Scottyhorse's 25 Gallon Community Build

[Scottyhorse]

Hey guys and gals, I have been on here for a few months, but I never really introduced my self, so I will now

My name is Sydney, my user name is from my horse, Scotty, and I have been mistaken for a boy many times because of it, just thought I would put that out so it doesn't happen again

So hopefully with this thread, I will meet some more nice people, which I would love too

So, to the build!

Tank Specs

25 Gallons

Dual T-5 Lighting 6700k
Glass Top
Aqueon 30 Quiet Flow Power Filter w/cartridge
100 watt submersible heater
Digital Thermometer

Flora


Vallisneria, Italian (Vallisneria spiralis)
Sword, Amazon (Echinodorus bleheri)
Sagittaria, Dwarf (Sagittaria subulata) Potted
CLOVER, FOUR LEAF (Marsilea quadrifolia)
Baby Tears , Dwarf (Hemianthus callitrichoides)
Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis)
Moneywort (Bacopa Monnieri)
Mexican Oak Leaf (Shinnersia rivularis)
Bacopa australis (Bacopa australis)
Cabomba Green (Cabomba carolina)
Ambulia (Limnophila indica)

About 80% Plant Coverage for Silent Cycle

Fauna

(Open To discussion)
1 Upside Down Cat
2 German Blue Rams
5 Hatchet Fish
5 Tetra or Rasbora, need advice!

I am going to have a few Cichlid stones in there, a piece of drifwood, and then all the plants. For gravel, I am going to mix 50% plant substrate, and 50% gravel for on top.

I have $175 from Christmas money to spend, at Petsmart, and we are going on Thursday. Since we live about 1 hour from Petsmart, I am going to be bad, and buy the Upside Down Cat before the Silent Cycle happens, because I only want to have to make my mom do a couple trips in there, and I only want to have to order the Rams, because I am cheap :p
I am going to put my order for plants in today, because it takes 4 days for them to get here, and don't want to get them before I set the tank up.

If I can find one cheap, I may also grab a 5 gallon, for a dwarf puffer fish tank.

So, that's about it for now, please chime in with advice!

[bud29]

Sounds good! I especially like the choice of Marsilea and HC

So I assume this will be a fish-cycle?

[Scottyhorse]

Originally Posted by bud29

Sounds good! I especially like the choice of Marsilea and HC

So I assume this will be a fish-cycle?

Um, kinda. I am hoping that I have so many plants that they will eat all the ammonia and trites, so it won't hurt the fish... I am planning on doing water changes as needed, (of course) and twice daily water tests. If we didn't live in the middle of nowhere, I would wait of course, but, since we live so far away from everything, I am hoping this will be okay.
Fingers Crossed!

[bud29]

Originally Posted by Scottyhorse

Um, kinda. I am hoping that I have so many plants that they will eat all the ammonia and trites, so it won't hurt the fish... I am planning on doing water changes as needed, (of course) and twice daily water tests. If we didn't live in the middle of nowhere, I would wait of course, but, since we live so far away from everything, I am hoping this will be okay.
Fingers Crossed!

The speed of plant growth is the thing that determines the amount of toxins it takes up. The good news is, you are doing a higher light tank which means you'll have faster growing plants. Faster growing plants means more toxins taken up. But still test frequently as you don't want to lose any fish (It looks like you'll be doing this well)

I cam sympathize with you, living in the middle of nowhere. The closest lfs to me is 90 miles away

[Scottyhorse]

Originally Posted by bud29

The speed of plant growth is the thing that determines the amount of toxins it takes up. The good news is, you are doing a higher light tank which means you'll have faster growing plants. Faster growing plants means more toxins taken up. But still test frequently as you don't want to lose any fish (It looks like you'll be doing this well)

I can sympathize with you, living in the middle of nowhere. The closest lfs to me is 90 miles away

Oh my goodness! The closest lfs is about 30 mins away, but I DO NOT like them. The staff is worse than PETCO, and they sell weird hybrid small animals called 'fuzzies', and then there is Deathco.

