# Tank is Set Up!



## Reece (Aug 10, 2011)

Hey guys,

Just got all the fish and live plants in the tank. So happy. I mean sure, it cost me a total of £70 but worth it!!  (my LFS is a bit steep). Got 8 harlequin Rasboras who are all playing with the force from the filter at the moment and schooling nicely. The sucker fish (whiptail catfish) is happy, has already started cleaning (what it looks like he's doing anyway). The new plants are looking good (by the way Byron if you're reading I got the liquid fertiliser as you suggested), just hoping to go through a week with them still alive, then I'll be comfortable as this is my first time with live plants, I mean artificial look good, but real ones look so much better! I'll upload a pic later on, hot homework now but was dying to do the tank today 

Edit: made a mistake, they had no whiptail catfish but they did have a bristlenose pleco, and after looking at the fish profiles it seems my 10 gallon is the right amount of space for one! Thankfully I only got one, would've been horrible to separate the one I'd keep from the other


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

We need pictures. LOL


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## Reece (Aug 10, 2011)

Just took the plants out their pots so the water is slightly dirty looking because of gravel disturbance, get a pic when it all clears up and is back to normal. (About half an hour to 45 mins usually).


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

Ok as long as its on its way I can wait for it. LOL ; )


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## Reece (Aug 10, 2011)

Btw I'm slightly concerned about the bristlenose pleco, he is always on the walls and rarely on the surface of the tank, I've got him shrinking foods but he doesn't notice them. Had him almost two days now and he hasn't eaten apart from whatever things he might have got from the sides of the tank. Do you think the piece of driftwood I'm getting him tomorrow will lure him down to the bottom for longer so he may be able to actually see the food falling when I pass it to him?


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

I would not worry about him when he runs out of stuff to eat on the glass he will venture down to the lower levels in search of food and the driftwood will also entice him as well.


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## Reece (Aug 10, 2011)

Will he eat the driftwood and be happy with that? As of he doesn't notice the pellets when I for them him at least he will have a source of food


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

He will still need the algae wafers it is my understanding that the driftwood aids in digestion but is not actually considered food.


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## Reece (Aug 10, 2011)

Good news! He went to the bottom to search for food, so I put a pellet in. He was so close to it and I wished he would notice it (he was right next to it) then he sniffed it and I've never seen him move so fast, it was gone within seconds haha. I'll still get driftwood though, he'll be better off with it I imagine


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## Reece (Aug 10, 2011)

Do you want a picture later on tonight or one tomorrow with the driftwood in?


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

Yes he will still need the driftwood. And either picture or both is fine which ever you prefer. ; )


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## Reece (Aug 10, 2011)

I'll do you both  have to do one later though, homework time! (yes, I have wayyyy too much homework at the moment). It's annoying, less time to watch the fish


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

LOL I have been out of school for a long time now but I remember what it was like to have way to much homework and not enough fun time. Don't worry I am a patient person. : )


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## Reece (Aug 10, 2011)

Is it normal for a bristlenose pleco to have bristles at just 1 and a half inch? He's got bristles and I always thought they were like 3 inches when they got them?


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## Reece (Aug 10, 2011)

I wish I had a good camera to take a pic with! Lousy iPod only has 2 megapixel


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## Ogre44 (Nov 5, 2011)

I am glad to hear your Pleco is doing well.


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## Reece (Aug 10, 2011)

So then here's the tank at the moment along with the famous pleco himself  Managed to get some sneaky peaks while he was on the ground, re-sized the images down to get the max resolution from such a bad camera lol :lol: Will take some more pics of the tank tomorrow with the new piece of driftwood and hopefully I'll get some pics of the pleco (I might name him, second that, I will!) on the driftwood if I'm lucky...!


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

You can remove the green stuff from around the bottom of the plants it will give the roots a better chance to grow into the gravel. I think the pleco looks like a Willie. LOL Are you planning on keeping the plants were they are?


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## Reece (Aug 10, 2011)

Sure I'll remove the wool from the plants tomorrow morning...


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## Ogre44 (Nov 5, 2011)

My BN Pleco got christened Dyson.
Hoover was to close to Harvey, which is the name of the Betta.


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

Ogre44 said:


> My BN Pleco got christened Dyson.
> Hoover was to close to Harvey, which is the name of the Betta.


Thats cute. LOL


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## Reece (Aug 10, 2011)

The new piece of driftwood is now in the tank! BN pleco has been on it once but for only a couple seconds do couldn't grab a pic!! (He's in a scavenging mood at he moment, I like to dart 2 or 3 pellets across the tank every day for him to look around for and find). As soon as he's found some food and eaten he'll level down a bit and might have a go at the driftwood, if he does I'll snap a pic


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## Reece (Aug 10, 2011)

New piece of driftwood went in today and my BN pleco has had the occasional moment on it but moves off as soon as I get the camera, it's like he knows! I'll try my hardest to get you guys a picture of him on the driftwood tomorrow, at the moment he seems to spend all of his time sun-bathing at the top of the plastic rock (his favourite spot in the tank) and scanning the walls! However when he was on the driftwood he seemed to like it...!


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

Thats great that he is likeing it. Have you thought of a name yet?


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## Reece (Aug 10, 2011)

Still haven't thought of a name for him (assuming he's a him), but it will come to me soon enough! By the way I have a small question that you might be able to answer, how am I supposed to vacuum the gravel if I have the plants in there? As the siphon is quite large and I assume that I shouldn't go near the plants as I could suck up the roots...


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## Reece (Aug 10, 2011)

Thought I'd put up a picture of the tank with the new piece of driftwood in, as I said I will try to get a picture of my bristlenose pleco on the driftwood tomorrow if he decides to cooperate


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

I like your driftwood. With plants you only vaccum gravel that is far away from the plants or just move the siphon along the top of the gravel not down into the gravel.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Reece (Aug 10, 2011)

Picturefest! Includes two pics of my BN pleco on his new driftwood... :-D


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

Very nice!


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