[The Dude1]

Thus far I have
Crypt Lutea
Crypt Lucens
Crypt Balansae
Crypt Becketti
Corkscrew Vals
Java Fern
Sagittaria Subulata
and some Monte Carlo
The previous occupants ate the fissidins overnight.
I have 6 or 7 Syno Multi's
1 Syno green leopard hybrid
and I should receive the other 6 Syno petricola (probably lucipinnis) today

Once the Syno's reach 2.5" to 3" they will all go into the 150... unless I try my hand at breeding some of the lucipinnis.
I also added some osmocote root tabs under nearly every plant. No changing things now LOL!

Bump: Already eating like little pigs

 

[The Dude1]

I'm thinking that I'm going to zip tie the 2 surge protectors to the bottom of the shelf that the top tank rests on to better conceal them. I'm pretty happy with it... I can get all the way into both tanks for planting or whatever and I can get to and service all of the equipment.

 

[The Dude1]

What do you guys think? 2 different kinds of wood, but I like the piece on the right and all the stuff on the left is new.. I figure it will blend once it grows in. I'm not sure how to get it all to fit together.

 

[The Dude1]

I like this alot better

 

[The Dude1]

For the new tank I want
Blyxa Japonica
Crypt Lucens
Crypt Parva
That reddish purple rotala macandra or something like that?
The hygrophila corymbosa kompacta
Fissidens on the branches
Various buces on the mopani
Maybe java fern windolev around the base of the tall branch?
I'm going to get a C02 system together but for now will I be able to grow those on large doses on metricide?
Also looking for fixtures. I was thinking 2 of the Beamswork or 2 of the Satellite Freshwater. Opinions? Had very poor results with Finnex so they are not going to be considered.

 

[Dman911]

When I was breeding cuckoo cats (synodontis multipunctatus) I used electric yellow's as the host breeding group for them because they were my most prolific group even though they hail from different lakes. They are a parasite breeder and extremely enjoyable to watch. I found with them as with most Africans keeping plants rooted is no easy task with them as @roadmaster suggested. They will appreciate a rocky tank with caves and a PH on the higher side. Beautiful fish and probably one of if not my favorite of all Africans.

Dan

 

[The Dude1]

I actually have a breeding pair of yellow labs in there. None of the fry ever make it, but it would be cool!! I may transfer them into the big tank and keep the lucipinnis in the 75 and breed them. I'm really enjoying them

 

[The Dude1]

Do you guys think 2 of these 48" Beamswork LED fixtures would be enough light?
Specs
48" EA 120 54x - 2600 lumen 45x 6500K, 9x Actinic

 

[The Dude1]

I found a really good deal on some dual T8 black shop lights. $15 a piece and $30 for a 12 pack of 6500k bulbs. I probably could've gotten 2 of those Beamswork Fixtures, but these are cheap tried and true and I can toss in an 8 or 10k bulbs and a red "plant" bulb to get the colors I want. For now I'm just going to run the AC70 on there and pick up one of the dual sunsun circulation pumps. Ive got one on the other 75 and that thing moves some water. Probably had it for 6-7 months and it still works great... and it was like $13.. so tomorrow I'm going to swing by that new LFS and pick up some crypts and stuff that will do alright without C02 for a bit. It will probably take me a month to squirrel away the cash for the regulator and stuff. I'm going to try to wait until I have some decent plant mass in there and I'm positive everything is good before I start adding fish. I want a couple Buce grow areas set up too and I want them to be able to get situated.
Here is what I'm thinking for stock..
I'll probably start out with some Amano shrimp, nerites, and maybe a few Oto's. I'd like to get some RCS in there, but I'm going to set up little tank for them again and I'll get a colony in here going with culls.
Pair of Apisto Caucatoides triple red
Pair of Bolivian Rams
4 groups of 4 Rainbows.
Millennium
Turquoise
Bosemani
Goyder River
I'd also like some loaches.. maybe a group of 5 Botia.

