Jen's 90 Gallon Tank

[George Farmer]

Looking very nice indeed Jen. Those lilies are MASSIVE.

Is the foreground plant Hygrocotyle verticillata? looks great,i want that plant, haven't come across it yet over here.

zig - I think I've read that H. verticillata is on the banned list in the UK, not sure about Ireland though. Too invasive maybe?

 

[zig]

Looking very nice indeed Jen. Those lilies are MASSIVE.

Is the foreground plant Hygrocotyle verticillata? looks great,i want that plant, haven't come across it yet over here.

zig - I think I've read that H. verticillata is on the banned list in the UK, not sure about Ireland though. Too invasive maybe?

Oh really, didnt know that, i will check it out, although Tropica do propagate it, id say if its banned in the UK its probably banned here as well, i will let you know.

 

[George Farmer]

Oh really, didnt know that, i will check it out, although Tropica do propagate it, id say if its banned in the UK its probably banned here as well, i will let you know.

Thanks mate. I maybe wrong though. I tried getting some from Greenline a while back I think and vaguely remember the catalogue saying something about it. It may have been another Hydrocotyle sp.

I'd definitely be interested to hear how you get on.

 

[Jen]

Yep, thats Hygrocotyle verticillata. I got it in 2 small pots, and had it clumps. When my original 'carpeting' plant didn't work out, I turfed it, and didn't like the big open space, so I de-clumped the hygro. I love it. It's such a different plant - I don't see many around here with it. The only thing I'm not to fond of is that it traps debris. It always looks very dirty under there. All the poop and food bits collect under it, and it looks aweful. Small sacrifices.

The water is still cloudy. I was without co2 for 2 weeks, and I lowered the light to avoid a algae bloom. I upped the lights when I got the co2 going, but that was a week back, and the cloudiness started 3 days ago... Could it be that? I'm due for a water change today, but I don't have any de-chlor, so it will have to wait until tomorrow. Hopefully that will help clear it up. Any other suggestions are greatly welcomed.

 

[simonbrown403]

Wow thats looking superb, nice job jen.

That java moss seams to of taken off well, and the lilys are looking nice to.

 

[zig]

Jen i would say the plants may have stunted or stopped growing when the CO2 ran out along with the reduced lighting, and they are now struggling to catch up, hopefully nothing major is wrong and it will pass, just double check all the water parameters and do the water change asap especially if you have not done it in a while.

 

[Jen]

Thanks zig. I was due for my weekly change on monday, so I wasn't far off. I'm draining the water as I type.

Well, I had an eventful trip to my fish store today. I went to get my water conditioner, and they had some angels in. I decided to give 3 a go again. They are so cute, and I'll get some pics once the lights are one.

Anyway, I was driving home, and have to go up a big hill that transport trucks use all the time. I was in the inside lane, andd there were 3 trucks on the outside, and I started to pass one of them, and as I was just passed his back wheels, he swerved into my lane. I had to swerve into on coming traffic, brake and get into my lane again. I thought I was gunna get hit from something. My heart is still going a mile a minute. You always wonder if you are going to think straight in that situation... thank goodness I did. That wouldnt have been a good situation. Both lanes travel around 80 km/h. Yikes.

I gotta tell you.. I was scared for my life for a bit there.

So, I've decided that since I stayed longer getting these fish, and I wouldn't have been in that situation had I left earlier, I need to name them something fitting. Like Crash or Squash or Squeal. lol. I haven't decided on names yet, so feel free to mention some.

 

[zig]

"Lucky" comes to mind quite readily...........glad your ok.

 

[Jen]

You have no idea how lucky I was. I don't even remember how I did it all now. I wrote that like 10 minutes after it happened. I remember swerving into the wrong lane, but not going back into the right one.

Anywho. Here are my new guys.
Skidmark just seemed to suit this guy with the stripes and all.

