Almost Instant Change To Barbs

[DevUK]

I've just got back from the LFS with some random plants which were going cheap (some look like mayaca, not sure on the others). Anyhow, I've given them a wash and popped them into my large tank till I can plant them later, so they're in a large bunch. Almost straight away my Pentazona barbs are swimming about under them. They look a lot more confident than normal and its now completely obvious to me that they don't have enough plant cover at the moment, as they are being a little shy at the moment.

So, going to re-plant and hopefully provide a lot more cover for them and see how the get on

 

[AshMashMash]

Coolio you going to put some pics up of it replanted?

 

[DevUK]

Sure thing. Haven't totally finished tonight, will finish tomorrow and post some pics

 

[stang1]

Look forward to pics Dev!

 

[DevUK]

Heres a quick snap after a lot of planting stems. Took over 1 1/2 hours to plant all the mayaca stems. 3 bunches must of been around 75 stems or more. On the right I've planted something that I think is "Mexican Oak Leaf", or something similar. Next to that I've planted something which again, I'm unsure of its name, but I think its a Bacopa species.

Whilst planting I think I found some eggs on several stalks of the mayaca. The danios spawn every morning in my tank, its great to watch. They have particularly liked the mayaca. I don't think they are danio eggs though. I've seperated them to another tank to see what happens.

Edit: This is how it looked in November, before I lost all the chain swords on the left and had major green water issues:

 

[stang1]

Beautiful Dev, what more can I say!

 

[DevUK]

Thanks

I want to get an inline/external heater to get rid of that ugly thing in the tank. I guess I could position the internal one down one corner. I think I have enough flow from 2 spray bars from 2 seperate external filters to spread the heat around if its in a corner.

Just want some height in the back now. I think I need some more stems. Also waiting for the crypts along the side to grow out some more.

Fish seem quite happy at the moment

 

[stang1]

Not surprised your fish are happy, I would be living in that tank!

 

[DevUK]

Thanks

 

[DevUK]

Well I'm a little suprised. I'm having a day off work today to receive a parcel (more aquatic plants ) and I'm sitting watching my tank with the pentazonas in it. Most of the males have really coloured up in the last week with the largest 3 having an amazing cherry red hue to their bellies and tails, fading up their rear quarter. They look amazing.

Anyway, today there is a lot of commotion in the tank. It looks like some pecking order sorting is being done, but it looks like they are playing "King of the castle" with the big lush patch of the mayaca plant (on the left of the pic above). Groups of them keep chasing each other into the soft thick bushy plants and they come swimming out again still chasing each other. Theres also a lot of female chasing going on

This has resulted in the reason for this post, I've just seen a male and female spawning! Didn't see any eggs scattered but they were defiantely having a good shimmy together in the bushes