148.6L (39.2 gallon) aquarium journal

MattW · Wednesday at 7:51 AM

200 days! That's flown by!

Excluding floating plants. I would say what Colin suggested previously, a background of some kind (I reckon black would bring out the colours). You could go to a local craft store and buy some black card. My first tank had that and at the time was cheaper than aquarium store backgrounds.
A varied diet is always good for any fish IMO. You could experiment with small amounts of vegetable matter and see what they do. The snails will definitely take advantage of any food as well. If the snail population gets too large, you can use the food as a trap and then remove them along with the food.

This is a good watch

elephantnose3334 · Thursday at 5:21 AM

MattW said:
200 days! That's flown by!

Excluding floating plants. I would say what Colin suggested previously, a background of some kind (I reckon black would bring out the colours). You could go to a local craft store and buy some black card. My first tank had that and at the time was cheaper than aquarium store backgrounds.
A varied diet is always good for any fish IMO. You could experiment with small amounts of vegetable matter and see what they do. The snails will definitely take advantage of any food as well. If the snail population gets too large, you can use the food as a trap and then remove them along with the food.

This is a good watch

Zucchini on a fork in the tank is interesting. Is the metal on the fork for feeding safe to put in an aquarium?

MattW · Thursday at 5:58 AM

A stainless steel fork should be ok for a short period. Any other metal or long exposure could possibly cause issues.

I use suction cups. Specifically heater ones since they have the prongs to attach vegetables to.

elephantnose3334 · Thursday at 11:24 AM

Here is the tank now.

elephantnose3334 · Friday at 6:43 AM

Today's photo dump:

elephantnose3334 · Sunday at 4:44 AM

New Canon photos of my silvertips today, taken without a flash. I had to turn on the toyroom lights for these pictures.

elephantnose3334 · Sunday at 9:35 AM

@MattW @connorlindeman

Are today's photos taken with my Canon EOS 80D good in your opinion? What can I do to improve them a little more?

Colin_T · 2025-06-02T01:20:23-0500

They are fine pictures. If you want better pictures, try getting them when the fish are yawning or displaying (fins out). Having more things in the background (plants or wood) can improve pictures sometimes.

You could put some Java Moss into the tank for a week and then take it out and put it in a separate container of water without a light and see if anything hatches. Your fish are probably breeding and eating any young that might hatch or the eggs stop developing due to the light.

elephantnose3334 · 2025-06-02T04:40:31-0500

Colin_T said:
They are fine pictures. If you want better pictures, try getting them when the fish are yawning or displaying (fins out). Having more things in the background (plants or wood) can improve pictures sometimes.

You could put some Java Moss into the tank for a week and then take it out and put it in a separate container of water without a light and see if anything hatches. Your fish are probably breeding and eating any young that might hatch or the eggs stop developing due to the light.

When I do breed the tetras, what is the minimum size for a silvertip tetra breeding tank? I have seen sparring and chasing throughout the tank. I fed them live blackworms yesterday and will feed them later today for colour and health.

I just did a water change today a few hours ago.

elephantnose3334 · 2025-06-02T05:36:58-0500

Multiple male silvertips constantly chasing the females tonight. I had seen that behaviour before from a few months ago, especially when they are fed live foods. That alone could be breeding behaviour. I have kept an eye on the fish, and the males are at their most colourful. Is the plastic container that could hold a spawning mop/java moss safe to put in my main aquarium?

Colin_T · 2025-06-02T12:26:56-0500

They are breeding in the main tank. If you want to move a pair into a breeding tank, put them in an 18-24 inch long tank. Thin layer of sand or gravel on the bottom. Black out the back and sides. No light above the tank. Add some Java Moss. Separate the males and females for 5 days then put a male & female in the breeding tank in the afternoon. They usually spawn the following morning and the female will look skinny. Move the adults out and black out the tank so no light gets into it. Wait a week and see what happens. If you see babies, remove the cover from the front of the tank and start feeding them.

elephantnose3334 · 2025-06-03T04:48:46-0500

Colin_T said:
They are breeding in the main tank. If you want to move a pair into a breeding tank, put them in an 18-24 inch long tank. Thin layer of sand or gravel on the bottom. Black out the back and sides. No light above the tank. Add some Java Moss. Separate the males and females for 5 days then put a male & female in the breeding tank in the afternoon. They usually spawn the following morning and the female will look skinny. Move the adults out and black out the tank so no light gets into it. Wait a week and see what happens. If you see babies, remove the cover from the front of the tank and start feeding them.

I am not planning on breeding them, but the conditions might be just right for the tank (heater is on about 26 degrees celsius). I'm getting another 3ft tank (for free as someone is giving it away to me because of maintenance issues) and use it as a breeding setup for now. After that, I will use it as another main aquarium. I will have a photo of the tank tomorrow when it arrives. I will check for leaks and problems in the tank, and when it passes all of that, it's good to go.

elephantnose3334 · 2025-06-03T06:43:12-0500

Here are some of today's photos for now.

198 days since setup: a lot has changed since then. The eldest silvertip trio are very happy with their big shoal. They didn't have a chance to do that until December '24-January '25. Before that, they were stuck in a tiny, overstocked 40L tall aquarium that I now regret having in the first place. These fish were lucky to survive more than a year because without the spacious tank, they'd be going down to the rainbow bridge early without ever reaching their full lifespan. The 18 silvertips have been doing so well that they are now breeding. That 3ft species-only 148L aquarium is their home, all to themselves with no other tankmates except snails. The tank continues to evolve ever since, and I've been neglecting the plants a bit for them to take over the tank naturally in their pots.