Hi everyone! Been a lurker for a while, and finally decided to take the plunge today and sign up. So here's my tank!
Fair warning: Some of you might rage at the overstocking. I know, but I messed up and had to raise my balloon molly's first offspring, and then my normal molly's first offspring
. Read on, and you'll see it is getting resolved before the weekend.
Size: 55 gallon
Water parameters: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 40 nitrate*, pH: 8.2**, temp: 76
Notes:
* - Nitrates are due to overstocking of mollies. I kept my first big group of babies, and due to illness haven't made it to my LFS to drop them off. But I plan on doing so tomorrow or Friday.
** - Lowered from above 8.6 (wouldn't even read on the test kit) to 8.2 with driftwood. I refuse to use chemicals because of fluctuations, and my brood seem perfectly okay with this now as it's steady.
Tank Maintenance: Due to the nitrates, my preferred option is a 40% change weekly. But beginning of last month I fell and broke my tailbone, so even with my DIY water changer I made (aka a strong pump with a lot of tubing from Lowe's attached), it's been spotty. I just got my routine starting back up, and hope for some relief after I drop off the mollies.
Substrate: About 50% CaribSea Tahitian Moon Gravel (same size as sand, without the mess), with some Seachem Flourite Black for the plants, and about 10 pounds of black gravel just so I wasn't too afraid to clean the substrate and lose it all. This mix has worked great - the kuhlis can dig deep into the sand, and the cories have beautiful barbels.
Filters: 1 Marineland Penguin 350, 1 Marineland Penguin 150, 1 sponge filter. Penguins have Seachem Matrix Bio Media in some parts, and Seachem Purigen in others along with the regular filter pads that Marineland sells.
Live plants: Some. I've had them for ages and forget what they even are. No CO2 because I hate feeling like I'm cooking up some rotten bread under my fishtank, and I'm terrified of the CO2 tanks themselves.
Feeding schedules: Once a day (though will go to twice once mollies are mostly gone). 5 days a week, a mix of flakes, shrimp pellets and algae pellets. One day a week blood worms and a few flakes. One day a week I skip. I try to toss in some peas and blanched veggies every other week or so when I think about it.
Current fish stocking:
- 3 Balloon mollies (offspring of a single one I bought when I first got my tank 2 years ago)
- 13 regular mollies (offspring of one of the mollies)
- 1 tiny, grey male guppy (offspring of an adult guppy I won at my county fair 2 years ago)
- 1 Bolivian ram
- 5 rummynose tetras
- 9 kuhlis: 6 regular solid colored (2-3" each), and 3 striped (at least 4" each)
- 7 julii corycats
- 3 solid color nerite snails
- 1 zebra nerite snail
Longterm Plan:
- Remove unnecessary/unwanted individuals: I'd like to bring 11 of the normal mollies to my LFS and keep two females: the mother of the other 12, and one of the offspring who is deformed and won't grow but half the size she should (and has a slightly bent spine). I don't want her bullied in the store, or culled. I also want to drop off the solid colored nerites as they're all egg layers and I knew what was in store when I got them, but my god, I can't handle any more eggs.
- Set up a 'slow moving' tank. I'm getting a 30g from someone, and will be putting the balloon mollies, the ram, the tetras, the corycats and the zebra nerite in it. Then I'd like to add one single angelfish as a focal point to it and a mystery snail.
- In my 55, have the 2 regular mollies, the guppy and the 9 kuhli loaches. Eventually would like to add a clown pleco, 2 yoyo loaches, and perhaps a large gourami. If the latter happens then my guppy would be rehomed - maybe a 5 gallon with a betta? I'm sure I can find room for a 5 gallon... somewhere... But eventually maybe get some fish that will be at the top of the tank, but not sure what yet.
- New plants. I'd like to get mature Amazon Swords for the back, change out the driftwood to be something more like roots or branches, and add java moss to the wood. Then maybe one day add some carpet plant between two mats, in hopes the loaches won't destroy them.
So. That's my tank, and my plans. Who knows how they'll change in the future - I just know I never want to stop changing my tank around! Decided to teach myself the hobby back in 2017, and haven't stopped since, so we'll see what 2019 brings. (And now my edits are definitely stopping!)
