How the mighty have fallen (my 10g)

[Curare]

My girlfriend and I decieded to go overseas for a few months, and decided that considering I'd just had a bunch of chequred rainbowfish fingerlings raised in one tank that my old housemate would like to take care of them, and keep a portion of my plants in the hope that when I returned I could start a fresh.


My girlfriend also had a clownfish-anemome pair that she wanted to look after.


Four months later we come back to green tanks, no plants a dead clown and a dead anenome, encrusted glass, busted (or so we were told) Rio cannister filters and 4 rainbows.


We cried after getting them out of his house..


An entire day setting up these two tanks from scratch (horray for ANOTHER CYCLE! ) we now have to start again. I started using the in tank filter in the tank for fear that he'd blown my rio, and then went off to find out what had really happened. I emptied all of the filter media, but it into a buck of salt water that happened to be handy, primed and hit the switch. wMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM, no problems. My plants had spent 4 months without decent filtration and NO co2, so they'd just become enrusted in hair algae, and he'd pulled them out figuring they were dead. Including a tiger lilly, my anubias, and all my ludwigia. I was suprised to find a small chunk of java moss still tenaciously clinging to a peice of drift wood, and one tiny stem of Hygrophilia.


This is a before shot of the 10 Gal.



I will post a pic of the tank as it is now. sort of a before an after, if you will

[turbosaurus]

Ugghh, you poor thing,
I almost don't want to see it (cover my eyes)
it was beautiful before.

[unirdna]

Such a shame. It's a double-slap because you look so forward to seeing the tanks again. Not only do you not get to see them; you have to clean up the "death" as well. My sympathies.

[Curare]

here is the after shots.

These were taken about 2 hours after the tanks were set up, hence the cloudyness, the substrate is river sand from our area (very lateritic) and so it dusts ever so well.

[Curare]

Even after having the teeth kicked out of it, the tank is starting to get back on it's feet.

The budget it a bit tight at the moment, caring for two sick tanks and many other hobbies, and setting up a house so I can't add a heap of plants, but what is in there is going beserker.

This is after 5 days.


horrific shot, if only for the reflections in the glass.

this is where the tank lives in my office


...and the watersprite suprised it's seeing light and getting fed

[Curare]

here's another one I found on my home poota of her in her glory days...

[BSS]

Nice office setup you got there. Looks like the tank will be back to reasonable shape soon. So, even though someone kicked you off your horse and left the thing for dead, way to get back on and start ridin' again!

[CutieWitBooty]

do you have a pic of the saltwater? I'm sorry sorry, i know how much that sucks.

[Curare]

yeah, this is it when we got it back, it's basically just live rock, everything else has either carked or is hiding.

It's getting better, it has an army of grazers preening it as we speak.




Well, as for the 10g, things are looking better but worse. I had a massive outbreak of GW, and I've been combatting that for the past while, I'm putting it down to the tnak cycling and just too much light, not enough biomass.

So, more biomass did you say?

well being poor it happens slowly, I managed to steal some java moss, and bought some water hedge as it's pretty good for what I need to to at the moment, and the rainbows love it (eat your greens!!!) I'll wait for the tank to clear a little and then I'll post some more pics up.

[scolley]

Curare - I just saw this, and wanted to chime in just to say how sorry I am this happened! I know you must be bummed.

But at the same time, you have given me enough encouragement in the past that I know you are going to get past this, and things will be better in the end.

Even still, I know it's a bummer. But I know you've got your chin up, and we all know you will come out of this shining! Looking forward to the pics!

[Curare]

At the moment Scolley, I'm looking forward to being able to see through my tank!

HAHAHA

As for the other ones, I'm waiting to get enough cash together for a big splurge on my 55 gal and my 2 gal nano is waiting in the wings for the right resident.

this 10 gal is keeping me sane tho.

[Wezsh0T]

I left on a vacation for 7 weeks and my guppy breeding project was no more...I know exactly how you feel.

looks like your tanks are making good recoveries though...

[Curare]

I'm trying something really odd to fix the GW..

Magic Almond Leaves. Well, to be honest I don't think they're that magical.

..yet..

We'll see

Pics up soon.

[scolley]

OK, I know it's early for you Curare, and I know this is off topic. Sorry.

But I gotta ask... what the heck is that "my dark tufty nemesis" stuff about? I'm clueless.

[Stealthy Ninja]

You know, this could be a business idea...how about (like in some film I saw once) you get paid to go and look after peoples tanks while they are away...then become a gigolo after you smash some rich jerks tank.

Anyway, it sucks, but now you have an excuse to start again. Most art is better if you have to start again. I'm sure it will look even better this time around and you can have fun creating a new aquascape.

Next time, leave CLEAR instructions to Duce Bigalow before you leave the tank in his charge.