Teresa0208

Hi all! I've been keeping fish for the last 7 years - tried on and off before that but didn't manage to get a tank going that lasted until I listened to the guy at my LFS and went from a 10 gallon to a 45 gallon. Of course, he was right - easier to stabilize a big tank!

I am new to planted tanks, however. I got a hold of Diane Walstad's book and after reading through figured I could do this. My first planted tank is 3 gallon, Miracle Gro Organic as substrate, regular aquarium gravel for cap. I took it to heart when the book said plant heavy, so I got 5 good size plants from my LFS - Java Fern (as tall as the tank), Wisteria, Hornwort, Egeria Densa, and Apologeton Crispus - a veritable jungle. Cycled the tank very quickly that way! Have the following residents: 10 neon tetras, 1 long-fin dwarf pleco and two netrites. Plants are growing, fish are growing, water is stable - it's been about 5 weeks and now to pretty it up!

I also have a 45 gallon unplanted, at least until this week when I threw Hornwort trimmings in and today stabbed a couple of wisteria cuttings in the gravel. The residents are mostly newish (few weeks) as I mass killed most of my fish. They are: 2 Powder Blue Gouramis (survived the apocalypse), 8 White Cloud Mt minnows, 4 swordtails (3F & 1M), a pair of Marigold Platys (she's got a huge belly!), a pair of Mickey Mouse Platys, a pair of Red Wag Platys, two Gold Angel fish, and an albino dwarf pelco. I want to turn this into a planted tank, but not until I figure out how to not upset the soil when I move things around.

I'm self employed and work from home, so I spend too much time watching the fish and reading forums! My husband and I ride motorcycles (well, he's obsessed - I just ride my Boulevard C50 on occasion). Only one self-sufficient kid left in the nest - but two dogs and two cats. My little 3-gal also fills in as the water source of choice for one of the cats!

Seattle_Aquarist

Hi Teresa0208,

Welcome to APC! I visited a couple of excellent LFS in the Portland area last month when I visited the Greater Portland Aquarium Society (GPAS) meeting: World of Wet Pets and The Wet Spot. Was it one of those by any chance?

Teresa0208

I got my tank set-up at C B's Tropical but for the last couple of year's I've been going to Caye's Exotic Pets. It's a family business (I'm guessing the current group is second generation and I see the third in there learning) and they always have great stock of fish and plants. More importantly they are super helpful and answer my myriad of questions. And they remember me when I come back!