Ideas For An Amazon Biotype In 29 Gallon Tank

[lordtrini]

I am not really new to the hobby but i would like you opinion on this tank...

I want to do a fully planted amazon biotype 29 gallon tank with the following...

- 15 neons
- 1 apple snail
- 5 ghost shrimp
- 1 pleco
- 6 black skirt tetras
- 4 angels

I am filtering with a Tetra Whisper EX 45 (rated for a tank 30 t0 45 gallons) and i intend to do a 20% water change every week...
I am going to do CO2 injection also...

What do you guys think....

 

[fatheadminnow]

I think it will be great, I love live planted aquariums!

Have you ever dealt with live plants and Co2 injection before?

-FHM

 

[lordtrini]

I tried it once... i have a CO2 infuser ladder thingie... and i lost the canister... i will use a plain plastic bottle.
I used it with a tank i had before...
I am wondering if the bioload is too high... or the Angel will eat the neons... (to that end i am going to get small angels to start with...)

 

[waterdrop]

Perhaps you could introduce the black skirts right after the fishless cycle, then the pleco right after that. Then work the neon population in between 4 and 6 months after the fishless and finally add baby angels after the neons seem settled. The angels will hopefully see the neons as fixtures of the tanks, at least for many years before the angels get huge. Four angels may be too much for a 29.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[lordtrini]

Perhaps you could introduce the black skirts right after the fishless cycle, then the pleco right after that. Then work the neon population in between 4 and 6 months after the fishless and finally add baby angels after the neons seem settled. The angels will hopefully see the neons as fixtures of the tanks, at least for many years before the angels get huge. Four angels may be too much for a 29.

~~waterdrop~~

thats a good suggestion...
But cycling takes to God dahm long...
i am using mature media and plants...

 

[waterdrop]

Fully agree that planted tank experts rarely need to worry about fishless cycling. Those hobbyists, experienced with their substrates, CO2, lights and ferts are going to dump hundreds of dollars of plants in at the beginning and the plants will create a perfect envirnment for a few small fish to begin fish-in cycling the filter, if indeed there -is- a filter, lol.

Its just that here in the beginner section we're always very careful about confusing beginners with this, because it probably takes even more skill and experience to get plants growing reliably like this than it does to make it through a fishless cycle and if the plant take a turn for the worse, their debris can turn the situation into a disaster in a hurry.

If you're planning to plant a lot early and feel confident of your mature media technique and it "takes" then you're probably right on the line between two good approaches: On one hand you could just be safe and treat your mature media as a bonus that should speed your fishless cycle but still follow fishless cycling standard procedures and "qualify" your filter as being fully cycled. But alternatively, if you're confident about the plants and have a ton of them and are willing to do any necessary water changes of the following months, you could fish-in cycle with a few small fish and be less bored during the first couple months!

~~waterdrop~~