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30 Gallon Tank

JBL

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As you know, I salvaged a 30 gallon long tank recently and donated the oversized residents to my LFS.  It POd me to find that they're charging $50 each for the clown loaches and already sold the plecos for $30 each and didn't offer a trade.

Now, my question, what do you think of these suggestions for the tank.

Blue Rams (4)
Leopard Ctenopomas (4)
Cardinal Tetras (6-8)
Corys (3)
Ottos (3-4)

The filter is an Aquaclear 500 (now the 110) which I believe will provide adequate filtration.  I'll set the tank up, add some plants and go fishless for a month or so.  I have the old gravel, and filter inserts so cycling should not take too long, and I picked up the biomax component for biological filtration.  The guy who had it before ran it just with the sponge and charcoal (yeah, I know about Purigen Clint!).

So, what do you all think?
 
I wouldn't do business with them again.

I'd do a pair of rams and a dozen neons (cardinals if you want. I prefer neons
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) 3 otto's too.

I'd leave it at that. I think tanks with too many fish of multiple species makes a tank unnatractive. the rams will be the showcase fish, the neons will add some activity and the otto's can be the cleanup crew. I'd skip the cory's unless you have your heart set on them. I'd also add some amano shrimp. A giant filter feeding shrimp would be a nice peaceful conversation piece, too.

Why wait a month? you've got the bacteria, the plants, and I hope the lights and co2 and ferts. i'd wait a week then add the rams, wait untill the bio filtration has stabalized add the ottos, wait untill the bio filtration is stabalized add 6 tetras then add 6 more in a week or when the bio filter is stabalized. Should have asked me first because i've got a bag of biological media i'm never gonna use lol.


The Ctenopomas will eat the tetras.
 
I would not recommend the cardinal tetras. They are almost all wild caught fish, not well cared for during the transportation/acclimation process, and many die soon after purchase. For example, I bought several batches of fish, 40 in total, and only 6 have survived.

And I don't think I'm an inept fish keeper, I quarantined the fish in a properly seasoned tank (that contained a lot of healthy moss to increase the biofiltration), acclimated them by the drip method...all the same process I've used for all my fish (including rather delicate marble and silver hatchet fish).

I've read on several online forums of experienced fish keepers having the same problems. Of course, some people have better luck, which may greatly depend on the quality of the stock you purchase (i.e. already acclimated).

On the bright side, those six cardinals that did survive are extremely healthy and robust.

Just consider yourself cautioned!
 
Thanks for the advice and warnings guys. Clint's fish suggestions sound good. The leopard ctenpomas seemed docile in the tank and the LFS guy said they were community but I've read much about their aggression.

I won't get the cards...thanks for the warning.
 
The Ctenapomas would eat the Cardinals for sure. And as said earlier, they are wild caught from S.A. and go through an acclimation process while at wholesalers. A tankful of acclimated Cardinals is attractive. If it were me, and having something for the kida. I would stock them with Guppies, Mollies, Platties, and Swordtails, with some floating vegetation. And then just let nature take its course!
 
Hi,

Cardinals are tricky but doable. First, make sure the LFS has the cardinals in a tank all to themselves -- very important. Make sure they bag them alone -- not with any other fish. Check the fish in the tank. Do they have full tummies? Are their any slow moving ones or ones hanging around away from the school -- a bad sign? Do any have white/grey areas forming -- bad sign. Check their mouths to see if they are all closed -- if not, bad. Ask for them to be fed a tiny bit. When you get them home isolate them from all other fish -- period! Change 50% of their water every day. Feed often on small amounts of live or frozen foods. Do this for 2 weeks. If they are going in a community tank with non-wild fish, place 1 or 2 in first and wait 2 weeks. If they make it put in the rest. You are working to avoid a Columnaris outbreak which is most likely what is killing your fish. Once cardinals are established they live forever but don't dump new ones or even other tetras on top of established ones. Make the cardinals the only fish in the tank or the last and final addition to a tank. Soft acid water helps too but is not absolutely required.

Bobby
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (JustLikeAPill @ Dec. 02 2006,12:59)]I'd do a pair of rams and a dozen neons (cardinals if you want. I prefer neons
smile.gif
) 3 otto's too.
I'm not sure why I listen to this JLAP dude, but I did what he said. Well, I have six neons so far and will add more later.

I started with six neons 10 days ago. They've been great, so I put in three ottos and a pair of blue rams yesterday.

The ottos are nice and big (at least 1"). They were a good price at 99 cents each, so if they die (hopefully not), I won't be out much.

I tried to get a sexed pair of rams but they're young. The one has a pink belly and clearly looks like a female. The other is the same size, no pink belly, but does not have longer points on the dorsal fin. They both are slightly under one inch and pink belly (named Heimlich by my daughter) chases the other one (named Chives) around.

