Finally brave enough to share!

[AmberW]

Well after beginning our adventure just over a year ago my eleven year old son and I finally have a tank we are proud of and confident in. We started with a 15 gal but quickly ended up with this 29 gal. In this we now have

five nerite snails
Two bamboo shrimp
Three Brazilian yellow bellied shrimp
Five pristella tetras
Two mollies
Seven Molly babies in the little breeder
Tons of teeny tiny snails and eggs all over the place

This venture has been so fun.

 

[Convict2161]

Well after beginning our adventure just over a year ago my eleven year old son and I finally have a tank we are proud of and confident in. We started with a 15 gal but quickly ended up with this 29 gal. In this we now have

five nerite snails
Two bamboo shrimp
Three Brazilian yellow bellied shrimp
Five pristella tetras
Two mollies
Seven Molly babies in the little breeder
Tons of teeny tiny snails and eggs all over the place

This venture has been so fun.

Looks good, nice and natural

 

[maestromad]

Very nice looking tank, very clean too!

 

[Jbaygurl78745]

Very nice tank. Great job

 

[Oceangirl]

BRAVO!! Looks like a show tank!

 

[Philly33]

FYI- if your breeder has slots on the bottom it works great when adding water back after a water change. It will eliminate substrate disturbance.

 

[Hholly]

Congrats on a nice tank!

 

[Aski247]

Very nice, well done.

 

[AmberW]

Love this idea!

FYI- if your breeder has slots on the bottom it works great when adding water back after a water change. It will eliminate substrate disturbance.

That is a great idea. Thanks!

 

[severum mama]

Welcome to AA!

I love the look of your tank; however, I feel the need to inform you that several of your plants are non aquatic (the ones in the middle and the fern toward the right- ribbon plant, mondo grass, peacock fern, I believe). You may be able to get your money back for these.

Sorry to bring you the bad news.

 

[AmberW]

Welcome to AA!

I love the look of your tank; however, I feel the need to inform you that several of your plants are non aquatic (the ones in the middle and the fern toward the right- ribbon plant, mondo grass, peacock fern, I believe). You may be able to get your money back for these.

Sorry to bring you the bad news.

Hi,
Thanks for informing me. I need all the help I can get but I don't quite understand. I purchased all of these from two different fish stores and they were sold as aquarium plants. If they are thriving in the tank why does it matter? Is there are reason non aquatic plants shouldn't be in there? Is it unsafe for the fish? The huge plant on the far right started out as a 2 inch piece of plant that came in with my shrimp on mail order. It has grown like crazy. I love it and don't even know what it is.

Thanks again for you help!

 

[Jbaygurl78745]

Some plants can't be fully submerged I believe that what makes them aquatic, semi aquatic, but don't hold me to that that's just how they have them listed in my lfs someone else will chime in tho.

But I do love your tank. Ain't it fun doing with the kids. I'm working on a sw set up with my 4 1/2 yr old. And my other children all have tanks in there rooms they have put together.

 

[AmberW]

Some plants can't be fully submerged I believe that what makes them aquatic, semi aquatic, but don't hold me to that that's just how they have them listed in my lfs someone else will chime in tho.

But I do love your tank. Ain't it fun doing with the kids. I'm working on a sw set up with my 4 1/2 yr old. And my other children all have tanks in there rooms they have put together.

Thanks!

Yes, these tanks are a ton of fun and a ton of work and money. We have gone through many fish trying to get it all right. I think we have a good handle on it all now. Cycling was a process that I never thought would happen and it finally did. We really celebrated when our water tests finally came out right. That was a great day!

A tank in each room makes you a very nice parent!

 

[Jbaygurl78745]

The older 2 tank care of their own tanks and have pretty much supplied all their own stuff with the exception of emergency wen filter stop or something than we help them. My oldest soon went from tetras to taking over my 150 with 2 Oscars and a high fin pleco. Kids grow so fast.

Good luck with it. Now that you got it all right you want another tank right. Lol.

 

[severum mama]

Hi,
Thanks for informing me. I need all the help I can get but I don't quite understand. I purchased all of these from two different fish stores and they were sold as aquarium plants. If they are thriving in the tank why does it matter? Is there are reason non aquatic plants shouldn't be in there? Is it unsafe for the fish? The huge plant on the far right started out as a 2 inch piece of plant that came in with my shrimp on mail order. It has grown like crazy. I love it and don't even know what it is.

Thanks again for you help!

The huge plant on the right is an aquatic plant. Looks like hornwort but I'm on my phone right now and can't get a close look. The ribbon plant, mondo grass, and fern are not aquatic, but you see them sold in stores all the time. Sometimes the people ordering for the stores don't know, and I guess sometimes they don't care. The plants wont harm the fish, but they will slowly die off because they cannot survive submerged. How long have they been in the tank? I bought some mondo grass when I started out in the hobby about 10 years ago and it took about a month to die IIRC.

Nothing I'm telling you is meant as criticism. I believe this happens to the majority of hobbyists that are starting out with plants.

 

[jetajockey]

That is correct, mondo grass and dracaena ribbon plants (among others) are marginal plants so they can live in wet boggy areas but don't typically fare well for long periods of submersion.

 

[AmberW]

The huge plant on the right is an aquatic plant. Looks like hornwort but I'm on my phone right now and can't get a close look. The ribbon plant, mondo grass, and fern are not aquatic, but you see them sold in stores all the time. Sometimes the people ordering for the stores don't know, and I guess sometimes they don't care. The plants wont harm the fish, but they will slowly die off because they cannot survive submerged. How long have they need in the tank? I bought some mondo grass when I started out in the hobby about 10 years ago and it took about a month to die IIRC.

Nothing I'm telling you is meant as criticism. I believe this happens to the majority of hobbyists that are starting out with plants.

OK, I see what you mean now. That fern in the back right. We have had that mondo grass for about a month and I have started to notice that the ends of the leaves are dieing. I was wondering why. Now I know. Frustrating that Petco sells them as aquatic plants. My son bought them with his own money too. Oh well, live and learn. Maybe I should bring them out of the aquarium before they die and plant them in a pot!

Thanks again for your help.

 

[AmberW]

The older 2 tank care of their own tanks and have pretty much supplied all their own stuff with the exception of emergency wen filter stop or something than we help them. My oldest soon went from tetras to taking over my 150 with 2 Oscars and a high fin pleco. Kids grow so fast.

Good luck with it. Now that you got it all right you want another tank right. Lol.

Well, yes, we do want another and already have one! It is his original 15 gallon tank. We have two bamboo shrimp, an Algae eater and four pea puffers in it. We got the pea puffers for the larger tank but found them too boring to take up our whole tank. Someone on here suggested them saying that they would be great for my son. Maybe I am missing something. They are adorable and cute how their eyes move separate from their body but can anyone tell me any other reason they are great. To me, they just kind of float around not doing much. What should I be doing with them to make them more interesting? Anything?