Bowfront 180 Litres

[Biulu]

I will give this journal another try. Twice the tank broke as a result of my living room floor not being levelled out. So all the weight of around 200 litres was on the bow, which cracked.

I ordered a few days ago a new tank with the same measurements so I could use the base and the hood with the lights again. Today I was preparing everything for the carpinter to come tomorrow to level out the base and to get started with the planting and scaping. It involved moving the temporary tank on the base to another table for which I needed the help of the guard of the condominiums in which I live.

I was very disappointed to find out that the tank that I had ordered didn't have the right measures! Bummer! The bow is 5 cm less than it is supposed to be and the height 10 cm less than supposed to. The 10 cm height I could have lived with if it were not for the angels I plan to have there, but the difference in the bow means I cannot use my hood and that is unacceptable. Especially as I have imported all the lamps and reflectors for it from Europe.

Now I have to take the tank all the way back to Mexico city (7 hours ride) on the bus, which means using 'maleteros' (guys that carry your luggage) and taxis and another waiting time of 5 days to get the correct one. I hope to bring the tank back on Monday and then hope to have the correct tank after easter.

I had also already bought more plants. I was lucky to find some as tropica has stopped delivering as the euro is too high compared to the peso. Now we have an 'informal' circuit of aquarium lovers that buy and sell over the internet. I found a young student which provided me with L. repens, H. polysperma and M. micranthemoides. Furthermore I found 2 aponogeton plants in the local fish market (this is the place where the aquarium businesses from the province come and buy their stock).

They also had bacopa. At first I didn't want to take it as normally bacopa disintegrates quickly in my tanks, but they assured me that it was not local, but imported bacopa. ANd yes, the leaves do look different, so I am going to give it another try.

Some data about the tank:

180 litres or 47.5 US gallons or 39.5 UK gallons
Sera Floredepot substrate with fine gravel on top
Marineland 1200 external filter
2 T5 24 W and 2 T8 15 W, which gives me 1.6 WpG, still low light

Plants:
S. platophylla
C. wendtti
A. barteri and A. barteri nana
Microsorum
B. carolina
Aponogeton
H. polysperma
L. repens
tiger lotus
M. micranthemoides

Future inhabitants:
2 moon angelfish
17 cherry barbs
5 otocinclus
5 C. julii
6. C. puntatus

Thank you for reading

 

[ian]

look forward for the pics!

 

[Biulu]

look forward for the pics!

Thank you, but unfortunately that will take at least another week.

Today the carpenter came to level out the base. It turned out that it was necessary to put an extra support in the middle on the bottom of the base. Before he was able to do this, I had to disconnect my filter, water all over the place from the hoses, drying up, letting the carpinter work and connect everything again.

I was then stupid enough to try to put everything in the cabinet again although the temporary tank is on a table next to the base. When I realised this, I disconnected everything again and took the filter out of the cabinet. I put it temporary under the table the tank is on.

It took ages before the air was out of the hoses, and imprint of the primer is still in my hand. Worst thing was that I connected them wrong, so again, water all over the place, connecting again and priming.

All in all this work took me about an hour. Time to enjoy a drink and watch my fish!

 

[lljdma06]

Thank you, but unfortunately that will take at least another week.

Today the carpenter came to level out the base. It turned out that it was necessary to put an extra support in the middle on the bottom of the base. Before he was able to do this, I had to disconnect my filter, water all over the place from the hoses, drying up, letting the carpinter work and connect everything again.

I was then stupid enough to try to put everything in the cabinet again although the temporary tank is on a table next to the base. When I realised this, I disconnected everything again and took the filter out of the cabinet. I put it temporary under the table the tank is on.

It took ages before the air was out of the hoses, and imprint of the primer is still in my hand. Worst thing was that I connected them wrong, so again, water all over the place, connecting again and priming.

All in all this work took me about an hour. Time to enjoy a drink and watch my fish!

Oh boy! I'm glad you were able to find some fellow hobbiests to help you acquire plants. And after your adventure with this tank, you certainly earned your drink! I am looking forward to this journal.

