When the sleeper wakes...

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

So the water remains stable so far and the Cherry Barb seemed happy enough, exploring the whole of the tank, before 'Sunset' and then 'Moonlight' happened.

I was impressed by the look of the Chilli Rasboras and Copper Harlequin, so there's some more shoaling possibilities.

In a South American-themed tank, finding lower level fish was relatively easy, with lots of smaller 'suckermouth' catfish to choose from, as well as that large range of different Cory species. If you recall, I went for a bristlenose plec and a swarm of Pygmy Corydoras...job done and I do believe that some cleaning is done around the tank...which is nice.

For an Asian-themed tank, it appears to be a little trickier.
Both Panda Garra and Hillstream Mountain Loach spring to mind, but both of these require faster running waters, reminiscent of mountain streams, that wouldn't suit my other fish. Other loach are a possibility, although most are too large and require too many friends to be able to properly thrive in my tank.
My nerites are doing fine and I assume they'll be munching on waste and so I'm looking at the Kuhli loach.
If I look at a number of these, I suspect that they will show themselves, regularly enough...they did in a previous tank, before disappearing to take up daytime residence under the undergravel filter!
Finally, I'm also thinking more seriously about shrimp.
My tank has lots of planting, including quite a bit of Java Moss and the wood I used was deliberately chosen for its many holes, caves and crevices.

One point about my filter is that the flow appears gentle enough to suit my fish, even if I was to go a 'dwarf' Gourami route.
Remember I've added an extra sponge layer and a filter floss layer.
That said, there's not much by way of surface agitation, so I've added two bubblers, powered by an Oase OxyMax 400. This pump easily runs the two supplied bubblers and it the force of each can be easily adjusted.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Ten Chili Rasbora, Boraras brigittae added.
I'd forgotten the delights of these marvellous little fish, so was well pleased to see some available!

Had a long chat at Maidenhead Aquatics about shrimp and about Panda Garra.
Re Shrimp: as suspected, the general consensus was that as long as the fish mouths were small, then adult shrimp would be totally safe. Shrimplets would be seen as Live Food, but apparently had a better survival instinct than daphnia, etc.. I was reminded that shrimp breed well enough in the wild, in spite of being predated on by just about about everything else and multiply well enough by their strategy of live young.

Re the Panda Garra: Apparently a strong water flow isn't as essential as well-oxygenated and clean water. Apparently, Panda Garra are quite happy in such water and at least one good airstone/bubbler would be classed as 'essential'. They are sociable fish and, having discussed my set-up, one would do well.

EDIT: Plants and animals in bold.

 

[Essjay]

They are sociable fish ......... one would do well.

'Social' usually means liking to be in a group. Does the context in which the word was used mean that?

 

[FishHobby99]

weird little black boxes. Used black iPad cats. And TFF gave me ginger cats.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Ammonia at 0mg/l
GH 60mg/l
KH 40mg/l
pH 7.0
NO2 Nitrite 0mg/l
NO3 Nitrate <2.5mg/l
Temperature 26°C

I decided to remove the Hemigraphis exotica. I touched one leaf and it was mush and so, for me at least, the debate about whether or not this is an aquatic plant is over...it isn't.

I bought some plants from PondPlantsUK, off Amazon; Limnophila sessiliflora and some Ceratopteris thalicrodes...very, very disappointing.The former was complete mush in the plastic bag and the latter was well and truly broken, stem-wise, with mushed leaves. The former had nothing salvageable and I'm vaguely hopeful I might've saved some of the latter. This one's a fern, so it is in with half a chance.
Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo of the plants as they arrived and so no refund is due. That said, I suspect that asking for photos suggests mine was a common problem and so I won't be buying from them again.

By contrast, I'd also bought some Tropica L. sessiliflora from Amazon and these were immaculate. Granted, they're not the cheapest, but I believe you get what you pay for and every plant I've bought from them, in both tanks, is still doing well.

Maidenhead Aquatics had a reasonable selection, so besides fish, I've added some Hygrophila corymbosa and Alternanthera rosaefolia and that should be it for planting for now.

EDIT: Plants and animals in bold.

​

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

'Social' usually means liking to be in a group. Does the context in which the word was used mean that?

My mistake...should read unsociable.

 

[FishHobby99]

My mistake...should read unsociable.

I knew that!

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Ammonia at 0mg/l
GH 60mg/l
KH 40mg/l
pH 7.0
NO2 Nitrite 0mg/l
NO3 Nitrate 2.5mg/l
Temperature 26°C

Slight rise in nitrates.

 

[VeryFatbloke]

Ammonia at 0mg/l
GH 60mg/l
KH 40mg/l
pH 7.0
NO2 Nitrite 0mg/l
NO3 Nitrate 2.5mg/l
Temperature 26°C

Slight rise in nitrates.


