New Tank Journal!

[Assaye]

Finally got my three foot tank set up in my bedroom. It's been sitting in my parents' loft for months so I'm really happy to finally be using it again!

It's been rinsed and cleaned, and is sitting in my room with equipment set up and gravel in. No water yet so it looks weird and bare, but I'll do that tomorrow while m'lover is at work.

I'll be cycling with ammonia and mature media.

Equipment:

110 litre ClearSeal tank
Elite 150W heater
Fluval U3

Substrate:

Eco-complete
'Highland' gravel

Plants:

Cuttings from my 290 litre (amazon sword, vallis, etc)
Java fern
Will get some plant IDs for the ones I'm not sure on!

Stock:

10 tiger barbs
1-2 pairs of kribs (we'll see how they get on)
Blue phantom plec
Yellow panchax
2 bumblebee catfish

All stuff from my other tanks that need an upgrade.

Really excited about this tank. I've got plenty of time to scape it and think about plants while it is cycling. Wooo!

 

[Assaye]

Righto, got the tank filled this morning. Managed to screw up and put too little eco-complete in so despite carefully filling the tank so as not to disturb the substrate and make it cloudy, I had to top up the eco-complete. The tank is now BLACK. I'm running the filter for a few hours/days to clear it before I start the cycle.

 

[ian]

Give us a shout with the plant IDs if needed!

 

[Assaye]

Thanks ianho. If I get my paws on a camera I an take some photos of the cuttings. Managed to throw my camera in the sea, lol!

 

[ian]

Nice stock choice as well. I'm sure you'll do a good job with the scaping. You seem to have the eye from what i have seen in the past.

 

[Assaye]

Thanks ianho. Most other tanks of mine have been pretty much thrown together. Even with this one I am forced to use what I have due to financial constraints.

I've used three large rocks in a sort of igwami scape. The eco-complete is very pleasing and dark and I have a black background on the tank. My concern is the plants. Here is a photo of the 'mother' tank:

As you can see, the plants are all tall and wild (oh, any IDs would be awesome!). I love crypts and would love to use them in here but I don't have enough from my crypt tank to share. I also am unlikely to use CO2 because despite having a CO2 kit (decent, pressurised one), I'm a little nervious about using it.

Oh, and what do you think about trying two pairs of kribs in there? I have a mature male in one tank and a trio (bonded but fairly young albino male, bonded female and 'free' female) in another. Not ideal having the trio but I don't have anywhere else to put her and I want to get the mature male and the 'free' female introduced but due to the personality of the big male I need a decent sized tank for it. The trio are currently in a lightly stocked 60 litre with some young tiger barbs.

 

[SensesFail]

Thanks ianho. Most other tanks of mine have been pretty much thrown together. Even with this one I am forced to use what I have due to financial constraints.

I've used three large rocks in a sort of igwami scape. The eco-complete is very pleasing and dark and I have a black background on the tank. My concern is the plants. Here is a photo of the 'mother' tank:

As you can see, the plants are all tall and wild (oh, any IDs would be awesome!). I love crypts and would love to use them in here but I don't have enough from my crypt tank to share. I also am unlikely to use CO2 because despite having a CO2 kit (decent, pressurised one), I'm a little nervious about using it.

Oh, and what do you think about trying two pairs of kribs in there? I have a mature male in one tank and a trio (bonded but fairly young albino male, bonded female and 'free' female) in another. Not ideal having the trio but I don't have anywhere else to put her and I want to get the mature male and the 'free' female introduced but due to the personality of the big male I need a decent sized tank for it. The trio are currently in a lightly stocked 60 litre with some young tiger barbs.

Abit off the subject but I'm loving the tank!! Really smart! Good job! I'm new to this game so mine looks like a beginners I bet got a photo on my journal page

 

[Assaye]

Abit off the subject but I'm loving the tank!! Really smart! Good job! I'm new to this game so mine looks like a beginners I bet got a photo on my journal page

Thats a different tank (my 290 litre goldfish tank) but thanks anyway! I didn't do much work on it to be honest - just set it up, shoved the plants in and away we go.

I suspect the new tank will look similar. As much as I'd love to dabble with some serious scaping and planting, I'll be stuck using vallis and stem plants again as those are all I hav at home and I don't have the money to buy new plants. C'est la vie. It's got som cool rocks so I'm happy.

 

[Assaye]

So I've just done two water changes to try and get the tank to clear and cleaned the filter. It's looking much better and the initial gunk has been removed. Yay for old buckets of eco-complete and the inevitable mulm.

Tank looks pretty awesome with just the black and the really pretty pinky stone, but I know the fish will want somewhere to hide so I'd better plant it . . . *considers*

Heater is gamely bringing the temp up to 30 for cycling.

Still not got as far as putting water conditioner in, lol!

 

[Assaye]

Righto, got the water conditioner in and dosed with ammonia. Calculator at the top said 5.6 ml so I did 5 ml and ended up with too much - doh! Ah well, I've put the mature media in and figure that as I'm not really growing fresh bacteria and more developing an existing colony, I should be OK with the ammonia a little high. It's about 6 at the moment, if my eyes serve me correctly.

Was tempted to put the mature media and the barbs in instead of dosing with ammonia but I restrained myself. Fish come first and I don't fancy emergency water changes on that tank.

I've had a fairly productive day and the hose, buckets and gravel in my bath bare testement to that! Rearranged some betta tanks and now I have Apollo going solo in the (previously divided) 30 litre by our bed and Loki and Goliath in the 54 litre on the landing. Homemade divider isn't my best but I couldn't find the old one for that tank and it will do. Not pretty but serviceable.

Yay for happy fish with more space! Goliath is sulking because he can't swim over and meet Loki but I think he'll adjust. Apollo and Loki are loving the doubled space!

Now I just need time and a new lighting controller!

 

[ian]

sorry, missed the post with the photo..

from right to left ish, cos theres loads in there.

looks like some kind of Bacopa, Echinodorus bleheri, Hygrophila polysperma, Tiger lotus, Vallis (along the back), Cryptocoryne wendtii, Cryptocoryne willisii (i think), Hygrophila corymbosa.

thats all i can make out.

Ian.

 

[Assaye]

That's a lot of help, thanks ianho. I love the tiger lotus but the stems keep rotting mid way up and the leaves drop off. Not sure if I have any left now =(

Will put together a decent cuttings list to see what you think. Need to get some photos of the tank as well.

 

[waterdrop]

Enjoying your thread Assaye --WD

 

[Assaye]

Enjoying your thread Assaye --WD

He he, even if I am mostly talking to myself.

I've got some test results so I'll do today's tests and post soon.

 

[Assaye]

OK, results:

25/09 - over 6 ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrite
26/09 - 5-6 ppm ammonia, 0.5 ppm nitrite
27/09 - 3-4 ppm ammonia, 1-1.5 ppm nitrite

It's moving, people, it's moving!