30g Journal LOTS of new PICS 10/7 (!56k)

[mizu-chan]

Ahh they are so cute (:
About how big are yours?

[SeaSerpant]

I like your cories what kind are they? You could also just put moss on the top of the rock and pull all the moss that creeps onto the caves.

[Karackle]

Mizu-chan - yeah, i think they're flipping adorable little things. They're tiny, i'd say about 1/2 inch

SeaSerpant - Thanks! They are pygmy cories (corydoras pygmaeus) and they're TINY i love them. Yes, I was thinking about putting moss on top, i think it could look cool, moss "curtains" in front of some of the little caves could be neat too if i get the right kind of moss that would "drape" that way.

[Karackle]

I updated the first post with all the tank parameters.

I need help with stocking options. Here's what I am thinking:

- Pygmy cories (already in there)
- Sparkling gouramies (2? 3? how do these do in groups?)
- Ember Tetras (~15?)
- Phoenix rasboras (boraras merah)
and/or
Chili rasboras (boraras brigittae)
- few otos
- 1-2 Bamboo shrimp

Thoughts on the stocking?

Will the 2 rasbora speices school together? If so I'm thinking like 7-8 of each, if not then 15 of one of them

How will the bamboo shrimp do with that stocking? I know they require a bit of special care, I researched them quite a bit before but didn't have a good place for them to hang out near a current in my 20g, but I have a nice piece of driftwood right near the filter outflow in this tank so i'm thinking it could work. Will they push my bioload over the limit though?

Any and all input, comments, suggestions, concerns, etc. will be appreciated! Thanks!!!

[Karackle]

Any aquascaping thoughts for me? Or anything else?

I called around and one of my LFS has a couple sparkling gouramies so they're on hold for me and I'm picking them up today!

[Karackle]

Well there was some miscommunication and I only got 1 Sparkling Gourami, but it sounds like they're peaceful enough that being in a heavily planted tank I should be ok adding more later. If it becomes a problem I'll put them in the 5.5g, but from what I've researched, they'll flare at each other but don't attack the way most other labyrinth fish do.

I also got me a bamboo shrimp! The guy at the store picked me out the prettiest one Within 5 minutes of going in the tank, he was still sitting on the underside of a branch of driftwood, but he had his fans out sifting the water for food :-D

They were hiding a little but the bamboo shrimp cooperated for a picture....at least better than the sparkler :-P Enjoy!

Bamboo shrimp:




Gourami (not the greatest pictures, had to use the flash, but better than nothing ):

[mizu-chan]

Great picture of the bamboo shrimp! Your little gourami looks so shy.
Have you decided what schooling fish you're putting in? I really love Chili rasboras but thats just me. Great progress so far!

[Karackle]

Thanks! The bamboo shrimp is really fun to watch. He's much different than anyone i've had in my tanks. The gourami is definitely shy, but I think once I get some school fish they'll act like dither fish and coax him out, i hope. Once i get a couple more of them in that might help a little too. For the schooling fish I think I'm going to go with like 15 ember tetras and either 15 chili or 15 phoenix rasboras, or possibly 8 of each.

[mizu-chan]

It would look really cool if you mixed the 8 and 8. Lots of variety and movement.

[Karackle]

That's what I was thinking too, especially if they school together. If the chances are that they won't school together, i don't know if it'll be enough of each?

[mizu-chan]

Yeah. I think they only need about 7 to school.

[Karackle]

Yeah, I'm liking the idea of getting both kinds I think.

Well my bamboo shrimp continues to wander about the aquarium doing his thing. I've got some fry food that i mix with water and squirt into the filter outflow to make sure there's enough food for him in the tank since it's rather new, but he seems to like going around picking things out of the moss and things too.

The gourami was out and about this morning while I was getting ready to go to work, so it looks like s/he'd getting a little bolder which is good! I hoping the addition of schoolers will help bring the little guy (or girl) out even more!

Haven't added anything else to the tank yet, but hte Wisteria has already grown about an inch, it's in a would-be dark corner of the tank, but it gets some sun coming in from the window next to the tank. All the plants so far look happy and healthy, and the baby crypts seem to be growing. The larger crypts haven't melted yet, but have actually perked up nicely. I was expecting meltage in the new environment, but haven't seen it yet. Hopefully they'll continue to adjust without melting.

[Karackle]

Just wanted to post a quick mostly pictorial update of the tank, I managed to get some great shots of the shrimpy-do (that's what i've taken to calling him )

Hanging out:




Feeding (fans out) with flash:




without flash:


Managed to snap a couple decent cory pics:


Hiding under the ledge facing the back of the tank made by the large piece of slate in the front of the tank:


And I my little gourami is getting slowly less shy, managed to get 2 blurry ones that show his sparkly colors:




And one pretty clear one that doesn't show the sparkles as much:


Enjoy!

[Karackle]

And just another quick note, the silent cycle I was aiming for has been going well so far. I've had barely readable amounts of ammonia and nitrIte occasionally, but so far nothing over 0.25 (the lowest number readable by the liquid test kits) which i've only seen every other day or so IF that.

[chase127]

if you want a good tight school be sure to add a predator. maybe a pair of rams or angels. it seems every one is going nano fish