Plastic's New Tank (230L)

[PlasticGalaxy]

All my Christmas wishes came true this year - I got a new tank! It's a 4ft, 230L AquaOne and it's totally gorgeous. 120x60x30cm and a total pain to play around with! At 5'3, I'm no goliath, and as you can see on the far left of the image, that's the step-ladder I'll be using to do literally anything with it. Let's talk about it!

It's planted with anubias, crypts and echinodorus currently, with ceramic caves, bogwood, and some spacious slate caves. Used the sand from my 170L and pleased to say that I had plenty to go around... And plenty of snails that decided they would hitch a ride to their new mansion.

Stocking isn't entirely up to my ideals, but should be up to code soon. Is as follows:
6.5" Sailfin plec
2" Snowball/orinoco angel hybrid plec
3" Red tail shark
Rummynose tetras (x6)
Clown loach (x2)
Bronze corydoras (x3)
Assorted guppies (~6)
1.5" Upside down catfish (x2)
Giant African fan shrimp (x6)

Used to have 12 corys, but over time they died off from various causes. Won't be getting anymore, might pass the survivors onto a relative. As for the guppies, those are leftovers from the 54L which I took down a couple months ago. Pawning those off to my LFS when I get the chance. Also got one surviving otocinclus who's quite happy getting fat on algae wafers.

Hoping to go down to my LFS in the next few days to get some more rummynoses and possibly cardinals. Would like another clown loach but might hold off for now since the red tail shark is showing some teenage aggression.

As for the plants, I'd like some more anubias. If anyone has any plant suggestions please let me know.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Oooooh! looks awesome! I'm a massive crypt fan so I'd always say add more, there's loads of different kinds and colours to choose from...hygrophila polysperma is an easy and fast grower that will fill space in no time if you replant the trimmings

 

[Retired Viking]

Very nice looking tank, you should think about putting a background for the back of the tank.

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Oooooh! looks awesome! I'm a massive crypt fan so I'd always say add more, there's loads of different kinds and colours to choose from...hygrophila polysperma is an easy and fast grower that will fill space in no time if you replant the trimmings

Ooh, definitely gonna check it out. Think they have some at my local Maidenhead chain, might give it a go. Thank you for the suggestion!

Very nice looking tank, you should think about putting a background for the back of the tank.

That's the next step! I'm wary about putting in "themed" backgrounds since they look a bit off imo, but feel like plain grey or black would be off-putting. Any ideas?

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Plain black can be very effective especially if there's lots of plants in my opinion

 

[GaryE]

Plain flat black acrylic paint. If you don't like it, it peels off with a razor blade. With plants, it looks great.

The red tailed shark will only get grouchier with time.

I would consider ditching the ladder and building a nice spiral staircase around the base.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

I also have short sh!t problems, I have a little step I get on. Reaching the bottom of the tank leaves me armpit deep! I make sure to go without deodorant on maintainance day

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Plain black can be very effective especially if there's lots of plants in my opinion

Plain flat black acrylic paint. If you don't like it, it peels off with a razor blade. With plants, it looks great.

Black it is then!

The red tailed shark will only get grouchier with time.

It's to be expected... It's a shame because he's really a beautiful fish, but I suppose it's what I get from naming him after a Shakespeare villain. My partner's grown quite attached to him too, so I don't want to rehome him, but I fear it'll be the only option eventually; he's already getting nippy and as you say it'll only get worse as he grows.

I would consider ditching the ladder and building a nice spiral staircase around the base.

Might as well just have a trampoline and bounce up onto the top of the tank.

I also have short sh!t problems, I have a little step I get on. Reaching the bottom of the tank leaves me armpit deep! I make sure to go without deodorant on maintainance day

Currently using my mum's kitchen step from Dunelm just to feed them! Have to keep plugging plants back into the sand when the plec gets startled, never had such a bad shoulder cramp lol. Maybe next Christmas we can wish for an extra few inches to our height.

 

[Wills]

Looks great! I love the Aqua One range at the moment really nice tanks and good dimensions I really want an Aquasys

I agree with the rest a black background looks really good at all stages of the tank, some of the picture backgrounds can look good for a bit but then water gets in or the plants or wood in the tank are not quite the same type or colour and it starts to look a bit iffy.

If you want some plants to fill out the tank grab some Valis, I've always used it in the past but with my current tank I've kept it out on purpose but now I've got it again and love it so easy, instant impact .

Wills

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Looks great! I love the Aqua One range at the moment really nice tanks and good dimensions I really want an Aquasys

Back when I was working at that Maidenhead chain, there was a beautiful AquaOak display, 6ft I believe? 2ft tall tank, nicely planted albino tank. Sooo expensive though, but really are fantastic as far as quality, stability, storage, e.t.c. goes.

If you want some plants to fill out the tank grab some Valis, I've always used it in the past but with my current tank I've kept it out on purpose but now I've got it again and love it so easy, instant impact .

Wills

Possibly an obvious question, but how do you propagate valis? I've had it in all of my tanks, but never really known what to do with it to make it really look good.

 

[GaryE]

I'm once again grateful for my long ape arms.

I do well with Vallisneria - really, plant them and give them light, with a root tab of some sort they can reach for through the sand.

The Shakespeare villain name is no problem. It's when you name them after Marlowe villains - they put you to sleep then kill all their tankmates.

 

[Wills]

Back when I was working at that Maidenhead chain, there was a beautiful AquaOak display, 6ft I believe? 2ft tall tank, nicely planted albino tank. Sooo expensive though, but really are fantastic as far as quality, stability, storage, e.t.c. goes.

Possibly an obvious question, but how do you propagate valis? I've had it in all of my tanks, but never really known what to do with it to make it really look good.

There are a few different types of Valis now, the only real difference is the length it grows to, they all send out runners to form new plantlets that is good to promote with mid light and some kind of fertiliser.

I've never been sure how to trim them, in the past I've just cut the reeds down to where I want them but I've gone for a smaller species this time so hopefully I will be able to trim near the base just to cut down the number of leaves and keep the nice pointed ends.

Wills

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

I'm once again grateful for my long ape arms.

I do well with Vallisneria - really, plant them and give them light, with a root tab of some sort they can reach for through the sand.

When I pulled up the plants from the sand in the previous tank, I had maybe one or two shoots reaching out, producing new little plants. It's fascinating, but I always end up changing tank or re-scaping before they've grown in nicely. Root tabs have been helpful though. Noticed that my amazon swords haven't been looking so sorry for themselves since I've started using them, too.

The Shakespeare villain name is no problem. It's when you name them after Marlowe villains - they put you to sleep then kill all their tankmates.

Hahaha, I suppose it can always be worse. My little guy's called Iago. My partner named him, and I assumed he was basing it off of Iago from Othello... Turns out he named him after a video game character.

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Afternoon all,
Been to the shops today. Got myself another lot of rummynose tetras to bring up my 6 to 12... I got 5 rummynoses and a hitchhiking pygmy cory. Also went to the local LFS to pick up some cardinal tetras - 12 of them. Along the way, we saw a gorgeous royal panaque which my dad said he would buy for me if I wanted it... And I reluctantly declined, knowing that I probably didn't have the space for a lump like a panaque in the tank. Maybe some other day, though.

No clown loaches in the main shop I go to, and the ones in the shop where I got the cardinals were far too big and supremely expensive lol. Again, maybe some other day. For now, I'm content with my new tetras and the little hitchhiker.