Brave At Last

[tetraqueen]

Thanks.

I am pleased to say the post on 'keeping what I have' has given me the most encouragement I have had since I sarted the hobby.

The new project of making the tank look better and better for what I have is good.

I miss the plec now that I am up as he used to sit out with me in the night.

Since the Plec has gone Gouramis is swimming about a lot more. For a bit she was under the heater. At one time I thought he was male but I am not so sure

The only thing at the moment is the Pictis and I think you maybe right over the substrate. This I can easily change I thought of having one part of the

tank more planted the middle as it is and the end finer gravel.

When the bars are being done this will be the best time to do this change which I hope will be this week.

My lfs has lovely plants usually but I think he'll say its nearer summer you get floating plants they may have a few left. Will they be good near the light ?




So lets recap.

Change the gravel to finer have one part of the tank for planted plants and move on into the course gravel then have one part finer.
Put another filter in the oposite end. Hopefullly not too noisy for me. Any ideas of make type etc? They said last time it was a Jumbo filter and plenty and I must admit the only telling off I have had and refusal to sell me has been more filter matrerial. I was told NOT to change the sponges just wash them with tank water etc. I have really only changed one sponge and the fine ones that everyone has to. They have been choosy about the fish as I have asked about fish at the beginning that even I now realise would have been a no go.

I must admit you are the first person that said I could keep the Balas as I have been told several times to take them back. I am way chuffed They are my pride and joy as they are at least five times bigger than the slits you buy them at the beginning and now really look like fish.

I may get a 6x2x2 if we move house that will take that size at present though the best place I have is 5ft 6 . I cannot put across the room as my lad has autism and this would be too dangerous and excite the fish and also they are away from drafts, through traffic and they have no direct sunlight. So we are really for now stuck with the RIO.


So its now really about buying more plants what would you suggest?

More fish, I don't know the Gouramis seemed to fight the others alhthough I would like some colour unsure really. Been told a Bristle nose plec is good but your type did look nice. I will really have to take note.

The truth is the mixture was fine until I added the catfish as the rest are so peaceful and content I can see me being happy with them. I hope the cat fish settles or perhaps he should go to someone that knows they can make him content otherwise I hope the subtrate idea helps.

Do any of these like Bogwood or should I remove this now the Plec has gone ?

Thanks I am very excited about changing things. You have a few Brownie points I owe you one. Thanks

 

[Musho3210]

you can keep the bala's... for now, just for now, fully grown will need like 250 gallons for a small school. If i were you i would still try to rehome them now, make sure they go to a good house. But you can try and keep them i guess. they are quite active....


Anyway i dont think you will need to mix substrates for otehr parts of your tank, stick to one.

Take a look at these balas, bigger in real life, ive been to that aquarium twice:
http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbfTHgu6LSQ...ted&search=



Seeing that you like plecos so much why dont you get one of the smaller ones? I can see why you like them... If you want i can send you pictures of my very very small (about an inch) brittlenose pleco. I bought it when it was very very small.

 

[tetraqueen]

I think CFC had bigger ones that how those looked. Mine look just like that already.

When they were little they were very skittish interlocking.

The balas do chase but most of the time they are graceful and use the whole tank.

I was going on Tokis 's points and they sounded like the tank would look different.

If I do not have to get a plec I will not dream of it I have hardly slept and i miss flumpalump a lot..

Big baby when my children are almost grown up.

I think plec have an awe factor about them he was so good hubby said at 3am I'll gpo get him back you can get a bigger tank this am he said anything to shut you up .


Tokis is right i think.

 

[Musho3210]

if he is willing to get a bigger tank go and get flumpalump back!!!

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Thanks.

I am pleased to say the post on 'keeping what I have' has given me the most encouragement I have had since I sarted the hobby.

The new project of making the tank look better and better for what I have is good.

I miss the plec now that I am up as he used to sit out with me in the night.

Since the Plec has gone Gouramis is swimming about a lot more. For a bit she was under the heater. At one time I thought he was male but I am not so sure

The only thing at the moment is the Pictis and I think you maybe right over the substrate. This I can easily change I thought of having one part of the

tank more planted the middle as it is and the end finer gravel.

When the bars are being done this will be the best time to do this change which I hope will be this week.

My lfs has lovely plants usually but I think he'll say its nearer summer you get floating plants they may have a few left. Will they be good near the light ?




So lets recap.

Change the gravel to finer have one part of the tank for planted plants and move on into the course gravel then have one part finer.
Put another filter in the oposite end. Hopefullly not too noisy for me. Any ideas of make type etc? They said last time it was a Jumbo filter and plenty and I must admit the only telling off I have had and refusal to sell me has been more filter matrerial. I was told NOT to change the sponges just wash them with tank water etc. I have really only changed one sponge and the fine ones that everyone has to. They have been choosy about the fish as I have asked about fish at the beginning that even I now realise would have been a no go.

I must admit you are the first person that said I could keep the Balas as I have been told several times to take them back. I am way chuffed They are my pride and joy as they are at least five times bigger than the slits you buy them at the beginning and now really look like fish.

I may get a 6x2x2 if we move house that will take that size at present though the best place I have is 5ft 6 . I cannot put across the room as my lad has autism and this would be too dangerous and excite the fish and also they are away from drafts, through traffic and they have no direct sunlight. So we are really for now stuck with the RIO.


So its now really about buying more plants what would you suggest?

More fish, I don't know the Gouramis seemed to fight the others alhthough I would like some colour unsure really. Been told a Bristle nose plec is good but your type did look nice. I will really have to take note.

The truth is the mixture was fine until I added the catfish as the rest are so peaceful and content I can see me being happy with them. I hope the cat fish settles or perhaps he should go to someone that knows they can make him content otherwise I hope the subtrate idea helps.

Do any of these like Bogwood or should I remove this now the Plec has gone ?

Thanks I am very excited about changing things. You have a few Brownie points I owe you one. Thanks

I'm glad to help

I think the floating plants should be fine, although i'm really no expert on plants in aquariums, most of my plants are very hardy and easy to care for and will survive in almost any conditions (like my california oxygenating weed, java ferns, moss balls etc) .


With getting another filter, i've found the TetraTec 1000 to be a good filter, it will add another 200litres worth of filtration to your tank and i have found such filters to be very quiet, they are also easy/quick to clean and the filters current flow and direction can be easily adjusted too . What they look like;

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/TetraTec-IN-1000-Int...VQQcmdZViewItem



With Golden gourami's, they are the same type of gourami as Opaline/Three Spot gourami's- these gourami's are just different colour morphs of the same fish. These gourami's can be a little difficult to mix successfully with each other (with the males being semi-agressive at times), but the more females you get the easier it is to stock them successfully, a lot of people recommend a group of 5 when having more than one of these gourami's- they don't really need their own company though, so if you are happy with just the one gourami you can keep it that way and the gourami will be fine either way.
If you want some more colour in the tank though, having some more of these gourami's may be a good way to introduce some more colour to the tank, i personally love the Three Spot gourami's as they vary so much in their blue/grey metallic colour and patterning with black spodges and specs etc .



None of your fish really "need" the bogwood though now the pleco is gone as the tannins the bogwood released were most beneficial to the pleco, it will still provide something to look at or hide under for the fish and so the fish will probably enjoy having it around like any other peice of decor, but if you don't particularly want the bogwood there's nothing wrong with taking it out .

 

[tetraqueen]

The bogwood will really remind me of the plec and I think I want a different look.


It takes up alot of the room and it will be nice to make the tank look good.

Will try take a picture when I have it all fixed.

 

[Musho3210]

maybe grow some java moss over the wood?