So It Begins

[jag51186]

Finally got nitrates at 5ppm on my api master kit!! Meaning, my cycle is finally complete!! Or at least in the final stages.

 

[jag51186]

Things are really filling in!

 

[Byron]

Very beautiful indeed.  And it illustrates how plants will take their time to establish and then off they go rapidly.  B.

 

[Akasha72]

wow ... look at the plants go! What ever your doing keep doing it. It looks really healthy and lush

 

[daizeUK]

Very beautiful!  You must be doing something right!  Lovely wood arrangement too.

 

[jag51186]

Thanks all!! Couldn't be happier with it...I have my quarantine set up and letting it get established as well. Then, come the end of May, I'm going to get some more fish in my quarantine!

 

[jag51186]

Uh oh, not sure if you can see it...But somefish has developed a taste for my lobelia cardinalis! It had a bunch of new leaves, and they are getting bitten off. I guess this is their way of saying I bought one tasty plant too many!

Sorry is sideways, it does that sometimes...not sure why.

 

[Byron]

The nibbling is likely one of the barbs, and of the two (Rosy and Denison) most likely the Denison.  If you sit very still in front of the tank for an extended time, an hour or more, you may see it and that would pin the culprits down.  Many barbs will pick at some plants, sometimes to graze algae and other food, sometimes the plant themselves.
 
Denisons are prone to nibble on soft-leaf plants.  Their natural diet includes algae, so vegetable matter like blanched spinach, zucchini and cucumber have been said to help curb their appetite for the plants.  I've no idea how voracious they can be nibbling plants, just that they tend to do so.
 
Byron.

 

[Akasha72]

hmm now I seem to remember saying somewhere that barbs eat plants ... was it this thread or another? I can't remember. My Dad had some gold barbs and whilst they were alive he couldn't keep a single plant, they reduced everything to just the stalks in a matter of days. Sorry to read yours have also developed a taste for your plants ... it was looking so beautiful too

 

[jag51186]

It was this thread, luckily that is the only plant they chew on so far. I'm hoping it stays this way, but we'll see.

 

[Akasha72]

Dad's barbs dessimated amazon swords, vallis, altnanthera, and even crypts that are supposed to taste nasty. I hope for your sake yours behave better than my Dad's did

 

[DanTheFishMan11]

Tank of the month competitor right there

 

[Akasha72]

I would agree Dan ... it's a stunning looking tank!

 

[jag51186]

I really appreciate it guys!! Once I get it fully stocked, maybe I'll enter it!

 

[jag51186]

Well, I've gotten my quarantine tank up and running. It ran for about a month, and I finally got my final stock in there over memorial day weekend. I reserved ten black ruby barbs, but the guy gave me a dozen because he, "thought they would probably do better in my tank than they were in the store...". So, it sounds to me like they were maybe a bit sickly, but I got two free ones out of it. Also picked up three more peppered cories to bring my main school to nine once they pass the month long qt. Everyone is looking great right now!

The roots on my frogbit went CRAZY while it was sitting. The barbs are actually munching on them, which makes me happy because they were definitely getting out of hand.

The main tank is also due for another trim...I didn't think the plants would grow this fast haha, but it's great for keeping my water parameters stable!