Possible 20 gallon high tank journal

[jaylach]

Finally quit researching and ordered two 127/hour gallon power heads for two of what will be 4 risers for my new 21 gallon high tank. The other two risers will be air driven with each having a Whisper 20 air pump. Ya, seems like a LOT of flow for such a tank but the main fish will be Panda Garra which like faster water. Right now I'm looking at Ember Tetras as the rest of the population along with trying a colony of the small version of fresh water scuds. Don't know if the scuds will survive the Pandas but I'm using medium sized river pebbles for the substrate for my under gravel filtration so the scuds actually may have a chance.

Actually I've been sort of working on this for quite a while and the main hang up was what power heads to use on two of the four air risers for the under gravel filtration.

So far the planned population will be four Panda Garra, 10-12 Ember Tetras and will try the small version of fresh water scuds. With a normal setup this would be right at the max for population but the filtration and water flow I'll be using would likely let me get with having 20 tetras.

Here are the critters I'm planning. Happily all like close to the same water prams.

Since Pandas are a must I think Ember Tetras would be a good match as to color contrast and, also, a contrast for the green as the tank will be pretty heavily planted. Also Pandas are bottom half of the tank dwellers and the Embers are top half so it is very unlikely there will be any conflict especially since both are very peaceful. The scuds are just a hope that a colony can survive.

Here are the planned beasties.

Four Panda Garra:

10-12 Ember Tetra:

Scuds:

 

[MaloK]

With a UGF and the substrate size, I cant see why the scuds wouldn't make it. As soon there will be littering they will be happy.

 

[jaylach]

The potential issue with the scuds is feeding, they actually love pumpkin but will eat just about anything such as apple peel. Problem is that Pandas like a lot of the same stuff and will probably ingest a lot of scuds while munching on food intended for the scuds.

 

[jaylach]

Sigh, now that I ordered the power heads I'm anxious to get going but the heads won't be here until later mid next week. I can't even really break down the old tank until my stuff is here as I need to keep my plants in water. When I'm doing the change over I'll put some of the water from the old tank in my kitchen sink to hold the plants but I'm not going to tie up one of my sinks with plants for half a week.

As I go I'll likely add some photos but the first step will be to prep the end table that will hold the tank. The table top is 2X2 feet and the tank is 2 feet wide so it should be a perfect fit. I found a fairly thick tank pad that is 2X2 feet with a strong adhesive backing. I'll use this to pad the tank but also to give a bit more lateral stability to the table top due to the adhesive. Directly under the tank will be a thinner tank pad that came with the tank. Probably don't really need the second pad but will feel better with the extra padding as the table has a glass insert in the middle that is just slightly higher than the rest of the table top. I didn't really worry about this with the old cube as rimed tank and the 'frame' was just about exactly the same thickness as the glass insert. The new tank is rimless so I won't have the frame to pick up the surface difference. This is why I'm planning on using both pads as I figure thicker is better than thinner.

I also need to put a couple of small shelves I have on the wall a little above the tank top. Even though I had the shelves I never did this for the old cube even though I should have done so. Never had any problem even if power went out but, if an air pump is below the water surface, it is possible for the pump to act like a siphon, if a pump goes out or there is a power failure, draining the tank which is something that would be a bit of a mess. The shelves will be to hold the two Whisper 20 air pumps I'll be using. There ARE one way valves that only allow flow in one direction that also will allow the same protection as using the shelves to put the pumps above the water level but, in the past, I've found that such one-way valves tend to restrict the air flow.

 

[BigDog]

Sigh, now that I ordered the power heads I'm anxious to get going but the heads won't be here until later mid next week. I can't even really break down the old tank until my stuff is here as I need to keep my plants in water. When I'm doing the change over I'll put some of the water from the old tank in my kitchen sink to hold the plants but I'm not going to tie up one of my sinks with plants for half a week.

As I go I'll likely add some photos but the first step will be to prep the end table that will hold the tank. The table top is 2X2 feet and the tank is 2 feet wide so it should be a perfect fit. I found a fairly thick tank pad that is 2X2 feet with a strong adhesive backing. I'll use this to pad the tank but also to give a bit more lateral stability to the table top due to the adhesive. Directly under the tank will be a thinner tank pad that came with the tank. Probably don't really need the second pad but will feel better with the extra padding as the table has a glass insert in the middle that is just slightly higher than the rest of the table top. I didn't really worry about this with the old cube as rimed tank and the 'frame' was just about exactly the same thickness as the glass insert. The new tank is rimless so I won't have the frame to pick up the surface difference. This is why I'm planning on using both pads as I figure thicker is better than thinner.

