ?
Click to expand...
I did consider them to however all advise is either a species tank or well considered community, certainly not big boisterous fish.
zanguli-ya-zamba said:
I also know that they are easier to feed they do well with dry food (flakes).
Click to expand...
they seem to eat anything upto and including my arm when it goes in for maintenance!!
zanguli-ya-zamba said:
If you have other idea about Congo fish I am open mate.
Click to expand...
wish i could, i really just went with the fish i could source over here or find info online about. I guess if you can collect wild then you would find far more in an area than i found in the shop where african fish aside cichlids are few and far between.

Saying that i really wanted to add lampeyes which can work if they are big enough, they were in the last incarnation. However i cant find any large enough so i have cheated/compromised and just added 20 eye spot raspora, Brevibora dorsiocellata, who are holding there own and have really finished off the tank with upper level activity, all be it non african activity. The uneducated eye would never know though ;)

will add a crappy phone pic from water change in a mo...
 
cd17163dd523167c1d9a2971fb87cddd.jpg


Quite tempted to keep the water level low.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Wendal_spanswick said:
What's the biggest plant sticking out above the tank rim please Ian? Love to know what other plants are in there if you get a chance.
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Hey Wendal, the large plant out the top is Anubias Hastifolia which is getting pretty huge, the leaves dont dry out too much though which is nice.

rest of the plants, tried to stay roughly african but havent been rigid with it... off the top of my head.... anubias nano/petite/coffeefolia, and a couple i dont know, mixed crypts, crinum calamastratum, aponogetum boivinianus, aponogetum capuroni, mixed nyphae and going in tomorrow is nasea red stems. The background has taken for ever to grow in but will be above the wood soon enough.

Martin in China said:
Wow, I really dig the natural look of this tank, I like the congo tetra and I would got them for my tank, but I'm to scared for my shrimp. Awesome photo's too....
Click to expand...
thanks martin, i never see the shrimp but there were over 100 in there when i redid the scape so they are pretty good at hiding out...

few shots from last night...

21444488275_0f0bc8e65c_b.jpgFTS by iain sutherland, on Flickr

21256658198_43c25e634c_b.jpgcongo by iain sutherland, on Flickr

21433526282_1d09551dd1_b.jpgcichlid by iain sutherland, on Flickr

21433546962_30e33a2f3d_b.jpgbanded barb by iain sutherland, on Flickr

21433526042_b8a89817bf_b.jpgcongo 2 by iain sutherland, on Flickr
 
stunning :clap: love the natural looks you have a real talent
 
The tank is primarily a fish tank and an aquascape second which probably helps it feel more natural. On the whole I like a tank that isn't too manicured, mostly because I'm a lazy git but also due to lack of time. Hopefully the background will fill in before I have to break it down in a few months...

Daniel, The cichlid is Anomalochromis Tomasi. They are supposed to get on in groups which they mostly do but I wouldn't call them friendly to each other.

Cheers Deano, how's things with your tank fella?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Looks great Iain, love the Congo tetras too, they look stunning under the lighting :thumbup:
Have you any extra nutrients under the sand where the plants are at the rear? Also ive heard of others using c02 24/7, and im setting up another planted tank and am considering this for stability, is this new for you or have you done this on other tanks? Also do you add any extra surface agitation during lights out or is all well without, and do you do any c02 adjustments at water change or does the c02 level rise again naturally at what im guessing is a reduced injection rate?......sorry for the barrage of questions but 24/7 c02 is an interesting topic :)
Cheers,
Ady.
 
That's a nice one Iain. I'm guessing the lights are on full blast when you take photos? Because that doesn't look like low light at all!
 
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