Fishbeasts 134g Journal

[FishBeast]

looking good so far looking forward to its progress.

just an opinion with the stocking instead of getting Buenos Aires tetras get maybe bloodfin tetras instead as the buenos aires tetras tend to eat the plants which could cause a problem. Also maybe adding a big centrepiece fish like some angels or a similar sized new world cichlid.

OK, thanks. I will look into it now. I don't know alot about tropicals so I appretiate your advice. I am not aware of any non-aggressive breeds of cichlid. Could you suggest any for me please?

most cichlids are aggressive during breeding, however with the smaller cichlid its more of a case of chasing the other fish away from that area. the most peaceful types are the Apistogramma species such as cockatoo dwarf cichlid, the german and bolvian rams are also peaceful. also slightly larger cichlid like t-bars, keyhole, festivum, blue arca etc. if you want to read up on them they are all in central and south american species index. here

also your tank is quite large so you may be able to put severums into the tank but i'm not entierly sure on that

hope this helps

Thanks dude. I have looked into it and I like the German Blue Ram the best so I am thinking that I will get 1 male and 1 female... From what I read they are picky with their mates and won't pair up just because their is only 2 of them. So I will get the smallest ones I can and hopefully they will bond in time and live happily together.

 

[azzaknight]

get four then when you find 2 have paired, sell the other two. you could get 2 and they might not pair up so 4 would be better.

 

[jacko9901]

get four then when you find 2 have paired, sell the other two. you could get 2 and they might not pair up so 4 would be better.

getting a small group is the best way to find a pair. IMO i would get bolivian rams as they are larger and more hardy than german rams, also as their colouration is more red and yellow so they will have a bigger contrast in colour compared to the german rams as most of the other fish in your planned stocking are mainly blue in colour which is similar to the german rams.

 

[Amunet]

I have to agree... although German Blues are very pretty, they really aren't the hardiest of fish. Bolivians can be just as pretty (not as colorful, but still nice) and are a lot more hardier.
Can't wait to see more photos!

 

[Phage]

My German Blue ram made it to over 2 years but she disappeared along with 5 other fish... *scratches head* Anyway, lovely tank and can't wait to see it planted and stocked

 

[FishBeast]

Thanks for that guys. Upon looking into it the bolivian ram seems the better choice.

 

[FishBeast]

I have started laying out my hardscape today and here it is.

I decided keep the design simple since this is my first planted tank. Disregard the rocks and pipe holding the driftwood down.

 

[youngfisher]

I like it, its very nice and will look amazing onces the plants are in there with that kind of cliff effect!

 

[FishBeast]

Thanks man. I wanted a much higher cliff although I didn't have the right rocks so I kept it simple. I am excited now because I can work out where I want to put each varitey of plant.

 

[matalan]

looking good so far, make sure your cliff is well kept up, when i tried one it fell after a period of time in the tank and crushed one of my plants, but nothing too serious.

 

[lljdma06]

looking good so far, make sure your cliff is well kept up, when i tried one it fell after a period of time in the tank and crushed one of my plants, but nothing too serious.

A very dramatic hardscape. Just make sure it is secure.

 

[FishBeast]

Hi guys, I have been away for a while. Mostly due to money problems but the tank has slowly started to progress again so here is an update.

I have decide to change the theme of my tank and have re named it "Luskintyre" which is where I grew up on the Hunter river.

Here is the general layout which I still havent finalised just yet. Hopefully the next water change I will have it finished.
I intend to make some more little nooks and crannies for the fish and shrimp to hide in. The drift wood to the right is going to be a weeping moss willow tree which I have planned out so fingers crossed it will turn out something like I intend.

That plant I have growing is a local plant I found whilst catching some glass shrimp. I don't think I will keep it.

Here is a closer look at the driftwood and my reactor setup. I am using a 800 ltr/hr internal filter to power the reactor and am still scratching my head wondering how on earth I am going to hide the blasted thing.

 

[lljdma06]

I see the previous hardscape was abandoned?

I see potential. Once it gets planted.

 

[FishBeast]

I see the previous hardscape was abandoned?

I see potential. Once it gets planted.

Yeah, thanks mate. I spend alot of time sitting in front of the tank and thinking about everything. Aswell as looking at other peoples work. This theme I am going with feels more peaceful to me and seems to flow well. The last setup was too dramatic and felt rough and jagged. This new theme will come together easily because it is based on the river where I spend countless days as a child.

 

[Geoff1991]

Over a month later, any updates? Im looking forward to seeing this done, i like the way its going.