The Black Lagoon- Se Asian 'biotope'

[OohFeeshy]

Heh, the photos don't show all the detritus that was around the wood. Still haven't quite got rid of it all.

I have noticed that the barbs seem to be picking the biofilm off the wood, so they probably helped keep the algae down.

I've put the U3 in, I'll keep the 2+ in for a few days though just to ensure it's properly cloned. It's been running in the 4ft for over a month so it should be.

*Slight* change in aquascaping plan. I moved the massive crypts so they're all over the right hand side. I think they're a bit tall to be all the way round. So it will likley be, tall background plants at the back, large crypts either side, and either smaller crypts or something else right at the front. I'll take out the brown crypts, they don't really fit in.

Quite a bit of general argy bargy going on with the fish. The smaller cupanus keeps having a go at the bigger one, which is a bit silly considering he's lost every single time. I just wish I could get some more females. Or any at all, to be honest. Having a look through Bansch, it's not like there's really anything I can substiture either.

Edit- I'll do the plant order tomorrow. Quick question- Blyxa aubertii or Cyperus helferi? I'm more inclined towards the Blyxa at the moment but I'm not sure which will do better. I'm getting 3 pots of C. parva for the front, since it's the smallest crypt, some moss (lord, I swear it wasn't that expensive last time...) and a Nymphaea. I think I may well get another 3 P@H pots, maybe two crypts and some more Anubias for the 4ft.

 

[flyhawk]

wat type of gourami?

 

[OohFeeshy]

What, in the tank? Pseudosphromenus cupanus.

Plants ordered, more than I was intending to spend but it's tough luck really. All the prices have gone up...

Getting-

~15 Cryptocoryne parva
3 bunches of Cyperus helferi
1 Nymphaea stellata
1 lot of java moss

I went with the Cyperus because the internet made it sound like a slightly better option than the Blyxa- apparently the latter doesn't really like flow and can be quite delicate. So we shall see how it does. If I can be bothered I'll do a bit more general fiddling around with the tank and post another photo, to show filter swap, clean-ness and crypt movement.

 

[flyhawk]

What,in the tank?

no the one flopping around on your computer table Sorry coudnt resist!

 

[OohFeeshy]

Plants have *apparently* been posted, I suppose I should have expected the delay given that it's easter, but it would have been nice if they had hurried it up a bit.

Still fairly diatom-y, in my unexpert opinion I'd say it's a combination of maybe a wee bit of ammonia since filter swap, low plant load and lack of flow towards the substrate. Switched filter output which might help, obviously more plants should too.

Also seem to be getting green algae on the glass. Bleh. I'd assume high light and low plant load. At least it wipes off easily...

 

[OohFeeshy]

Huzzah and hoorah!

Tank pre-plants, post rearrangement and filter change, which I forgot to put up the other day-

Cyperus-

Crypts-

Moss-

I did think 'what the Dickens is that???', but it's the Nymphaea. Duh.-

Wiiide shot-

Closerness-

I know the trim is still on. I keep not taking it off for some reason, but once I have finished the post, off it shall come.

Crypts not quite as I expected, they look a bit more 'rubbery' than I thought they would, but once they've grown in a bit it should be better. Brown crypts haven't been taken out yet. Maybe making them symmetrical will help...?

 

[lljdma06]

Yeah!!! Looking much, much better.

Looks to me that those new crypts were grown emersed. You'll have to wait for the submerged growth if that's the case.

llj

 

[OohFeeshy]

Reckon it would help just to cut them down to the substrate now? Speed up regrowth, make them look a bit less bleh when they melt?

 

[Truck]

Looking very nice, I love the gold barbs, I might get myself some.

Regarding the crypts, I'd leave them as they are, I've never really had any problems with crypts melting, but if you find yours begin too, just remove the mangy leaves as you go.

 

[lljdma06]

Looking very nice, I love the gold barbs, I might get myself some.

Regarding the crypts, I'd leave them as they are, I've never really had any problems with crypts melting, but if you find yours begin too, just remove the mangy leaves as you go.

I do this too. Takes a couple of months.

Yes, this is much safer isn't it Truck? You know of what I speak. The prophet and her disciples are lurking again.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Looking very nice, I love the gold barbs, I might get myself some.

Regarding the crypts, I'd leave them as they are, I've never really had any problems with crypts melting, but if you find yours begin too, just remove the mangy leaves as you go.

