90L Low-Tech Community Journal

[508]

That Gourami looks amazing! 

 

[kiwifeather]

My goodness this is looking nice!!! Are the tetras still showing signs of breeding/fighting?

 
Thank you, I try haha. They are still having a bit of a chase and nip, some are certainly more vivid colour wise than others, so I'm not sure. I haven't seen any other signs of spawning yet.
 

Wow! The tank is gorgeous! When I look at your tank, it makes me feel that I have found a secret place hidden somewhere in the jungle! If I were a fish, I would explore all day long in that deep 'cave-look' of your wood! Good Job!

 
Thank you for your very kind compliments, I'm very happy with the tank. The fish seem to enjoy it too.
 

That Gourami looks amazing! 

 
Isn't he lovely, I was at the LFS getting stuff for the birds and I spotted him, a new shipment of fish had just come in that morning. Couldn't leave without him haha. His name is Swimmons, at the demand of my friend whos screen name is Simmons.

 

[Ch4rlie]

 

Sorry just looked at the size of your tank, may be Rainbows are a little to active.

 
Indeed, it's too small for Rainbows. Some people feel they could use more space to swim about in a 200L let alone a 90L.
 
If you really want to invest in a bottom dweller changing the substrate is always an option.
 

 
Hmm, not the best advice IMHO, I have 12 Threadfin Rainbowfish in my 90 litre tank, been in there last 7 months doing pretty well have to say. Great colourations and flaring displays etc, 
 
Do bear in mind not all rainbows are big, also they tend to do best in single species tanks, FYI there are also Blue Eyes and Dwarf Neons and Dwarf Rainbowfish for example which would be ok for 90 litre tanks.
 
Cories could adapt to gravel substrates, although to be fair, cories are far happier with sand substrate is better and more natural behaviour from cories as they dig deeper into sand, just because you have gravel does not mean you absolutely cannot have them. 
 
As 508 mentions, changing the substrate is an option although not easy when fully stocked and planted.
 
Anyhow, pretty much moot points now.
 
Anyway, your tank is truly looking great and liking the setups and stocking esp the whiptail and gourami, very nice 

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Wow, love Swimmons!!! He is gorgeous
 
Tank is looking great, especially with that extra growth!
Love the effect the tannins have! Maybe when the wood stops giving off tannins you could think of adding some dried oak leaves.

 

[kiwifeather]

Wow, love Swimmons!!! He is gorgeous

 
Tank is looking great, especially with that extra growth!
Love the effect the tannins have! Maybe when the wood stops giving off tannins you could think of adding some dried oak leaves.

 
Thanks, yeah the tannins look awesome, and this is only a couple of days after a water change too, I'd say it has plenty of tannins left in it, but I imagine when it finally runs out I'll probably do that... I imagine Olaf would like hanging out in those too.

When I did the water change the water in the bucket looked like L&P

 
Also, quick edit question. Is that me done stocking wise? Honestly the tank still looks a little empty. If that's it I'm cool, but worth asking just in case. Still really like blue rams oops

 

[Blondielovesfish]

 
Love the name Olaf
 
What do you have in there now stockwise?
Swimmons, Olaf and how many cardinals?

 

[kiwifeather]

 
Love the name Olaf

 
What do you have in there now stockwise?
Swimmons, Olaf and how many cardinals?

 
Its a Skyrim reference
 
9 Cardinals. 

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Only thing I'd add would be some more cardinals, 4 at most.

 

[hobby5]

Beautiful tank! A well stocked tank should look empty. Then fish have space to exhibit natural behavior. But I very well know the feeling of wanting to add a little more fish. I would recommend in adding a pair of Apistogramma borellii instead of the rams. They are much more hardy and accept a wider range in water parameters. If you do also add a small cave for breeding.
 
Are you experienced with planted tanks? If not try to read up on use of fertilizers etc. I always try to go without using the fish as fertilizer, but there are limitations to this.

 

[kiwifeather]

Well I've been gone a while, so I have a rather large update! Some good news and some bad news. Good news, plant growth is mostly good, some will need some trimming soon, Cardinals and Swimmons the gourami are looking better than ever, and I swear Olaf the whiptail has grown already! Bad news, I've had a little melting going on in some of the plants, though not complete melting. Its odd because there are some of the same species doing just fine, so I think it might be a light/position thing, and moved them today when there was a water change. We will see. Other major change, a friend of mine's tank cracked and she told me the LFS refused to take them unless they were returned permanently (not an option, as she's very attatched to them), so she turned up with her young Blue Ram pair and her juvenile Longfin BN Plec and begged me to take them, I agreed, with the understanding it was going to be temporary. There has been no issue with Swimmons and the Rams, they ignore each other, the BN has already been helping get rid of the brown algae off my plants bless him, and I have been doing frequent checks on water chem, all is stable. Big concern, the Ram's have the very beginnings of ICH, just one or two grains on them both. *sigh* Treatment with frequent smaller water changes and increased temp.
 
Now pics! Couldn't get any of the Rams, gourami or the catfish, darn things! So theres a vid (its still uploading as I post this, so my not be available yet)! http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMgPELQliUw&feature=youtu.be

Cardinals looking nice and red!

 

[kiwifeather]

Well I think its time to say the journal is at its end. Unless I change things around in the future. I've added 3 Sunset Platy, all male according to the LFS, to round the tank off, as my friends fish should be heading home in a couple of days. I bring one last lot of photos, including my old tank that got me started on this whole lark haha.
 
My first tank, and my old raggedy betta Atlas.

 
And my current one, the growth has exploded lol. Gone from this:

 
To this:

 
And one of Swimmons exploring for good measure

 

[l_l_l]

Very nice man!
How do you get those cardinals with the Betta?
Are cardinals less of fin nippers than neons?
My Betta had it's tail thorn to shreads so had to move him to another tank

 

[kiwifeather]

Very nice man!
How do you get those cardinals with the Betta?
Are cardinals less of fin nippers than neons?
My Betta had it's tail thorn to shreads so had to move him to another tank

 
The first picture in my previous post was of an old 60L tank long since gone which housed the betta, with neons and ember tetras. Its the new tank that has the cardinals. The embers I could only get 4 and was never able to find anymore, so I rounded out the school with neons and they schooled together fine. I never had a problem with either species nipping the betta at all. I only found out much later that this was unusual. The betta himself was also very very placid.

 

[looking-glass]

looking good fish look really healthy