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Transparent Tank - the end

Re: Mike's see-through tank challenge

Prob because they like digging up freshly planted plants hahah! Had no end of trouble with mine when I used to keep them, Now its just the Corys I have to worry about but they are less troublesome by far!

The Co2 will make a huge change! I'd be careful about the fish eating any undissolved salt in the solution that may have been what caused your barb to die. But I'm not 100% I've seen my Rasbora eat some and turn up dead the next day :/

Keep us updated!
 
Re: Mike's see-through tank challenge

bigmatt said:
why are you losing the angels again? Pretty, pretty fish!
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Yup, but they keep eating any shrimp I put in there - and I reckon they'd do the same to ottos, so am worried about the algae problem when I start injecting CO2. So I think I'm going to swap them for dwarf Gouramis of some kind. Plus, in a tank this size, they do something strange to the scale. I think it would look better with smaller fish.

But perhaps they've got wind of my plans! Came down this morning to see them viciously guarding a leaf of Java fern, which was covered in eggs 🙄.

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This has only happened to me once before, when they lasted about 24 hours in the tank before being eaten. So this time I have tweaked out the leaf and put it in a breeding holder. Most of them look fertilised (they are transparent, not an opaque white after a couple of days), so maybe I'm getting a whole load of angels! Though looking online it seems that they can be very vulnerable to fungus attacks. I don't mind that much if they will die, so I'm not going to put that much effort in, but my spray them with EasyCarbo every now and then, in the hope that the algaecide in that will kill some of the fungi too.

Here's hoping that I get 20 little angel fish that I can take to the shop and swap for all the plants I will ever need :thumbup:. I guess this means that the hardscape shot is going to have to wait for a week or so until the angel eggs hatch (or die). There's quite a lot of stuff in the tank now what with that breeding chamber.

A bit of movement on the CO2 drop checker. Here's the original one:

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And here it is now:

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So might risk getting those plants in...
 
Re: Mike's see-through tank challenge

Johno2090 said:
I'd be careful about the fish eating any undissolved salt in the solution that may have been what caused your barb to die. But I'm not 100% I've seen my Rasbora eat some and turn up dead the next day
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Useful! Should say that the dry powder ferts have dissolved into a much clearer solution over the last couple of days, so I'm less worried about having to shake it loads before putting it in. ( You could literally see small particles floating around in the mixture, but now it's completely uniform). For others using these ferts for the first time, I'd recommend mixing up a few days before you start using it, so everything has a chance to dissolve properly.
 
Re: Mike's see-through tank challenge

Johno2090 said:
Now its just the Corys I have to worry about but they are less troublesome by far!
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Do you think I should be looking at getting the loaches out too, if I'm trying to grow a carpet of glosso? Am fed up with plants floating around every morning! :evil:
 
Re: Mike's see-through tank challenge

yeah loaches are notorious for uprooting plants!
 
Hardscape...

Managed to sort out some kind of background that makes photo taking not impossible. Though this is an interim set-up and hope to improve further as this journal moves on - is just taped together bits of paper at the moment but might get mounting board. Also need a better camera...

I drilled holes in the base of the bogwood, and mounted suckers so these can stick to the sides of the tank. Think this gives it a sense of reaching out into the walls either side, in an interesting way. Then the 'sticking up' pieces of wood give it more of a diagonal flow. Trying to 'golden section' it, but the long, shapely piece of bogwood is a bit too short - shouldn't be exactly half the tank as now, in an ideal world.

Anyway, here it is:

P1020360.jpg

Not really that happy with it - suggestions would be great!

Planting plan is for a carpet of glosso / HC at the sides and down the open stretch, depending on what I can get to grow, with hairgrass and pennywort providing a bit of higher, mid level 'fill' around the base of the 'sticking up' bits of wood, with the java ferns.

P1020369.jpg

The bogwood has weeping moss attached to it (currently with cotton which has disintegrated too quickly and will be replaced with fishing line), which should soften the look of the wood considerably. The loaches love resting on it.

Should probably get something stemmy and fast growing for the initial set up, to reduce the risk of algae. Though I should have swapped shrimp-munching fish for a few shrimps and ottos by then.

Any other suggestions about hardscaping? Have lots more bogwood, and various rounded stones in gray, but nothing fancy stone-wise (seiryu). Or is this good to go?
 
Re: Mike's see-through tank challenge

Driftwood looks really good. What type of suction cups did you use. As Looking for some to use on Bogwood like you have done.
 
Re: Mike's see-through tank challenge

I'd drop the bogwood down a little if i was really picky inline with the golden ratio BUT it's all realtive to where you actually view the tank from! A "square on" pic is very nice, but does not necessarily equate with what you see day-to-day! I'd whack in some taller plants as well - your "unique" tank position doesn't half make it a challenge though! 😀
M
 
Mike's see-through tank challenge

Gill said:
Driftwood looks really good. What type of suction cups did you use. As Looking for some to use on Bogwood like you have done.
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Just standard ones from my old internal filter. Then drilled holes in the bogwood to take the sticky out bit of the suction cups and screwed the cup on...


My 'see through' tank challenge http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15878
 
Re: Mike's see-through tank challenge

mikeappleby said:
Gill said:
Driftwood looks really good. What type of suction cups did you use. As Looking for some to use on Bogwood like you have done.
Click to expand...

Just standard ones from my old internal filter. Then drilled holes in the bogwood to take the sticky out bit of the suction cups and screwed the cup on...


My 'see through' tank challenge http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15878
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Cool thanks for that, Have a few of those I can use. What Screws did you use - Steel Galvanised ?
 