This is Dually (like when there are 2 wheels on the end of the axle). I decided on this one since ihis dorsal fin is spilt. It will probably heal together, but I liket he name (for now, anyway. This one might change)

And meet Jack knife. The black in his dorsal fin is quite rectangular, and the angle it protrudes from his body reminded me of, well, a jackknived truck. lol

I'm still working out some of the features of my new camera, but I can't seem to get good pics in the tank with it. I miss being able to take a white balance manually to get the right colours. Anyone out there with a digital slr who has perfected tank pics with the kind of light we use, I'd love to hear some input.

I also figured out the cloudiness... While I was pruning, i realized that my filter inlet cover thingy was totally covered in plant bits, so I took it off and cleaned it. I had virtually no suction, so I took apart the filter and noticed that my filter floss was totally caked, and i oubt that any water was getting through. On top of that, the impeller had somewhat fallen apart, and the stick that holds it in straight fell out, so I dont know how it was working. I know that there was some water movement... there was water comging out the spray bar, but I don't knwo how muc. I'm going to have to keep my eye on that.

 

[akudewan]

The angels look so cute I love the black one. I'm glad you're ok btw.

 

[George Farmer]

Close call Jen. I'm relieved you're ok.

The Angels look lovely and your photography is also very good.

 

[jimbooo]

glad your okay jen, in those situations your brain goes into autopilot. kind of weird but you go into survival mode. i'm not surprised you cant remember it clearly thats quite common in extreme situations. had a few myself (unlike you mine were probably.. er no definatly my fault).

the angels look georgeous, i've always wanted a shoal of angels but never had a tank big enough, mine just square off and fight to the death hence why i've stuck with the one ever since.

great pics as well, if your complaining about the quality now i cant wait to see the future pics when you've found your way around the new toy.

keep safe

James

 

[Jen]

I must say I am getting better with the white balance on the camera... this camera doenst let you adjust it manually like my old one did. If just lets you choose between different light settings. You would think that if I put it on flourescent it would come out right, but all the pictures turn out very green. There is a preset section, and you can set it up however you want, but I haven't got that down pat yet.

Anyway. The tank is nice and clear again. Abviously the filter was the problem. I'll have to remember how much filter floss I put in there and remember to change things in there more often when I stir things up in the tank and there is lots of gunk in the water.

My angels are taking well to the tank. Eating and swimming normally. My dwarf gouramii's on the other hand I'm not too sure about. I initially got a male and female, and the female died. I went back and got 2 more females a week later, and one of them died. The male always seems to be at the surface in the cover of my hygro difformis where there is next to no water movement. It looks like he is 'gasping' for air. He sits with his face paralel to the surface, and doesnt move. I had a look for my other gourami, and that ones dorsal fin appears to be more pointed... so I'm not sure if it is a girl after all. Maybe I have 2 males and the one is bullying the other?? I'm keeping my eye on them to see if I can notice anything off. If I remember correctly, they like softer water... my pH is 6.5. Is that ok?

I will take a few more pics tonight when I get home from work. The java moss is taking hold well, and I can see some of the roots of my anubias nana taking hold of the wood too. One of the bits of anubias that I tied down came loose at one end and I couldn't figure out why. When I was feeding last night, I was a bit worried when I say one of my barbs with long black stringy looking poo. I put two and two together realized it was the thread that I tied the anubias down with. Silly barb.

 

[pseud]

I always had bad luck with Dwarf Gouramis. I dunno what it is about them, maybe something genetic, or inbred or something...

...did you ever decide on Angel names? I have two.. .Gabriel and Lucifer (but my wife thinks Lucifer is actually called Uriel. Shh. Don't tell her the truth.)

 

[Jen]

I have been reading up on dwarfs, in the forum and on the net, and it seems they are more suseptable to illness. I think you are right about them. They were just too pretty to pass up.

I did name my angles. 2 of the 3 names are for good, not 100% about the 3rd. I named them Skidmark, Jackknife, and Dually. I put the names on the pictures with them, and they explain why I went with each. I'm such a geek. You would think I would want to forget about what happened, and instead I name my fish so I think about it each time I see them.