Roma 200, My First Journal

[crago1990]

Regarding the tubes: I changed the Fluval filter that came with my tank for a Rena and the existing slots in my hood are too small too. Although there are other pieces that are pre-cut, I decided not to do it but just placed the hood on top. What happened is that from the front the hood is right on and in the back it is simply a bit higher but it doesn't really show.

Yes, those are bolivians. Nice fish!

Yeah i see what you mean. Thaats what mine is like at the mo. Cant really notice it that much. Maybe one day ill cut it so it fits all flush but rather concentrate on the inside at the mo.

Sounds like its coming together, bolivians are verydifficult to sex to be honest, I just look for behaviour in the shop, just watch them for like 10-15min and have a good guess

Vallis is a good choice but it takes time and patience as it sends off runners rather than being able to cut and replant, so if you wanna get the tank looking decently planted get some stem plants, get some vallis too but just plant it and forget about it if you know what I mean, dont be impatient with it lol

Yeah ive read quite abit on how to sex them but i think watching them for a while is the best idea. Grew vallis before in my old tank. Had plently of new growth but didnt grow tall. Guessing because my lighting wasnt very good. Hopefully in this tank i will get some decent growth. When i get my wood in there i think i def will try and get some easy to grow stem plants in there just to fill the tank out for a bit untill the rest of the plants start growing. My tank is so open at the mo and im starting to like it that way so i dont think i will go to heavy planted. Like my fish to be main focal point.

 

[KkAaNnEe]

I agree I have a big bit of open space in my tank too, I like the barer look.

My Vallis does exactly the same, i have new runners every 1-2 days, root tabs helped it grow up, also splitting the runners so they dont take all the nutrients from their parent plant

 

[crago1990]

Love the open space in your tank kkaannee

 

[crago1990]

Today i added a peice of red moor wood. Stuck on a little bit of anubias. Looks alright not sure if thats how it will stay when my other bit comes but it will do for time being. Like the way it hides the intake for the filter a little bit.

Loads of java fern stuck to the heater and filter it was anoying me floating about. Need my other bit of wood so i can attach it to it.

Do you think the wood look better in a different position? Got a bit of vallis behind it if it doesnt grow then i think i might buy some easy stem plants to fill the back of the tank.

 

[crago1990]

Just a little update really. Fish are doing well, there colour is alot better now under this light. Few problem with plants though need some help. My crypts are doing very well but my java fern and anubias not so well. Java fern not too bad just little patch of brown on a few leaves but my anubias are all losing there colour on there leafs. I no plants sometimes melt when added to a different tank but didnt know anubias did this? could be wrong. Seeings there meant to be so "easy" to grow dont know whats going on. Im dosing TNC lite a little every day maybe i should be using something else?

Anyway today my mates was throwing out an amazon sword and gave it too me. he has too many so didnt want it. Nice big plant top of the leaves are dieing though but new growth is coming through. ive planted it just as it is i didnt know if i should cut the dieing leaves off or not. my other bit of wood has come and is now soaking trying to get it to sink. so should be in the tank soon!

also went to my local fish shop, my fish have all been fine so i decided i wanted to up the number of my lemon tetras so i got 6 more to take the total up to 10. also they had some cherry barbs i had 4 females but i rarely see males! they had loads of females and 2 little males in there so i decided to take the males to take my cherry barbs up to 6. i think the males look so much better!

so current stocking is 10 lemon tetras, 6 cherry barbs, 5 neons and a platy. am i near full stocking now? does look quite full. really want a pair of bolivian rams and up the number of my neons. do you think that will be ok? would like to get more male cherry barbs but that would be last on the list if i have the room.

in this picture you can see what i mean about the top of the swords. i can get a picture of the anubias and java fern if needs be.

 

[Livewire88]

Quick question, what tank did you take the filter you are using from? Are you sure the filter will keep up with all the new fish you have added in the last week?

 

[crago1990]

the filter came from my old tank that i had set up for just over a year. i put my old filter with my old fish in my new tank at the same time. so should be ok?

 

[crago1990]

Checked ont the tank this morning and all these fish are fine

Anyone got any ideas what i can do about the plants? been thinking about getting some dry salts maybe? and fert my tank that way.

 

[crago1990]

Tanks slowly moving on. Got my other bit of wood in there now and recieved some plants from mint which ive attached to the wood. Not completly happy with how the wood is at the mo not sure on the layout need to rethink it. Also need to get some big easy to grow bushy plant like cabomba for the right hand corner behind the wood. Orderd some dry ferts so will be making my own ferts from now on, hope that helps the plant growth.

 

[crago1990]

Been really busy working lately but just thought i would share a update if anyone interested.

My crypys are still growing, trimmed all dead leafs off my sword that came with it and now its growing. For the first time ive got anubias growing my java ferns are going crazy and all of them are making new plants off there leafs. Java moss doesnt seem like its grown but its not dieing either. I also added HYGROPHILA POLYSPERMA. Problem is im not sure if i like it.

My other problem is i seem to be getting a fair bit of algea. I changed my lights from 8 hours to 6 hours. I know i need some more plants which will help. Not sure what else to do? i put a capfull of flourish excel it every day and 5ml of my own fert i made in every day.

I have 3 days off after working tonight so im thinking about getting a few more fish.
I currently have 1 platy (might rehome)
5 neons (might rehome)
6 cherry barbs
10 lemon tetras

might rehome platy to my mate because he has lots of platys and might rehome the neons because i want to get bolivian rams and i dont want to be overstocked.

I might replace the HYGROPHILA POLYSPERMA with some amazon swords or something? any ideas?

Heres a pic anyway..

Any advice would be great.

 

[stu40]

Do you know what sort of algae.? guide
As you point out, upping the plant mass may well help, and i've found H.Polysperma to be quick growing.
Maybe keep it in till you've got the algae under control, then swap it out for something slower growing like a sword

 

[crago1990]

I know ive got green dust algae. But ive just got a magnet algea glass cleaner so that got rid of that really easy. So not fussed about that. But i think the other one is black brush algae? I think i have a good circulation in the tank so it seys to add more excel? But i was thinking with the amount of plants ive got might be that im dosing too much excel and my fert?

What plants should i get? Im really not feeling stem plants. I dont know if i should maybe get 5 odd swords and hope they grow and fill out the back? or maybe put a thing long peice of wood at the back at try and get java fern to fill it out? ive tried vallis but didnt work for me. What else is there?

 

[stu40]

Other than stems? Tall crypt, maybe Balansae or an Aponogeton ?

 

[crago1990]

I really like crypts and there doing well in my tank. Just looked at Balansae, looks good! I might give that a go. Thanks for reconmending that!

 

[crago1990]

Just looked on ebay most people selling it is abroad and have bad feedback. Had a bad time when i orderd my other crypts on ebay from somone abroad. So is anyone selling any on here? Going to post in the wanted section aswell. Just thought i would ask here aswell.