Honest opinions on my tank?

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Oh, that is interesting to know!
I know the mod on page one said that for August it was 30+ gallons and I could enter it for thay contest! So I just assumed that my tank wasn't suitable for July ^~^
I think you are able to I mean it's 16 and up not 16-30 so I don't see why you couldnt.
 
The July Tank of the Month contest will be for 17 to 30 US gallon tanks. It's in the last post of the current Fish of the Month voting thread :)


There are three types of contest -
Pet of the Month (anything except fish)
Fish of the Month - sometimes these are for any fish, sometimes for one type of fish (the current one is for bettas)
Tank of the Month - there are 3 categories run one at a time; 16 gallon or smaller, 17 to 30 gallons and 31 gallons or over.
 
The last totm contest we had, barely anyone entered... So me and a few others put our "ugly" QT tanks in and then some others started entering 🤣... It was pretty funny ngl.
And I came it 3rd place with my crummy 5 gallon tank that houses one neon tetra and a couple of amano shrimp.
 
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I really love your tank! And your enthusiasm and wanting to learn is awesome to see too, love seeing people like you entering the hobby!
I deffinilty will keep this thread updated if I find a home for him <3

I'd I think I will! A mod on firdt page already suggested me submitting it to the August tank for he month, that's is VERY flattering!

You definitely should enter! I've entered a few times with no expectation of winning, and I don't mind at all if I don't win, it's only for fun! I did win once, and was so surprised since there are so many beautiful tanks in the forum, but it's important not to be intimidated by that, and just show what you've done already! Every tank is an evolving environment. It changes over time, plants get established and grow, you change up the substrate or hardscape and take some nice photos (my tip is to clean the front glass inside and out first! Watermarks and algae can make it really hard to take good photos!)

So even if you enter and don't win, you start seeing things you'd like to improve for the next time, or can always ask people for feedback, like you're doing now! There's no punishment if you don't win, and if your fish are healthy and you're maintaining it, your tank isn't "less than" someone's beautifully aquascaped, all natural CO2 injected tank. It's just a different style of fishkeeping, and we're not doing full on aquascaping contests here! Just our everyday tanks that we love :D
I didn't think I'd stand a chnace at all with all these experienced people and they amazing tanks! O. O
But just for fun, it would be nice to do that! <3

DO IT! lol :D It also just makes you more involved in the forum, you know? I was super nervous before I entered the first time, thinking I didn't stand a chance. I remember that I pm-ed @Fishmanic some photos before entering asking if I should enter or not, and feeling like I couldn't compete, and said that exact thing to him! He was very patient and reassuring, lol! Then teased me because I was so surprised when I won, lol! You never know, and it's a nice way to get to know people here and see each others set ups. I know I've drawn a lot of inspiration and ideas from other tanks and hobbyists here.

Your tank - I'm not wild about the gravel colour, but I admit that I'm biased towards a natural look, and I also hate when people get snobby about not having anything fake in a tank! If you like the gravel colour, then keep it! That one isn't doing any harm to the fish you're currently keeping.
You also don't have to have just fake, or just live! You can do a mix of both, and I've seen some stunning tanks with both! Like @Fishmanic said, you can get some really good silk plants too, with some wild colours that really pop, and can look awesome when dotted around the real live plants!

I'd definitely add some larger pieces of driftwood though, since you have plecos. They do need driftwood, and they appreciate it as hiding spots and territories. For some reason, with that background, I'm mentally picturing some taller larger wood pieces sticking up... maybe @Wills would have better suggestions, he's got a really good eye for aquascaping!
I wouldn't remove any of the live plants except for propagating or moving to another tank. There's lots of room for live plants! I'd remove the fake ship and/or big stone thing personally if it comes down to needing room, since they take up a lot of space, but if you like them, keep them! :D
 
And I came it 3rd place with my crummy 5 gallon tank that houses one neon tetra and a couple of amano shrimp.
People just voted you so they could get on your good side as a moderator 🤣🤣🤣
 
@Couwu. Hi, just wondering how you and your tank have been? Has your boyfriend noticed the plant change up at all? 😅
 
I really love your tank! And your enthusiasm and wanting to learn is awesome to see too, love seeing people like you entering the hobby!