Dizzy is Daisy...a skinny waif who turned up at my doorstep, repeatedly, in spite of my home already have two very well established cats. She was very friendly, but there was always the possibility that she belonged to someone and besides, I already had two.
She persisted and, after a few weeks of staring in through the catflap and one night sat on the outside window ledge, in the rain, staring in, I took her in.
She was most appreciative and was even very deferential to my two, so no hissing or fighting.
First job was to take her to my local vet and get her checked out. She had worms and evidence of flea bites...and she was chipped. This allowed me to discover that she actually lived in the village and I found her owners had effectively bought her as a kitten, had kids and had then chosen to basically ignore her. (The kids were also very spoilt little brats, who had decided Daisy's tail was for pulling!)
So I adopted her, (actually, she had adopted me), and took full responsibility, getting her chip details updated, fully vetted and she's now happy to wear a collar. She was (and is) a very active and vocal girl and Dizzy suited her more than Daisy. (It's also quicker to shout, in the wee small hours )

View attachment 143256

Sounds like you're making great progress @Bruce Leyland-Jones and your cat is definitely a contender for pet of the month!

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Fish will possibly be;
At least half a dozen small loaches, (chain, if I can find some).
8 Cherry Barbs.
8 Harlequin.
A pair of Dwarf or Honey Gourami.
Some Khuli loach.

Slight revision...
The Cherry Barbs are now in, along with ten Chilli Rasbora.
If I was to add Kuhli Loach, then I'd be wanting numbers of 'em and a pair of a dwarf gourami species wouldn't work as well as a trio.
I'm also increasingly intrigued by the shrimp idea and would be thinking about a Cardia and Neocardia mix.

Not so sure about the Copper Harlequin now, unless I go for an 'extremely stocked' tank, wholly dependent on excellent filtration, good oxygenation and absolutely nothing going wrong!

Of course, I do have an even larger third tank in the shed, although I have nowhere to put it.

 

[FishHobby99]

Ammonia at 0mg/l
GH 60mg/l
KH 40mg/l
pH 7.0
NO2 Nitrite 0mg/l
NO3 Nitrate 2.5mg/l
Temperature 26°C

Slight rise in nitrates.


Dizzy is Daisy...a skinny waif who turned up at my doorstep, repeatedly, in spite of my home already have two very well established cats. She was very friendly, but there was always the possibility that she belonged to someone and besides, I already had two.
She persisted and, after a few weeks of staring in through the catflap and one night sat on the outside window ledge, in the rain, staring in, I took her in.
She was most appreciative and was even very deferential to my two, so no hissing or fighting.
First job was to take her to my local vet and get her checked out. She had worms and evidence of flea bites...and she was chipped. This allowed me to discover that she actually lived in the village and I found her owners had effectively bought her as a kitten, had kids and had then chosen to basically ignore her. (The kids were also very spoilt little brats, who had decided Daisy's tail was for pulling!)
So I adopted her, (actually, she had adopted me), and took full responsibility, getting her chip details updated, fully vetted and she's now happy to wear a collar. She was (and is) a very active and vocal girl and Dizzy suited her more than Daisy. (It's also quicker to shout, in the wee small hours )

View attachment 143256

Cool! I had a dog named Daisy, mixed breed that resembled a black timber Wolf, 130 pds. Developed a neurological disorder around age 12 & the vet had to come to the house & euthanize her. One of the saddest days of my life. I grieve yet. Then a year later we found her brother dead on the livingroom floor. Took a nap & never woke up. Very sad, but better than Daisy’s lingering illness. 12-13 is old for very large breeds.

 

[FishHobby99]

Thank you. Dizzy actually shuns the spotlight and competition because, like most, if not all cats, she believes it would be unfair on the rest.

Casper;
View attachment 143257

Ruby;
View attachment 143258

Ha ha! Exactly what my 3 cats & 2 dogs & the parrots said: Mommy, don‘t enter us in anymore contests. Our trophy shelf runneth over & we don‘t want the animals across the POND to feel bad.

 

[FishHobby99]

Yea...gotta watch that pone!

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Back to the fishes...

This morning's readings;
Ammonia at 0mg/l
GH 60mg/l
KH 40mg/l
pH 7.0
NO2 Nitrite 0mg/l
NO3 Nitrate 2.5mg/l
Temperature 26°C

I'm happy with that.
The Chili Rasbora and Cherry Barbs are looking fine, with both now showing their colours. The barbs in particular are now much easier to distinguish the sexes.

So I've now gone and added 8 Copper Harlequin, Rasbora heteromorpha espei.
Lights out and just ambient light.

EDIT: Plants and animals in bold.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Six Kuhli Loach, Pangio kuhlii added...and Dizzy's going nuts!

EDIT: Plants and animals in bold.