I also need to put a couple of small shelves I have on the wall a little above the tank top. Even though I had the shelves I never did this for the old cube even though I should have done so. Never had any problem even if power went out but, if an air pump is below the water surface, it is possible for the pump to act like a siphon, if a pump goes out or there is a power failure, draining the tank which is something that would be a bit of a mess. The shelves will be to hold the two Whisper 20 air pumps I'll be using. There ARE one way valves that only allow flow in one direction that also will allow the same protection as using the shelves to put the pumps above the water level but, in the past, I've found that such one-way valves tend to restrict the air flow.

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[BigDog]

If somebody told you those Scuds will live in harmony with your fish and other inhabitants. They are not telling you the truth.

They best look up what fish and what other aquatic creatures love to eat as a snack.

Those scuds are snacks for everything in that aquarium.

I should know. I buy them for snakes for my fish.

 

[jaylach]

%

LOL! You will have to explain the "%".

BTW, it looks like you are pretty new.

I don't even begin to see the scuds as being welcomed and shaking hands with other fish and no one has told me that this would be the case. I have no idea as to if the attempt will work but for $10.00 USD for a colony I find it worth trying. Since I'm using under gravel filtration with fair sized river pebbles as the substrate the scuds may well thrive in this substrate.

Scuds are part of nature and billions get eaten every day but they are prolific enough that breeding, in nature allows them to still thrive even though the majority are 'snacks'.

The scuds are an experiment that I hope has positive results but they are NOT an important aspect with my new setup. They actually could be important is a colony can be maintained as it would pretty much remove any need for gravel vacuums. Water changes could turn to just removing and replacing water without the need for vacuum. Happens or not. Be nice if it works but not near a major factor.

 

[MaloK]

Most of the comments regarding scuds are once they are there they are pretty tough to get rid of.

They can populate large area the fish can't go.

 

[jaylach]

Most of the comments regarding scuds are once they are there they are pretty tough to get rid of.

They can populate large area the fish can't go.

Oh, I understand that and figure that I can put a little control on the population just by feeding. Put food that both the scuds and pandas like and the pandas will eat a lot of scuds while munching.

I'm not looking to have a tank with billions of scuds. I'm just looking to have enough make it to keep a colony going. While I've never done I THINK that I can control the scud population just by feeding foods the pandas also like.

 

[MaloK]

They eat anything, so you can supplement them with finely powdered food once in a while and they will take advantage of every hiding places...

If you start by introducing the scuds and let them take a little head start... I don't see how it wouldn't work.

 

[Back in the fold]

I’ve got a scud culture coming from Phillips Fish Works and I’ve been reading up on them . They are survivors and they will never get eaten to nothing unless there’s a fish that’s absolutely holy terror on them like some cichlid . I’m going to let my colony get established for a month and then the fish will be added. . The fish , Aplocheilus lineatus , are top feeders and they might hunt them but we shall see what we shall see. This particular aquarium has a coarse gravel substrate and lots of Java Moss .

 

[jaylach]

I'll probably introduce my Pandas at the first but it might be a good idea to actually introduce the scuds first. I have time to figure all this as I doubt that there will be fish in the tank before mid March.

 

[MaloK]

Once the tank has completed it's cycle... You can add all your invertebrates and feed them for a while... You can also continue to add ammonia from time to time to maintain your BB's population if things starts slowly.

What came with and is used to feed the inverts will bring other kinds of bacteria and micro-life that are brought with your scuds...

When I start a tank with invertebrates, I test the water in the bag... If it's a close match, I pour everything into the tank water included.

If there's a big hardness and alkalinity difference I'm tempted to drip acclimate... But a direct drop has still good chances to work...

As soon as there's babies born in "house" they just go... Seed shrimps are the same and live trough fishless cycling and being decimated on daily basis.

They are survivors

 

[BigDog]

I may be new here on this forum.
I’m not new to the hobby of keeping aquatic life.

 

[BigDog]