You definitely should enter! I've entered a few times with no expectation of winning, and I don't mind at all if I don't win, it's only for fun! I did win once, and was so surprised since there are so many beautiful tanks in the forum, but it's important not to be intimidated by that, and just show what you've done already! Every tank is an evolving environment. It changes over time, plants get established and grow, you change up the substrate or hardscape and take some nice photos (my tip is to clean the front glass inside and out first! Watermarks and algae can make it really hard to take good photos!)

So even if you enter and don't win, you start seeing things you'd like to improve for the next time, or can always ask people for feedback, like you're doing now! There's no punishment if you don't win, and if your fish are healthy and you're maintaining it, your tank isn't "less than" someone's beautifully aquascaped, all natural CO2 injected tank. It's just a different style of fishkeeping, and we're not doing full on aquascaping contests here! Just our everyday tanks that we love :D


DO IT! lol :D It also just makes you more involved in the forum, you know? I was super nervous before I entered the first time, thinking I didn't stand a chance. I remember that I pm-ed @Fishmanic some photos before entering asking if I should enter or not, and feeling like I couldn't compete, and said that exact thing to him! He was very patient and reassuring, lol! Then teased me because I was so surprised when I won, lol! You never know, and it's a nice way to get to know people here and see each others set ups. I know I've drawn a lot of inspiration and ideas from other tanks and hobbyists here.

Your tank - I'm not wild about the gravel colour, but I admit that I'm biased towards a natural look, and I also hate when people get snobby about not having anything fake in a tank! If you like the gravel colour, then keep it! That one isn't doing any harm to the fish you're currently keeping.
You also don't have to have just fake, or just live! You can do a mix of both, and I've seen some stunning tanks with both! Like @Fishmanic said, you can get some really good silk plants too, with some wild colours that really pop, and can look awesome when dotted around the real live plants!

I'd definitely add some larger pieces of driftwood though, since you have plecos. They do need driftwood, and they appreciate it as hiding spots and territories. For some reason, with that background, I'm mentally picturing some taller larger wood pieces sticking up... maybe @Wills would have better suggestions, he's got a really good eye for aquascaping!
I wouldn't remove any of the live plants except for propagating or moving to another tank. There's lots of room for live plants! I'd remove the fake ship and/or big stone thing personally if it comes down to needing room, since they take up a lot of space, but if you like them, keep them! :D
Sorry for the late reply, I don't know what is up with my email, it COMPLETELY failed to notify me that anyone has replies 😬

1. I REALLY appreciate all of your kind words and advice <3

2. We too are not too fond of the substrate, it was the one that we got with the aquarium when we bought it, we do want to chnage it at some point ( I also like more natural colors etc)

3. My partner liked the fake plants alot in the tank, while they bothered me xD when he wasn't looking, I took them out and booted them into the hospital tank. Maybe once the plants have rooted ( they are still doing fabulous and are growing roots!) I might rearrange and see if I can in corporate them for him, so it still looks nice xD

4. I'm not going to toss out any of the rraly plants, I am VERY happy I ordered them and they arrived intact! Not a single one has died yet <3 they were 10 bundles, made out of several stems of a type of plant, so just a few I will at some point "rehome" into the hospital tank, for the poor tetra ( still has not found a home yet unfortunately, but he is doing amazingly)

5. For when I do enter the August context, I deffinilty will clean the front and back of the Glas 😂 I didn't do it for these photos as they were just meant as a way to get some opinions 😅 it for a contest, I'll deffinitly take better picture! ( on the side note, we never have Algea problems since the tank is cycled, thankfully, but over a longer time, we do get these VERY TOUGH little blotches on the Glas, we scrape the off with an expired insurance card, but it takes some muscle work xD)

The placi actually LOVES that big stone, he is ALWAYS in there when it's not feeding time! And we two actually really like the stone, even if it takes up quiet a bit of space ^~^ but we will deffinilty figure something out how to incorporate the drift wood!
 