Getting there I hope

So the FE is in place today and have been trying to get the flow right. Not as easy as it looks to get the drop checker to go to the right colour. Am wondering whether it needs a certain amount of pressure to work with an inline diffuser, and whether to fiddle with the nut on the regulator. Can't quite work it out - seems to me I'm having to use a higher bubble count than I was expecting - quite a few each second.

The Angels have gone, as have the barbs. Swapped them at the LFS for various plants (will list later, depending on which survive), and have removed one piece of 'side' wood, and placed this in the substrate. Have also lowered the big piece on the side. Think this is now a much more balanced 'scape'.

P1020389.jpg

Getting there... Though apparently I have to take the Botia loaches out too as they eat plants (and shrimp). They'll be a nightmare to catch - they're seriously quick. Another lesson learned 🙄 Then I can put the shrimp in, and any algae should be cleared up :clap:

Mental note: sort out the photography! It actually looks very different in real life, as the wide angle lens on my camera distorts everything. This one's mainly just a snap as a record of what I've put in today. But think I need a better camera really, or at the very least a tripod!
 
All set?

After a trip to the LFS today, think am now all set...

- FE CO2 is working well, coming on and going off 2 hrs before the lights. Was surprisingly easy to do, and the instructions here viewtopic.php?t=266 worked like a treat. Drop checker nice and green.

- Fert dosing regime seems ok too. Plants now aren't dying, even though they're a bit covered in brown algae over the surfaces.

The main thing is that the Botia Loaches have now gone back. I do not recommend trying to catch them in a tank with plants :twisted:. So I'm finally ready to put in the algae busting, clean up crew:

Part 1: Five cherry shrimp

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Part 2: Three amano shrimp

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Part 3: Three ottos.

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Ready%20to%20go01.jpg

Within about an hour they'd already made a difference! Hoping they won't get eaten, although the gold barbs (which I thought were tetras) are definitely showing an interest already.

Ready%20to%20go03.jpg

Have just looked up the barbs - apparently they eat shrimp. Crap. Will keep you posted on whether they survive.

The plants I've got in there now are:

Cardamine lyrata, which I don't rate that much. Wispy and fly-away. But maybe now the loaches are out, it might have a chance.

Hydrocotyle verticillata, which I love. The leaves on this have gone brown over the last week or so, so definitely not that happy. Am hoping it's algae and that the shrimp and ottos will sort it out. Interested in people's views on that - is it a nutrient deficiency?

P1020426.jpg

Eleocharis parvula, like everyone else! Seems relatively happy, lots of runners going out, though the odd leaves are brown and not as happy as the one in the LFS.

Ready%20to%20go08.jpg

Glossostigma elatinoides. Looks pretty happy, though seems to be growing up rather than along. Not sure what to do about this!

And then the challenge, Pogostemon stellata (Eusteralis). Apparently this only thrives in tanks. Is supposed to have red stems and under-leaves after a while. Seems pretty happy so far.

Ready%20to%20go07.jpg

Plus my old java ferns and a Bolbitis heudelotii, which has never been happy, as it got covered in algae really early. Hoping the shrimps and ottos will sort it out!

So a lot riding on the new entrants.... 😵 Just hoping they can live up to their billing. From my reading of this site, I now can't think of anything more to do, except sit back and wait (and do more water changes). The tank is looking like this:

Ready%20to%20go02.jpg
 
Re: All set?

mikeappleby said:
Have just looked up the barbs - apparently they eat shrimp. Crap. Will keep you posted on whether they survive.
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I keep gold and cherry barbs with cherry shrimp, and can say that I dont believe they're going to wipe out your shrimp colony. They are abit inquisitive and will chase shrimp sometimes if the shrimp have no where to hide. They will however eat baby shrimp as most fish this size would. My shrimp do hide alot due to the fish and they'll hide in places youll never expect or would be able to see them. I woul'nt worry to much with counting, just ensure lots of plant cover and hiding places are provided.

I'm thinking of setting up a shrimp only tank so that I can see more of the little critters. I found that since getting involved with shrimp I probably spend more time looking at the shrimp than I do the fish... 🙂
 
Mike's see-through tank challenge

Thanks - very reassuring

greenjar said:
I keep gold and cherry barbs with cherry shrimp, and can say that I dont believe they're going to wipe out your shrimp colony. They are abit inquisitive and will chase shrimp sometimes if the shrimp have no where to hide. They will however eat baby shrimp as most fish this size would. My shrimp do hide alot due to the fish and they'll hide in places youll never expect or would be able to see them. I woul'nt worry to much with counting, just ensure lots of plant cover and hiding places are provided.
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Yup: a proper count shows it's just one amano down, and the rest are putting MI6 to shame.
 
Fish-icide

DISASTER strikes. Accidentally turned the CO2 dial on the FE without realising, when rummaging about under the stairs, left it on all day, and came back to find the drop checker bright yellow and a whole load of floating, dead fish and shrimps. Every one a goner.

Guess this really is a 'make every mistake possible' journal. At least I got rid of most of the expensive fish and swapped them for plants before this happened. And I guess I can now start out growing the plants with a much lower fish load in the tank, which should work better.

Big water change this morning and cleaned all the pipes, and then will drop in to LFS on the way home to pick up some shrimp and ottos, if they still have any. That'll teach me. Feel pretty guilty about killing them all, though weirdly still very happy to eat fish and chips for dinner.
 
Mike's see-through tank challenge

I'm sure we've all gassed our fair share of fish and shrimp here!
 
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