Fluval Roma 200, Jungle Scape

[minnnt]

 

[Livewire88]

Thats just the picture of the smaller one, he looks a lot different to the other bigger BN, lol thats why I thought he may have been different.

Cute little things, doing a great job if clearing algea, I just wish I could give them instructions on what algea to clear next, they have cleaned half of the small stone at the front and left the other half dirty. My misses said they must take after me only doing half a job!!

 

[minnnt]

 

[Livewire88]

The last thing I would like to add to my tank is about 5 snails, and I like the look of Pink Ramshorn Snails.
Should I stay clear or buy some? Again I am worried that they will eat my plants (I love my plants)

I have done a google search and get conflicting stories, some saying snails multiply like crazy and eat plants, some saying that they dont eat plants, any advice would be great please Minnnt

 

[minnnt]

I have Malaysian Trumpet Snails which keep my sand loose and that releases any gasses that may build up, although i never see them. I also have Apple Snails... The only thing they have ever eaten is my Pogostemon. They leave everything else alone. They're big and bold and come in some great colours. I have the golden and ivory ones, but you can get black, brown, striped, purple, green etc and they look fantastic.

 

[Livewire88]

Hello, time for an update so here are some pictures of how the tank stands at the moment. I have had to remove the big plant in the middle at the back as the lower leaves started to die off, I could have trimmed down and re planted but I wanted a tall plant in that spot so I filled the gap with my Amazon Sword which used to be at the front left. I also have trimmed the Ludwiga down and spread it out a little, This stuff seems to grow very well for me, some Helferi has been added but I dont think it will last long with my lighting. I added 2 small Bristle Nose Plecs and they have done a wonderfull job of cleaning the bit of Algea that was building up, I have now cut the lighting down from 10 hours to 8 hours.

Also I have added about 20 cherry shrimp, most of them were very small when I bought them so I have put them in a breeding net (which you can see in the picture) Once they grow to a decent size I will release them. Also 5 Pink snails have been added, they dont seem to be eating any plants at the moment so thats good. The Amazon Frogbit is multiplying at a good rate, and my Mosses are thickening out, the only plant that does not seem to grow is my Twisted Vallis but I guess this could have something to do with the daily dosage of Excel? and the little bit of grass I have is very slowly growing (I think)

I have 3 more types of mosses on the way so they will be in my tank shortly, and I am hoping Santa brings me Pressurised Co2 for Christmas

http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt103/Livewire68/P1000668.jpg[/img

As always and advice or comments (good or bad) are welcome. :good:

 

[ian]

The plants are looking nice and healthy, well done. I would suggest nipping the bottom off of the Helferi and re planting, it's getting a little tall. This may be a sign that the flow in that corner isn't great.

 

[Livewire88]

The plants are looking nice and healthy, well done. I would suggest nipping the bottom off of the Helferi and re planting, it's getting a little tall. This may be a sign that the flow in that corner isn't great.

Thank you, I only added the Helferi on Thursday so it was all that size when I received it, When ever I have seen Helferi before it is usually sat on the substrate! (like one story tall, if you get what I mean?) could I split it into about 10+ pieces and spread it all over the place?

 

[ian]

It is a stem plant, so you can do that, it may take a little time for the new growth to come through. It may also melt quite badly...

 

[Livewire88]

It is a stem plant, so you can do that, it may take a little time for the new growth to come through. It may also melt quite badly...

What do you sugest I do? Cut them single tier (so to speak) or cut them double tier? I quite like the look of single tier sat just on top of the substrate but if they have more chance of surviving leaving them like they are or cutting them double tier?

Also thanks for you help/advice.

 

[ian]

personally i would just do a single tier, but the other stalks will grow plantlets off it. You could push the stalks right down in the substrate.

 

[mishmash]

hi

i am lso going through set up and my first cycle. i chose sand because I want corydorus as they like that the most so i guess you need to decide first what bottom dwellers you want. some like gravel some like corys prefer sand. i dont find it much of a pain to clean TBH. also i have my heaters ( i am setting up 2 tanks) diagonally across the end panels which seem to work well and out of the way for the over all effect. good 3D backgrounds are Juwel Rock backgrounds which you glue to the inside of the tanks with aquatic silicone and are 3D in effect. i dont like the laminated paper ones either but i bought 3mm acrylic plastic sheet in black,you can get in any colour and placed on the back so it gives a solid background without the problems of air pockets etc.

Hi, late reply to this but currently reading the thread you posted this on and hoping you will see this.
Where did you source the acryl ? Was it expensive ? Did you attach it inside or outside, and if outside, how did you attach ? Thanks.

 

[TropicalLad21]

Great looking tank livewire - you've done a tremendous job with it, really does look stunning!

 

[Livewire88]

Great looking tank livewire - you've done a tremendous job with it, really does look stunning!

Thank you for your kind words, I could not have done half as well without all the help and info I have received from this site.

I can honestly say that I think anyone who keeps Tropical Fish should be an active member on here if they want to learn how to keep fish the correct way.

 

[Livewire88]

Went into my LFS today and they had some Armoured Shrimp, I asked if they would be OK for my tank and was told yes so I bought the 2 they had and have added to my tank. Watching them they are very strange things holding their hands out sifting for small bits flowing through the water.

I did a google search to learn a bit more about them and the images I found shocked me, They look like they grow into monsters!! Well if they get to big and scary I will get rid of them lol, here is a picture of the ones I got;

The smaller one

The larger one chilling on the anubis bharti

Also the misses bought me this for Christmas, should last me a long long time

I will be putting some more pictures up at the weekend, but at the moment the tank has a breeding net with my small shrimp in, and 3 pieces of slate with different types of moss on which are growing so the tank looks a bit messy at the moment.

My Helferi seems to be doing quite well which I was not expecting.