[lisya]

About six weeks ago the husband was in the LFS (Aquarium World, in Houston) with me and he spotted a 20-gallon tank with a pair of green tiger barbs, a pair of swordtails and some other colorful fish. He was absolutely enamored of the green tiger barbs. After about two weeks of, "Do I wanna? What do you think I should do? What would you do?" I finally deposited him in front of one of the sales people and pretty much said, "He wants a 29 gallon with the Eclipse hood." I was thinking something simple, easy for him to get to everything, and no live plants for him...

Then he saw my corkscrew val...

We walked out of the store that first weekend with the tank and hood, five green tiger barbs and a bristlenose pleco. That was 2 weeks ago. The bristlenose is fine; he even has a little bit of algae to munch on in the tank now. Three of the tiger barbs have lost half of their tails. We figure the other two are probably the culprits since their tails are intact, so they are in quarantine to return for credit. He also got several corkscrew vals, some torta vals, a dwarf onion plant, and some crypts.

Today he added a swordtail, a rainbow shark, a pair of red eye tetras, and two other fish that I haven't looked at real closely yet. They're livebearers, but that's about all I can tell.

Here's a shot of the whole tank:

he's going for a sunken ruins theme.

He thought he wanted a red-tail shark (knowing he'd have to return it when it outgrew the tank). They were out of stock, but he decided he liked the rainbow shark even better.

Any thoughts or suggestions on plants that will do well with the Eclipse hood?

 

[someguy9812]

you will be limited to mosses(java, xmas, flame), java ferns(needle, regular, windolv) and anubias.

Crypts may work and so may the vals, but dont expect fast growth on anything

 

[Tex Gal]

You can have a really nice tank with those varieties. Sorry about your green barbs. I think you needed a bigger tank. They can get mean.

 

[lisya]

Someguy: that's kinda what I thought, and how I tried to steer him. The java fern in my 75G had daughters, so we saved some cash there. The red crypt wendtii is melting right now, and he's concerned about that. I seem to recall one of mine doing something similar, then it grew back perfectly healthy.

Tex Gal: I think he's going to just trade the two agressors for some bottom-feeders. He's looking at either a pictus catfish or a pair (or trio) of cories. Either way, I think he'll be happier with a little more variety in the tank.

 

[Tex Gal]

He's looking at either a pictus catfish or a pair (or trio) of cories. Either way, I think he'll be happier with a little more variety in the tank.

Word of caution- pictus cats are beautiful but they will eat anything that can fit into their mouths. If your hubby has all large fish there is no problem. If he doesn't all he'll have left is the pictus cat! :flick: (pictus licking his wiskers!)

 

[lisya]

Thanks, Tex Gal! I'll be sure he keeps that in mind.

One of his separated barbs died yesterday, and he's debating returning the four remaining fish for something less aggressive. He really likes the other fish in the tank, so he may trade them for a moonlight gourami or something along those lines.

 

[lisya]

He decided to go ahead and return one of the tiger barbs yesterday. The LFS gave him full credit for the fish even after three weeks! He picked out two Corydoras punctatus:

three more red-eye tetras (who are now schooling quite happily with the first two), two rosey barbs and one opaline gourami:

The three remaining tiger barbs' tails are growing back in.

Yesterday I tested his tank. Ammonia was at zero, and nitrAtes were at 10 ppm, but nitrItes were at 1 ppm. He did somewhere between a 50 and 60% water change today, along with a re-scape. New readings are ammonia at .25 ppm, nitrAtes at 20 ppm and nitrItes at .25 ppm. I'll do another check tomorrow evening.

Updated FTS:

For some reason, the rainbow shark doesn't mind sharing his "rock" with the pleco, but let one of the golden barbs get close and he loses his mind. It's funny to watch him nibbling at the algae on the outside of the rock and see the barbs sneak in. A few minutes later he realizes they're in there and chases them out. In my head I hear an old man yelling, "You kids get offa my lawn!"

 

[demonbreedr16]

HaHa, that's too funny about the Pleco with the shark then the pleco with the barbs! My plecos have gone in a spawning frenzy and ripped up all but 5 plants in my 29...I JUST got those sword happy too!! Oh well, I need to do a WC anyway... Hope the barbs do well...I know I love my green Tiger Barbs!