Ben's Tropical Tank
- Thread starter L4byr1nth
- Start date
OP
OP
L4byr1nth
Fish Fanatic
Hi Keith & Tom - cheers for your support throughout my journal. Couldn't have done it without your advice, not to mention waterdrop, OM47, and everyone else who posted the kind and informative comments I've received.
My fish thank you!
On with the pictures of my fully-stocked, finally complete 4ft community tank;
It's a shame, in a way - I'm so proud of myself in achieving the look I was going for, and immensely happy with the end result... But I *really* wanted to enter the TFF.net Tank Of The Month competition.
Looking through the January entries, however, I can see my tank just isn't up to the required standard
Oh well, you live and learn!
As for the plants - I know I complained about the seller at first, but I honestly can't fault the service for the price. The bunches were well-packaged, all still alive and fresh, and they are the same AF plants that my LFS sells for £5.00 EACH, still with the tags on them so I could tell what was what.
There were more than I was expecting, and also a large bottle of free C02 Fertiliser (I assume for delay in sending?). Positive feedback for him, and I will recommend The Tropical Shop eBay store to anyone and everyone who will listen.
Just in the nick of time - I'm off to Egypt tomorrow for a week to swim with the marine fish
Went to the LFS and picked up a couple of books for the trip, including AquariumGuide, from the Back To Nature series.
Ben.
My fish thank you!
On with the pictures of my fully-stocked, finally complete 4ft community tank;
It's a shame, in a way - I'm so proud of myself in achieving the look I was going for, and immensely happy with the end result... But I *really* wanted to enter the TFF.net Tank Of The Month competition.
Looking through the January entries, however, I can see my tank just isn't up to the required standard
Oh well, you live and learn!
As for the plants - I know I complained about the seller at first, but I honestly can't fault the service for the price. The bunches were well-packaged, all still alive and fresh, and they are the same AF plants that my LFS sells for £5.00 EACH, still with the tags on them so I could tell what was what.
There were more than I was expecting, and also a large bottle of free C02 Fertiliser (I assume for delay in sending?). Positive feedback for him, and I will recommend The Tropical Shop eBay store to anyone and everyone who will listen.
Just in the nick of time - I'm off to Egypt tomorrow for a week to swim with the marine fish
Went to the LFS and picked up a couple of books for the trip, including AquariumGuide, from the Back To Nature series.
Ben.
FishAreFriendsNotFood10
Fish Herder
Hi Keith & Tom - cheers for your support throughout my journal. Couldn't have done it without your advice, not to mention waterdrop, OM47, and everyone else who posted the kind and informative comments I've received.
My fish thank you!
On with the pictures of my fully-stocked, finally complete 4ft community tank;
It's a shame, in a way - I'm so proud of myself in achieving the look I was going for, and immensely happy with the end result... But I *really* wanted to enter the TFF.net Tank Of The Month competition.
Looking through the January entries, however, I can see my tank just isn't up to the required standard
Oh well, you live and learn!
As for the plants - I know I complained about the seller at first, but I honestly can't fault the service for the price. The bunches were well-packaged, all still alive and fresh, and they are the same AF plants that my LFS sells for £5.00 EACH, still with the tags on them so I could tell what was what.
There were more than I was expecting, and also a large bottle of free C02 Fertiliser (I assume for delay in sending?). Positive feedback for him, and I will recommend The Tropical Shop eBay store to anyone and everyone who will listen.
Just in the nick of time - I'm off to Egypt tomorrow for a week to swim with the marine fish
Went to the LFS and picked up a couple of books for the trip, including AquariumGuide, from the Back To Nature series.
Ben.
looks awesome fella fair play
enjoyed this progress thread was a really good read enjoy ya trip i envyyy theeeeee hehe
OP
OP
L4byr1nth
Fish Fanatic
Cheers mate!
The tank has been a lot of work today. Finally finished planting it out, and then had to immediately start making preparations for the holiday.
15% water change? Done.
Cleaned the filter? Done.
Put the lights on a timer? Done.
Instructed the temporary fish feeder on how to do said feeding, and threaten violence if he messes up? Done.
Ben.
The tank has been a lot of work today. Finally finished planting it out, and then had to immediately start making preparations for the holiday.
15% water change? Done.
Cleaned the filter? Done.
Put the lights on a timer? Done.
Instructed the temporary fish feeder on how to do said feeding, and threaten violence if he messes up? Done.
Ben.
OP
OP
L4byr1nth
Fish Fanatic
Thanks Carl, much appreciated! I can hardly believe it either!
Not long nowwww.... Flight is at 10:30 AM, so out the door for 07:00 AM.
Ben.
Not long nowwww.... Flight is at 10:30 AM, so out the door for 07:00 AM.
Ben.
Aqua Tom
Fish Gatherer
Lovely looking Tank Ben. Well done.
OP
OP
L4byr1nth
Fish Fanatic
Wow, haven't posted since I got back from Egypt... Got back about two days before all the rioting kicked off - was in Cairo just three days before. Dodged a bullet there (literally!), methinks.
