The Impossible Dream

[Colin_T]

get some help for your MTS

 

[WhistlingBadger]

get some help for your MTS

The only help for MTS is more tanks. I think he's doing it right.

 

[Lcc86]

Love the placement, looks like it'll be a real centrepiece tank!

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

get some help for your MTS

 

[Wills]

I'm not sure I fully count as full blown MTS... I only have 5 of the 6 at the moment and only 2 of the 5 are fully set up - though 2 are half set up...

Wills

 

[Wills]

EDIT: I saw the update Wills. No plants.

Did you have any more thoughts about the nitrate from the tap? I saw it on the last page and I think you were thinking about plants? What about crinum thaianum, my favourite plant of all time! This was my planted 4 foot community tank from years back in one picture. The left half at the back was full of them, but you can really make them out at the back of the first 1/4 (left side of this picture). I purchased them as more or less just bulbs. Can't remember how long they took to grow tall, but I was constantly pruning them, and they all stayed lush green. I didn't even have fertiliser, just a heavily stocked tank. No special lights. Sand substrate. My pH was nearly 8 and the water was as hard as concrete. Nitrate out of the taps was touching 40 ppm.

I also had a 5 x 2 x 2 Malawi tank in the other room. This was all about 9 or 10 years ago. When I had the Malawi, initially it was all ocean rock, then I got rid of all that, and used just lava rock. I prefer the lava rock.

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Oh wow this is awesome! What was in your Malawi tank I can spot a few species, are the blue ones Callianos or Socolofi?

Interesting on the Crinum taking up some nitrates! In terms of the plan for this tank I'm going to use house plants along the back of the tank, trying to work out what but likely things like Peace Lillys that grow from the centre rather than vines like Pothos but not 100% which yet. I'm thinking of using one of the branches from the earlier 'scape' in this journal and cutting it to more or less the length of the tank finding a way to hang it at the back and I might use a coring drill piece to make some planter holes for these so the roots can drop through and hold the plants in place. Might also grow some terrestrial moss on the branch as well.

Wills

 

[Rocky998]

I'm not sure I fully count as full blown MTS... I only have 5 of the 6 at the moment and only 2 of the 5 are fully set up - though 2 are half set up...

Wills

He's in the denial stage

 

[AlexT]

Oh wow this is awesome! What was in your Malawi tank I can spot a few species, are the blue ones Callianos or Socolofi?

I just tried to do my best that they all had similar/same dietary requirements and that I did not have any that got huge! Mostly Mbuna, but there was a two small Tanginyikan in their that I had bred myself from a previous set up (Julidochromis). I am not a "by the book fishkeeper" as you will learn on here

From memory, these are some of the stock I had. Obviously a 5 x 2 x 2 gives you good options, but I found my finances ran out faster than my excitement at stocking it


Labeotropheus trewavasae
Labidochromis caeruleus
Labidochromis sp. 'hongi'
Maylandia greshakei (he was the boss and Alpha male!)
Pseudotropheus socolofi
Pseudotropheus demason
Pseudotropheus elegans 'ngara'

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

I'm not sure I fully count as full blown MTS... I only have 5 of the 6 at the moment and only 2 of the 5 are fully set up - though 2 are half set up...

Wills

Yeah, yeah that old chestnut...

 

[Wills]

I just tried to do my best that they all had similar/same dietary requirements and that I did not have any that got huge! Mostly Mbuna, but there was a two small Tanginyikan in their that I had bred myself from a previous set up (Julidochromis). I am not a "by the book fishkeeper" as you will learn on here

From memory, these are some of the stock I had. Obviously a 5 x 2 x 2 gives you good options, but I found my finances ran out faster than my excitement at stocking it


Labeotropheus trewavasae
Labidochromis caeruleus
Labidochromis sp. 'hongi'
Maylandia greshakei (he was the boss and Alpha male!)
Pseudotropheus socolofi
Pseudotropheus demason
Pseudotropheus elegans 'ngara'

I think the bookshelf for fish keeping is pretty huge so when you say not by the book, which one haha. As long as its not putting fish at risk or there is a reason not to do it I'm all here for it - eg you mixed rock dwelling species from two lakes with the same kind of hard water but didnt mix the dietary requirements - the purist in me wouldnt want to mix tangs and malawi but can see why it worked.

I'm pretty set on keeping Socolofi! Would be interested to know your experience with them. I really want some Acei too but currently trying to decide numbers, I might keep Yellow Labs too but the other definite is Msobo Mugunga.

Wills

 

[Wills]

Most of my rocks arrived today - I say most as I've ordered one more... I think that will do it though and they are really perfect!

Hugely stressed out by the thought of the rock in the tank! We will see how it all goes... The guy I got the tank off gave me some egg crate which I've not used before but I think I will for this! I've put it under some and there isn't that horrifying sound of rock on glass anymore... I want to weigh all the rocks as I'm going to do an unboxing video! But the range is said to be 15-22kg per box so between three boxes thats 45-66kg plus 3x 15kg bags of sand so 45kg... but these things are all designed for this (please don't tell me anything to the contrary...).

This video gives me great confidence!

Wills

 

[Wills]

My rocks are all here this is three mega boxes of Wio black venom boulders really happy with what I’ve been sent and some good sized pieces when they are wet they are black but not sure how black they’ll be under water yet…

Really want to start doing videos of my aquariums but also wanted to share this pic as quite excited!

Still got Saturday blocked out to get this set up properly! I’ve just plonked these rocks in so far and think it looks great so but if crafting to make caves and make sure it’s all secure. Looking forward to it!

 

[Rocky998]

View attachment 324501

My rocks are all here this is three mega boxes of Wio black venom boulders really happy with what I’ve been sent and some good sized pieces when they are wet they are black but not sure how black they’ll be under water yet…

Really want to start doing videos of my aquariums but also wanted to share this pic as quite excited!

Still got Saturday blocked out to get this set up properly! I’ve just plonked these rocks in so far and think it looks great so but if crafting to make caves and make sure it’s all secure. Looking forward to it!

What substrate will you have?

 

[Wills]

What substrate will you have?

I’ve got about 50kg of Hugo Kamishi white quartz - it’s not white it’s a natural tone but more on the grey than yellow side. Slightly larger grain than play sand but not too big if you know what I mean.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

That is going to look so great, Wills. Your last picture made me think you had put a huge bean bag chair right in front of your tank. Not the worst idea.