Well I started out at Christmas with a lurid clown vomit tank and a couple of mollies (once cycled)
I quickly realised that was maybe not the kindest environment, or most suitable so negotiated with the small dictator that a sandy substrate would be kinder for the fish, and gradually removed our fantasy kingdom when she wasnt looking. I added plants but had zero idea how to plant them in our sandy gravel mix....
Then my attention got taken by my 55g/200l tank, which is finally up and running. My best efforts with this one were bitty and the stones were sinking in the sand etc. The substrate was lower at the back than the front and the floaters you can see in this one didn;t cope well with the filters.
So spent today putting in an external filter, removing all the plastic plants, trying to smooth the substrate out a bit and get some cuttings from the thriving plants in the big tank. It will never be as pure as if I had started from scratch - there are still hints of the hidden clown puke gravel, and I mixed a bit of planting substrate in along with some root tabs to give the plants a chance. I've tried to build a tiny cave at the front with the stones for fry. It doesn't look planned, but I think considering where I started it looks a lot better.
I'm redoing a cycle with ammonia as I couldn't fit all the HOB filter media into the external & I want to be completely sure before I put fish in (but not at 3ppm concentration for the sake of the plants - only 1) and then going to put my male guppies in (If I can catch) and some fry till they are big enough to sex.....
sorry for glare in last picture, its still a bit cloudy from the messing too, intend to take better pictures when its all settled down
I quickly realised that was maybe not the kindest environment, or most suitable so negotiated with the small dictator that a sandy substrate would be kinder for the fish, and gradually removed our fantasy kingdom when she wasnt looking. I added plants but had zero idea how to plant them in our sandy gravel mix....
Then my attention got taken by my 55g/200l tank, which is finally up and running. My best efforts with this one were bitty and the stones were sinking in the sand etc. The substrate was lower at the back than the front and the floaters you can see in this one didn;t cope well with the filters.
So spent today putting in an external filter, removing all the plastic plants, trying to smooth the substrate out a bit and get some cuttings from the thriving plants in the big tank. It will never be as pure as if I had started from scratch - there are still hints of the hidden clown puke gravel, and I mixed a bit of planting substrate in along with some root tabs to give the plants a chance. I've tried to build a tiny cave at the front with the stones for fry. It doesn't look planned, but I think considering where I started it looks a lot better.
I'm redoing a cycle with ammonia as I couldn't fit all the HOB filter media into the external & I want to be completely sure before I put fish in (but not at 3ppm concentration for the sake of the plants - only 1) and then going to put my male guppies in (If I can catch) and some fry till they are big enough to sex.....
sorry for glare in last picture, its still a bit cloudy from the messing too, intend to take better pictures when its all settled down