The bottom tank will be nothing but grow out for the syno's for now. If I'm able to distinguish the Multi's from the lucipinnis I will add the Multi's to the display tank that has a breeding pair of yellow labs. I'll keep the lucipinnis in that tank and see how breeding goes. I'm thinking I may want some dwarf cichlids and some cardinals maybe since the lucipinnis will be breeding in the "breeding caves" I shouldn't have much problem with the others getting to their eggs... they won't even be able to get to them lol

 

[The Dude1]

I am getting there!! Picked up some hygro corymbosa compact, rotala macandra, crypt Parva, crypt Lucens or lutea?? The smaller one... I still need to pick out the moss I'll use and two types of bucephelandra. I also ordered some Seachem Potassium as I think that is the cause of my constantly dying java ferns and also some iron. I'll switch to dry ferts for next time. I also ordered another dual sunsun circulation pump. I also picked up 2 super nice Bolivian Rams. I noted that the store has LITERALLY every rainbow species that I want and they get them from a well known local fish farm.
I'm going to see how this week goes and decide on what I pick up next. I'd really like to get the C02 setup, but I don't think it's in the cards just yet. The 2 Dual bulb T8 fixtures look great. May pick up a 3rd at $15 so I can really push the C02. I'm going to see how the 4 T8's perform. Anyone have any insight into these rated old school lighting solutions lol?? Will I need 6 T8 bulbs?

 

[The Dude1]

I think I may pick up a 3rd T8 fixture. From what I'm reading the macandra needs higher light and hopefully with 6 T8's and heavy metricide I can keep it alive until I get a regulator.
Anybody with experience with Rotala Macandra? Anyone know of something similair looking that will be more forgiving? The Ammania Bonsai is really pretty

 

[mbkemp]

I am trying to learn this plant right now. I've had some for about a month. Low kno3 and likes iron. I think mine is in too much flow. I don't know if anything similar that is more forgiving


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[The Dude1]

Added a bad of Floramax as the substrate wasn't deep enough in some areas. I may need one more. I also added some Bacopa Caroliniana. I also picked up a third dual T8 fixture. I would think 6 32w T8's would give me all the light I need. The water is a little cloudy from adding the substrate. I'll level it out tomorrow and add some root tabs.

 

[The Dude1]

I would like the front left and middle of the tank to fill in with crypts. I have the Bacopa Caroliniana and rotala macandra behind the driftwood on that side.
I'm thinking lobelia cardinalis dwarf would look good in front of the driftwood on the right and on the side. Im thinking of using windolev at the base of the large branches and then some bucephelandra along the lower portions of mopani. I havent decided on what im going to use behind the large branches... maybe bolbitus?? I just havent been having much luck with bolbitus... I definitely don't want a stem back there that will require trimming and may lose the lower leaves...

 

[The Dude1]

I added the circulation pump and there is alot of movement now. A couple of the stems were uprooted on the other side. The Rams don't seem to be eating. The larger eats, but spits it out.. the smaller isn't interested. I've been spot feeding bloodworms to entice the smaller one to eat. They are never more than a couple inches from each other. Hopefully they start eating soon. I'm thinking the tank temp might be an issue. There is no heater on this one... and the house is at 70... 69 at night. Probably try to pick one up today.
I think I also need another bag of Floramax for the back area with the stems

Bump:

 

[The Dude1]

Any ideas if this is something to worry about? Looks like a raw spot... it's on both sides and perfectly symmetrical.
I'm thinking of adding some clean up helpers to help keep things in check while the tank matures and plants fill in. I was thinking of 6 Oto's and 6 Amano shrimp. Maybe some nerites. I also added a couple Buces from another tank that weren't loaded with hair algae.

Bump: Added some lobelia cardinalis on the right side as well as the Buces

I'm having to cut down on the lighting period for the lower tank... algae is coming in pretty strong. It's difficult to balance light with no CO2.
Please don't mind the baby chandelier... haven't changed it out as my wife and I are arguing about a fan in that room.

 

[The Dude1]

The smaller one died... I'm not sure what happened. The other guy is super healthy and I swear he looks lonely. I'm thinking about hitting up the LFS tomorrow and picking up 3 or 4 more. Maybe some more crypt lucens. Maybe some oto's, Amano shrimp and nerites... I guess there is no harm in waiting, but I really enjoy that tank and I want some inhabitants. I'm thinking about picking up some larger plants from the SNS to stuff in there. I keep going back and forth on the bolbitus for this tank. Ive got a large portion in the 11.4 that I'm hoping will recover as it didn't do well in the 150 as one of the large stones blocked most of the light.

