I mustn't be well

[Cactuspixie]

I had all sorts of plans for this new 6' tank. I wanted large schools of nano fish, and a big school of sterbais, a school of dwarf loaches etc....

But I kind of like the peacefulness of a quiet tank!

I have it 'aquascaped' with two kinds of sand (white and brown), lovely long, gnarly driftwood, Indian almond leaves, a few rocks and breeding caves, some terracotta pots planted with crypts, an anubias on d/w and some java ferns.
The crypts will likely die, because I can't bring myself to turn all 4 tubes on! I just run a pink and a white tube (4') and together with the tannins, the tank is a lovely mellow peach colour. Complete contrast to my other tanks with bright lights and crystal clear water lol.

So I increased the stock in the tank today, adding 10 small kuhli loaches. (I would have got twenty if they weren't $5 each).
That brings my stock to:

10 kuhli loaches
I breeding pair of orange spot bristlenose.
I male calico bristlenose
I (unsexed) peppermint bristlenose.

Can you picture the serenity?? Lol
With no fish swimming around to be afraid of, the kuhlis are swimming all through the water column instead of darting from one cover to another.

Give me a week or so more, and I'll be over the serenity and looking for excitement. Lol.

 

[Cynic]

There's a lot to be said for a quite under stocked tank. Low maintenance, calming, much better than these 97 plecos/clown loaches/balas in 55G or 54 live bearers in a 20G.

 

[Aquamandan]

There's a lot to be said for a quite under stocked tank. Low maintenance, calming, much better than these 97 plecos/clown loaches/balas in 55G or 54 live bearers in a 20G.

Agreed, gives it a peaceful presence to it.

 

[Cactuspixie]

And no one is staring out at me begging for food
That's the one thing that puts me off having an Oscar- the begging- and feeling like *I'm* the one being watched!

Once the kuhlis went to sleep the only action was the MTS zooming around at a millimeter an hour

Shame that tank can't fit in my bedroom- the canisters are perfectly silent, and no bubbler. Heaven!

 

[Cactuspixie]

<Sigh>

The peace and tranquility of the tank has been permanently shattered

There are about 150 bristlenose fry in there!!! I fetched about 50-60 of them out of the jumbo canister this morning. I don't know if there were eggs in my calico's cave when I transferred him and/or my orange spots have bred.

I wish there was a liquid contraceptive for fish......

 

[Lt.]

<Sig

I wish there was a liquid contraceptive for fish......

YES! THAT'D MAKE you.... ME A MILLIONAIRE!!

 

[Bbush]

I just put my baby pleco & ram in my 20 b/c they are sick. They do seem happier now w/out all the activity of the main tank. Plus they are in the quiet kitchen. Serenity now!

 

[Rivercats]

If you put root tabs under your crypts they will do fine as they are the one plant that can grow in dim lighting. They just have to have the root tabs as they are heavy root feeders.

 

[Cactuspixie]

If you put root tabs under your crypts they will do fine as they are the one plant that can grow in dim lighting. They just have to have the root tabs as they are heavy root feeders.

That's perfect! I put root tabs in the terracotta pots (which have aquarium soil in them) when I planted the crypts, so there's hope yet!