BioCube 29g planted, possible?

[water_man11]

I am a police officer and my Chief asked me to find an aquarium to out in the room where we interview victims of crimes. Often times victims of domestic violence come in with their young children and the aquarium would help calm them and distract the kids while mom relates what happened. I put an aquarium in a domestic violence crisis center about 7 years ago and it is very appreciated.

A BC29g was donated and now I am setting it up. I want to go planted and wanted to get opinions on this. Either way I plan on apistos or Rams with tetras. I always like Java moss and crypts, so I will get those plants for shore.

I like the lights, what are your thoughts on lamps for this? Also filter mods?

 

[Discusapisto]

That's really cool what your doing with this tank. I run a aquarium set up and maintenance business and I too donate tanks to abuse shelters, hospitals,schools anything for the kids heck helps the adults out as well. The tank in question is pretty much plug in and play, the filter is fine for what you are doing that comes with it. As far as the lighting goes any day light bulbs will do it prob came with actinic bulbs I'd do away with them and find bulbs with a good par value and a Kelvin rating 4000-8000k. If you go rams keep in mind you'll need a proper heater to keep the water in the low 80's for the rams and select tetras that tolerate warmer temps as well(cardinals,rummys,etc.) keep up the good work my friend!

 

[water_man11]

Discusapisto, really are not too many options for the lamps. Looks like the only "sun" spectrum lamps are 10k, but I may not have looked very well (I work uniform, not a detective, LOL).

I have kept an bred apistos (agasizis and another one from the Orinoco river) angels, discuss, rams (bolivian and blue), discus (lost fry), kribs, and buffaloheads. I also have bred Brushynose plecos and synadontis petracola. I hope to breed some cory cats. I was thinking rummy nose tetras, look good, schooling, and will be good dither fish.

I want to keep plants, but have to prune them every couple of days and a simple system. So simple plants

 

[Discusapisto]

Lol love the detective joke! Wow your after my own heart that's some of my favorite fish you've kept right there lol! Well no need to mention what fish to use you know what's what, a simple south American themed tank will be really sweet. Rummys are one of my favorite tetras deff go with them.( who am I kidding I like all tetras). I'm assuming your light fixture is power compacts correct? Coral life makes a 6700 k bulb that and a 10,000 k would work. The hard part is your gonna want to have the 10-12 hour photo period the lights are on to be when the most people are around to see it. Any longer than that you'll have a algae show tank

 

[water_man11]

I will put the lights on timers to run from 12 pm to 11:30 pm. Glad to hear they have a 67k lamp, I will order that. There is a fella that grew up in town that moves to Florida and owns an lfs there. When he was in high school he was a bit of a wise Asst, nothing serious, just a character. He is donating a bunch of stuff and asked that we do a press release, which he hopes will irritate a few of my co-workers whom I refer to as upright. Hahaha will be funny.

 

[Discusapisto]

I will put the lights on timers to run from 12 pm to 11:30 pm. Glad to hear they have a 67k lamp, I will order that. There is a fella that grew up in town that moves to Florida and owns an lfs there. When he was in high school he was a bit of a wise Asst, nothing serious, just a character. He is donating a bunch of stuff and asked that we do a press release, which he hopes will irritate a few of my co-workers whom I refer to as upright. Hahaha will be funny.

Man that would be funny! It's cool he is gonna donate all that stuff. Keeps your end of the cost down. Yep coral life makes a 6700k it's in a yellow package I believe just make sure you get the right pin size(square,or straight) can't tell ya how many times back when I managed a lfs people got that wrong lol!

 

[water_man11]

I added a shoal of brimstone and a trio of panda virus. I am now looking for the lamp to replace actinic lamp. Will be getting the plants soon, Java moss, micro swords, and crypts. Have not figured on the dwarf cichlids, thinking apistos.

 

[water_man11]

Wow auto correct on phone did a number on that post. What I meant to post was a shoal of neons and a trio of panda corys.

 

[Discusapisto]

Livestock selection sounds good!

 

[water_man11]

Thanks. I want to put some Ancistris sps. in the tank in hopes to spawn them. I have bred temickii, so I was wondering if you could recommend another species?

 

[Discusapisto]

One question though if you plan to breed apistos it would be counter productive to breed pleco's because they will fight over the caves no matter how many you add. Plus the pleco's will feed on the apistos eggs at night while they sleep. Me or any long time apisto breeder will tell you no pleco's if you want apisto fry to survive in any great numbers.

 

[water_man11]

You know, I was breeding rams in a tank with brushies. Rams are not cave spawners, and I took the egg rock out. So it will be Otto cats then.

What other species of ancistris are similar to temickii?

 

[Discusapisto]

Yeah rams would explain how you did that because most pleco's would stress the apistos out bad. I'm not familiar with that name do you know the L number of that pleco that's how I identify most of them?

 

[water_man11]

I have not heard the term "L"#. Sounds like they have found regional species of plecos or the species are yet to be described? Anyway if that is the xase, then I have a whole list of fish to spawn for breeder award points when I get back into freshwater!

 

[Discusapisto]

I have not heard the term "L"#. Sounds like they have found regional species of plecos or the species are yet to be described? Anyway if that is the xase, then I have a whole list of fish to spawn for breeder award points when I get back into freshwater!

Yep so many plecos and their brethren have been discovered they all have been assigned L numbers and I've come to know them by their numbers more so than their common and often generic names. Go into google and off the top of my head type in L-270 and look. You'll see what I mean I swear new pleco's are added every few weeks.

 

[water_man11]

I read a few years ago that there were new expeditions into the Guianas and Suriname to do a bioinventories of the waters, the found numereous undescribed fish. Namely plecos, corys, tetras and small to medium sizes cichlids. Not sure where I tread it, but was very stoked to hear of places like this.

Onto plants: micro sword should work in this one, correct?

 

[Discusapisto]

I read a few years ago that there were new expeditions into the Guianas and Suriname to do a bioinventories of the waters, the found numereous undescribed fish. Namely plecos, corys, tetras and small to medium sizes cichlids. Not sure where I tread it, but was very stoked to hear of places like this.

Onto plants: micro sword should work in this one, correct?

Yep it should work it does however spread faster in fine sand or really sand in general.

 

[water_man11]

I have a sand and florite substrate. So hopefully this will work.......

 

[water_man11]

Here is a pic, the plants are plastic, till I get some live plants. Thinking keyhole cichlids, now

 

[water_man11]

Here is the oic