So I've has my current 175L set up running for just under a year since I upgraded from my old 100L tank, and I've really enjoyed the process. It's been the first tank where I've started from scratch and properly researched the stock as well as trying to make it as natural and as close too a South American biotope as I can do. However, over the past few weeks I've been thinking about having a bit of a rescape and also having a look at the stocking as well.
My first mistake was when I first set it up, I had a lovely big bit of bogwood which I intended to build the rest of the decor around and I decided just to put right in the middle of the tank, however with it being a corner tank I found it difficult to get enough height around it and have left the sides looking pretty bare. My next issue was with plants, I originally wanted a planted tank, but I also liked the look of the tannin stained biotopes I had looked at and attempted to reach a middle ground of mixing low demanding plants such as Swords and Vallis, as well as floating plants like Amazon Frogbit and Brazilian Water Ivy, and just slightly stained water using Indian Almond Leaves. The Swords died straight away while the floating plants originally began sending off runners and looking really good and healthy before declining and dying several weeks later, the Vallis, although sending out runners, don't grow much more than a few inches (they were supposed to be the larger variation which just keep growing). After the rescape i'll likely buy some more Vallis and one of the two floating plants without staining the water.
Like I said I'm contemplating looking at my stock as well, currently I have;
10x Rummynose Tetra
9x Cardinal Tetra
8xPanda Cory
2x Keyhole Cichlid
2x Banjo Catfish
1x Bristlenose Catfish
However, there's not much going on at the top of the tank so I'm thinking about subbing out my Rummynose for either Pencilfish or Marbled Hatchetfish and topping up my Cardinal shoal. I'm also looking at Whiptail Catfish (Sturisoma aureum) I had one not so long ago for a fair few months before it disappeared, my theory is that, while my BN pleco is as docile as they come, when there's food about he will aggressively stop anything coming near it, so I think he may have outcompeted my Whiptail to the point in which it didn't feed. And in a toss up between having one or another I think the Whiptail would win in which case I'd have to give up my BN.
My last addition is one I could do with some advice on, if I make the changes I'm thinking about it'll leave me pretty well stocked but I'm hoping I may have a little room to play around with. Generally I would say the Keyholes are my centerpiece but I would love to add a single Angelfish to the tank. I'd like to know whether they would be compatible with my fish (Keyholes would be my main concern) and as to whether I could manage to squeeze one into my stocking plan?
This would mean my revised stock would be;
12-15x Cardinal Tetras
10-12x Pencilfish/6-8 Marbled Hatchetfish (Hatchets are my preferred option)
8x Panda Corys
2x Keyhole Cichlids
*1x Angelfish*
1x Whiptail Catfish
2x Banjo Catfish
Any advice or thoughts about the tank scape and fish stock would be much appreciated!
My first mistake was when I first set it up, I had a lovely big bit of bogwood which I intended to build the rest of the decor around and I decided just to put right in the middle of the tank, however with it being a corner tank I found it difficult to get enough height around it and have left the sides looking pretty bare. My next issue was with plants, I originally wanted a planted tank, but I also liked the look of the tannin stained biotopes I had looked at and attempted to reach a middle ground of mixing low demanding plants such as Swords and Vallis, as well as floating plants like Amazon Frogbit and Brazilian Water Ivy, and just slightly stained water using Indian Almond Leaves. The Swords died straight away while the floating plants originally began sending off runners and looking really good and healthy before declining and dying several weeks later, the Vallis, although sending out runners, don't grow much more than a few inches (they were supposed to be the larger variation which just keep growing). After the rescape i'll likely buy some more Vallis and one of the two floating plants without staining the water.
Like I said I'm contemplating looking at my stock as well, currently I have;
10x Rummynose Tetra
9x Cardinal Tetra
8xPanda Cory
2x Keyhole Cichlid
2x Banjo Catfish
1x Bristlenose Catfish
However, there's not much going on at the top of the tank so I'm thinking about subbing out my Rummynose for either Pencilfish or Marbled Hatchetfish and topping up my Cardinal shoal. I'm also looking at Whiptail Catfish (Sturisoma aureum) I had one not so long ago for a fair few months before it disappeared, my theory is that, while my BN pleco is as docile as they come, when there's food about he will aggressively stop anything coming near it, so I think he may have outcompeted my Whiptail to the point in which it didn't feed. And in a toss up between having one or another I think the Whiptail would win in which case I'd have to give up my BN.
My last addition is one I could do with some advice on, if I make the changes I'm thinking about it'll leave me pretty well stocked but I'm hoping I may have a little room to play around with. Generally I would say the Keyholes are my centerpiece but I would love to add a single Angelfish to the tank. I'd like to know whether they would be compatible with my fish (Keyholes would be my main concern) and as to whether I could manage to squeeze one into my stocking plan?
This would mean my revised stock would be;
12-15x Cardinal Tetras
10-12x Pencilfish/6-8 Marbled Hatchetfish (Hatchets are my preferred option)
8x Panda Corys
2x Keyhole Cichlids
*1x Angelfish*
1x Whiptail Catfish
2x Banjo Catfish
Any advice or thoughts about the tank scape and fish stock would be much appreciated!
