There are a lot of great tanks here. Love all your posts and setups. Thought I would share my 29G experience. This is my first tank and I’m absolutely enjoying it!
Some info on the setup:
Started late July 2008 with a few tetras and some plants.
AquaClear 50 hang off the back filter
Undergravel. Yes, it's a UG setup!!
200W heater
Temperature: 78F
Substrate: Cheap gravel from the LFS. Most plants are planted directly in the gravel. Some plants are potted in a gravel/sand/garden soil layered mix. Potted plants are placed on the right of the tank.
Lighting: 36” Coralife T5 2 X 39W fluorescent tubes, 1 tube is 6700K and the other I’m not sure – it’s pinkish purple in color. Bought all these used at the LFS $30CDN. I can’t complain.
Driftwood: From the local beach – you can see the barnacles. Bleached/rinsed/scrubbed/soaked for two weeks before putting in tank. No ill effect on fish/plants.
Plants: Amazon swords, pygmy swords, ludwigia repens, rotala, wisteria, hornwort, vals, bacopa, java fern, java moss (attached to driftwood) and cryptocryne lucens (very slowing growing).
The vals really thrived. They were only 5 inches tall with the tips cut and rotting when I bought them. The new growths are 3 ft long and half an inch wide.
Ferts & Dosing: Every other day 1 capful of Flourish Iron. I decided to dose with iron after seeing the amazons showing some yellowness and holes in new leaves. Works great! All other nutrients are from fish waste and the bi-weekly water change (25% each time).
CO2: None.
Inhabitants:
4 bolivian rams - 1 mating pair which spawned for the first time two weeks ago.
6 neon tetras
2 chinese algae eaters – mistakenly bought thinking they were SAEs
2 SAEs – love watching these
2 albino corys
2 pearl gouramis
1 gold angel
snails – came with the plants but I’m not complaining as they seem to be doing a great job contolling the brown and green algae...lol
I don’t do any tests on the water; therefore, I don’t know what the pH or the water hardness is. Don’t like spending money on tests when observations say all inhabitants appear to be doing well. I prune the plants with each water change.
August 25th, 2008 - one month after initial setup (no pics of bare tank as I didn't get my camera until this day).
September 13th, 2008 - close up of the pygmy sword spreading along tank
September 18th, 2008 - more shots
September 27th - some shots of the bolivians
October 16th - almost mature growth
Some info on the setup:
Started late July 2008 with a few tetras and some plants.
AquaClear 50 hang off the back filter
Undergravel. Yes, it's a UG setup!!
200W heater
Temperature: 78F
Substrate: Cheap gravel from the LFS. Most plants are planted directly in the gravel. Some plants are potted in a gravel/sand/garden soil layered mix. Potted plants are placed on the right of the tank.
Lighting: 36” Coralife T5 2 X 39W fluorescent tubes, 1 tube is 6700K and the other I’m not sure – it’s pinkish purple in color. Bought all these used at the LFS $30CDN. I can’t complain.
Driftwood: From the local beach – you can see the barnacles. Bleached/rinsed/scrubbed/soaked for two weeks before putting in tank. No ill effect on fish/plants.
Plants: Amazon swords, pygmy swords, ludwigia repens, rotala, wisteria, hornwort, vals, bacopa, java fern, java moss (attached to driftwood) and cryptocryne lucens (very slowing growing).
The vals really thrived. They were only 5 inches tall with the tips cut and rotting when I bought them. The new growths are 3 ft long and half an inch wide.
Ferts & Dosing: Every other day 1 capful of Flourish Iron. I decided to dose with iron after seeing the amazons showing some yellowness and holes in new leaves. Works great! All other nutrients are from fish waste and the bi-weekly water change (25% each time).
CO2: None.
Inhabitants:
4 bolivian rams - 1 mating pair which spawned for the first time two weeks ago.
6 neon tetras
2 chinese algae eaters – mistakenly bought thinking they were SAEs
2 SAEs – love watching these
2 albino corys
2 pearl gouramis
1 gold angel
snails – came with the plants but I’m not complaining as they seem to be doing a great job contolling the brown and green algae...lol
I don’t do any tests on the water; therefore, I don’t know what the pH or the water hardness is. Don’t like spending money on tests when observations say all inhabitants appear to be doing well. I prune the plants with each water change.
August 25th, 2008 - one month after initial setup (no pics of bare tank as I didn't get my camera until this day).
September 13th, 2008 - close up of the pygmy sword spreading along tank
September 18th, 2008 - more shots
September 27th - some shots of the bolivians
October 16th - almost mature growth
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