My Daughter's Tank

[George Farmer]

This is my old Juwel Rio 125. Photo taken two weeks after initial planting.

Some of you may know that I planned to run this tank high-tech with upgraded filter, lighting, substrate, glassware etc. and feature it in Practical Fishkeeping magazine. After some considerable thought and other circumstances I figured that I’d rather save the cash and put it towards my 90cm (or possibly 120cm) ADA-style set up later next year (big budget!).

So I’ve given this tank my eldest daughter (10) and it now lives in her bedroom. With a little guidance from her dad, she chose the fish, plants, wood and aquascaped it all herself. I reckon she’ll be giving me a run for my money soon!

It’s a low/medium-tech set up as you can see from the spec. Cheap yet effective!

It's not going to win any awards just yet but we love it so far.

Aquarium – 125 l. / 33 gal. 32†x 14†x 20â€H
Filter – Juwel internal
Lighting – 3 x 18w (1.6wpg)
CO2 – 1 x Nutrafin DIY recipe, approx 15-20ppm
Substrate – 4 l. Blagdon aquatic soil (£1.99) with fine pea gravel
Ferts – 1 x E15 Dennerle tablet with water change (for Fe and K)
Water – from tap (hard and loaded with NO3 and PO4) 25% water change every 14 days.

The plant growth is rampant as we’ve deliberately chosen mostly fast weeds to help battle against early algae. The high growth rates help to minimise NH3/4 as the filter is new. So far ammonia and nitrite are undetectable, a sign that the plants are doing their job.

Plants (from left to right) –

Vallisneria spiralis (vallis)
Limnphila sessiflora (small ambulia)
Lysimachia nummularia (creeping jenny)
Microsorium pteropus (java fern)
Egeria densa (elodea)
Hygrophila polysperma

Fish – 6 (4 female, 2 male) assorted platy

Future plans

Add more fish once the filter has had time to establish further. A dozen or so neon tetras. Then maybe some bigger fish to deal with platy fry if required. Probably some otos and shrimp too.

Plant-wise we will gradually replace the weeds with slower growers i.e. Crypts, more ferns on wood, anubias, moss etc. We’re still debating a foreground.

The long-term aim is to have a healthy planted tank with colourful fish and low-maintenance plants.

 

[Neal]

I'm ashamed to know a 10 year old can make a tank look FAR FAR FAR better than mine. She's a plant guru in the making George! Very great tank, will be good to see progession pictures aswell! Do you have any setups pictures by any chance? I like seeing them.

Neal

 

[Gnatfish]

I like it

You ever going to try and raise the fry?

Can't wait for the next bigger tank

 

[Themuleous]

Haha nice one to Georges daughter! Your right she has a talent for it and will indeed give you a run for your money!

Get 'em started young!

Sam

 

[chardonnay1000]

you have a very talented daughter indeed, its lovely.

 

[RadaR]

Cool tank. Been waiting a while to see it. Worth the wait!
George, how are you finding the filter to perform? Bits floating about in the tank? Needed to supplement mine with an external to get the water clear.
P.S Platies look very much like mine lol

 

[mikster]

All im getting is IPB image im afraid, i really want to see this as well.

EDIT: ok its decided to work this time, lovely tank there shes learned well from her dad.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

auh! im so jelouse! Maybe your daughter could trach me a thing or two

 

[DarkEntity]

Lovely tank there

Now if only my little "darling" could step away from the sunken ship and bubble croc and do that id be well chuffed!

 

[George Farmer]

Thanks everyone. Emily is really happy with your feedback. She's wants you all to know that's she's not a geek like her dad though!

Gnatfish - I have no intention of raising the platy fry. If any survive (I've already spotted a couple of babies) then we'll give them away as I don't want to overstock the tank, and I don't intent getting MTS. I'm a believer in quality over quantity.

RadaR - The filter is fine. No debris. I've replaced the carbon sponge with another coarse sponge and don't bother with the top white poly pad at all. We simply rinse the top coarse sponge weekly in old tank water.

 

[themissingelf]

Great looking tank.

The filter is fine. No debris. I've replaced the carbon sponge with another coarse sponge and don't bother with the top white poly pad at all. We simply rinse the top coarse sponge weekly in old tank water.

Interesting... My Juwel tank is on its way out - as soon as I move the last of the occupants to a new, smaller tank. However... I was thinking about the Juwel internal filters myself yesterday (prompted by another thread). It occured to me that the Juwel filter media could be loaded in the same way as an external, simply inverting the whole stack, with the fine filter pad at the bottom to simply polish the water, perhaps adding some really coarse mechanical filtration to the very top space (the bit vacated by the carbon sponge).

 

[stang1]

Your daughter has created a beautiful tank, she must be very pleased with herself.

 

[BINKSY]

A great looking tank for a 10 year old, my daughter will be 8 in december, maybe she will take a interest like your daughter has George.


Maybe your daughter will get featured in the PFK magazine, what a result that would be for her

As mentioned in some above posts seems your Emily could teach a few of us some things about planted tanks, good for her and good luck to Emily in the near future with this tank.

 

[lljdma06]

Emily has a beautiful tank, George. Very colorful and full of energy. Platies are great little fish.

llj

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Thanks everyone. Emily is really happy with your feedback. She's wants you all to know that's she's not a geek like her dad though!

oh bless her!!!

that's a really great looking tank, think there's a few people now (myself included) completely put to shame by a 10 year old.

get her signed up she can give us all a few tips