A Tale Of Neglect

[qwikimpss]

Last April I moved out from my parent's house (finally). Even though I only had two tanks up and running (a 75 gallon and a 29 gallon planted) I was too lazy to move them along with me. Eventually I did take the 29 down and put all of the fish in the 75 along with some java fern and creeping jenny (at least I think it's creeping jenny). My new wife and I were forced to move back in with my parents due to employment and financial difficulites last weekend.

Where the neglect comes in is in the time I was not home the 75 gallon tank got one, single water change. As you can immagine there is/was massive amounts of poo and detritus along with huge clumps of java moss practically taking over. The lighting is dim because, at some point, duckweed found it's way into the tank. As most know it is invasive and nearly impossible to get rid of, I welcome some of it because it provdes a bit of a visual barrier for the hatchet fish to reduce jumping.

These pictures do not do this disaster justice. I am embarassed.

I spent a couple hours ripping out clumps of moss and java ferns, skimming the surface with nets to remove some of the duckweed and siphoning out as much poop and junk as I could and I ended up with this.

Yeah, the tank still looks like crap, but coming back from the brink of disaster takes some time. All of the inhabitants are surprisingly healthy and growing. My flying fox is about 7 inches long now.

It is a work in progress. Long term plans are to go with a high tech planted set up with T-5 lighting, pressurized CO2 and heavy on the ferts.

Just wanted to post as a warning. Don't get lazy, do your water changes!!!!

 

[erk628]

Amen brother!

 

[Monty2451]

Honestly, I think the tank looked better before you overhauled it. The ferns were really nice, and provided some nice coverage for the tank. I think you should have just skimmed some duckweed and did a water change. Although, it may be because the sand wasn't quite settled yet in the new pics, which made it look more cloudy. In any case, good job getting back on top of that tank.

 

[Wills]

Yeah have to say I quite like it from the distance shot lol the big bits of moss look amazing Whats your stock list?

 

[Bebobb]

I agree. I like the tank better before the cleaning... But the duckweed, that just looks utterly gross. I don't know if I would ever keep duckweed after looking at that picture, lol.

 

[qwikimpss]

I still have the ferns in there, but they aren't currently anchored to anything and there is still some moss in there that will bounce back.

I must say I did like the way it looked before because I like the planted tank 'jungle' look. Plans are to make it look like that in the long run when finances allow. It is a work in progress.

Current stocking is

3x Rummynose Tetras
4x Silver Hatchetfish
1x female Red Swordtail
1x Brilliant Rasbora
1x Flying Fox

Very lightly stocked as of right now but when I get the tank sorted out I'm going to work out what I want. I like dwarf neon rainbowfish, a nice, large school of those would look great. I was also thinking that a large school of cardinal tetras would look great with some cories and some more hatchetfish.

Like I said, a work in progress.