Critique my setup

[benjoey]

Hi, I have srarted setting up a juwel rio 240 and I am after some advice, could peiole help me out with some advice on how to improve my setup. I am planning on having cardinal tetras, corys(probably bronze) and cherry shrimps,. I wont be getting fish until after christmas also need to cycle the tank.
Specufucally how can I improve the tank to be beat suited for the above stocking?
I am going to get more plants and attach/plant them properly. I was thinking java fern, cryptos, possibly amazon swords in the background and some floating plants.
Planting wise I want to keep it low tech I dont mind using the odd fertiliser but dont want to use co2. Also i have only sand as the substrate no soil. Would a denser planting be better for the fish or should I try and keep it quite open?
Thanks

 

[AquaBarb]

Hi, I have srarted setting up a juwel rio 240 and I am after some advice, could peiole help me out with some advice on how to improve my setup. I am planning on having cardinal tetras, corys(probably bronze) and cherry shrimps,. I wont be getting fish until after christmas also need to cycle the tank.
Specufucally how can I improve the tank to be beat suited for the above stocking?
I am going to get more plants and attach/plant them properly. I was thinking java fern, cryptos, possibly amazon swords in the background and some floating plants.
Planting wise I want to keep it low tech I dont mind using the odd fertiliser but dont want to use co2. Also i have only sand as the substrate no soil. Would a denser planting be better for the fish or should I try and keep it quite open?
Thanks
View attachment 148765

Crypts and swords are a good choice which make a good impact and they are low maintance. Sand is perfect so just pop some root tabs into feed the plants.

Water sprite (Ceratopteris cornuta)is about the best floating plant for me which not only looks good and provides cover for your fish it also helps reduce waste from your tank such as nitrate.

Maybe get some java moss or plants what will bring good cover for the shrimp.

But generally fish love a well planted tank

 

[benjoey]

Crypts and swords are a good choice which make a good impact and they are low maintance. Sand is perfect so just pop some root tabs into feed the plants.

Water sprite (Ceratopteris cornuta)is about the best floating plant for me which not only looks good and provides cover for your fish it also helps reduce waste from your tank such as nitrate.

Maybe get some java moss or plants what will bring good cover for the shrimp.

But generally fish love a well planted tank

 

[StandbySetting]

What lighting does your tank come with? The stock lighting on Juwel tanks is generally overkill and plants will struggle without additional CO2. if it's a twin t5 or LED you have two options if you don't want to go down the CO2 route. Add a tonne of floating plants or clip a reflector to the underside of one of the tubes to block the light out.

It looks like you have some easy plants already (Anubias) but others I'd recommend:

Cryptocoryne (most species)
Echinodorus (most species)
Valliseneria (all green species)
Hygrophila polysperma
Mosses
Floating plants
Rotala (green varieties)

Dense planting is always food in my opinion, provides plenty of hiding places for fish to make them feel secure and will improve water quality too.

If you're set on Cardinal Tetra's and Bronze Cory's please ensure your water chemistry is compatible with them, if so it may be worth considering a more flashy fish such as a pair of dwarf cichlids, thats just my opinion though!

 

[Colin_T]

Avoid Cryptocorynes, they are problematic

Put some Ambulia, Hygropila polysperma or Narrow Vallis along the back.

Water Sprite (as mentioned above) is a great floating plant and can also be planted in the substrate where it grows into a lovely light green medium sized shrub.

There's too much wood in the tank. I would remove the middle bit and leave that open for the fish.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

To my own very subjective) eye, that piece of wood on the right is way too big for the tank and, if you were determined to use it, it would be better NOT propped up by that random-looking stone. That piece you have in the centre could go where that big chunk is.

When you use stones that are of the same material and have an obvious 'grain', it's often better to arrange them so the the 'grain' is flowing in the same direction. Otherwise, it just looks like someone has tipped a load of rocks in. You might try putting all the rocks together and trying to make them look connected.

Research your plants for your water, as you would fish. It'll save you losing a load unnecessarily, later on.
With regards actual planting, as with fish, larger numbers of just a few species usually looks better than a few of many species.

 

[itiwhetu]

I would remove the piece of wood on the righthand side and then rearrange the other two pieces. Less is more!!

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I would remove the piece of wood on the righthand side and then rearrange the other two pieces. Less is more!!

I sussed out that were actually two thinner pieces in the middle...and that suitably positioned piece on the left.

 

[itiwhetu]

I sussed out that were actually two thinner pieces in the middle...and that suitably positioned piece on the left.

Or move around the other three pieces. But I would lose the big bit.

 

[benjoey]

Thanks for all the replies, i ordered everything off the internet so didnt get to pick, I was trying to arrange the wood to look like tree roots coming down into the water kinda like a mangrove, I think i may cut the large piece down and try rearranging, its actually quite thin so o think if i get it at 90 degrees from the front glass it might look better, definitely agree with lining the rock with the grain, I think I may order more so I can try and make a bigger formation, or maybe some caves? What do you think? Its really hard to actually make the most of random pieces lol. I think it will definitely look better with some background plants behind the bogwood aswell, just starting to make a list of plants to start taking a look at now too so thanks for the info. On another note would it be best to have a few caves for the corys? And what about a safe space for the shrimp or will they be relatively happy with only corys and cardinal tetras in the tank? Oh and should I try and keep alot of bare sand at the bottom or add alot of smaller plants? Thinking of the corys.
Thanks

 

[benjoey]

 

[benjoey]

Well had a rearange took one of the bogwood out and added some more stone, and some plants, I ordered a collection of plants and I dont think some of them are suited for a low tech setup will have to see how they go.

 

[Colin_T]

If you have caves in an aquarium, have the opening facing the front so you can see inside the cave. If a fish dies in the cave or food collects in the cave, you need to see it and get it out.

 

[threecharacters]

I would definitely get some floating plants like Amazon Frogbit, Red Root Floater, and/or Salvinia. The Amazon Frogbit grows large roots which I think would suit the desired aesthetic.

You could shoot for something looking like a flooded forest or Igapo. Here are some cool videos showing Cardinals and Apistos in the wild (video 1, video 2, video 3). Note there is no rock in these habitats. I would get some leaf litter and small to medium sized driftwood/sticks.

 

[benjoey]

The cave on the left is actually open on 3 sides , yiu can just about see through it if you look at an angle but i didnt think about not seeing anything dying or food under there!
I have added amazon frogbit although its small and theres not alot yet, and water sprite floating aswell.
Theres also twisted vallis floating at the moment I am waiting for it to grow roots before I plant it on the back left and a java fern I'm hoping will grow tall at the back right.
Now just to finalise on stocking. I definitely want cardinal tetras, pretty sure on corys but not settled on which type, RCS then was thinking a dwarf cichlid or gourami as a centrepiece?