Plants in the tank?
Cryptocoryne lutea
java fern
micro sword
rotala indica (round green leaf and narrow pink)
amazon swords
onion plant??
java moss
 
Lol, You KNOW I know what looks good
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As far as the plants go, I'll be sending you

Rotala Macandra
Rotala macandra "green narrow leaf"
Hydrocotyle verticillata
Java Fern Windelov
Anubias Barteri

Dwarf Lobelia in the spring
Downoi in the spring
Pellia in the spring

Maybe some didiplis diandra and Proserpinaca palustris and HC in the spring if I have success with them.


Maybe some Blyxa japonica and some others like limnophila, stargrass, hygro. Depends on how fast they grow for me. Those should be ready sometime this week.

I've got an emersed crypt lucens you can have, too.


With those fancy lights, i'd try to grow the high light stuff. Other wise i'd feel like I wasted my money.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (JustLikeAPill @ Dec. 17 2006,8:00)]Lol, You KNOW I know what looks good
smile.gif
And why does a Georgia boy have such good taste, hmm? lol

Those plants you listed have me salivating but I know it takes time to grow them. I forgot to mention that I also have Ludwigia--not special I know, but a nice darker contrast to the swords.

Oh, I failed with my DIY experiment. Water started to siphon into the tubing...

I'm giving a liquid product called Flourish Excel a try. It's not CO2 but supposedly a source of carbon. We'll see. I'll keep you posted.
 
  • #10
'cause this Georgia boy should have been part of Queer Eye when it first started
laugh.gif


Excel is great. I posted about it in my other thread. It's auctually an isomer of a medical sterilization chemical
smile.gif
Doesn't that sound like fun? lmao!

Some plants like egeria and those other ugly "pond" plants as I call them can melt if you add it, so be careful. It's also only available for about 24 hours before it breaks down so add it daily.


An easy way to prevent a siphon, until I send you the bubble counter, is to mix up your yeast solution the night before you're ready to use it. Add it to the bottle and give it a gentle shake to get the pressure going. Don't squeeze the bottle as that's what starts the siphon (temperature differentials can, too).

I found some wine yeast you can have
smile.gif
Should last year.


If you have any Utricularia Graminifolia, you can grow than in your tank, too! It's one of the top 5 hottest aquarium plants right now.
 
  • #11
[b said:
Quote[/b] (JustLikeAPill @ Dec. 18 2006,9:08)]'cause this Georgia boy should have been part of Queer Eye when it first started
laugh.gif


Excel is great. I posted about it in my other thread. It's auctually an isomer of a medical sterilization chemical
smile.gif
Doesn't that sound like fun? lmao!
LMAO--I knew you were a star!

Dang.  I spent two days trying to figure out why the smell of Excel was sooo familiar.  I used to work as a hospital tech and now that you mention 'medical sterilization chemical', I remmber a substance called Physan (I think that's the name).  Anyway, it smells just like it.  I wonder if I could use that instead--probably be cheaper...but may be toxic! I remmber my dad using it as a sterilizer in the greenhouse business. I think it's still around.
 
  • #12
Physan 20. Yes it is still around.  It is used as an antifungal/antibacterial, and there is a warning on the bottle to not let it get into water ways and such.  Althought I don;t knwo how that is possible when you mix it up in water and water your plants with it.  LMAO  oh well.  I thinki it would kill your fish.
rock.gif


Oh and I want pictures!!!!! pictures pictures I want pictures!!
 
  • #13
Yeah.... Excel is an isomer and heavily diluted i'm sure using straight medical grade stuff would be bad naturally.

PICS!

BTW, Do you need a quart or so of carbon (with little white rocks mixed in ?) and about a a quart or so of bio media? If not i'll throw it away. Whoever wants it and pm's me first can have it.
 
  • #14
I'll see if I can get pics later. It really does look nice.
 
  • #15
[b said:
Quote[/b] (JustLikeAPill @ Dec. 18 2006,9:08)]If you have any Utricularia Graminifolia, you can grow than in your tank, too! It's one of the top 5 hottest aquarium plants right now.
I know I owe pics, but I'm not there yet. Interesting about the utric--ground cover right? I did have a big surprise when I noticed several thin strands growing entwined among the rotala. Upon closer inspection, they are utrics! I'm not sure what kind as I did not deliberately introduce them. Very cool!
 
  • #16
U. gibba.. hehe everyone complains it grows overnight and takes over lol. I had it too untill I picked it out.
 
  • #18
Hmmm, gibba huh? Well, so far it's not too bad. I don't think it will outcompete the plants. My dwarf rams are doing the 'kissing' dominance displays right now. These gals need a guy in the mix!
 
  • #19
Within one week, the rams have laid eggs! I watched the female as she laid them on a rock in the tank! Very cool. The pair seems to have bonded quite well and are guarding them.
smile.gif
 
  • #20
Cool!
 
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