Well, I'm going back on Sunday and iunno when I'm coming home again. But it won't be for 4-6 ish weeks. They're not posh crypts either, they're only cheapy Plants Alive ones which do usually melt.

The barbs are nice, they're quite irritating at times though. They're the most hungry fish I've ever had, they'd happily eat all the food if I fed them every time I went in the room. And even when they're not being fed, they're looking for more food, picking biofilm off the wood, looking for bits on the sand. I'm not sure whether there's some courtship going on actually, there seems to be a fair bit of chasing around in the plants directed at specific individuals (the larger ones which I assume are female). Haven't seen any actual spawning though and it's not as if any eggs would have a chance anyway. The female and smaller male cupanus are getting a bit friendly with each other too, although there's nowhere really to build a bubblenest. I'll try spawning them when I'm back for the summer, I suppose it's a source of more of them... Still lots of aggro between the two males, the pugnax got involved earlier which was... interesting.

 

[OohFeeshy]

I'm nipping home for a week or so on Saturday, so I'll put up some more 'look how... beautiful everything is' photos. According to the mother, everything is 'a bit green', which I suppose isn't suprising. All I can really do for now is decrease the photoperiod, I'll start thiking of better options once I've got more time. I'm home for the summer at the beginning of June, so that's when most of the work will occur.

Stuff what will be done-

Stocking. Gold barbs, will definitely be moved once I'm at home for long enough to make sure they're all OK in the new tank and not being eaten etc. The pair of spiketails will be temporarily removed for some breeding attempts, once they've gone back in I might permanantely remove the bigger male to his own tank, because it's not really going to work with two in the tank long term. Gold barbs will possibly be replaced with a similar number of cherry barbs. Other labyrinths will be added depending very much on what happens to be in stock at the time. Possibly some kuhlis too, I think at least 6. I would love some dwarf chains, but I'm not going to pay £40+ for a group. Again, whatever the shop has in stock, they do get some lovely interesting little things, so that could be fun.

Plants. This depends on how exactly they're doing. The crypts should be fine, they tend to be fairly bulletproof. Moss should hopefully be, unless it's got completely algaed and died, but it's not exactly tricky to replace. The cyperus, lord only knows. When I go back next week, I may well P@H it and get another pot of crypts, I want some anubias for my other tank so that's fair enough.

Ferts. I was never intending on doing anything, but if green algae is going to be a problem I might start with the liquid carbon. That's easy enough over the summer, but I'll have to come up with some auto dosing system, possibly, for when I'm away.

 

[OohFeeshy]

I think the correct response is 'what the actual heck?'. Now, I'm notgoing to do what I did last time and wipe the glass before putting up a photo. This is what I walked in to see. Prepare to be horrified as I present... The Thing From The Black Lagoon

I think I have actually won an award for 'most types of algae ever grown in one place'. The BGA is pretty obvious, there also seems to be GDA, GSA, some sort of filamentous algae, and whatever the stuff on the wood is. I've wiped the glass and it looks much better already, so I'll update when I've cleaned properly. Reckon a blackout would be a good idea?

The Cyperus isn't doing well, as I'd thought, so I may as well take it out before it completely dies. The crypts are looking great, bar being covered in algae, so plan B is to do what I clearly should have done in the first place and buy tall crypts for the back instead of faffing about with stuff that isn't bullet proof. The moss is also growing well despite having a nice covering of BGA. Suprise of the day is the Nymphaea- loads of leaves, barely any algae on it, very nice indeed. I'm loving the surface leaves, it's exactly what I want, and I might get another bulb or two when I do the next plant order (in about a month).

Fish, all fine. On a related note, I got and am loving my shiny new Aqualog Labyrinth book. However, I'm back to questioning whether the betta actually is a pugnax. I've always had my doubts, but went along with it because that's what everyone else seemed to think. Based on photos in the book (I did try to work the key, but you need a PhD in book learnings to understand it), I think it's akarensis.

 

[OohFeeshy]

I did a water change, not a heap of difference, so blackout started sometime yesterday afternoon. I'll take a lookie tomorrow afternoon, maybe do another water change, generally see what needs doing. I think when I get back I may get some nerites.

 

[ian]

the lily looks ace!

just remind me on how long it ain't been touched for? Why not invest in some otos, they'd love it in there!