Andrew's 2nd tank - planted spec 2 tank - boraras maculatus & wild tigers arrived :D

[@marko@]

if you go with a betta, youll need a cover. they like to jump.

[andrewss]

Originally Posted by sayurasem

That table need to be dedicated to the tank only haha. So much cleaner!

yes, you are right... I just was putting off clearing up my computer desk next to that for my lamp and stuff, but I did today and viola:

[andrewss]

Originally Posted by @marko@

if you go with a betta, youll need a cover. they like to jump.

I have the stock spec cover just not on the tank... don't want to use it if I don't have to, I like the coverless look better

[horsedude]

thats quite a diffrent way of decorationg your room but i like it!
more updates and keep up the good work.
one quick question how long does a dwarf hairgrass carpet take?

[andrewss]

heh thanks

I dunno, I am new to this hobby for one not to mention this is my first time growing it - I have heard it grows in the moderate range as far as carpeting out goes

[LyzzaRyzz]

Great looking tank!
I see you we're thinking about a darker betta, I have one, he's great, but I can't really see his face, and that bothers me! I'm not exactly sure why, but I live to see their faces....which ended up with me getting another betta!
Good luck with your tank and future betta!

[horsedude]

Up date please im really enjoying this thread buts its only cus i like to look at pics of tanks XD

[andrewss]

Originally Posted by LyzzaRyzz

Great looking tank!
I see you we're thinking about a darker betta, I have one, he's great, but I can't really see his face, and that bothers me! I'm not exactly sure why, but I live to see their faces....which ended up with me getting another betta!
Good luck with your tank and future betta!

thanks! yeah, I see what you mean there - however I have decided against a betta for this tank

Originally Posted by horsedude

Up date please im really enjoying this thread buts its only cus i like to look at pics of tanks XD

thanks! I know what you mean

[andrewss]

Soooo, I have had some algae issues with this tank - my pennywort was FULL of it, the leaves are still a bit messed from it, but today I took out all of it and rinsed it down and actually thined it out because that stuff really grew!

I also put in a part of a window insect screen over the bulb within the shroud of my light to cut down a bit on its power to help against the algae... also I am going to reduce my light on time per day - but I am hoping my dosing of flourish excel here in a few days when I get it in the mail helps as well.

But of course when I get it stocked I will be able to control it better - that said...

I am scratching the betta plan and going with a CRS colony. I would also like to get a 3-5 chilli rasboras. What do you guys think about that? Could I house some of those guys? I always do frequent water changes (well at least on my cycled 5 gallon tank, minimum of 2 a week usually lol).

Finaaaally, I have some manzanita driftwood coming and I plan to minorly adjust my scape and get a nice branch cluster of manzanita in the tank that I plan to attach my anubias petite to (as well as two more rhizomes coming in the mail as well as some fissidens)

So yeah, I guess I can't stop tinkering.

Pix:





you can see the ludwigia basically needs a trim already!



I guess I'm not surprised that pond snails have hitchhiked into the tank but I am also surprised they have been surviving the water chemistry! However now the ammonia is actually almost 0ppm, nitrites 0ppm, and the nitrates are real high (so I guess the cycle is real on its way )


thanks for readin

[theshadybird]

Almost about to need a betta in there now!
I have 5 girls you could choose from, lol. And a friend who lives in Ohio!

[edit] If you were still wanting one, that is ^^

[horsedude]

Hi thanks for the great pics and the tank is deffinitly coming along nicely,
my personal views on housing the chilli rasboras is a definet yes. i love rasboras, i have 9 in my 20 gallon and their breeding aswell so i think there graet little fish. i also love crs but i can get another tank as my parents wont allow me. i love the idea of having manzanita i there aswell and i like anubias also.
keep up the great work and updates! (lol)

[andrewss]

thanks for the comments guys!

the tank finally was testing good so I added what the tank really needs... algae prevention, two amanos will do the job well I think.

Well, my LFS actually had some DHG in today so I bought some and added a lil bit extra and a lil cardamine in the background and removed like 50% of the pennywort floating on top.

I am waiting for some fissidens and more anubias petite - I will be tying or gluing these to some manzanita that is also enroute, later this week I should have that.


Finally, the amanos... I feel pretty bad to say it but I got them in the tank and got on my computer for a second and cleaned up some of the mess from planting and when I looked in the tank next I only saw 1 of 2 amanos........ needless to say I hadn't put the cover on the tank yet!

DOH, I looked around, all over, in the filter wells, etc... no where to be found.

I took the tank off the stand and then removed the stand and found him tucked between these pieces of cardboard I have under the stand trying to level it.

He was probably under there for 5-10 min or something!

I got him back in the tank and now like nearly an hour later he has some color back. Structurally and behaviorally one couldn't tell he spent that much time under the stand, main thing noticed was his carapace seemed darker than the other amano and he also lost a good bit of the slight brown/tan hues the other amano has.

I wonder if I will find him dead tomorrow though.

Here is a picture of the pair after the drama: (the Houdini amano is the one hanging out on the dwarf sub)

[andrewss]

also, I am in the market to buy 4 or 5 chilli rasboras & 10 crs shrimps.

I am trying to figure out where is the best place to order them, someone that can ship me both in the same package.

Any pointers? CRS are pretty easy to find but good looking chilli rasboras seem a bit harder, the ones at my LFS don't look very good - C.Campbell on here who is local said he thinks they arent really rasbora brigittae

[loucas6290]

http://msjinkzd.com her chili rasboras are awesome quality, very colorful.

[andrewss]

Ya I was thinking I should contact her about it.

Oh and I found the escapist amano shrimp alive and eating this morning, sooooo so far he seems ok - I am impressed he is surviving such stress still, hope he makes it. He is grazing some and appears to be ok but wow 5-10mins out of the tank under the stand is pretty impressive to survive at all from!