 

[Biulu]

A small update: I was supposed to come home with the new tank after semana santa (easter week) but I was not able to contact the guy to agree on the price difference. It turned out he had lost his telephone and I was only back in Mexico city for 1 day instead of the 3 they need to make the tank.
Anyway, this means a 1 week delay.

On the plants: I had some c. moehlmanni in Chihuahua where I had lived temporarily and thanks to a small Dennerle lamp they grew superb! I have brought them back with me together with some more c. wendtti and a moss ball. And I have now sufficient plants to fill the tank once it arrives.

In the mean time the future inhabitants of the tank are thriving well in my 80 litres. It looks like the angels have paired up and they are anxiously guarding one section of the tank; maybe fry?!

 

[Biulu]

Just as a reminder: here is the tank with its base. I hope to be able to have it like this again next week!

ANd here is a picture of the hood:

THe set up of the lights have changed a bit, as I asked the carpinter to make a feeding part in the front instead of in the middle, but the 4 lights are still there. The 2 T5 have moved more to the back.

 

[lljdma06]

Hi Biulu. I'm looking forward to this being set up again. You've been extremely patient. I would have been pulling my hair out by now.

llj

 

[Biulu]

Hi Biulu. I'm looking forward to this being set up again. You've been extremely patient. I would have been pulling my hair out by now.

llj

Well, I almost did when I wasn't able to contact the acrylic tank guy! Luckily I have my fish temporarily in an 8o litre tank with all the plants stuffed into it, so I can more or less enjoy it.

Next weekend should be my big day, as I plan to bring back the new tank from Mexico city. Apart from the fish already in there, I want to add some rainbowfish or congo tetras. Both might be difficult to get though...

 

[Biulu]

Another bummer: the tank will not be ready until Monday! So I have postponed my trip until then. On another note: one of the fish dealers I know, says he might get congo tetras in on Monday. I have been wanting to get this fish for ages! Hopefully he will get them!

 

[lljdma06]

Another bummer: the tank will not be ready until Monday! So I have postponed my trip until then. On another note: one of the fish dealers I know, says he might get congo tetras in on Monday. I have been wanting to get this fish for ages! Hopefully he will get them!

Oh brother!

Congo tetras are great. Hope you can get them.

 

[ian]

Congos are great a got a small school for my tank, and they really livened the place up! I did catch them eating a couple of my cardinals, so the smaller ones have gone into my 60l for a bit. But great colouration when older!

 

[Biulu]

Congos are great a got a small school for my tank, and they really livened the place up! I did catch them eating a couple of my cardinals, so the smaller ones have gone into my 60l for a bit. But great colouration when older!

Yep, I agree. I thought they were not available in Mexico, but he sounded quite confident. He even asked me which size I wanted. I will know tomorrow; I can hardly wait!

 

[Biulu]

Well, I finally made it home with the tank! It looks like the sizes are ok, so tomorrow will be installation time...

At the fish market I also picked up some more otocinclus, very small though, only 1.5 cm. That is ok though, so they can grow out in my tank, there will be more to eat over time.

I also bought some more plants, like Alternanthera and aponogetons. I bought one that was called 'hygrophila' but I have my doubts. Can anyone ID this one for me?

I hope the pictures are clear enough!

 

[lljdma06]

At first with the crinkly leaves, I though aponogeton, but it is clearly a stemplant. Interesting. I can't tell offhand. If someone doesn't have an id for you by the evening, I'll check my Baensch when I get home from work.

It looks cool, though.

 

[Biulu]

At first with the crinkly leaves, I though aponogeton, but it is clearly a stemplant. Interesting. I can't tell offhand. If someone doesn't have an id for you by the evening, I'll check my Baensch when I get home from work.

It looks cool, though.

Yeah, I liked it too. It will give a nice effect in the tank, I think. Another person talked about aponogeton, and insisted that there were different sorts of aponogetons, ones with the bulb and ones as stemplant.