First tank in years...few questions

[dlambe]

Hi,

After a few years out of the hobby (moving house,kids etc) i've just purchased a 2nd hand evolution aqua tank. As it already came stocked with fish/shrimp and i had to pick it up a couple hours away, i only had time to do a very basic scape with just some anubias,bacopa and dhg, as wanted to get the fish settled asap.



I am looking to redo this scape in a month or two but want to get everything in place first, so have a few questions:

First, the tank usually comes with 2 Kessil LED lights but as they guy wasn't really into the aquascaping aspect he just has a 30W clip on LED. I love the look of the Kessils but wondering if anyone can suggest some alternatives (ideally a bit cheaper). I'm not looking at going super high light but as the tank is 100cmx50cmx45cm, the current light spread only covers two thirds of the tank. So ideally a clamp on light as there are two cuts outs for the Kessil gooseneck fittings on the back filter cover.

Second, like i said it's been a few years since i left the hobby, but all the old websites i used to use for ferts etc seem to have closed down, any recommendations?

Third, the tank came with a bristlenose plec, about 5inches long. He hides behind the rocks most of the day but i keep finding he uproots the anubias. Short of wrapping fishing wire around it and the rocks, any suggestions of keeping this down? I'd never usually have a plec in a tank but don't wanna get rid of him as yet.

Cheers

 

[ian_m]

Short of wrapping fishing wire around it and the rocks, any suggestions of keeping this down? I'd never usually have a plec in a tank but don't wanna get rid of him as yet.

When I had plecs (and clown loaches), both fishes slightly incompatible with plants, I pushed the stems through a cut in small circles/squares of filter foam and buried the foam in the sand substrate I had at the time. This stopped the fishes uprooting the plants at least, but was only good for largish stemmed plants. However they eventually took a fancy to the plants and started scoffing/damaging the leaves, mainly at night when no one was looking. Your mileage may differ of course in that you plec is better trained than mien was.

 

[dlambe]

Thanks Ian, yea there was also a clown loach but sadly lost him within a few days of setting up, lost all his colour. All other fish have seemed fine as kept the bio media in the original tank water in transit. Will try that with the filter foam though, cheers