Me too. Finally got my goldfish out of my 10 gallon and into a 40 gallon heavily planted tank.
40 GALLON TANK:
I had 3 different big tanks in the back of my car for a about a week because I couldn't decide which to use. Plus I was waiting for the right moment to get everything set up (ugh! planting a big tank is really a challenge!) and when my Goldie ate my oto, that got me off my bum. The big tank is now set up and running (still a bit cloudy from the substrate -- I ran 3 filters for the first day before I put the fish in: my old 20 gallon filter, the little 10 gallon topfin filter that came with the original tank, and the new crazy looking 40 gallon penguin filter simultaneously).
CREATURES:
As for the 10 gallon tank - the oto survived being eaten by the goldfish (I squeezed the back of the goldfish gently and the oto popped out of Goldie's gill) so the little oto is back in the 10 gal with his other oto friend. Will probably get a tiny school of lemon tetras (or harlequin rasboras -- undecided) and maybe a few red cherry shrimp.
From what I read, the red cherry shrimp will turn a lighter color if you have them on a lighter substrate (mine substrate is black). I wanted to get a little fish that schools nicely, and the owner of the lfs suggested that "schoolers" school better if they have someone to chase them? I didn't like the sound of that, so perhaps my schoolers will become more like drifters. Maybe someone on this forum has experience with this? Anyway, I love the way the red shrimp look against the black and the green.
PLANTS:
As for plants, I've got to go with the low-tech highly planted option, because I can't do all of that complicated CO2 and such. Tonight I planted the 10 gal with some dwarf hairgrass, which is tolerant of moderate light. I need to get some more, but it looks great on either side of my mopani wood. On one side in the back I have a taller grass, but the front of the tank is still mostly unplanted. I'd like some riccia - but I understand that takes a more powerful light than I have. I'm experimenting with javamoss, growing it on flat pieces of mopani wood (wrapped strings around it, and if it takes root I'll scatter those closely together near one side of the front). Duckweed is lovely floating on the top, but you should be prepared to have it really multiply (which is what you are looking for -- so that's great!).
Congrats on the new tank. Man, I started out with a little tiny goldfish in a plastic bag that my son won at a carnival four years ago. They say that once you start -- you just can't stop. Let us know what you get. I'm new here and want to start posting some pics when I figure out how to do it. Good luck
