170L Community Tank

02/04/2021 - pt 1

After over a month of this tank being my main focus on this forum, I've learned quite a lot and I've gotten to the point where I'm going to use this journal to document changes, advances, new fish, life, death, and everything else that I think is worth documenting.

Tank is a 170L Juwel panoramic model, with an EFX 400 external filter by aquamanta.

Planted with elodea densa/waterweed, amazon sword and... Something else. I'll post close-up photos in case someone can identify the other plants.
This is my second tank, my first being a 54L tetra tank from the starter line (which I turned into a planted guppy tank as seen here).

As many of you will know I have struggled with overstocking this tank right from the start. I'm gradually getting this issue under control, but before anyone suggests it -- I won't be getting rid of my sailfin plec.

Currently in the process of switching out my substrate from gravel to sand.

Parameters:
ammonia - 0.00ppm
nitrite - 0.00ppm
pH - 8

Current stock:
6x corydoras aeneus (bronze + albino)
3x kuhli loaches
1x red tail shark
1x vampire shrimp
3x neon tetras
5x glowlight tetras
8x rummynose tetras
3x congo tetras
6x black neon tetras
3x pearl gourami
8x male guppies
1x sailfin pleco
1x common pleco
(and a LOT of Malaysian trumpet snails)

Desired stock/after rehoming:
9x corydoras aeneus (bronze + black venezuelan + albino)
6x kuhli loaches
1x red tail shark
1x vampire shrimp
8x rummynose tetras
1x sailfin pleco
4x upside down catfish

02/04/2021 - pt 2

Here's some photos of those plants... Really just no idea what they are, but I like them.

PlasticGalaxy said:

02/04/2021 - pt 2

Here's some photos of those plants... Really just no idea what they are, but I like them.

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Those appear to be Vals (Vallisneria ).

PheonixKingZ said:

Those appear to be Vals (Vallisneria ).

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Ooh nice!

PlasticGalaxy said:

Ooh nice!

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Had some in my 20g long, they didn’t fair so well.

PheonixKingZ said:

Had some in my 20g long, they didn’t fair so well.

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Mine are pretty crazy, they grow up to the height of my spray bar if I don't trim them.

PlasticGalaxy said:

Mine are pretty crazy, they grow up to the height of my spray bar if I don't trim them.

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*mine die in 2 days*

PheonixKingZ said:

*mine die in 2 days*
View attachment 133353

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To be fair I've had abnormal luck with my tanks so far. I lucked out just before ICH made its way into my 170L from my rummynoses though... Not sure if it's beginner's luck or just my lucky streak in general, lol.

PheonixKingZ said:

View attachment 133354

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Honest!! All I do is trim it every now and then, and I stay on top of water changes... My trumpet snails are all over it, and my angelfish (when he was still alive) nipped at it constantly... Not had a single plant die!

03/04/21

The lesson of the day: 30kg of condensed sand in one big bucket is very heavy. Been busy all day with various things, whole body aches and this is the cherry on top. Tomorrow I will start (and hopefully finish) getting everything sorted out.

Been thinking about four-lined pimelodus catfish recently. Maybe I'll try and ask for a 6ft tank for my birthday this year. And a fancy pleco or something... A boy can dream.

I'm very tired, probably going to shower and then sleep for twelve hours. Tomorrow's a big day!

G'night!

04/04/21 - pt 1

I've been busy all day today, but it's paid off greatly.

After working until I dropped yesterday, I finished cleaning my sand and got to bed. Woke up at 7:30AM for absolutely no reason, only slept six hours, pretty bugged by that. At around 9AM my dad and I got all the fish scooped out of the 170L and moved into the 54L. Saw all of my kuhli loaches today, which was great. Went about the standard routine: drained the tank, cleaned the gravel, the tank, the filter parts, e.c.t. @Fishfaced was right about it being a "ball ache", but it's all done now. Complete tank overhaul, different layout, tried out some new bits and bobs, looks great.

Made a little time lapse of me setting up all the decorations and plants and such.

And, for once, I actually took progress photos!

Got a part two of this day's stuff since some other bits happened that I'm thrilled with. Making a thread on it too, I'll link it (here) when I make the post.

@PheonixKingZ I couldn't manage to get any photos of the roots on all my plants, but it was absolutely amazing. They've grown so well.

04/04/21 - pt 2

Something exciting happened!

My giant fan/vampire shrimp (Kabal) molted for the first time last night!

Of course, my initial thought was that he was dead on first glance when I was just starting out the upheaval, but I found him perfectly alive and well in his usual hiding place behind the plants. He'd shed his skin! And it was pretty disgusting! I picked it out with my tweezers and laid it down on a towel. Found his little helmet on the other side of the tank and kept them safe until we were all done with the tank.

It was completely intact (aside from the damage he'd caused it), and he was still very pale and soft looking so I'm assuming he'd shed just last night.

For now, I've got the husk preserved in an old chutney jar in surgical spirit. The strangest part about this all was that it started turning red! It started off a kind of dirty grey but, within maybe a minute or two, started going red around the edges. Looks super cool.

Never preserved a wet specimen before, so we'll see how this goes.


Oh, and, we had the kuhli loaches and snails in a jar so they didn't escape and cause trouble.
Atoning for their crimes.

Looking good! That skin would be cool, if it would persevere. ?

PheonixKingZ said:

Looking good! That skin would be cool, if it would persevere. ?

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Hopefully it keeps! Right now the front "claws" are still a deep blue like his actual body, since I can't get it fully submerged in the liquid... Hopefully it'll sink down soon.