Planted 10g - Community - GBR - Tetras

[chinoanoah]

This is the tank that is in my sig, and a result of all my knowledge acquired from AA thus far.

Lighting is a 24" Coralife T5 Double Strip 6700k/10,000k (Adding another one soon)
Java Fern and many other plants in there I'm sure you all recognize, if you could ID them for me that'd be great!

Originally bought two GBR's from a AA.com guy in KY and they were kind of ugly, you all saw the <a href="http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f70/pictures-of-my-male-gbr-110948.html">male with dwarfed fins I'm sure</a>. I gave him to a friend the other day and added a much nicer male juvenile male that I found at a store. Along with the GBR I got about 13 black neons, bringing the stock list up to .... 5 Neon Tetras, ~13 black neon (lost 1 already) tetras, 3 lemon tetras, 1 Otocinclus (recently 1 one). GBR's are doing good. Here are pics.

Question though, is there anything I can do to my filter intake so that it won't suck the plants in so hardcore?
Would another one of my lights be a good idea?
How bad am I overstocked?

Thanks AA

 

[fort384]

You can add a sponge to your intake... kind of bulky but it will prevent what you are after. Looks like some rotala rotundifolia in the back there... very nice color.

Great looking tank.

 

[chinoanoah]

What kind of sponge and where would i get such a thing?

 

[newfound77951]

Next time you're at the LFS grab a foam insert for one of the AquaClear filters. Not sure which one will work best for your intake so maybe err on the large size (they're cheap). Trim it up with scissors and cut a slit down the center to slide the intake in. It'll look white and awful for a few weeks but then as it picks up crud it will blend in a little more. Be sure to rinse it out when you clean your filter, too.

 

[chinoanoah]

Perfect. thank you sir!

 

[JustOneMore20]

Good looking tank.

The plant in the middle is Rotala rotundifolia. Looks very healthy too! The grassy plants look like Sagittaria. The thin leaved stem plant on the left (behind the Sag) looks like Anacharis/Elodea and the stem to the right of it might be Ludwigia repens.


I don't think you are terribly overstocked, but I suggest sticking to 1 type of tetras (probably the Black Neons since you have the most) and getting rid of the others. Then your stocking will be perfect and you could pick up another Otocinclus or 2.

 

[SWerner13]

man thats a balla tank