Upgrading to 112l

[Lcc86]

Got some pics of a few of the frogs just after feeding time, I'm trying to train them all to come to the top to be fed so that I can feed each one individually and the food doesn't make it down to the corys. They're picking it up quite quickly, not sure if they associate my voice with food or the removal of the lid, but whatever it is, it's working so far! Once I feed one the rest soon appear.

I've been watching them interacting with the fish and so far none of them are particularly interested in each other. The most I've seen was a couple of pygmies following one of the frogs when it swam across the tank, not sure if they were trying to shoal with him it's something I'll always have to be vigilant about just to be sure.

My java fern (I think that's what it is? I'm terrible at remembering plants) have sent out these shoots that go across the top of the water, the frogs love these and the elodea densa.

 

[AlexT]

Maybe the pygmies are thinking "all are welcome" in terms of bottom dwellers. They have an open door policy btw I've never had any luck whatsoever with Java Fern. None. Zero. Nada. If you saw my picture of my old fully planted and lush 4 foot community tank, everything plant was great except Java Fern. Same story in all my tanks. Java Fern doesn't like me.

 

[Lcc86]

Maybe the pygmies are thinking "all are welcome" in terms of bottom dwellers. They have an open door policy btw I've never had any luck whatsoever with Java Fern. None. Zero. Nada. If you saw my picture of my old fully planted and lush 4 foot community tank, everything plant was great except Java Fern. Same story in all my tanks. Java Fern doesn't like me.

Think I'm drawn to chill animals in general, can't be dealing with anything high maintenance!

It's my first time really using plants and I'm pleasantly surprised at how well they've done! Managed to kill nearly everything in the old tank but I think that was a symptom of wider issues...

 

[Lcc86]

My apple snails have about quadrupled in size since I got them a month or so ago! They're doing ridiculously well. This isn't the biggest one either

 

[Lcc86]

Picked up a couple of panda corys today as my LFS had them back in stock. Now back up to 10 corys which suits my OCD much better.

 

[Lcc86]

Gah one jumped out before I'd finished acclimatising and is in the tank - this is how I lost one of the original bunch I bought so I hope this little one makes it!

 

[AlexT]

Gah one jumped out before I'd finished acclimatising and is in the tank - this is how I lost one of the original bunch I bought so I hope this little one makes it!

He didn't want to wait.

 

[Lcc86]

He didn't want to wait.

Fingers crossed his impatience hasn't cost me!

 

[Lcc86]

Some updates on this tank a month on. I lost one of the pandas (I think it was one of the new ones) a couple of weeks after purchasing. I haven't seen any signs of illness in the other fish so am keeping my fingers crossed that it was a one off. The remaining pandas remain active and aren't scared when I come over. The juliis are still scared of their own shadows! The pygmies are all pretty plump and doing well.

My controversial idea to keep my ADF's in with the fish is still going to plan (but I keep my backup tank to hand just in case). There's been no aggression from the frogs or the fish. The frogs have grown a fair bit so am going to trial cutting down their feeding now as they should be more or less fully grown. They've been getting fed twice daily for 3 days followed by a day off, going to go down to once a day but with a slightly bigger feed than they'd usually get. One is smaller than the others, I target feed and always make sure he gets extra so I think he's a male and potentially a bit of a runt.

I think my apple snails have bred, I never see any eggs but I keep finding tiny snails and I haven't added any new plants. At first I was getting rid of them but have left the last few to see if they grow and what they grow into!

I think I'm dealing with a diatom outbreak as you'll see in the pictures, so trying to get that under control. My plants are all growing well except a tiger lotus bulb that's doing nothing (already mentioned that in another thread). I've ordered some in vitro rotala wallichii and am just waiting for it to arrive.

 

[Lcc86]

Little update on my tank, I lost a frog (never found the body and never saw any signs of illness) but everyone else is doing well.

My snails were breeding like crazy so I had to play around a bit with how much I was feeding, think I've got the balance right now. Lost some leaves from my plants on the right (forget what they're called) but my tiger lotus has just started sprouting like crazy. I tried some rotala wallichii from 1-2 grow but it never really took in my substrate (poss not deep enough). Got a couple of bulbs on the way to try and add more greenery as I want a bit more cover near the substrate. My java ferns are reproducing so once the new plants grow in a bit more that should help.

I may have a second tank on the way but that's a story for another thread!

 

[Lcc86]

Monthly update on this tank. All plants and inhabitants going well. I tried some jungle vallis to go along the back but it died within 48 hours, not sure if I just got a bad bunch as the rest of the plants are doing well. I'd like some more to cover the back but need to give the bulbs etc more of a chance to grow in. Might try a buce or two at some stage. Any tips for easy growing plants welcome!

The tiger lotus continues to grow like crazy, the frogs like to hide under there.

I keep trying to count the pygmy cories but only ever get to 9 or 10, not sure if I've lost a couple over the months or if they're just hiding. They never stay still long enough to properly count. Tempted to get a couple more frogs as there's only one snail now so much less bioload but no rush. I wouldn't add anything other than that as this is my little peaceful haven!

 

[Lcc86]

Well unfortunately one of my ADF's is on death's door. I did a routine water test this morning (all fine) and I noticed the little guy resting on the sand. I must've spooked him and he tried to swim off but has no coordination and he ended up on his back. I've quarantined him in a very shallow tank and it doesn't look good. He can't swim, ends up on his back all the time, won't eat, and he's extremely thin. I noticed one didn't come up for food last night so I assume it's him. The rest seem fine so I don't know what it is but it seems neurological. Definitely not dropsy as there's no bloat. I'm googling euthanasia but seems the most humane option unfortunately may be blunt force trauma

 

[Lcc86]

Well my ADF passed overnight. Can't see any signs of the usual diseases that can affect them and google didn't come up with anything other than a potential bacterial infection. I'll have to keep a very close eye on the rest of them.

 

[Lcc86]

Been several months since I updated this thread, I posted elsewhere but I had an outbreak of some kind of parasite in the tank, as a result I had to move the frogs out into a backup tank while I medicated the fish. I lost two pandas during the process but all other fish made it through. I lost a frog while in the backup tank, it just completely disappeared, couldn't find any sign of it in or out of the tank including the filter. I was disappointed as it was probably my favourite (and easiest to tell apart from the rest!). A couple of days after putting the frogs back into the tank after getting all the medication out of the water, I lost another frog. It was always a skinny frog and never seemed to thrive unfortunately. That left me with two ADF's, which is how I left it until I was sure things had settled down. I've since bought three more, very chunky ones who I've only had a few weeks but they seem to be doing well.

It's almost impossible to get a decent pic of the pygmies and the cories as they're so busy but managed to get some pics, mainly of the frogs, just after feeding time today.

I'd like to add a few more pandas but am a bit nervous of potentially introducing anything into the tank, and don't currently have a spare filter up and running for a QT tank, so for now I'll leave things as they are but I will look into it at some point once I have the time to set up the spare filter.

I did also look into whether adding some chilli rasboras might work, I may add those if I get the pandas but not decided yet. It's a 30g currently stocked with 5 ADF's, 5 julii cories, 2 pandas, and about 9-10 pygmies, so I think there would be room for some rasboras but don't want to push my luck.

I'm also currently waiting for some long-term water main work to be finished near my house, should be done next month but as a precaution I switched to RO water, which I have to buy in a 25 litre bottle. Definitely won't be setting up a third tank (even a temporary one) until that work is finished and I can start using more tap water again.