Hi AA

[acecat]

My name is Ciju (AceCAT).. I'm an Eye surgeon from India. I'd been an enthusiast in this hobby since childhood. We had 3 tanks while growing up in the Middle east. Couldn't find time or the resources to keep an aquarium after relocating to India in 2003. Now that I have enough of both and a wide eyed 4 year old with an interest in fish as much as me at that age, I hope to relive my childhood dream of having a well stocked community planted aquarium while enjoying my little ones interest in the hobby.


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[acecat]

Thats my setup so far.


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[acecat]

Its a 50 gallon glass tank with a bowed front. As a base, I've got gravel in the foreground and volcanic clay for mid and background. I've left the gravel exposed and covered the clay balls with 10kg of planting substrate (which I suspect is not enough. I'll be adding 10 kg more at the next water change). Got a few drift/bog wood that could leach acids and two coral rocks that could potentially leach alkali. I'm hoping they'd balance off enough to act as a buffer and get me a stable pH. (It's 6.5 so far despite the tap water being 7.5). Its got a sump filter and I've setup a fan to cool the water (it's maintained at 26 degrees C).


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[shellyx]

Hi, welcome to the forum nice set up!

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[acecat]

Thanks Shellyx


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[Fishobsessed7]

Welcome to the forum


Fishobsessed7

 

[acecat]

Thanks Fishobsessed7


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[acecat]

For plants I've got Brazilian grass for the foreground. Mid ground a purple leaved Alternathera reineckii, Rotala indica, Vallisnaeria nana. Some java moss on the pieces of wood and java fern on the coral rocks. Mid to back ground a few amazon swords and banana leaf sword. Background water wisteria and Ludwigia repens

 

[emeraldking]

Welcome and nice set up, Ciju...

 

[acecat]

Thanks Emeraldking


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[acecat]

Got a hold of some Riccia fluitans tied to the back of small traditional Indian earthen lamps (kinda like small cups with no handles only flatter) placed them in the foreground. Got a tiny carpet effect now.
Fish: bought some form of dwarf pleco. They called them "Chinese suckers" at the shop. A pair of fresh water soles ( wish I had sand for them to lay about in). A few golden Danios. One male and two females each of guppies and siamese fighters.


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[melosu58]

Welcome aboard. We are glad you found us here at AA.

 

[emeraldking]

So, in some way you're aquascaping your tank with the riccia fluitans? Nice! Show us a pic, please?

 

[acecat]

Thanks Melosu58


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[acecat]

Sorry for the delay.. Was busy with conducting some conferences at work


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[acecat]

Emerald King , I wouldn't call it aquascaping yet... But may be when I've got some more Riccia... Waiting for the ones I've got right now to grow big enough to use their trimmings. I'll be posting some pics now.


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[acecat]

Got a school of 20 Neon and 10 Cardinal Tetras and about 20 Red Cherry Shrimp. Added a few plants cabomba and hydrocotyle. Had to move the Bettas back to their bowl. as I didn't want to lose any of my new additions. Also got a submersible LED that I've placed for the plants at the back. My lights and CO2 are running on a timer now.


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[acecat]

thats how the tank looks now


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[acecat]

Neocaridinia


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[acecat]

I know. This doesn't look very natural. But its made of earth and I'm hoping the moss grows all over it to finally give a near natural appearance for the "cave"


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