Hello other fin parents

[JenKey]

Hi all!

I’m Jen... just returning to the wonderful world of topical fish. I very recently took over my son’s 55 gallon aquarium. He had convict cichlids which paired off and were breeding like crazy as well as a larger pleco & a tiny baby one. I kept the plecos & rehomed all but one of the cichlids & most of the babies (some must have been hiding in the substrate when we emptied & moved the tank up to the living room). Since then, I’ve added some much needed color & new finkids . And I moved my rocking chair right next to the tank. Why did I wait so long to start this up again?!??!? Lol

I’m looking forward to learning lots of new info reading thru the forum. I am attempt to create caves. I made 3 of them out of polymer clay, one of which I want to float. I read that Krylon fusion, after cured, is aquarium safe?? If anyone has a better suggestion I am all ears .

take care & keep smiling,
jen

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Welcome to the forum and back to the hobby!
Would love to see photos of your tank if you're happy to share! We always like to see other hobbyists tanks.

I made a thread about what products are safe to use as sealants and things here: https://www.fishforums.net/threads/sealing-decorations-to-make-them-tank-safe.463818/

There's a lot of chatter to wade through, sorry, but Krylon Fusion was definitely one of the products that's suggested as aquarium safe, and there's a few others linked there too.

 

[Retired Viking]

Hello and welcome to the forum Years ago I had the same problem with cichlids when my daughter brought home 8 of them for college that she rescued. They and their fry took over my 55 gallon tank . I had to move all my other fish except a pleco that they left alone. My 55 gallon tank is now a soft water tetra tank.

 

[AilyNC]

Welcome would love to see pics. I'd love to have my tank beside my chair so I could ignore tv and stare at fish comfortably instead. My tanks for now are in kitchen/diner area high enough out of toddler reach.

I love Plecos so much. What other fish did you add?

 

[JenKey]

Thanks for your hellos & advice! Here’s the beginning of my tank. It’s next to my sliding glass door (that never opens) so I’m working on a cover for the side to keep the sun out. I painted the background so that part is protected.

The 2nd pic is of the caves I created. Once they are painted & cured I’ll be adding them as well as some more plants & probably some sculptures.

I’m really excited!!

 

[AilyNC]

I love the length of your tank! Bet fish love it too. Really nice set up I'm hoping to DIY something for my toddler to have in the tank so looking forward to update on the caves. Well done!

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Thanks for your hellos & advice! Here’s the beginning of my tank. It’s next to my sliding glass door (that never opens) so I’m working on a cover for the side to keep the sun out. I painted the background so that part is protected.

The 2nd pic is of the caves I created. Once they are painted & cured I’ll be adding them as well as some more plants & probably some sculptures.

I’m really excited!!

I love the look of the caves you made!!
I don't want to be a downer, but please be careful with the holes in them. Some fish might wedge themselves into a gap and get trapped, or injured if any bits are sharp. It might be worth using some kind of sealant so you have the look you want, while making sure no fish can get stuck!

Are you thinking of adding any live plants? I'm a sucker for a planted tank, so I'm always trying to persuade others to throw some live plants in and spread the planted tank bug!

 

[vanalisa]

Welcome, JenKey!

 

[JenKey]

Thanks AdoreBelle for the heads up on the gap traps .... I didn’t even think about the bigger fish attempting to get inside & getting stuck. As for sharp corners, I was very careful to not have any. All the stars have rounded corners on the ball. And I am definitely sealing them. I painted them with chalk paint & will coat with Krylon fusion clear coat.

Thank you AilyNC! I love the size of the tank too. I have to get a proper stand for it but right now it’s sitting on a coffee table. I miss toddlers running around, but not the finger prints on the tank... . So my additions to the 2 plecos & cichlids, 1 male betta, 2 silver dollars, 1 clown loach, 6 zebra danios, 6 serpae tetras & a partridge in a pear tree lolololol.

thanks vanalisa!!