Tizer's 90 Litre Tiger Barb / Krib Tank

[L_Plates]

Hey Tizer update this journal. Lazy git

 

[Tizer]

Sorry being lazy, tank is just plodding on, obviously had to move it to put onto new stand i built so its not got the rocks in at the moment.

This was what my small box room looked like a few weeks ago:

I'm an IT geek and a gamer, multiple monitors for the win!

Although i really found that i didnt make as much use of them both as i used to, since i moved from development over to hardware (im an IT manager now, used to be a web developer and site manager).

So the machine at home only gets used for pew pew gaming now. I redecorated (painted and new floor) and built a corner desk out of an old office desk i had.

Its not amazing, but i got room for a decent leather chair now and it does the job, just like the make shift tank stand i built with all the old wood from the bench. Also allows me to drain the water out of the window onto the roof The tank will go behind the door to the computers left eventually, as i need to get a chest of draws into that room also. Might fit on top of the chest though, will have to see how strong it is.

Paying a little more attention to the main tank now with a CO2 system inc soon i moved a few things around and it looks like so:

Basically i plan to get a FE Co2 setup on this tank, while the barb tank stays relatively basic for a while, hence the lack of updates :>

 

[L_Plates]

Well well, im also a IT Geek. I am a web designer by trade and also love online games such as Eve Online, Counterstrike etc etc hehe.

Both tanks are looking great. The plants are looking very healthy.

LP

 

[Tizer]

Regulator and Solenoid Valve sitting in a box at home now. 2kg Fire Extinguisher to find and some co2 tubing, One-way valve, bubble counter and diffuser then main tank will be getting its Co2 sorted. Ferts need looking into, i've no idea what to dose it with until i start to do some research.

I've removed the ceramic media from the Tiger tank filter and replaced it with a white foam pad. Tests over the last 2/3 days have shown zero ammonia and zero nitrite so i think i can assume the pads are mature enough now to cope. I'll leave it a few days more and test again.

Going to shove the rocks back in tonight and see if i can make a rocky corner in the tank rather than spread around on the bottom.

Wont be moving the Kribs over until i've got some decent cover in the tank, im pretty sure the Tigers will be quite predatory to the Fry even with mum and dad defending them and im pondering the idea of just using this tank as a grow out tank for the fry once they reach a decent size instead of actually having the parents breed in it. Probably a safer option...

Also keeping my eyes peeled for another 90 litre Roma as i could easily customise the stand to allow another tank to sit below it instead of shelves...:> I've got so much wood kicking around i dont know what to do with it all :>

 

[Tizer]

Shoved my rocks back in did a water test, all fine.

This is how its going to stay for a while now.

 

[L_Plates]

Looking good Tizer what are the rocks ? I have just received my petrified wood rock but im unsure about the color. Looks so much lighter in the tank. Might just stick to the bogwood.

LP

 

[Tizer]

bleh sorry, they do have a name but i cant remember it, i'll google around tomorrow. I've got some blue and red ones too, but only a couple of each and they look a bit fake/rubbish when all in together.

 

[Tizer]

Cant for the life of me recall the name of the rocks sorry

Did a water test tonight and got the following results:

Quite happy with it, even if the PH is a tad high it will have to do, im not going to get into arsing about with it. A stable PH is safest. I might however hunt about for some smaller pieces of bogwood or get the old saw out and chop up the few pieces i have left over. It will help lower the PH a little but i dont really want tannins in this tank, for once i want to keep this one crystal clear.

Got myself a JBL reactor, co2 tubing and a check valve today from Maidenhead Aquatics and ordered a 2kg Fire Extinguisher on eBay for next day delivery.

Going to pop into another shop tomorrow and get a bubble counter, then im all set for setting up CO2 at the weekend on my big tank.

I've split up the dwarf hairgrass i have into dozens of smaller pieces and spread them over half of the tank. Really hoping it carpets it nicely in time.

I've kinda combined my main tank into this tanks thread, sorry! Just easier to keep one thread logged than several.