A few things have happened since I was away.
The designated holiday feeder managed to screw up. Despite strict instructions NOT to add any algae wafers to their diet in order to prevent mortal combat between my RTB Shark and the Golden Loach, guess what he did?
Both the above fish were very bloated with red, stretched scales, and the RTB Shark had been chased to near death. Turns out he thought because they are bottom feeders, they wouldn't get any of the flake... Even though I already told him all my fish have been trained to come to the surface to feed. Considering I've only had the fish about 6 months and they're still babies, he had been putting one whole algae wafer in the tank... A DAY.
The designated holiday feeder was subsequently executed without trial.
Both the RTB Shark and the Golden Loach had grown extremely fast from this overfeeding, and in addition the water quality was horrible due to decomposing algae wafer particles. The Golden Loach had managed to get to the infamous 3", and would not stop chasing the RTB Shark, Sumo Loach, or any of the other fish that got too close. The RTB Shark was looking worse every day.
I made the hard decision to take the Golden Loach back to the LFS. Had to take all the plants and features out of the tank to get him in the net... He was crafty, I'll give him that.
Also, my Butterfly Pleco (or Hillstream Loach - we'll never know...) died mysteriously about two weeks after I got back. He was quite big when we got him, so I'm thinking it was actually just old age. Just shows you can't tell how long the LFS has had their stock knocking around before they sell it to you. No marks on his body or signs of illness, and I always made sure to leave algae on the side glass where he normally hung out to ensure he was being fed.
So, even with the absence of these two fish, I thought I wasn't going to add any more. All my fish were growing nicely together, and seemed to get along.
However, when visiting the LFS to drop off the Golden Loach and replace the plants destroyed in the process of catching himshifty, some fish caught my eye. I only wanted baby fish for my tank, to avoid any friction with my existing stock, and so all my fish were the same size.
I ended up coming home with 2 new Guppies (to bring their group up to 4 - so they can hold their own against my fleet of Tetra!), a second baby Peacock Goby (who, we have now discovered, is a pretty little female. The male has taken to her, and they have formed a cute little pair), and a tiny baby Marbled Gold Angel.
My girlfriend named the Angel 'Cupid', and he is the nicest, most tame little fish we've ever seen. He is about the size of a 20 pence piece, and was in a tank at the LFS with loads of other baby Angelfish... Only he was a different colouration to the rest of them, and you could virtually see in his eyes that he was desperate to come home with us.
There were no plants in the LFS tank, and it was being constantly harrassed by the other, bigger Angels, with nowhere to hide. We rescued him, and he appears to be very grateful - not destroying too many leaves of my Amazon Swords, and coming right up to my hand at feeding time to take his flakes!
We had previously wanted another large fish like an Angel for an additional tank centrepiece (already have the RTB Shark and Pearl Gourami), but all the 'baby' Angels we've seen thus far in the LFS have been way too big to consider adding to our tank. We were taken with this tiny little fella, and made the decision to bring him home in about 10 seconds flat.
I'll try and get a picture of the tank up ASAP. I tried to get exactly the same arrangement as I had before, but a few of the plants have been moved around, and the rocks have been rearranged to form a slightly larger cave area.
Ben.
A few things have happened since I was away.
The designated holiday feeder managed to screw up. Despite strict instructions NOT to add any algae wafers to their diet in order to prevent mortal combat between my RTB Shark and the Golden Loach, guess what he did?
Both the above fish were very bloated with red, stretched scales, and the RTB Shark had been chased to near death. Turns out he thought because they are bottom feeders, they wouldn't get any of the flake... Even though I already told him all my fish have been trained to come to the surface to feed. Considering I've only had the fish about 6 months and they're still babies, he had been putting one whole algae wafer in the tank... A DAY.
The designated holiday feeder was subsequently executed without trial.
Both the RTB Shark and the Golden Loach had grown extremely fast from this overfeeding, and in addition the water quality was horrible due to decomposing algae wafer particles. The Golden Loach had managed to get to the infamous 3", and would not stop chasing the RTB Shark, Sumo Loach, or any of the other fish that got too close. The RTB Shark was looking worse every day.
I made the hard decision to take the Golden Loach back to the LFS. Had to take all the plants and features out of the tank to get him in the net... He was crafty, I'll give him that.
Also, my Butterfly Pleco (or Hillstream Loach - we'll never know...) died mysteriously about two weeks after I got back. He was quite big when we got him, so I'm thinking it was actually just old age. Just shows you can't tell how long the LFS has had their stock knocking around before they sell it to you. No marks on his body or signs of illness, and I always made sure to leave algae on the side glass where he normally hung out to ensure he was being fed.
So, even with the absence of these two fish, I thought I wasn't going to add any more. All my fish were growing nicely together, and seemed to get along.
