My tanks

[Wills]

Hi not been around for a while so thought I’d share some pics of my tanks. We had a baby in early November so tanks been suffering a little some had a big hack back today so not looking their best but it should come back.

Really happy with my tiny tank it’s not perfect but needs so little maintenance it’s just a pleasure to watch. The Mbuna are doing well in the 300 and the puffers are doing great in the 100 still. The shallow tank is healthy but I am finding myself wanting to cut it down and replant it.

 

[AquaBarb]

Looking goodNew mbuna added to the 300?

 

[Wills]

Looking goodNew mbuna added to the 300?

Thanks yes I got a group of Msobo Magunga 8 of them but I think I have a lot of males… possibly 5 of the 8 so will need to thin and swap over time

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Looking great, Wills! Hearty congrats on the bambino!

 

[Back in the fold]

Very , very nice .

 

[MattW3344]

I that 60F

 

[simonas]

They all look fantastic in a way I never achieve with tanks .

 

[Wills]

Thanks everyone. Want to try and do a bit of a bigger update in the mbuna at some point as it’s been interesting start and a few lessons learned

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

@Wills !! Congrats to you and your lovely wife on the new baby!

Tanks still looking wonderful, as always! I'm way behind on your journal threads I'm sorry, but definitely keen to catch up!



@noahm @Seisage @GaryE - some of you likely know @Wills , really talented aquascaper and with good with plants, also faces the same battle I and some others like @Neonlights , I suggested checking out Will's tanks and threads because he also deals with hard water, and has done a lot of amazing research into natural habitats, fish that can tolerate harder water, or experience harder water in the wild than previously thought, and has some fascinating stocking and stocking ideas even for smaller tanks with hard water. Has been invaluable for people who don't want the usual livebearers, or don't have space for a 300L mbuna or large rainbowfish tank!
Plus the mixing of substrates... @Wills helped me a lot when I was trying to set up a new tank with sand for my cories, but also wanted to slope the sand, and we figured out a way that Wills has since used of using gravel in net bags underneath to create tiers, and help some larger plants root, without that fear of anaerobic pockets @Seisage

I feel like all of us have some overlapping interests here, and can help each other out, share our passions and research, and tips to help each other out! I know you @Seisage and @GaryE have softwater, but I get lost with the chemistry stuff, as do others, and I know you've both been interested in the mixing substrates thing from earlier threads, and I'm hoping to pick all of your brains when I'm setting up my own "new" tanks, so wanted to make sure I'd introduced you guys and recommended checking out Will's threads and comments. Smart, knowlegeable dude, with stunning tanks and unique fish, despite hard water!




@Neonlights

 

[Fishmanic]

TOTM

 

[Wills]

@Wills !! Congrats to you and your lovely wife on the new baby!

Tanks still looking wonderful, as always! I'm way behind on your journal threads I'm sorry, but definitely keen to catch up!



@noahm @Seisage @GaryE - some of you likely know @Wills , really talented aquascaper and with good with plants, also faces the same battle I and some others like @Neonlights , I suggested checking out Will's tanks and threads because he also deals with hard water, and has done a lot of amazing research into natural habitats, fish that can tolerate harder water, or experience harder water in the wild than previously thought, and has some fascinating stocking and stocking ideas even for smaller tanks with hard water. Has been invaluable for people who don't want the usual livebearers, or don't have space for a 300L mbuna or large rainbowfish tank!
Plus the mixing of substrates... @Wills helped me a lot when I was trying to set up a new tank with sand for my cories, but also wanted to slope the sand, and we figured out a way that Wills has since used of using gravel in net bags underneath to create tiers, and help some larger plants root, without that fear of anaerobic pockets @Seisage

I feel like all of us have some overlapping interests here, and can help each other out, share our passions and research, and tips to help each other out! I know you @Seisage and @GaryE have softwater, but I get lost with the chemistry stuff, as do others, and I know you've both been interested in the mixing substrates thing from earlier threads, and I'm hoping to pick all of your brains when I'm setting up my own "new" tanks, so wanted to make sure I'd introduced you guys and recommended checking out Will's threads and comments. Smart, knowlegeable dude, with stunning tanks and unique fish, despite hard water!




@Neonlights

Thanks I'll try and be more active! Thank you for the introduction to some people I've missed joining!

Heres an update of the Mbuna from tonight - one of my male Msobo has fully coloured up now, really really hard to get good or acurate photos of them I think its going to take a video tbh. One of the other males is half coloured up but not sure if he is going to go all the way, the half coloured one is the one I thought would be the alpha so its interesting someone else beat him to it. Still really unsure how many males I have in the group but at the moment it is working there is some argy bargy but over all it is a calm tank. I've been a bit too busy to get all the fish in here that I want as to get exact species I need to travel around a bit which has been impossible to take a day out to do. But there is a large part of me that just wants to leave it with these two groups 8 Msobo, 5 Socolofi and leave them to it... I would like some Acei Itungi which are black/purple fish with yellow fins and a white seam to the dorsal fin but a bit wary of rocking the boat as whats here definitely works right now.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Wow, they really are stunning!!

Have you still been keeping an eye out for Nicaraguan's? I know that they're the dream fish (and a different tank) but not easy to find the quality ones you like, especially with your old favourite girl having your heart, it'll be hard to find another that has the same impact. But worth the wait when you do find one!

 

[JackGulley]

Those Mbuna's are gorgeous. When I found the hobby, I originally gravitated towards small, planted community tanks, but the more I see your mbuna tank the more I think I would love to have a tank like that someday.

 

[JackGulley]

What are the sizes of the tanks in order? Also, how do you get so much moss/algae to grow on the decorations? I really love the mossy look, but I haven't been able to grow much algae in my own aquarium aside from diatoms.

 

[Wills]

What are the sizes of the tanks in order? Also, how do you get so much moss/algae to grow on the decorations? I really love the mossy look, but I haven't been able to grow much algae in my own aquarium aside from diatoms.

Thanks

In order first is a tiny 1.5 gallon, second is a 28 gallon cube, third is an 8 gallon shallow and the fourth is a 75 gallon.

I have to admit the algae is pretty accidental and not there on purpose... but there are some mosses. In the 8 gallon shallow, I got some cladrophora algae which is what moss balls are and it grows like mad - I'll never get rid of it but I'm trying to train it onto the branches. In the 28 gallon there is some Taiwan Moss which grows well but does not attach to things as I'd like, there is a lot of black beard algae in there too mainly on the wood, being dark it blends in but does flow in the water.

I do love planted tanks but my Mbuna tank is my favourite at the moment, easiest kind of freshwater tank to get colourful fish in. There are loads of ways to do Malawi tanks but there are a few rules I think you should follow and you get rewarded with good results.

Wills