When I was a freshman in college, I bought a 20 gal xtra high and of all things put two red-bellied Pacu in it. I had no idea at the time what Pacu were or that they were considered "tankbusters" due to their ability to get gigantic in no time. Of course, they got way too big, destroyed all the plastic plants, the thermometer, and constantly jumped and smacked the top of the tank, nearly jumping out on numerous occaisions. I sold them both back to the LFS and got discouraged. A close friend needed a cheering up, and I got tired of the tank, so I gave her the tank and stand.
Years later, I missed that tank, so I purchased another, brand new with a stand. For a while I tried everything from puffers to guppies, to plecos and never settled on anything I truly liked. At one time I had nothing but Bamboo Shrimp in the tank...
I planted the tank with amazon swords and java moss and left it that way for quite some time. I added some angelfish, my favorites, and hoped to begin a natural pairing tank to begin breeding angels.
Sure enough, those angels began pairing and I moved them to one of my larger tanks. This tank got neglected for quite some time. My angels began breeding in my other tanks, and I began using this tank as a grow tank for the best of the fry, which is where it stands now with some angels from a hatch nearly 6 months ago. I hadnt paid any attention to the plants or algae, only feeding the angels daily.
A few weeks ago, the light (power compact) stopped working. Some folks on this site recommended I call Catalina Aquarium to have the fixture repaired or replaced. I did, and the planted tank bug bit again. Now I'm head over heels and have spent over $1000 in the past week upgrading the lighting on all my tanks, filtration, and working to "rebuild" each of the tanks. Since this tank was where the inspiration began, I figured I would start my journals with this one. Enjoy, and please feel free to comment and suggest ideas. All opinions are welcomed!!
Here we go...
Tank: 20 Gal Xtra High
Filtration: Eheim 2236, Powerhead 201 for circulation (20gph)
Lighting: Custom Compact Flourescent - Dual 39watt 6500K bulbs (built by Catalina Aquarium)
Heater: Stealth 200 watt
Substrate: Black & Natural gravel
Hardscape: Store-bought driftwood
Ferts: Flourish Excel, Flourish Iron, Flourish tabs, Flourish liquid
Flora: Amazon Sword, Anubias Nana, Java Moss
Fauna CRS, RCS, whiptail pleco
Future plans include a trimming, a thorough glass cleaning, some RCS & CRS shrimp, relocation of the angels to a new tank, some new filtration, some new plants, and possibly some C02 either DIY or pro. Plans are for this to become a dedicated shrimp tank and the occasional grow tank for angel fry. STAY TUNED!!
J
Years later, I missed that tank, so I purchased another, brand new with a stand. For a while I tried everything from puffers to guppies, to plecos and never settled on anything I truly liked. At one time I had nothing but Bamboo Shrimp in the tank...
I planted the tank with amazon swords and java moss and left it that way for quite some time. I added some angelfish, my favorites, and hoped to begin a natural pairing tank to begin breeding angels.
Sure enough, those angels began pairing and I moved them to one of my larger tanks. This tank got neglected for quite some time. My angels began breeding in my other tanks, and I began using this tank as a grow tank for the best of the fry, which is where it stands now with some angels from a hatch nearly 6 months ago. I hadnt paid any attention to the plants or algae, only feeding the angels daily.
A few weeks ago, the light (power compact) stopped working. Some folks on this site recommended I call Catalina Aquarium to have the fixture repaired or replaced. I did, and the planted tank bug bit again. Now I'm head over heels and have spent over $1000 in the past week upgrading the lighting on all my tanks, filtration, and working to "rebuild" each of the tanks. Since this tank was where the inspiration began, I figured I would start my journals with this one. Enjoy, and please feel free to comment and suggest ideas. All opinions are welcomed!!
Here we go...
Tank: 20 Gal Xtra High
Filtration: Eheim 2236, Powerhead 201 for circulation (20gph)
Lighting: Custom Compact Flourescent - Dual 39watt 6500K bulbs (built by Catalina Aquarium)
Heater: Stealth 200 watt
Substrate: Black & Natural gravel
Hardscape: Store-bought driftwood
Ferts: Flourish Excel, Flourish Iron, Flourish tabs, Flourish liquid
Flora: Amazon Sword, Anubias Nana, Java Moss
Fauna CRS, RCS, whiptail pleco
Future plans include a trimming, a thorough glass cleaning, some RCS & CRS shrimp, relocation of the angels to a new tank, some new filtration, some new plants, and possibly some C02 either DIY or pro. Plans are for this to become a dedicated shrimp tank and the occasional grow tank for angel fry. STAY TUNED!!
J