"The Mud Puddle" - 40G Journal

[Jun]

Alright, so I'm creating this thread to put all the updates for my 40 gallon project that I gifted myself with for Christmas. I lovingly refer to it as 'the Mud Puddle', because for the first little while I had it, it looked like this:

So, thankfully, after a few thousand gallons (or so it seemed like) worth of water changes, it cleared up for the most part. I just received a shipment of manzanita, and went on a 50-foot trek to round up a few nice stones, and I completed the hardscape yesterday:

Not too shabby, eh? It's a little cloudy in the picture because I was messing with the sand, but I'm pretty proud of the way it's turning out.

I'd expected to have about $40 worth of plants in there about this time, too, since I am expecting the first 'true' inhabitants of the tank tomorrow, but my box of plants is caught in USPS limbo and I have no idea when to expect it (It was supposed to be here Monday). Hopefully soon? I'll update this when we have fish and/or plant touchdown.

 

[Haileyjade]

It looks great so far...can't wait to see some updates! Crossing my fingers for you that the plants find their way soon...hate it when that happens!


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[Jun]

Thank you! I appreciate it. Hoping the plants aren't extra super dead by the time they get here, considering time and weather. Boo.

 

[stevanavich]

Running water in buckets of the sand beforehand will eliminate the majority of that "dust" from your tank...I used a hosepipe in a bucket and allowed the water to "surface" with the "dust" and pour over the sides of the bucket.



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[Jun]

Running water in buckets of the sand beforehand will eliminate the majority of that "dust" from your tank...I used a hosepipe in a bucket and allowed the water to "surface" with the "dust" and pour over the sides of the bucket.

I've cleaned and used many different types of sand. This was Paverstone Play Sand, and it wasn't just dust - this sand was pigmented. I cleaned it for several hours before putting it in the tank, but sitting submerged for long periods of time leached all that colour off. It looks great now, but SO much work!

So it has been a bit of a crazy week with the tank.

I don't know what USPS' problem was last week but they did NOT have their crap together. My plants arrived - three days late - more than 50% dead. Thankfully the seller is awesome and is sending me another batch that will be here tomorrow.

I got those plants the same day that would have been 'day 3' for the tank's main species of fish (Betta ocellata) in the mail (aka, they were mailed Monday, supposed to be delivered Wednesday, they hadn't gone out for delivery on Thursday, and they had no intention of delivering them until Friday. WTF!). I panicked a little. (Okay, a lot) I called around and asked everyone very nicely if they could help me find my package. And they did! So I rushed out and picked them up at the post office on Thursday.

Thankfully, they all arrived a-okay despite USPS messing everything up.

SO okay, in fact, that today - three days later - I had two separate flirting pairs of fish, and now I have a holding male! OI.

Not that I am complaining.

I'll get an updated tank shot tomorrow once I've got a few more plants for it, but for now, here are two boys trying to look tough and mean.

^ The boy in front was one of the males that was flirting hard with one of the girls. She teased him for a good long while, and he struck out in the end. He was trying so hard, too!

 

[Bichir Bro]

"The Mud Puddle" - 40G Journal

Wow! Great looking tank man! I've always liked wild type Bettas like that.

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[Brookster123]

Love it!!!

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[Jun]

A little more updated shot. I got the second shipment of plants and it really filled the tank up - now it's just a game of seeing what sticks and what I like and what I want to focus on. So it looks a little haphazard right now.

Here's the holding male - he has since eaten the eggs but it was his first try so I'm not surprised, haha.

More boys making faces.

My lone female B. splendens. She is the queen of the front glass (you know, the begging area).

One of four sterbai cories.

 

[Adamtron2000]

I love it. What else are you adding?


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[Jun]

Not much to update, but here is an updated full tank shot from earlier today.

Current stock list is 7 B. ocellata and 5 C. sterbai and still my 1 silly B. splenden girl.

Been a little crazy with work, but I quit two days ago (with relief AND panic) so I'm thinking about doing a little more 'scaping on this thing, moving the plants and stuff around. The Cabomba exploded - obviously - so I think I need to move that to the back and see what isn't growing quite as quickly that I can bring to the front.

I am in love with the Downoi, it's so adorable and it's just plugging away a couple of leaves a day.

The Ocellatas have spawned a couple more times but no successful holds yet. Guess food is more important.

I love it. What else are you adding?

I'm planning on adding a trio of Cockatoo Apistos and a trio of African Butterfly Fish, and that should fill this thing out as far as stock is concerned.

 

[Adamtron2000]

It's the tank of my dreams. I really love your setup!


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[lindenthaler.9]

I love this tank. The scape and the wild types look great.
I can't wait to see the ABFs in this.