Starter tank, 29g

[outofwater]

Been a while since I posted an update. I keep tinkering with the layout and adding more plants, and recently acquired mopani wood and moss. I tied the moss to the wood with fishing line, hopefully it will grab on, although the fishing line is invisible so I might just leave it as is. Removed nearly all the frogbit to let more light in (the frogbit had literally taken over the entire water surface) and anchored the roots of that centered floating plant to the mopani to keep it there. The fish seem to like the new layout, the neons specially don't seem as skittish. Inhabitants are the same: neons, (now 14), 4 cories, and 3 ottos. My trusty assassin finally kicked the can, the invader snails are not overtaking anything, but I'll keep an eye on that.

 

[outofwater]

Another update.
scored a full 55g setup (tank stand, filter, heater, the whole thing) for $80. I got it running with a little bit of sand I had left, water going thru the filters right now. I'm going to transfer the 29g setup and inhabitants to that one (most of it anyway, will leave the sword plant there) and then we'll move our 2 dojo loaches to the 29g, they're currently in a 15g tank and I know that is too small for those fish.

The sand from the 29g will go to the new larger tank to complete its setup, and well, I'll see what needs to be done about the plants and general escape on the new, larger tank.

Good times, lot of work to do this week.

 

[Ceez]

The plants were coming in nicely on the 29g. The sand made a huge difference as well. Always loved neon's, just a great looking fish especially when there's a million of them together. Had gouramis before mixed in with angels, loaches, redtail shark, ottos, roselines, Cory's, few various plecos and some neon's and they didn't act up. Think when they're top of the food chain they can do what yours did but ours had to deal with not being the top dog and was mellow. Our trouble makers were the angels and redtail who thought he was a clown loach.

Excited to see how your 55 comes along especially after seeing your 29.

 

[outofwater]

Long overdue update.
Moved apartments 6 months ago. The 29g tank now sits closer to a window and that seems to be causing fine green algae to grow like crazy, particularly around my floating plants, but also getting on the filter tube and then extending to the decorations, its like spiderweb strands that just keep connecting and growing.
I've played with the tank light a bit and tried to minimize the sunlight. Light is not direct and tank is not RIGHT at the window, but it does receive constant indirect light, particularly a few hours during the afternoon.
Over recent water changes I noticed that the algae seems to be going slowly away (I spend a good amount of time picking it during water changes)
For unknown reasons I lost half of my neons about 3 months ago, in the span of a week, doen to 9 now. A month or so after I also lost cories, down to 2 now. I want to think it was the stress of the move, perhaps water quality degraded by the algae, the adjustment to the new setup and water itself. All tests on water parameters always came clean though, and all parameters have not really changed feom what i saw before at the old place. Perhaps it was age as well? Tank has been running now for nearly 5 years and most of the fish were introduced early on.
I'm currently debating whether to restock neons and cories, or if I should consolidate on the larger 55g and decommissioning this one.