Extremely low tech 55g ram community

[Piratechest]

The term 'ballin' on a budget fits my tank perfectly, aside from my stock. Its almost fully planted, with no co2 and my plants are taking off, and as healthy as ever! I am currently running the stock t8 bulbs, and a 12 ft. 10,000k led strip that i ran up and down my tank 3 times (on ebay for 6$). For filtration I'm using 2 HOB filters, a penguin 350 biowheel (caught on sale at petsmart for 20$) and a aquaclear 110 (15$ on ebay). For substrate i chose play sand, 2 bags ran me about 5$. My center piece is composed of 2 pieces of driftwood i found down by the river, i sawed them flat and mounted them to a piece of granite tile. On the front piece i attatched java moss, and on the piece behind i attached an anubias frezier. All together plants included it is now an eye popping center piece that only cost 10$.
Stock:
1 German balloon ram
1 Gold german ram
1 electric german blue ram
11 neons
10 bloodfins
1 bristlenose pleco
6 marbled hatchet fish
4 kuhli loaches

So, tell me what you think! What you like, what you dont like, what YOU would do to make my tank come to life even more.

I'll post more pics tommorow!

-Byron

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[Piratechest]

Also, if anyone can give me a plant id of the large piece of greenery to the far right would be very much appreciated

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[Nils]

Love it! Glad you're making it work on such a low budget! Snagged some great deals there with lights and filters. I would up the school of kuhli loaches to 6, they really appreciate larger groups. Other than that tank looks great!

 

[Piratechest]

Thanks Nils! I agree aswell, i cycled the tank for two months while slowly collecting the pieces to this gigantic puzzle. I got a really great deal on the lava rock aswell, my lfs had them priced at 1.50 each! Lets just say i may have gotten a little greedy and purchased more than i needed LOL! Ive been kind of stuck between the decision of returning the loaches, or upping the school. I dont want them to struggle for food, its hard to gauge how much to feed without over feeding. And with so many ravenous feeders in the tank not much makes it to the bottom .

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[Piratechest]

I only feed once a day, but with a variety of food. I feed 1 tubifex worm cube broken up, sinking shrimp pellets, sinking cichlid pellets , and every so often ill add a pinch of flakes

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[Autumnsky]

If you don't already, I would recommend soaking the freeze dried foods. It helps keep the fish from getting stopped up.

I read that somewhere balloon body fish have more digestion problems, not sure myself but it sounds plausible and only takes an extra few minutes to soak the food.

 

[candymancan]

I personally would get more rams of the same species.. I love electric blue rams, i would get more of them but i know they are expensive and i have only 1 myself after the other 2 died in my discus tank, if i can ever get my funds in order i plan to get many more.


But 1 of each isnt ideal..


Dont bother "soaking" freeze dried food.. Get a cup of water and grab your freezue dried food in a pinch and squeeze it in the cup of water, it will push all the air bubbles out and make it water logged.. This will keep your fish from ingesting bubbles. Soaking doesnt really do this and takes too long anyway.


I personally used freeze dried for awhile, but i hate it. Get frozen its better

 

[Fishobsessed7]

I personally used freeze dried for awhile, but i hate it. Get frozen its better

+1


Fishobsessed7

Money Can't Buy Happiness, But It Can Buy Fish Which Is Pretty Much The Same Thing

 

[PNWaquarist]

I personally would get more rams of the same species.. I love electric blue rams, i would get more of them

I wouldn't. If any of your rams decide to breed, they may harass and stress the others over territory. Even in a 55 gallon.

I personally used freeze dried for awhile, but i hate it. Get frozen its better

Totally agree here. I switched from freeze-dried to frozen bloodworms a few months ago and will never go back. Less work and less worry.

 

[FWFishTanks]

Nice setup! THe plant to the right is Apongeton Crispus