# 20 Gallon Journal



## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Hey everyone, 

First, I would like to start off with introducing myself. Some of you may have seen me around the forums a few times and may have even answered a few of my questions. I am a college student who has always loved fish and aquariums. I could spend hours at the aquarium in our local zoo (and believe me I did). This led me to my purchase of a 10 gallon aquarium when I was about 12 years old. I didn't have a clue what I was doing at the time; I only knew that I wanted to keep all of the "cool" fish in my tank. I had everything from tetras to Koi fish in the 10 gallon aquarium. Like I said, I didn't know what I was doing or what the fish were. These fish were recommended to me by the Petsmart employees! The tank always smelled and the fish never lived long, so after about a year and a hundred fish later, the tank was packed up. I just couldn't take it anymore and neither could my parents. Now, six years later, I finally convinced my parents to give me another shot at it. I know that bigger tanks are easier to maintain and you should always buy the biggest tank you can afford. After staring at the huge 90g+ tanks and dreaming of owning one, I bought my self a little 20 gallon starter kit (I know it isn't much, but it is the biggest I can afford. I am a college student remember?). Everything I do with this tank is going to be at the lowest cost possible. My plan for this tank is a low tech/natural planted with some neon tetra and a gourami. I have been doing hours of research on this type of tank so I will know exactly what I am doing (I will still have questions later on though). To get myself started, I painted the back of the tank black. This is the best looking and cheapest background IMO. I also bought two bags of play sand for the substrate. This weekend, I took on the challenge of building my own stand. The pre-made stands were just to expensive. The stand came out nicely to my suprise and I will be finishing it up tomorrow. Thanks for taking the time to read this and I cannot wait to get to know everyone and share my little adventure with you. I will be posting pictures and keeping everyone updated on my tank in this thread.


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## k19smith (Aug 19, 2011)

Hi and welcome, I'm pretty new here also. Your tank sounds great I just set up a 10g planted that I'm doing low tech. I do want to throw out there if you bought the big bags of play sand one will be plenty.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Here are a few pictures of my unfinished stand. I will be adding the paneling around it and painting it black tomorrow. I will be building a canopy aswell.


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## k19smith (Aug 19, 2011)

Pics still didn't come threw. Were neighbors lol I'm in WV.


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## k19smith (Aug 19, 2011)

I see it now, that's a nice stand it looks great so far. I wish I would have painted the back of my 10g black but it's has fish in it now.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Coming along great, nice work on the stand. By the way, you might find some useful info on a natural planted tank in the series "A Basic Approach to the Natural Planted Aquarium" stickied at the head of the Aquarium Plant section of the forum. And questions are always welcomed.

k19smith, an inexpensive background can be made with black construction paper that you can buy a sheet of at an art or hobby store. Very cheap, I have this on several tanks.

Byron.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

After a very long day of working on my stand, it is finished!! It came out really nice and everything fit together (for the most part. had a few minor tweaks to make). I put the sand substrate in, a couple rocks from my yard (i did the vinegar test and boiled them), and a few fake plants (temporary). The heater is up and running along with the filter. You guys weren't kidding when you said the HOB filters make a crazy current in the tank! I was schocked to say the least, so I put a difuser in front of it and it doesn't seem to be making a difference. I will be making the switch to a sponge filter soon. After finishing the stand I went and got a few of the basic things including: API master test kit, water conditioner, flourish comprehensive, and a siphon. My next project will be building a DIY light for the tank, so I can grow plants. Here are a few pictures for you enjoyment :-D


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## brokenrules69 (Aug 27, 2011)

look sick especially the homemade stand excellent work!

and what type of light is that i looks pretty kool


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Thanks brokenrules, It is the light that came with the marineland aquarium kit. It is an LED light bar with white and blue LED lights. The white lights cannot grow plants so I permently set it to the blue moon lights and plugged them into a timer. I got rid of the hood that the light bar goes into, and got a glass top. Now the lights are mounted higher up in my canopy which really reduced their brightness (they were to bright for my liking when they were set in the hood).


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## brokenrules69 (Aug 27, 2011)

it looks sick
cant wait to see it stocked 
what do i think ur goin with?


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Brokenrules: My plans for stocking as far as fish go is: a gourami, 6-7 neon tetra (maybe more depending on what others say), and some MTS. For plants, this is going to be a low light natural tank so anything that fits those conditions. I haven't really picked any specific plants. That's all I know is that I want in to be heavily planted. I love the look of the angels in your tank! What kind are they?


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Byron said:


> Coming along great, nice work on the stand. By the way, you might find some useful info on a natural planted tank in the series "A Basic Approach to the Natural Planted Aquarium" stickied at the head of the Aquarium Plant section of the forum. And questions are always welcomed.
> 
> k19smith, an inexpensive background can be made with black construction paper that you can buy a sheet of at an art or hobby store. Very cheap, I have this on several tanks.
> 
> Byron.


Thanks Byron, I have read through your aticles 2 or 3 times already :lol:. Whenever I get bored in between class at school, I research anything about aquariums to learn as much as I can. I don't want to make the same mistake that I did the last time.