I know having some good plant mass will be integral to the success of multiple breeding pairs (I hope) but do you guys think I would be able to keep a breeding pair of apisto's and a breeding pair of Bolivian Rams in this 75 with the Rainbows? I don't think I can keep loaches in this tank as the Cichlids probably couldnt defend the fry from them.

3-4 Bolivian Rams
Pair of Apisto Caucatoides
4 Millenium Rainbows
4 Turquoise Rainbows
4 Goyder River
4 Bosemani
6-8 Otos
6-10 Amano Shrimp
2-3 Nerites

I'm going to start up another RCS colony soon so Ill add the culls to this tank in large numbers to try and get a colony going.

 

[The Dude1]

Big Exam tomorrow. Working on the tanks helps me stay in control. I went to the LFS in Tampa this morning before I started studying. I've always loved the looks of Emperor Tetras just never seen them in a store. They had a 3 for $8 thing going so I got 6... unfortunately one was dead by the time I got home.. like 15 minutes... they are going to take care of it tomorrow so that's cool. I also got their last 2 Bolivian Rams. I was super tempted to get some Goyder River Rainbows, but there were also red Rainbows and another type in the tank. All were juvenile and other than one having a "metallic" look they were grey and drab. They were between $12 and $16 a piece. I decided to wait and let the tank fill in a bit and finish off the plant stock list. Picked up 3 bunches of some kind of rotala I think?? Also got 2 more pots of crypt Parva and a massive anubias. I pretty much have the rotala macandra, this new stem (rotala ovalis?)and the Bacopa Caroliniana mixed in the back.
I've got the lobelia cardinalis on the right side and the hygro compacta in the center between the wood. It should look really nice when it fill is and there shouldn't be too much trimming. It's going to be a couple weeks before I can get the C02 setup together. Picking up a PPS Pro package of ferts when the checks clear. Most of the plants already have osmocote root tabs under them.

Let me know what you think? I want to get some Buce clumps on the exposed wood and either fissidins or some flame moss on some ofnthe branches especially underneath the anubias. I think that would look killer. I'm going for the nicely trimmed jungle look. I love Burr, Greggz, and Immortals tanks but that is too precise and I'm not ready for the inevitable failures along the way just yet.

 

[The Dude1]

Well... one of the 2 NEW Bolivian Rams has the same signs as the last one. White stringy poop, labored breathing, emaciated stomach. All of the fish were new so I didn't quarantine. I remember having similar luck with Bolivian Rams before.. I don't get it. Either way I'm not playing Doctor and medicating the whole tank and risking killing everything... so I will let him / her be and hope she makes it. I really would like to end up with a pair anyway, but losing 2 in a week stings. I'm not the kind of person that expects a mom and pop fish store to eat it... normally. Yesterday one of the emperor tetras was dead when I took the bag out of the car at home. They told me to swing back by and they would give me another. They are like 35 minutes away... via interstate. So I went after my exam. In looking at the Rainbows it appeared that the males for the Millenium and Goyder River were cherry picked. There was one fish that kept catching my eye... he would dart around displaying and flash these gorgeous peacock like fins... So I got that male and 2 female pseudomogil furcatus. I know they like larger groups, but at $9 a piece I wanted to make sure I wanted them. So Ive got those 3 and a total of 6 Emperor tetras. It appears that the male has cast the other 2 males into the upper corners of the tank... amazing... a 1.5" fish claiming an entire 75 gallon. So I'm hoping to pick up another 10 of those and then maybe 8 more Furcata Rainbows.

I'm the coming weeks Id like to add 6 Otos and 6 Amano shrimp. Havent decided which Rainbows to go with yet. I'm going to take my time and see what catches my eye.

 

[lisals]

One of many things that does stink about this hobby. You never know what's going to cause new fish stress and if that stress is going to kill them. Hope it pulls through for you though.