Suggestions for Tank setup

SirHelm · Post by **SirHelm** » 28 Feb 2003, 01:18

Well I currently have 2 tanks

1) 25 gallon tank (currently acting as a quarintine tank for new fish)... running an air stone and a bio wheel 400. Currenly is housing my new fish

2 - Octinolous (1.5")
6 - hoplos (2.5")
2 - Farowellas (3")

2) A 100 gallon tenecor simplicity plus with a built in wet/dry bio filter system, and a fluval 40 internal filter, and a airpump. This tank houses the following:

2 - Pim Blochii's (approx 7")
1 - Common Pleco (approx 8")
4 - Large Zebra Danios (approx 4")
7 - Green gold cories (2.5")
4 - Reticulated cories (2.5")
2 - Banjo Cats (5")
1 - Hoplo (2.5")

My wife believes that once the new fish are added to the 100gallon comminity tank I will be breaking it down. Well you see that is not quite the case. I will be cleaning it out and putting sand instead of gravel.

My question is this... I With the fish I currently have, should I make the 25 gallon a planted cory tank, or would it be a good tank to house some of the smaller more colorful Plecos out there that I would like to get?

Any suggestions?

Thanks as always

SH

vulkoq · Post by **vulkoq** » 28 Feb 2003, 05:57

should I make the 25 gallon a planted cory tank,

A heavily planted tank is a beautiful thing, well worth the work and $$$. Perhaps you could involve your wife in the project on this one, bring her over to our side.
On the other hand, you could make a breeding setup with the tank. It would probably destroy your marriage, but it would be cool.

Bathos · Post by **Bathos** » 28 Feb 2003, 14:09

make it a cory tank! you may very well get some spawning activity in there with cories if you don't have agressive or egg-eating tank mates and do some water changes with cooler water every now and again. if you put one of those fry matts in the back, you'd probably even get a few surviving fry without much intervention.
-Liz

SirHelm · Post by **SirHelm** » 01 Mar 2003, 01:24

Cool!

Thanks for the advise!

I will go ahead and make it a cory tank. I will probably just get some more and leave the others in the 100 gallon.

Any suggestions on 3 types of cories which will work together??

Currently the gold green cats are way to energetic for the reticulated ones!

Also I need to brush up on males/female distinctions!

How easy are sterbai to breed??

Thanks

SH

clothahump · Post by **clothahump** » 01 Mar 2003, 11:09

Also I need to brush up on males/female distinctions!

Female in blue.

SirHelm · Post by **SirHelm** » 01 Mar 2003, 19:57

Thanks Clothahump!!

That helps a lot!

SH

SirHelm · Post by **SirHelm** » 02 Mar 2003, 08:07

Okay... I broke down the 25gal... moved it to another room... rebuilt it, added a sand substrate instead of gravel, added 4 small clay pots and am now trying to decide which plants to go into it.

I have a standard single flourescent bulb for the 25 gallon. I need some suggestions on what type of plants to get?

I need something that is hardy, and doesn't need high powered floursecent lights to grow.

BTW I am looking to add 3 (2 males/1 female) Brochis Splendis and 3 corodoyas sterbai (2 males/1 female) to the tank. Are they compatible in breeding situations? I don't want agression or cross breeding.

Thanks

SH

vulkoq · Post by **vulkoq** » 02 Mar 2003, 20:07

Some low light-tolerant plants:
Hornwort, Anacharis (aka egeria densa,) Anubias Nana, Java Fern, Java Moss, & Crypts (cryptocornii -- spelling?) All pretty easy to find in our area.
Java Moss is a staple for breeding tanks, and it looks cool covering a cave rock.
If you have some extra $$$, you might look into upgrading your light to a two-bulb fixture and/or getting some specialized bulbs. To get really good-looking plants you will need more wattage.
Something to consider: a 48-inch 2-bulb shoplight fixture is about $15 at the hardware store (OSH, which I think they have in San Jose.) High quality aquarium bulbs like Coralife 50/50 and Power-Glo are only slightly more expensive for a 48" bulb than an 18" or 24", strangely. The same may be true of other grow bulbs. You might get a 48" light, hang it over the tank, and then stick a house plant under the overhanging lamp space. This would leave you with an easy option to pop in another planted tank in the future.
The planted tank forum folks at FishGeeks could hook you up with more plant suggestions.

SirHelm · Post by **SirHelm** » 03 Mar 2003, 00:55

Cool thanks for the info!

I am definitley going to get some java moss. Ideally just free floating!!

Thanks

SH

Post by **Silurus** » 03 Mar 2003, 01:50

SirHelm,

I have Java moss coming out of my ears. You're welcome to have some for free.