In photo 3503? You see my largest Bosey. Look at that guy,like a half blue and half yellow Silver Dollar fish! A couple of shots of big red. He was one of a kind and now spends time- mornings especially- flirting with a female Melanotaenia maccullochi.
Stan's freshwater 240 gallon extravaganza. Trials and tribulations of a sunlit aquarium
- Thread starter Stan510
- Start date
The April FOTM Contest Poll is open!
🏆 Click to vote! 🏆
Should have mentioned that the red dot to the left near the Crypts? Is a Tiger Lotus. I have been asking LFS guy for them for years,and I walked in last Tuesday,and there they were. I didn't pick the biggest,I did pick the reddest. Later I can do before and after photos. I know that to the right is the Alternanthera and two red plants side by side might sound like too much of a good thing. I did it because that's where the light- sun- is most intense. I do though see vids of people doing the very same thing..even Tropica on the company channel put the two side by side.
I think I bought my last plant for quite a while. I have all that I wanted when I got back into the hobby- Bolbitis as in many an Amano tank,Tiger Lotus ditto. Alternanthera reineckii ,the one that actually thrives with no Co2.
I'm giving my hobbies a rest for awhile. Just keep the gadgets going after three years back in this hobby. No plans for certain for more tanks. None.
I'm giving my hobbies a rest for awhile. Just keep the gadgets going after three years back in this hobby. No plans for certain for more tanks. None.
I presumed this tank had been setup for much longer than 3 years!
Its strange how we transition through this hobby, from setting up the tank to having it fully stocked. A lot of us go down the path of buying more and more tanks to keep the adrenaline flowing, but when that isnt an option, we have to force ourselves to slow down, sit back and enjoy the tank in all its glory.
A 240 gallon tank is an absolute dream. I'd prefer that over 10 smaller sized tanks.
Thank you. After 50 years overall,I just didn't want to go down the road of add,add,add, and remove,remove,..all that. My fish are much less than what I used to stock..fine..they are also calm,unafraid of the grandkids tapping on the glass -lol.
Younger people learn by doing that re stock or redesign. I'm fine with my overall look after the last three years.
I will post photos of the Red Lotus and Alternanthera takeover! ( I hope).
Younger people learn by doing that re stock or redesign. I'm fine with my overall look after the last three years.
I will post photos of the Red Lotus and Alternanthera takeover! ( I hope).
After three years return? I'm noticing that the youtube vid channels are starting to look the same-o. My interest also has waned some as watching the newest thing is just like the older things,and calling it "epic" just doesn't change the fact it's not. Its pretty average in fact. "Epic"..and "Insane"..beaten to death for clickbait.
I've not added as I think I have more than enough fish. Why risk infections running wild for one more? The Tiger Lotus and the Alternanthera have really grown. I prune what I have...but did lose the Stargrass to predation.
I can see in another three years maybe giving it a rest again as fish age out. Or keep going..
I've not added as I think I have more than enough fish. Why risk infections running wild for one more? The Tiger Lotus and the Alternanthera have really grown. I prune what I have...but did lose the Stargrass to predation.
I can see in another three years maybe giving it a rest again as fish age out. Or keep going..
Any pictures?
Soon,after the next water change. One thing I learned- Rainbows are really omnivores..they will eat plants. Pretty much any soft leaved plant is food. I didn't know that as I never had kept Rainbows with plants and the internet never said a thing. But forget Tripartita and fine leaves plants,even Ludwigia reds are fair game. In fact the internet doesn't really say much about how large Rainbows get since 99% of the photos and films are of not full sized fish.
I should have gone with fish half the size or so if I wanted a low tech plant to look like the high techs plant growth even more. I'm sort of close..but the gap would be much smaller with smaller and less fish. Also..less upkeep,longer periods between water changes,all making maintenance less intense.
The thrill of hands on..sort of fades after a few years and,yep,less is more.
I should have gone with fish half the size or so if I wanted a low tech plant to look like the high techs plant growth even more. I'm sort of close..but the gap would be much smaller with smaller and less fish. Also..less upkeep,longer periods between water changes,all making maintenance less intense.
The thrill of hands on..sort of fades after a few years and,yep,less is more.
Most of the big species of rainbowfish grow to 4 inches in length, some might hit 5 inches but they need big tanks to do that.
Rainbowfish need plant matter in their diet and I used to grow Duckweed in their tanks and outside in ponds for them. In the wild about half of their diet consists of various types of algae and if they don't get enough plant matter in their diet, they have a lot more health issues.
The following link has info on all the known species of rainbowfish.
rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au
Rainbowfish need plant matter in their diet and I used to grow Duckweed in their tanks and outside in ponds for them. In the wild about half of their diet consists of various types of algae and if they don't get enough plant matter in their diet, they have a lot more health issues.
The following link has info on all the known species of rainbowfish.
Melanotaeniidae and Pseudomugilidae
A website dedicated to Rainbowfishes of Australia and New Guinea
My largest male M. boesemani are about 5" and I did have a hybrid reach near 6"..plus,they change in form..from sleek bullets when young to kind of heavy set deep and wide bodied fish. I look down and they are almost cichlid like at that angle.
So,the two- healthy robust large Rainbow's...and perfect plant growth are at odds with each other.
You do grow to love plants that still thrive with them. Crypts,Rotala,Ferns,Alternanthera ( a surprise) and Tiger Lotus. The only tiny leafed plant thats thrived has been Pearlweed. Even then,it was picked at first,I moved it where it was hard for the fish to get at it and now its thriving. But,you can't hide everything!
So,the two- healthy robust large Rainbow's...and perfect plant growth are at odds with each other.
You do grow to love plants that still thrive with them. Crypts,Rotala,Ferns,Alternanthera ( a surprise) and Tiger Lotus. The only tiny leafed plant thats thrived has been Pearlweed. Even then,it was picked at first,I moved it where it was hard for the fish to get at it and now its thriving. But,you can't hide everything!
Compare the Alternanthera to before..that in vitro plant has done great. My Tiger Lotus also..should have taken a better photo of it. Next time. Somethings doing well are hard to see..Crypt wendtii in front and Pearlweed you can't see at all is in back- but doing great.
Attachments
Lowest! I did though go extra on the pump. 1,200 gph. Other than that,its basic fish keeping and yes,window light is most of the lumens.
This is A.r. rosaefolia . Dennis Wong rates it as easiest of them all to grow and so far he's been right on. No Co2 and even my window is not like some ADA Solar on for 7 or 8 hours...it isn't until the afternoon that it gets intense from the sun.
But,sunlight is just the worst or best,on making algae in the tank. I tell you,make sure you keep the organics low or every form of algae will show up. Also,less fish is the way to go..small fish. Rainbows are not small fish.
Go small fish and window light becomes much more workable.
This is A.r. rosaefolia . Dennis Wong rates it as easiest of them all to grow and so far he's been right on. No Co2 and even my window is not like some ADA Solar on for 7 or 8 hours...it isn't until the afternoon that it gets intense from the sun.
But,sunlight is just the worst or best,on making algae in the tank. I tell you,make sure you keep the organics low or every form of algae will show up. Also,less fish is the way to go..small fish. Rainbows are not small fish.
Go small fish and window light becomes much more workable.
hi-tech simply refers to co2 injection but from your answer i presume that is a NO
Most reactions
-
284 -
230 -
159 -
143 -
138 -
132 -
119 -
119 -
107 -
97 -
87 -
85 -
78 -
70 -
65