@Couwu. Hi, just wondering how you and your tank have been? Has your boyfriend noticed the plant change up at all? 😅
Hello there! <3

Also sorry for the late reply, like stated in my long reply, my email foaled to notify me that anyone has posted 😬

We have been great, thank you for asking! <3 I'm not sure if I had posted it here before or not, but the one VERY timid Grey dwarf gourami passed away unfortunately, we don't know why, but he / she may have had something internal from a long time of neglect... All other fish are doing perfectly fine, the guppies and the male gouramie get along good it seems, the sword tails are always busy swimming around and impressing the female, and the guppies are still reproducing like crazy xD

The plants HAVE proven to be very useful for them! ( as I had hoped) as alot of fry hide in them <3
I've never actually seen the gouramie try to eat a fry, so I guess that's good? Maybe


He only noticed it because I told him, but until I told him, he wasn't sure what was off, he just noticed SOMETHING was off 🤣

Like mentioned, I did boot the plants into he hospital tank, and the tetra seem happier now! He has some bigger stones, a fake log to hide in and some fake plants, once the rraly plants are a bit more sturdy, some will join the tetra.

The hospital tank is also now cycled properly, the Algea bloom has disappeared and the snails I placed into the hospital tank have done as good job cleaning the one real plant ^~^

How have you and your tank been doing?❤️
 
That's great to hear that you have been able to get a few things together for the tanks! (Also its fine if you replied late, no need to apologize... Just life)

Also, so sorry to hear about your gourami. Sometimes things happen and we just never know why. It could have been stress, something internal, gourami disease, and there is so many other things... Even old age.
But it sounds like all the other fish are really happy which means you are doing something right! 😅

Maybe you should let your boyfriend scape the QT tank. That way he has a tank that he likes and the main tank can stay natural :) compromise lol

You should try selling the fry to locally owned pet stores around you! I'm sure at least one shop around you would buy them.
Plants are always very good for fry because they can duck into cover whenever threatened.
And the gourami may or may not try to eat the fry. Some fish wait until night when the owner is sleeping to commit something like genocide :) Sweet dreams. 😂

Woooow. I'm sometimes bad at noticing things and am blank but you pointed it out to him! 😅
I recently moved a few things around in my tank during a water change and asked my parents how they liked it.... They said: "It looks good, it always does after a water change" 😂... I stared at them for a few seconds like: "You really don't notice?" And then about 15 seconds later they were like: "Ohhhh I see it now".

Yup, more hiding spots always help fish feel more secure! They color up more as well!
Snails, the aquatic Hoover. They always clean things very well... Slowly, but they get it done nicely.

Hello there! <3

Also sorry for the late reply, like stated in my long reply, my email foaled to notify me that anyone has posted 😬

We have been great, thank you for asking! <3 I'm not sure if I had posted it here before or not, but the one VERY timid Grey dwarf gourami passed away unfortunately, we don't know why, but he / she may have had something internal from a long time of neglect... All other fish are doing perfectly fine, the guppies and the male gouramie get along good it seems, the sword tails are always busy swimming around and impressing the female, and the guppies are still reproducing like crazy xD

The plants HAVE proven to be very useful for them! ( as I had hoped) as alot of fry hide in them <3
I've never actually seen the gouramie try to eat a fry, so I guess that's good? Maybe


He only noticed it because I told him, but until I told him, he wasn't sure what was off, he just noticed SOMETHING was off 🤣

Like mentioned, I did boot the plants into he hospital tank, and the tetra seem happier now! He has some bigger stones, a fake log to hide in and some fake plants, once the rraly plants are a bit more sturdy, some will join the tetra.

The hospital tank is also now cycled properly, the Algea bloom has disappeared and the snails I placed into the hospital tank have done as good job cleaning the one real plant ^~^

How have you and your tank been doing?❤️

My tank has been doing alright... Thank you so much for asking! A new batch of fry hatched... Again. But I can't move them to the other tank cause the fry in there are a bit more grown... So I decided to let the mom in the main tank decide her children's fate 😅...
I also switched a few things around (not too much but its a noticeable change).
I'm also looking at adding onto the plants I have and using fertilizer because I found out my water lacks iron and potassium which java ferns kinda need to live... Otherwise they die out slowly which mine have been doing. But its hanging on!
 

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