240L Sa Jungle

[kyleb2003]

So I thought it was about time I got around to doing a retrospective journal. Wasn't on the forum when I first set it up, but here's what happened:

Went for a 240l fluval roma, just liked the design and found one for a good price. Came with a double sided background so I just went with it but kind of wishing I'd got a plain black one now. In situ:

Always been a big fan of wood in aquariums, and I wanted to go planted so I bought a few big pieces, stuck some java fern on them and an anubias and a few stems from last trading post on eBay and ended up with this:

First fish were some neons, simple, colourful and always out front. Still have them today. Added a few khuli loaches as I've had them before and loved them. Added a load more plants, some golden pencilfish and a pair of kribs.The kribs decided to breed like bunnies and take over the tank, they killed a couple of the pencils and after the addition of a male apisto. cacatuoides I decided to rehome them. Krib with babies:

Pencils:

The male cac was in pretty awful state, I was a longtime admirer of the fish and decided to save it from my lfs, he was too cute:

 

[kyleb2003]

I love to tinker, so I was always adding plants or moving them about. Stuck a couple of crinum calamistratum in there (which I love) and a red tiger lily plus a few others. Ended up looking like this, which i deemed good enough to throw into the tank of the month comp to see what people thought:

I added a few more neons, and some bumblebee gobies, some more khulis and rehomed the pencils. I also added a shoal of glowlight danios. Beautiful fish, but far too timid. Somewhere around this time I also went into pressurized Co2. Going by my plant mass and the amount of money I was spending on them I decided it would be a worthwhile investment. Also began EI dosing with dry ferts.

I put in a pair of female cac's for my male who was grateful, he looks fantastic now when he flares for them (not that I've been able to photograph him doing it):

A more recent fts:

And the moonlights:

 

[mrp3]

that is one beatiful tank how much did this whole setup cost you?

 

[kyleb2003]

This week I rehomed the danios and in exchange put in 5 rummy nosed tetra. Bringing current stock to:

12 x neons
3 x apisto cacatuoides
5 x bumblebee gobies
5 x rummy nosed
8 x khulis
5 x armano shrimp

The plant list would be ridiculous to write out but includes:

crinum calamistratum
aponogeton natans
aponogeton crispus
christmas moss
peacock moss
fissidens
hygro australis
alternathea rosefolia
java/windelov fern
echinodorus amazonicus/ozelot
crypt bullosa/wendtii brown/balansae

the list goes on.

Tonight I added some eustralis/pogostemon stellata, lymnophila aromatica (although it looks like ****), echinodorus red flame and some ophiopogon kyoto that I'm pretty sure isn't aquatic (cheers lfs) after removing a LARGE amount of hygro polysperma, the tiger lily and some pearl moss all sold to people on here.

I'm not entirely happy with the scape, the large piece of wood on the left kind of dominates and makes it difficult to work around. But I'm going to leave it as it is for the time being, let the plants all grow in and see how it goes.

Stock plans are a few more rummies and possibly a pair of bolivians. Then I'll be done. Pics of new plants will follow...

that is one beatiful tank how much did this whole setup cost you?

Hell of a question. All I'm going to say is that I'm glad I didn't keep a running tally because it must be A LOT by now!

 

[creg]

the moonlight pic is wicked, very nice tank

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Looking great mate, love jungle scapes, liking it with the moonlights too.

 

[Jamepsss]

Very nice indeed, can I ask what you're using for the moonlights?

 

[kyleb2003]

Thanks guys.

Very nice indeed, can I ask what you're using for the moonlights?

A 120cm strip of white LEDs, got them on eBay for about a tenner I think including power adapter. Couldn't recommend them enough.

 

[Jamepsss]

Thanks guys.

Very nice indeed, can I ask what you're using for the moonlights?

A 120cm strip of white LEDs, got them on eBay for about a tenner I think including power adapter. Couldn't recommend them enough.

It's very effective, looks more natural than having blue moonlights. Are they self-adhesive and what part of the hood have you attached them to?

 

[kyleb2003]

It's very effective, looks more natural than having blue moonlights. Are they self-adhesive and what part of the hood have you attached them to?

Agreed, the blue LEDs can look ok in certain set ups but on a natural looking aquarium the white ones look a lot better IMO. They look like 'real' moonlight. Not self adhesive, they're in like a rubber strip so have to super glue them on. I have mine glued onto the back lid flap, it's a little bit fiddly when I need to take the flap off because of the wire but worth the hassle.

 

[kyleb2003]

Just a few pics. Only real change is another 7 rummys taking the shoal to 12, and a few new plants:

My first flower, coming from one of my aponogeton natans bulbs, terrible photo but you get the idea (unfortunately it aimed for the light and got burned):

Some limnophila aromatica at the back, not grown much since I put it in, if at all:

Some eustralis/pogostemon stellata that has shed all it's lower leaves but a couple of the stems have grown about 2 inches in as many weeks. There's also a couple of tiny stems of pogostemon erectus at the bottom but all they've done is turn brown. Very much doubt they'll make it but they weren't in the best of shape when I bought them:

Compulsory fts:

The rummys have been a great addition, much more active than the danios and always out front. That's all for now.

 

[minnnt]

Glad to see the moonlights worked out for you pal... Mine are great! Cheap and effective!

Scape looks fantastic too!

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Looking good, shame about the flower burning.

 

[kyleb2003]

Small update (to be followed by some photos at some point) of progress:

Some plants didn't take, which were the stellata and aromatica (although I do have one stem of this clinging on to life somehow) and of course the erectus didn't last. I removed a lot of the hygro I had along the back and moved a few things around to fit in some new plants. I love most of the aponogetons out there and found some on plantedtanks (not a site I'm a fan of, but bit of a price glitch) where they were listed with two prices, one quite a lot cheaper than the other. I went for all the cheaper ones and was really chuffed with what I got that include - a. longiplumulosus £1.52 for a bulb, a. crispus £1.52 for 3 bulbs, a. ulvaceus £3.something per bulb.

The longi. had some 3 inch leaves and decent roots and I've had 2 dried bulbs before that never sprouted, the crispus were all tiny with battered leaves but they're doing great, one of them that I moved last night actually appears to have a flower bud coming out. The ulvaceus was huge, massive bulb with some 8 inch leaves on it and it grows like a weed, love the leaf shape and colour though. I also got some blyxa japonica just to try it.

Also got a. undulatus from the Bay which sprouted while sat in a glass of tank water overnight.

There's some new sagittaria subulata, bolbitis and a couple bits of helferi in there too all from guys on here. Plus my natans has thrown out another flower that's above the surface and soon to open up.

All in all going well, since the addition of pressurized Co2 my 2 crinums have been throwing out leaves and I can now understand why they are supposed to be a centrepiece plant. Even the smaller of the 2 with incredibly narrow leaves has some that are around 50-60cm long. Will get the photos up this week sometime.

 

[ZoddyZod]

love this set-up......so natural!