Time to look into ferts!

 

[BluePhantom]

Wow dude i really like your tank! the thing about the western setup sounded good haha This deff wants me to get the tigers! and I really like that background you got! I like cheap! just a cool setup with the tiger barbs!

 

[Tizer]

Boshed a few plants in today, low light with low requrements.

For £17 these plants all split up really well and i got far more than i would have done buying from Maidenhead Aquatics at £4/5 per potted plant. Most of them actually went into my main tank as my Co2 canister should arrive at work on Monday.

Also spent a good hour cleaning off the sponges they come in, dont want snails!! Didnt spot any but its worth giving all plants and their roots a good clean.


Also nabbed a bit of bogwood out of my other tank.

Chatted to a plant freak in a shop, he said not to worry about the Amazon Sword leaves dying off, as they are mostly grown out of water for the plant trade, the new shoots that grow in the tank will survive and the plant will regrow naturally. nice.

 

[Tizer]

Finally moved the room around and got the tank on top of an old chest of draws which fits perfectly behind the door. Im using all the draws below it to store all the fish junk ive collected! It builds up so quickly!

Snipped the Amazon sword on the left right back, lots of leaves dying off, hoping new ones will have a bit of energy in them. No Co2 in here and only 5 hours of light a day. Crypt is doing ok as well as the Anubias Nana.

Put one of my 4 Bolivian Rams into this tank a few days ago, noticed it was looking pretty ill, sitting there doing nothing and very very dark. First time today its come out and said hi and had something to eat so hoping its making a recovery. Having to be careful with feeding, the Tigers grab everything on the way down, they can demolish a cube of bloodworm in seconds and they are looking fat!

Main Tank

Im kinda dealing with this in two parts now. I have the Co2 FE setup and its been going well for a few weeks now.

The left hand side of the tank is still a mess, its been left alone for the Kribs who are breeding at the moment. Lots of cover and a coconut cave underneath. 5 days ago i had about 40 small fry, now its down to 8. Really dont have a clue why so many disappear. Its a shame, but im actually not too worried, i would be over run with them if they all survived. Rubbish video of Fry here:

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaTwWy2f32k

I've put the ladder on the left with a power head above it, any bubbles that escape through the top get blasted around the tank. Not had my drop checker go green yet and im doing roughly 1 bubble a second.

That said, i dont think it matters too much, the Dwarf Hairgrass is firing off shoots all over the place now, before, it was just dying.

The right hand side of the tank:

Has had a few more plants chucked in. I've mixed in a few crypts with anubias nana and some vallis at the back. I think it will look quite nice when its matured. Keeping my eyes out for something red as its very green at the moment!

My corys are going a bit mad, having laid in the region of 140 eggs. No idea who the culprits are either. I man handled them off the glass with a credit card and put them in a net:

Should see some hatch in the next few days, no idea what im going to do with them. No doubt keep them in the net until they are a month old then fire up a small tank with a sponge filter i have sitting inside my external filter. Worth a crack.

 

[fishchick]

I love Tiger Barb's, they just have a way of lighting up a tank don't they Looks awesome!!! Love the rocks, and the swinging doors and cactus remark lol

 

[L_Plates]

Nice update mate, looks like your going to be busy with the fry and the new fry soon hehe. Plants looking really healthy as well.

Sounds like your having better look with the FE than i am. Still trying to figure out why after its been off for the night it wont fire up again. Ill get there and if i have to i will set it to run on 1bps 24/7 and adjust as needed.

Again nice update and keep us posted on the fry

LP

 

[Tizer]

Have you tried regulator > solenoid > needle valve instead of regulator > needle valve > solenoid ?

I dont think it will really matter though! Tried upping the 2nd gauge to 2/3 ?

I really cant think of anything else sorry, still quite new to me

 

[AdamHawk]

I adore your bottom base set up, what are you using for the base, could you let me know of possible sand/gravel or anything that goes into the bottom, the colour and texture is ideal for what im looking for. thanks in advance.