However, when visiting the LFS to drop off the Golden Loach and replace the plants destroyed in the process of catching him
shifty, some fish caught my eye. I only wanted baby fish for my tank, to avoid any friction with my existing stock, and so all my fish were the same size.I ended up coming home with 2 new Guppies (to bring their group up to 4 - so they can hold their own against my fleet of Tetra!), a second baby Peacock Goby (who, we have now discovered, is a pretty little female. The male has taken to her, and they have formed a cute little pair), and a tiny baby Marbled Gold Angel.
My girlfriend named the Angel 'Cupid', and he is the nicest, most tame little fish we've ever seen. He is about the size of a 20 pence piece, and was in a tank at the LFS with loads of other baby Angelfish... Only he was a different colouration to the rest of them, and you could virtually see in his eyes that he was desperate to come home with us.
There were no plants in the LFS tank, and it was being constantly harrassed by the other, bigger Angels, with nowhere to hide. We rescued him, and he appears to be very grateful - not destroying too many leaves of my Amazon Swords, and coming right up to my hand at feeding time to take his flakes!
We had previously wanted another large fish like an Angel for an additional tank centrepiece (already have the RTB Shark and Pearl Gourami), but all the 'baby' Angels we've seen thus far in the LFS have been way too big to consider adding to our tank. We were taken with this tiny little fella, and made the decision to bring him home in about 10 seconds flat.
I'll try and get a picture of the tank up ASAP. I tried to get exactly the same arrangement as I had before, but a few of the plants have been moved around, and the rocks have been rearranged to form a slightly larger cave area.
Ben.
FishAreFriendsNotFood10
Fish Herder
nice story glad u rescued that lil angel too!
im also waiting for the pics now hehe
glad u rescued that lil angel too! im also waiting for the pics now hehe
OP
OP
L4byr1nth
Fish Fanatic
Alright, a couple of quick tank pictures just as a comparison to my above 'finished' shots.
As you can see, a few new plants and a few new fish, but pretty much the same layout.
Ben.
EDIT:: Thought I'd add a couple more of this new Angelfish.
Sorry they're a bit dark - he moves fast, and to get him in focus I had to up my shutter speed!
In the first picture, you can see his colouration. I think I'm right in calling him a Gold Marbled, and not a Koi.
In the second, I tried to get another fish next to him to show his approximate size. In this picture, you can see he's around the same size as a Neon Tetra.
As you can see, a few new plants and a few new fish, but pretty much the same layout.
Ben.
EDIT:: Thought I'd add a couple more of this new Angelfish.
Sorry they're a bit dark - he moves fast, and to get him in focus I had to up my shutter speed!
In the first picture, you can see his colouration. I think I'm right in calling him a Gold Marbled, and not a Koi.
In the second, I tried to get another fish next to him to show his approximate size. In this picture, you can see he's around the same size as a Neon Tetra.
Hi Ben, it has been a joy reading trough this topic. I am about to buy my very first tank, and I also set my eyes on a Jewel Rio 180. Also I was thinking of setting it up with some wood and live plants. Gonna visit my LFS tommorow, this thread as been a great resource. But I thought maybe you have some tips for setting it up etc.
Great photos!
I love your tank
I love your tank
OP
OP
L4byr1nth
Fish Fanatic
Thanks for the kind words everyone! I am thinking about taking some decent pictures and entering it for the Tank of the Month competition. What do you think?
Toolenaar: Thank you! If you read a bit more of the thread, you'll see that I actually went to buy the Juwel Rio 180, but when I saw it I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be. It is a lovely, well-made tank, and comes with loads of high-end equipment... But for me it wasn't big enough, as I knew I'd want a bigger tank eventually, and have to spend out on upgrading again! I went with the Fluval Roma 240 in the end - it came with the brilliant Fluval 305 external filter, and the way the filter is plumbed into the bottom of the tank really impressed me.
Whatever tank you end up with though, I'd recommend the Juwel 3D backgrounds to anyone. It really finishes the tank off nicely - everyone comments on it when they see it, and it made sense to get it; after all, why spend all that money on livestock, plants and decor, and then stick a cheap background on it?
Ben.
Toolenaar: Thank you! If you read a bit more of the thread, you'll see that I actually went to buy the Juwel Rio 180, but when I saw it I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be. It is a lovely, well-made tank, and comes with loads of high-end equipment... But for me it wasn't big enough, as I knew I'd want a bigger tank eventually, and have to spend out on upgrading again! I went with the Fluval Roma 240 in the end - it came with the brilliant Fluval 305 external filter, and the way the filter is plumbed into the bottom of the tank really impressed me.
Whatever tank you end up with though, I'd recommend the Juwel 3D backgrounds to anyone. It really finishes the tank off nicely - everyone comments on it when they see it, and it made sense to get it; after all, why spend all that money on livestock, plants and decor, and then stick a cheap background on it?
Ben.
Most reactions
-
239 -
235 -
159 -
156 -
119 -
115 -
102 -
98 -
87 -
86 -
83 -
83 -
74 -
73 -
56
