125 gallon South American community progress

[Snagrio]

So... I made a little bit of an impulse purchase today with these two.





Mystery snails were part of the plan but I was going to wait a little longer as I was going to put sponge guards on the intake grates of the filters first as I've heard accounts of them getting their heads/feet stuck in the suction, but I completely forgot about it and was already on the road by the time I remembered. Will try to rectify that soon though.

 

[Snagrio]

Decided to change the thread title as it's more relevant (clearly know what the plan is at this point lol).

Due to some rocks having to be removed as explained in another thread (they were raising the PH), there was a big open space to fill in so I just planted some cryptocoryne (tags didn't say what kind so I don't know) and have more pieces of driftwood (one mopani like the others and two small/medium pieces of spiderwood) soaking in a bucket. What's more I've noticed definitive signs of growth from the other plants.

One of the vals has a baby (the little sprig just in front of the parent).

One of the anubias is already putting out a new leaf and the amazon sword in the back is going crazy, all the leafs in its center are new.

The micro swords and bacopas haven't been having the best time of it though. The plecos and snails keep knocking both around (keep finding micro sword blades floating around and have to rebury their root systems a couple times as they keep coming loose) and the bacopas are slowly but continuously melting some of their leaves. They weren't underwater when I bought them though so it's probably just replacing leaves.


The ludwigias are also losing some leaves here and there but otherwise don't look any worse for wear and the Java ferns basically look the same aside from some root growth.



Overall I'm happy nothing's outright died yet. The signs of growth are a plus as far as I'm concerned. ?

 

[Snagrio]

Here's how things look thus far.




Had to move some plants around on the right to make room for the new pieces of driftwood, which have been tanning the water but I don't particularly mind. Fits the theme anyway.

I think structurally things are about complete to my tastes. The last things to do are to add a sponge filter to get a colony going in it so I'll have any easy instant cycler for my quarantine tank and figure out how to cover up the back panels to prevent escapes (thinking of taping cheese cloth across the gaps). Once the QT is ready I'll finally actually start adding fish to this thing after they've gone through that process.

Current residents:

2 Bristlenose plecos
1 Giant danio
1 Australian rainbowfish
4 Mystery snails
1 Baby guppy (was a stowaway that came with two of the snails)

 

[Snagrio]

The ludwigias and micro swords are driving me nuts. Nearly every new day it's there's a chunk of either or both floating about that I have to replant into the sand, the ludwigias in particular are constantly sending leaves adrift as well. Both species have been (at least trying to) put out healthy roots so they aren't dying, it's simply frustrating.

The culprits are the mystery snails and the plecos to a lesser extent. Every night they mobilize and the snails in particular seemingly go out of their way to bulldoze straight through the middle of every plant. They aren't eating them thankfully but it's still annoying.

That irritation aside though they are nonetheless earning their keep at least. Some brown algae has started to form on the anubias, and not only did I notice that it's mysteriously receding almost as soon as it's cropped up, but I saw one snail this night gliding across their leaves to meticulously glean the nuisance off. And this is with being fed the same portions as everyone else (they often munch on sinking pellets right alongside the plecos, it's genuinely adorable).

 

[Wills]

The loose leaves could be your plants transferring from their emersed form to their submersed form do the new leaves look different shape or colour to the older ones?

 

[Snagrio]

That's undoubtedly what's going on because they're showing obvious growth at the top while simultaneously sending out roots every which way (often right from the middle of the stem).

 

[Snagrio]

Finally, after 2 and a half months of preparation, the first real leap has been taken.

15 neon tetras.


8 corydoras delphax.


Not the cardinals or pandas I had originally planned, but it is nonetheless a decent start. They are currently floating in the QT with the light turned off to reduce stress (only had it on briefly to take pics).

 

[Snagrio]

New pics now that they've settled.

Truth be told I didn't even know this species existed before yesterday, but the strange orange band behind their foreheads caught my eye. In fact because there wasn't a tag on their tank the employee wasn't sure what they were either so we looked through a species catalog to confirm they were C. Delphax.


The neons have colored up. Sadly however one didn't make it through last night. Have checked the water parameters and everything's good (the tank is fully cycled but erring on the side of caution regardless) so it likely just didn't take the move well. Will wait a few days before going back to the store as they have a week guarantee just in case there are other casualties.


