More 29g Progress Pics

[Stretch]

I'm up to a little over .75 cft of pool filter sand (not quite two bags), and 4 rocks/assorted plants that came with my setup. Filter is a Penguin 150. I was messing with the filter today and added a second filter cartridge, the water got kinda cloudy in the process. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about stocking/planting, I was just getting tired of looking at a bare tank. Any tips or ideas would be appreciated!

 

[SCFatz]

Looks good stretch.As far as plants you'l have to stick with low light.

I suggest a trip to the local fish store and make a list of what looks interesting and come back here with somewhere to start...adult size,schooling habits and pesonality will play a role in your final decision.

Also keep reading the signitures here...that may help too.

 

[Stretch]

Cool, thanks for the help, Fatz.

 

[Guest]

WOW with the sand base you have a trio pair {1M/2F} german Blue Rams and A trio pr of Apisto Panduros and a school of 6 to 8 neons would look amazing in there. The Rams for there bright yellow and blues, the Apisto Panduros again for there blue { Panduro means sky blue } and the neons because there neon red and neon Blue colors. Then for a clean up crew a bristol nose pleco or rubber lip pleco { witch has a blue look to it} and then 2 or 3 panda corys { black and white colors} would look really nice all togeather in that white sand. Then a blacked out back on the tank would really snap in the tank and stand out really nice.
Then on the plants some low light java fern and a couple of crypia wendtia's would set it off. IMO anyway just a stocking ideal for you. Wait that sound like it'd be so pretty I may have tp changes my gravel in one of my 20gal's and do that. LOL
If your wanting to know what a Apisto Panduro looks like just look at my avater that's a male m old and the female is a bright yellow with a single black dot on her side. she to would really snap in there.

 

[Stretch]

Thanks Weasel, I'll check out those fish when I'm in the FS next time. I appreciate the input.

You're just down the road from me, I'm in Lubbock.

 

[Guest]

LOL No kidding I didn't even pay no attention to that. If your going to look for any of these fish in Lubbock the only two you'll find is the neons and the german blue Rams. The neons you can find at Mr.Aquriums on I beleave it's 34th and slide. But his german Blue Rams arn't very good. I've bought some from him and they all dyied with in the trip back to Amarillo. You want find any Apisto Panduro there either. He usaully has Apisto Cockato double reds that I sell him some of the times. I havn't sold him any in awhile now so i dout he has any in now. I have some here ready to no Panduro's but cockato double reds.{ have pictures if you'd like to see some of them they'd also look really nice in there}
The pet shop inside south plains mall I beleave it's Bonnette's pet's has GBR's all the time. That's where I got mine at nd there young and raised in Texas hard water so ajusting them is fairly easy and there nice fish. With tons of colors. I'll post some pictures of themand you'll see how nice they'd look in the white tank with blacked out back. I didn't see no neons in there the last time I was in there { last month on the 20th } But that could have changed by now. Again you won't find no Apisto's at all in that shop either.
You more then likly have to order some Apisto's off Aquabid or you can find someone on www.apistogramma.com that has some to sell. Some kribs would also look really nice in there with there colors. I have some of those but there very young {8 weeks} I have some F. garndri maskie { or something along that name LOL } Killis there blue with red and yellow fins.

Ok recap lol for the Rams Bornnett's in south plains mall { really nice bright colors and young}
for the neons Mr. Aqurium on 34th st. { always has them}
for the Apisto's contect me LOL J/K aquabid or the apisto site { On aquabid Apistodave but he has a hard time getting or picking out females of any of the apisto spices} took me 3 trys for him to get me Ap. Trifasciata females. That's another spices that's blue with loads of white and red in the dorsal fins.
Here's a couple pictures of the Rams I got at Bonnett's in the mall

here's what my Apisto cockato double reds look like this is a young male

a couple of the Ap. trifasciata's that would look nice in there

Another pic of the rams I got from Bonnett's

I may have already added this picture of the GBR If I did I apoligizes

Just a ideal on a way to go and to show the colors that will shine like a new dime in your set-up. Let me know if you want to go with some Apisto's . I have a few { more then a few } good hook ups on those plus shipping from here to there would be cheaper then from farther a way. LOL Man do you like my sells pitchs. LOL

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Great pics......

 

[Stretch]

Weasel, you rock.

