20 Gallon Long Woes

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Taratron
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20 Gallon Long Woes

Post by Taratron »

So I've had this tank in my bedroom for a little over a year now, and I realize that I am completely bored of the fish in there, save for a few!

I realize also how shallow that sounds. Mmm. Yes, I went and bought these fish, some of them 10 months ago, and they just don't excite me, or entice me. Gods, I sound like someone who only adopts a cat if its fur matches the furniture.

Does this happen to anyone else?

It's quite a mix of fish. A pair of BN plecos I just can't get to spawn (and the female is filled with eggs right now too!), 3 nezzie swordtails, habrosus cories, and some peacock gobies, all of which I love and want to keep. However, there's a croaking gourami I've had for a while, and he was the bottom of the totem pole when I had other croakers, but brilliant blue and purple. I get rid of the competition, and now he spends his time hiding. The cherry barbs were a nice addition, until the males all went harikiri, and now the females are taking to nipping at the fins of the dwarf cories. I even added some peppered cories, paletus, some months ago, and I see them emerge from the thicket of plants maybe once or twice a week. My bronze cories are out and about all the time, but not these guys. :P My BANJO cats are out more often!

So is it something I am doing wrong? I change the water, 50%, twice a week, fertilize the plants, masses of java moss and hornwort, twice a week. Feeding every other day, usually wafers, frozen, or live food.

So I'm not pleased with the tank. I want to revamp it, redo the plant scene, toss the barbs, the gourami, and the peppered cories to the fish auction. Maybe turn this into a Lake Tang shelldweller tank, which means I need to move the bristlenoses and the swords and the others, but I just don't know.

Does anyone else revamp a tank like so?
But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I will be unique in all the world..... You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery
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pturley
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Post by pturley »

Add a power filter, remove all the fish but the Ancistrus pair and that should liven things up quite a bit!
Sincerely,
Paul E. Turley
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Taratron
Posts: 813
Joined: 03 Feb 2003, 16:46
I've donated: $40.00!
My cats species list: 1 (i:0, k:0)
Location 1: Arizona, USA
Location 2: Phoenix, AZ
Interests: Fish, herps, the Discworld novels, Invader Zim, and entomology

Post by Taratron »

The tank has 2 AC200's on it.

Do you mean a filter run by a powerhead?
But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I will be unique in all the world..... You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery
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pturley
Posts: 833
Joined: 08 Jul 2003, 23:11
I've donated: $66.00!
My articles: 2
My images: 16
My cats species list: 1 (i:0, k:0)
Spotted: 8
Location 1: Cleveland, Ohio USA

Post by pturley »

What I am saying is that if you remove the other fish, the Ancistrus are more likely to breed.

With all the movement (and potential fry-predators) in your tank, it doesn't surprize me the Ancistrus haven't spawned.
Sincerely,
Paul E. Turley
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