Hey there folks. Seems like a nice little community here, so I figured I'd pop on in. I just got into having aquaria after having finally bought a home that can host 'em. A friend if mine's cichlid tanks (for a while he had 2x55gallon and a couple others) wanted me to get another aquarium. I had one many years ago as a kid, but now it's different 
So, for christmas my wife bought me a 20 gallon tall tank that I summarily added purple and white rocks to, bought 8 danios for and borrowed a big ugly log from a friend. You can see it in my gallery (linked below). Then I realized what I'd done, I started seeing AGA galleries, and drooled. I added sand to the bottom of the tank, bought my first live plants (moneywort, which hates me) and started down that road.
Pretty shortly I made a trip to That Fish Place out in lancaster, got some nice plants, some rainbow fish, and after several remodelings, lots more lights, a nutrafin yeast CO2 system, we are at this point here:
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It has:
3 Otos (1")
1 pleco (3")
3 Danios (1 to 1-1/2")
2 Bosemani Rainbowfish (2")
4 Bronze Corys (1")
And the plants are:
Cabomba, Alternanthera, 2 random swords (will ask for ID when they are established), green wendtii, java moss, dwarf sword grass, and some remaining sprigs of moneywort.
I am also starting to get the pieces together for a 65 gallon tank (36x18x24"), already having bought a big light (3x96W PC) and a full CO2 system. The rest of the parts will come with a trip back out to That Fish Place.
My big problem right now is that the water here is full of nitrates, approximately 20ppm. So, I am trying to add plants as quickly as possible to the tank to conteract that. For a while I peaked at 40ppm before I realized how bad it'd gotten. I've moved 4 danios and added plants as fast as I can find them.
Also, I had a couple of snails that were destroying my cabomba. They didn't give it the time of day for a long time, never eating a plant, just algae. Then one day they discovered the treat in the tank and went CRAZY! So, I had to pull them, put them in the 'outgoing' bucket while I went and got a 5 gallon tank a day later. They didn't make the trip, but now I have a 5 gallon hospital tank if needed. It's cycling with 4 of the original danios in it now.
The gallery of the genesis of the current tank is available here, and what it looked like until about 2 or 3 days ago can be found here. I made a couple of changes, but the shot in the thread is the most current I have.
Otherwise, I am sure you'll hear me ask plenty of questions as I get ready do to do the 65 gallon tank. I am hoping to maybe get it to the point where it will host a pair of angelfish and a pair of discus, but we shall see...
Thanks and greets,
-MTechnik
So, for christmas my wife bought me a 20 gallon tall tank that I summarily added purple and white rocks to, bought 8 danios for and borrowed a big ugly log from a friend. You can see it in my gallery (linked below). Then I realized what I'd done, I started seeing AGA galleries, and drooled. I added sand to the bottom of the tank, bought my first live plants (moneywort, which hates me) and started down that road.
Pretty shortly I made a trip to That Fish Place out in lancaster, got some nice plants, some rainbow fish, and after several remodelings, lots more lights, a nutrafin yeast CO2 system, we are at this point here:
It has:
3 Otos (1")
1 pleco (3")
3 Danios (1 to 1-1/2")
2 Bosemani Rainbowfish (2")
4 Bronze Corys (1")
And the plants are:
Cabomba, Alternanthera, 2 random swords (will ask for ID when they are established), green wendtii, java moss, dwarf sword grass, and some remaining sprigs of moneywort.
I am also starting to get the pieces together for a 65 gallon tank (36x18x24"), already having bought a big light (3x96W PC) and a full CO2 system. The rest of the parts will come with a trip back out to That Fish Place.
My big problem right now is that the water here is full of nitrates, approximately 20ppm. So, I am trying to add plants as quickly as possible to the tank to conteract that. For a while I peaked at 40ppm before I realized how bad it'd gotten. I've moved 4 danios and added plants as fast as I can find them.
Also, I had a couple of snails that were destroying my cabomba. They didn't give it the time of day for a long time, never eating a plant, just algae. Then one day they discovered the treat in the tank and went CRAZY! So, I had to pull them, put them in the 'outgoing' bucket while I went and got a 5 gallon tank a day later. They didn't make the trip, but now I have a 5 gallon hospital tank if needed. It's cycling with 4 of the original danios in it now.
The gallery of the genesis of the current tank is available here, and what it looked like until about 2 or 3 days ago can be found here. I made a couple of changes, but the shot in the thread is the most current I have.
Otherwise, I am sure you'll hear me ask plenty of questions as I get ready do to do the 65 gallon tank. I am hoping to maybe get it to the point where it will host a pair of angelfish and a pair of discus, but we shall see...
Thanks and greets,
-MTechnik