Thanks for all the info and pictures. I was wandering around Petsmart yesterday after I bought some new filter cartridges, and they had a few different types of neons for about $1 each. I went to Mr. Aquarium's a few days ago, but I couldn't remember why I went there to get, so I just walked around looking at all their cool setups in there.

I'll have to wait a bit longer for my tank to finish cycling, I may have overdosed with the ammonia today, so I might have set myself back a bit. OOOPS! I'm going to wait about 12 hours and see what happens with the levels, might have to start a new thread about it for some help.

I may take you up on that offer for some fish someday, I'll have to wait until this tank is good and healthy for 'em. Thanks for the help!

 

[Burks]

WOW! 8O

Those GBR's are awesome. Exactly the fish I want. Your tank looks fantastic and I hope everything works out for you.

If you don't mind me asking, how much were the GBR's each? Never seen them in stores and always wondered about their price.

 

[Guest]

No I don't mind. I payed $5.88 apeaces for them at Bonnett's in LUbbock ,Tx. I've seen them for as much as $12.99 in Dallas and $9.99 in Saintpaul, Mi. So I guess it pretty much depends on where your at and how easy it is to come on them. I have a buddie in Dallas that has some really young one {2 to 2 1/2m's old } there unsexable as of now but he's still selling them for $3.99. Til they are sexable then the price goes up to $7.99. So again it really depends are where you located at.
I've sold all the pairs of Cockato's I have to sell but I still have males only I'm selling for $8.00 a peace til gone. So ifyou know any body looking for Male Apisto cockato's let me now. I'll sell to menbers of this site for $5.00 peaces. I have like 4 prs of them but I'm holding those for people I've already told I have like for one Stretch. He needs some really colorful fish for that set-up. Again I like your set-up big time Stretch, it looks really nice. I hope you havn't set your self back to much. As that set-up needs fish in it to show case it.

 

[Stretch]

Again I like your set-up big time Stretch, it looks really nice. I hope you havn't set your self back to much. As that set-up needs fish in it to show case it.

Thanks, it's my first try at an aquarium. What should I use to black out the back of the tank?

 

[tropicfishman]

god your 29 looks really good, mine looks like crap and I can't figure out what it is it needs to really set it off and make it look realyl natural, I hate my cheap plastic plants

 

[SCFatz]

Ok...just to be devils advocate here as well as offer some food for thought perhaps...

My reading tells me the gbrs will do better in a well planted and well established tank.I've been checking because I'd like some myself.

They are not nearly as hardy as they are beutiful.Not sure its a good choice for a new tank is my thinking.....

Respectfully submitted and fwiw,

 

[joannde]

Stretch - you can paint the back of the tank. Or, what I did, not wanting anything permanent in case I changed my mind, is to get some unprinted newspaper and then sponge paint it with acrylic craft paint. I used about 4 different colors, layering them, to give it a dimensional look. I taped that to the back of the tank and then taped waxed paper over it to protect from spills. The newspaper / paint combo also cuts down on glare from the back when you take photos.

here's a link to a pic so you can get a little idea of the background I did - it looks better in person LOL
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=11892&cat=500&ppuser=13767

 

[Blazeherd2306]

Great pics and beautiful rams!

 

[Mad Professor]

Duuuuude!!! Stretch you have completed my vision. I was thinking a sand bottom for my 29gal too. I'm not sure if PFS comes in a slightly darker color then yours. I'm aiming more for florida river sand bottom look.
Oh and are those real plants or artificial?

 

[Stretch]

I think my lighting is making the sand look a little pale. I can get a pic with natural light tomorrow when the sun comes up. Those are the fake plants that came with my tank when I bought it. I may plant it soon, I haven't decided yet.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Cool, the tank is looking good.....

Here's the 2 babies I bought 2 months ago. The female just had her 2nd spawn. Wasn't with the small male here though, but one of the bigger males that I had that claimed her.

 

[Stretch]

Duuuuude!!! Stretch you have completed my vision. I was thinking a sand bottom for my 29gal too. I'm not sure if PFS comes in a slightly darker color then yours. I'm aiming more for florida river sand bottom look.
Oh and are those real plants or artificial?

Here's a pic without the light from the Power Glo. The sand looks quite a bit darker.

 

[rich311k]

Very nice looking tank. You could always do black or dark blue poster board for a background if you dont want the hassle of painting the back.