RiverBottom/Dive Tank

[Bruce_S]

I like the look of this tank, with its strong vertical elements in wood, plants and fish!

When it's cycled, you might look at a school of Corydoras catfish. Some are boldly patterned, some more delicately so, but most school, and they'll do a bang-up job of keeping the top couple of millimeters of your sand stirred up. A group of hatchetfish might look good there as well, adding shimmer and movement just below the surface. In a mid-level schooling fish, would you be looking for color, or additional vertical elements to reflect the overall look of the tank? I think black phantom tets would add that for you... Mine tend to stay in the lower 1/3 of the water column, and the males spend most of their free time displaying to one another, fins at full extension.

Any way you go, it's a beautiful beginning!

~Bruce

[Meganne]

thanks for the complements and suggestions Bruce! I like the idea of a school of Corydoras. and had not thought of hatchet fish, but that is a great thought as well, whats not to like about shimmer!
for color I am really drawn to the rummy nose tetras

[Meganne]

the Dwarf Baby's breath is starting to recover, new green shoots are peeking out of the dead clumps it had become
the Drawf Grass is all brown but the smallest clump looks just fine, how strange is that?

the red leafy plant has all melted away but one stalk which I dont have much hope for.

everything else is growing and seems healthy, I have added another light, a florecant bulb for plants.

water seems cloudy, not bad just not cystal clear.

[Sd760]

Cool tank. Don't know if u said this but what LED fixture is that?

[Meganne]

a marineland 65K

[Meganne]

ok, I have added diy CO2 to the tank, three days now.
*the one stalk of the red leafy plant has a new bit of growth to it and I added to that area a plant called peacock fern?
*the drarf hair grass is gone but one small area and has been replaced with a dwarf java which seems to be a hardier plant.
*the HC is still trying, not compleatly lost yet, keeping fingers crossed. the giant hair grass is hanging in but not growing, hoping th CO2 helps it along.

I lost the clown loaches and the larger angel not long after I moved them to the tank so there are the 3 angels left.
I have added 5 headlight taillight tetras, 11 rummy noses(4 remain, everyone has brilliant red faces so the waters seem to agree with them not sure why they dropped off)
and I got a black ghost knife fish, he will stay till he causes trouble and probably shouldnt have added it to the tank in the first place.

this spring I still want to add the corries and get the number of rummy noses back up.

[Meganne]

and up dated shot of the tank. the water is looking and testing good. with pictures I see the growth I have on several plants! HC struggles along.
the black ghost knife is behaving thus far. comes out for the dinner when the tank is fed.

[andrewss]

I really like this tank... only thing I could say is a lil bit of a rake in the sand would be nice, like peak it up behind the main piece of wood and maybe give it a wave here and there...


great work

[Meganne]

the plants are growing! I hardly notice day to day but reviewing pictures ...goodness! I have added glossostigma to the backleft corner.
the Dwarf Baby'sBreath still struggles .though I have added DIY C02

[StraightAddicted]

I would get rid of the black ghost knife. They tend to be semi aggressive predators that will peck at smaller fish if they can catch them. They are nocturnal so you won't see it much anyways.

[Meganne]

yes I know! I asked aout it at the LFS and was told they are good in a community tank...yeah, right! *roll eyes*
for now it is small and behaving. it comes out every eveningwhen the room is dark and the LED light goes off(the florecent stays on for a while after that.) it must dim thngs just enough for it to be comfortable. while it behaves we will enjoy it, when it starts to act up it is gone.

[Meganne]

so one of the othr things I do is hand build with clay, as in pottery. I have been on a roll making little mermaids, dont ask me why as I dont really know. Anyway, two of my cousins have planted tanks and put the mermaids I had gifted them into their tanks. My husband loved the idea so now one lives in my tank. Pretty tacky I know, but seeing as I put this all together for him in the first place it was his call

[Meganne]

I moved the Crypt(Balansae, I think) back and to the left side of the large vertical DW. the plant which was there (peacock fern is all the tag at the lfs said) I wedged along the inner crevase of the DW.



on the forground DW I have sewn some Chrismas moss along each leg. This would have been much easier to have done BEFORE the tank was flooded! duh! oh, well I am learning as I go.


in place of the crypt I moved I put a pretty little plant which I have no name for...anyone???

[Meganne]

short dark algea(I guess, almost looks black, very fine and short and ugly on the white sand!)) growing all over the floor..... help!

[oliver77]

I'm a fan of sands. so this is definitely nicely done!

that left side wood looks kinda weird to me... perhaps it'll look better upside down?
anyway a great start.. the crypt is looking awesome!