Gorgeous!!!!!! And amazing photos. What camera do you have? I need to go and buy myself a good one, and yours take lovely pics! 
photo.gif
 
Thanks! Its actually a compact camera. I just never use the auto settings. I've gotten to be just as quick with the manual mode and that's how I get decent pictures with it. One day I'll get myself a nice DSLR but this camera is a Fuji Finepix F300EXR and quite cheap nowadays but was on the pricey side for a compact digital a few years ago :)
 
Alm0stAwesome said:
Thanks! Its actually a compact camera. I just never use the auto settings. I've gotten to be just as quick with the manual mode and that's how I get decent pictures with it. One day I'll get myself a nice DSLR but this camera is a Fuji Finepix F300EXR and quite cheap nowadays but was on the pricey side for a compact digital a few years ago
smile.png
Wow! that's some camera skills with a compact, amazing photos. Loving the plec!
 
Hello there!
 
So let me be the one who spoils the fun. Artistically the tank is beautiful, but for the fish it is rather not so nice. There is only some structure at the bottom all the other tank is plain empty. There is no cover from the top. Imho fish would like much mor structure. some floating plants and plants which reacht to the surface. I bet they like the wood, which does not sink :)
 
hobby5 said:
Hello there!
 
So let me be the one who spoils the fun. Artistically the tank is beautiful, but for the fish it is rather not so nice. There is only some structure at the bottom all the other tank is plain empty. There is no cover from the top. Imho fish would like much mor structure. some floating plants and plants which reacht to the surface. I bet they like the wood, which does not sink
smile.png
Are you serious??
 
Look how healthy those fish are! Just to add a point, all those fish were bred in captivity as were there parents, grandparents, great grandparents, etc., etc. So they don't know any different. 
 
It would be like saying your pet dog needs a forest, a pack of wolves and some deer to kill to live a happy life! 
 
99% of aquarium fish are so removed from wild fish all they need is quality water. 
 
rolleyes.gif
 
Agreed the fish in that tank that their world is radically different to wild fish.
 
If these fish were wild caught fish and were put into this tank, then yes you would have a point but like DTD says they really absolutely don't know any different.
 
A stunning tank and stunning fish 
smile.png
 
I am shocked by your ignorance.
 
Are you serious? All captive bred fish need is quality water? This is like saying the third generation of slaves is so used to chains they do not need anything else.
 
hobby5 said:
I am shocked by your ignorance.
 
Are you serious? All captive bred fish need is quality water? This is like saying the third generation of slaves is so used to chains they do not need anything else.
Hardly a good adjective!....... Oh and I am also not ignorant, thanks!
 
hobby5 said:
I am shocked by your ignorance.
 
Are you serious? All captive bred fish need is quality water? This is like saying the third generation of slaves is so used to chains they do not need anything else.
This is an awful analogy...
 
Goodness, looks like I've missed some fun.
rolleyes.gif
  
 
I think the poster above mistakes me for a beginner! Once I get the balance right this tank will be very much full of plants - you don't need hardscape to create cover for fish - and plants take time to grow (especially in a low-tech environment such as this one). Now, that doesn't mean that I agree with you lol, I don't - but the look of the tank isn't anywhere near where I want it just yet. Don't you worry, my espei rasbora and BN plecs have spawned in this tank. The angels have spawned in the past but not in this tank (they seem to be disagreeing on who is going to pair with who at the moment) so I don't think there's a problem here :)
 
If your comment was based on the aesthetics of the tank I'd agree - these damn plants are doing my head in - GROW!
 
I have a really soft spot for angels. Stunning pictures of beautiful fish. 
 
That's by-the-by though..... 
 
How are the plants getting on?
 
Thanks for the kind words rms :happy: With the plants...same old same old - but it hasn't really been long enough to see a difference. I've increased the carbon dosing and I need to get my act together and order root tabs :)
 
It's frustrating because in my previous tanks the plants grew like mad and I'm following the exact same regime just on a larger scale. BUT these are different plants, different substrate, lighting and tank depth. The filter set up is pretty much the same as well just on a larger scale *sigh* I'll get there eventually!!
 
Otherwise, all is well in my little fish world!
 
Things are going pretty well in my tank. I've stopped dosing all ferts and carbon - the plants haven't noticed the difference so why not! I've started buying random plant pots when I come across them and I'll keep it up until I find something that thrives! A month ago I added a pot of alternanthera reineckii 'pink' which initially showed some growth but now seems to be dying and getting munched by angels. And last week I added a really lovely plant, ludwigia palustris green, which I really like but I can see some nibbled leaves...
 
Next step is to get some vallis in there, it grew really well in my previous tank and the angels didn't eat it. I had giant vallis last time so I may try the standard stuff now, for a change.
 
I'm also considering a hardscape free aquascape. The BNs and zebra snails will soon have eaten all of the heather in the tank (it's breaking off into little twigs now lol). IF I can find some plants that will grow I kind of fancy just filling the tank with green. Plus finding interesting wood that is large enough to make an impact in this tank is hard and expensive lol
 
The tank itself remains very clean, I rarely actually need to clean the glass, although I do it weekly anyway and I've still never vacced the substrate and it looks immaculate. I haven't cleaned either of the TetraTec Ex1200s either and flow still looks good. I think I've hit a really lucky spot on the tank maintenance front. I think the zebra snails help with the glass cleaning though because I don't even get those GSA spots near the substrate.
 
Fauna are well. My once large espei rasbora school is down to 3 but I've decided that there's nothing nasty going on here, I've not had them long enough to consider it "old age" but it does appear that way, maybe the water conditions just weren't right for them. It's a shame because they are fabulous fish and I'd have more but the signs are telling me I shouldn't.
 
I've upped my sterbai cory school to a nice even 10 and added what I hope is a female Bolivian Ram who seems to be doing really well. The angels are fine but haven't spawned since I moved them to this tank which seems a little strange. I think there are issues with pairing though, the dominant male has a wide choice of ladies if I'm correct - I'm thinking 3 or 4 out of the 6 angels are female, not sure though! And there have been signs of spawning (bits on show!) but no cleaning behaviour and no obvious pair.
 
I tried adding some rummynose tetra but they got decimated by the angels within like..2 hours. It was really traumatic for me and the fish. There are 4 survivors and I desperately want to keep rummies but I don't know what to do. Maybe I can get my hands on some mature adults.. Although the ones I added weren't tiny and roughly the same size as my espei rasbora but not quite as deep of body.
 
Also my BN female is popping out these bright blue eggs, strange! I'm going to start another thread about it later to see if folks know what the deal is. 
 
Sorry for the long post, I've been gone for ages and I'm a motor-mouth to start with hehe.
 
Here's a couple of fish pictures 
smile.png











Young Stud Ram



Olde Fart Ram



It's the ciiiircle of angelsss!















Little stunted fella with his dodgy gill - it makes him more endearing I think 
smile.png
 I'm only saying he's stunted because he hasn't grown like the others but maybe he'll be a late bloomer.


 
Oh! And how could I forget the new, hopefully female, Bolivian Ram. I just took these on my phone and "she" was still looking a little stressed from being recently added to the tank.





Hanging out with "The Boys"


 
 
They're all stunning! So gorgeous D: Lol at the circle.
 
Hope the female ram settles in well. Am sorry you lost your rasboras and the rummies :( 
 

Most reactions

Back
Top