The original plan was to pick up a farlowella I had seen the last time I was there half a week ago but it was sadly gone. Also was going to start with black neons but the ones they had ich so, wasn't about to start off the wrong foot.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Congrats on the first fish of this build...a very nice one!...those plants will fill in nicely, I like your layout

You have a decent LFS nearby?....I'm blessed with a mom-and-pop not too far away, with a (usually) decent selection

 

[Snagrio]

Congrats on the first fish of this build...a very nice one!...those plants will fill in nicely, I like your layout

You have a decent LFS nearby?....I'm blessed with a mom-and-pop not too far away, with a (usually) decent selection

Thanks. The plants are being a mixed bag tbh though. The vallis have been doing fantastic (the one on the left is nearly reaching the surface by now and the other one already has a sizable baby plant next to it), the Amazon sword in the middle keeps pumping out new leaves and the salvinia at the surface have been putting out new growth along with the anubias and the Java ferns are producing young plants on their leaves, but the ludwigia, micro swords and bacopa have been having a real rough time. Between the snails and plecos they're constantly getting uprooted and sent free floating, it's rare a day passes where I don't have to put something back into the sand.

And yeah I'd describe the place as decent. Not the best ever (as I've said the fish I wanted had ich and there always seems to be ich in one tank or another) but the folks there show clear passion for what they do and they have a far better selection than any of the given big box stores. They even have several apistogramma dwarf cichlid species, the centerpiece prize for this project (the aim is for a blue species, such as panduro or borelli).

 

[Slaphppy7]

Thanks. The plants are being a mixed bag tbh though. The vallis have been doing fantastic (the one on the left is nearly reaching the surface by now and the other one already has a sizable baby plant next to it), the Amazon sword in the middle keeps pumping out new leaves and the salvinia at the surface have been putting out new growth along with the anubias and the Java ferns are producing young plants on their leaves, but the ludwigia, micro swords and bacopa have been having a real rough time. Between the snails and plecos they're constantly getting uprooted and sent free floating, it's rare a day passes where I don't have to put something back into the sand.

And yeah I'd describe the place as decent. Not the best ever (as I've said the fish I wanted had ich and there always seems to be ich in one tank or another) but the folks there show clear passion for what they do and they have a far better selection than any of the given big box stores. They even have several apistogramma dwarf cichlid species, the centerpiece prize for this project (the aim is for a blue species, such as panduro or borelli).

I'm not much of a plant guy, I choose the easy ones, and let them do their thing...all of my tanks are planted, just some better than others, but I don't fret much over them, or use ferts or CO2, Nature takes it's course

Good to hear the store is "decent", maybe when you are ready, they can order and QT (or call you to pick up, so you can QT) the apistos if they don't have what you need at the right time

A real shame those black neons are ich infected, such a pretty (and underrated, IMO) Charicid....I'm a huge fan of all tetras

 

[Slaphppy7]

I'm not much of a plant guy, I choose the easy ones, and let them do their thing...all of my tanks are planted, just some better than others, but I don't fret much over them, or use ferts or CO2, Nature takes it's course

Good to hear the store is "decent", maybe when you are ready, they can order and QT (or call you to pick up, so you can QT) the apistos if they don't have what you need at the right time

A real shame those black neons are ich infected, such a pretty (and underrated, IMO) Charicid....I'm a huge fan of all tetras

125G is alot of water, I need to go through your entire thread, and see what your stocking plan is...

 

[Snagrio]

125G is alot of water, I need to go through your entire thread, and see what your stocking plan is...

After the neons and cories, black neons, hatchets (probably common/silver but if given the choice I'd like to get marble) and apistos are on the list. And a farlowella if another one happens to pop up next time I'm there as it's been on my mind ever since I saw it. Have always known about them but seeing one in person has made me inexplicably interested.

 

[Snagrio]

The rest of the neons are still alive, but these C. Delphax man, they just keep getting brighter.





The pics don't do them enough justice, the orange band on them practically glows. What's more, I've looked up online images of the species and I must've lucked out on locality, because from what I've seen the vibrancy or even existence of that color band seems to vary quite a bit.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Marbled hatchets are a sight to behold, I had them in a 40B for a while, but their reputation for jumping is well noted, IME...proceed with caution...supposedly, the silvers are even worse...I had to rescue, more than once, one of my marbles that jumped from the tank during feeding time, just because the lid was open, and it was poised and ready, lol. Mine have eventually died off, down to just one now, I won't replace them...too much anxiety with the jumping, IMO...be sure you have a tight fitting lid.

Those corys are gorgeous.