I get paranoid when I get new fish or shrimp,

[bud29]

Originally Posted by Scottyhorse

Oh my goodness! The closest lfs is about 30 mins away, but I DO NOT like them. The staff is worse than PETCO, and they sell weird hybrid small animals called 'fuzzies', and then there is Deathco.

I get paranoid when I get new fish or shrimp,

I wouldn't buy from a place that sells "fuzzies" either

[Scottyhorse]

Originally Posted by bud29

I wouldn't buy from a place that sells "fuzzies" either

I know, right? I was so excited to see that there was a lfs besides Petco, but I was very disappointed....

What kind of tetra or rasbora would be good?

[CharlieKlein]

Hi, just like to ask, are upsilon cats schoolers? I thought they were?

[Scottyhorse]

Originally Posted by CharlieKlein

Hi, just like to ask, are upsilon cats schoolers? I thought they were?

I think they might, not sure if I have room for a school though. If I have room, I would do three.

[CharlieKlein]

Alright, just wondering!!

[Scottyhorse]

I may put two in, we'll see. I think I might have enough room. They only get 4 inches.

[Fresh2o]

Scottyhorse, thanks for clearing up the gender thing (I'm a guy btw, not fresh, don't own newts). A couple of questions:

Where are you ordering you plants from?

Which model or brand is the dual T5 lights? I have been looking to upgrade from a single t8 to 2 t5s but not sure if I should go HO or non HO and if there is a particular brand that I might lean toward or avoid.

[bud29]

As for rasbora or tetras - you could get harlequin or espei rasbora, and get a school of 8 or so. If you get a smaller tetra like neon tetras you could also do about 8. If you want to do larger tetras such as rummynose tetras, you probably should only do 6 or so.

[Scottyhorse]

Thanks! Would it be possible for me to do chili rasboras, or are those too small?

[Scottyhorse]

Originally Posted by Fresh2o

Scottyhorse, thanks for clearing up the gender thing (I'm a guy btw, not fresh, don't own newts). A couple of questions:

Where are you ordering you plants from?

Which model or brand is the dual T5 lights? I have been looking to upgrade from a single t8 to 2 t5s but not sure if I should go HO or non HO and if there is a particular brand that I might lean toward or avoid.

I am getting my plants from aquariumplants.com. They have a very large selection, and good prices on most items. Good shipping prices too.

The lights are from an Aqueon kit, but I think they are Coralife brand.

[bud29]

Originally Posted by Scottyhorse

Thanks! Would it be possible for me to do chili rasboras, or are those too small?

You could do several chilis in there. You could easily do 10, they are very small.

[Scottyhorse]

Originally Posted by bud29

You could do several chilis in there. You could easily do 10, they are very small.

Nice, I think they are really pretty! I'll see where I can find them online for a reasonable price. Also, I'll see what they have at Petsmart on Thurs. and let you know! I am putting together my order for plants right now, so I will ley you guys know what I end up getting

[bud29]

Cool! I recommend looking into the plant Lindernia rotundifolia. That and marsilea are my two favorite plants

[bud29]

Also, have you considered co2 injection in this tank? You should do co2

Also, what fertilization methods are you looking at?

[Scottyhorse]

Originally Posted by bud29

Cool! I recommend looking into the plant Lindernia rotundifolia. That and marsilea are my two favorite plants

I checked to see if they have that, but they didn't. I'll try and find it at some point.

Here is what I am getting:


Vallisneria, Italian (Vallisneria spiralis)
Ambulia (Limnophila indica)
Bacopa australis (Bacopa australis)
Mexican Oak Leaf (Shinnersia rivularis)
Moneywort (Bacopa Monnieri)
Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis)
CLOVER, FOUR LEAF (Marsilea quadrifolia) 2" pots
Baby Tears , Dwarf (Hemianthus callitrichoides)(potted)

And I am getting 2 of each. Most come in bunches, so hopefull I am getting enough!