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## brokenrules69 (Aug 27, 2011)

thanks a lot i have no clue what type of angels mine are i got my tank for free on craigslist stocked i am in the process of separating the barbs from the angels
i should be getting 5 tanks for free tomorrow on cl again
craigslist is my favorite thing in the world:-D
i am new to the hobby this is my first tank but i think they just like generic golden angels


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Just put my order in with Dr. Foster and Smith. I got the Oxygen Plus Bio-Filter 5 sponge filter, Whisper Air Pump 20, Air Check Valve, 8ft of tubing, thermometer, and a med/large piece of malaysian driftwood. The petsmart in my area doesn't sell sponge filters so now I have to wait. It should be here within the next 7 business days. This should be everything I need (aside from the light which I will be building this weekend) before I can add the plants and fish. I think it will be a while before I get those though, so I can let my wallet recover :-?

P.S. I have a Marineland Bio-wheel Filter 150 and a Marineland Hood up for sale right now if anyone is interested.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

I sealed and painted the inside of my canopy white today. I also built my DIY lighting. I used 2 13watt CFL daylight bulbs. It came out really nice and seems to light up the tank very evenly (no dark spots). Each bulb puts out 13 watts, 825 lumens, and 6500K. Thats a total of 1.3 watts per gallon and 1650 lumens over the tank. I went with the 13 watt bulbs instead of the 10 because I figured since I am using a gutter instead of an actual reflector, only about 10 watts would actually make it into the tank. If I were to get the 10 watt bulbs then I would have less than 1wpg. I just noticed my canopy is warping from the paint:-(. Oh well, I will just make a new one sometime. Anyway, here are some pictures.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Also, my sponge filter and driftwood should be on my doorstep tomorrow. After I get those put into the tank, it will be ready for plants and fish.


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## LexCorp (Oct 31, 2010)

exciting stuff! I'm also setting up a 20g and trying to decide what new decor to get.

I'm transferring from a 10g though so I'm luckily using a lot of old supplies


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

My driftwood and sponge filter came in today!!  I must say that I love the sponge filter already. It is really quiet (using the whisper 20 air pump) and makes almost no current. I am also pretty happy with the peice of driftwood. Afer all it was only $10. My tank is now ready for plants. I just put in my order with sweet aquatics. I ordered 7 corkscrew val, 5 water wisteria, 11 dwarf sagittaria, 4oz of java moss, 1 amazon sword, and some amazon frogbit. They should be here in 2-3 days.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

If I may be permitted to make a suggestion, use the wood to hide the sponge filter. Just move either. The wood can remain out from the back, sort of mid-tank, so there will be plenty of water circulation around it to the filter.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Byron said:


> If I may be permitted to make a suggestion, use the wood to hide the sponge filter. Just move either. The wood can remain out from the back, sort of mid-tank, so there will be plenty of water circulation around it to the filter.


should I use the wood or some plants? I was going to plant some corkscrew val along the back of the tank and cover up the filter.


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## LexCorp (Oct 31, 2010)

Looking good!

Yes, that driftwood could totally hide the filter from view for you! This tank will look great with al the live plants you are getting.


I don't see you having the same trouble you had before, looks like you'll have some healthy and happy fish this time around. 

Ooh, ad I'm not sure what you were adding besides neon tetras..gourami? This may not be correct but myself and a few friends have experience neons being very sensitive to water changes. I personally lost 5 neons when I first started my 10 gallon tank, so might want to think about adding them a week or so after the gourami? Maybe this could help establish the tank and cycling etc. so you won't have any bad luck with your neons.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

LexCorp said:


> Looking good!
> 
> Yes, that driftwood could totally hide the filter from view for you! This tank will look great with al the live plants you are getting.
> 
> ...


Thanks LexCorp! I will definintly do some rearranging once the plants get here, which should be on monday. I sure hope I have better luck this time around. All of the research and advice from everyone on this forum has been a huge help


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

bigfish93 said:


> should I use the wood or some plants? I was going to plant some corkscrew val along the back of the tank and cover up the filter.


As you have the wood, I would use it. Hardscape is better at hiding or masking filters/heaters. And it allows some good water circulation around it.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

I got bored today and decided to redo the hardscape in my tank. As suggested, I moved the driftwood to the otherside of the tank to hide the filter. I also moved the rock and got a bag of little rocks. I really like the way this looks and I think it will look even better when the plants get here. I am planning on setting up the tank in a U design. The plants will be along the left, back, and right side of the aquarium with the front center left open. I plan on putting a group of the corkscrew vals in the left corner behind the rock and putting the rest of the vals and wisteria along the back. The dwarf sagittaria will be planted mostly in the mid ground and along the sides of the tank. The amazon sword will be off centered in the mid ground. Lastly, the java moss will be attached to the driftwood near the top. Also, the frog bit will be floating and I will try to keep it covering most of the surface except for a little opening to let light really shine down on the open center of the tank. I think this will create a cool effect. Just thought I would share my ideas with anyone who is following along.


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## MarinePsycho (Aug 16, 2011)

Wow this tank is turning out beautiful. Also where did you get the play sand from? I've never used it so I have no idea where to get it, play sand would sure make my tanks attractive.


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## MarinePsycho (Aug 16, 2011)

Also I heard someone that posted on this thread got a free tank off of Craigslist? thats awesome.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

MarinePsycho said:


> Wow this tank is turning out beautiful. Also where did you get the play sand from? I've never used it so I have no idea where to get it, play sand would sure make my tanks attractive.


Thanks so much! I got the play sand from home depot, but you can find it pretty much anywhere (at least during the spring and summer). During the colder months you could try your local landscape or hardware store. The great thing about play sand is that it is really cheap and very natural looking. I got 100 pounds of it for 2 dollars because home depot was having a sale, but it usually runs around $2.50 for a 50 pound bag. Another alternative is pool filter sand (PFS), which is usually a little bit cheaper. However, I don't really like it because it is usually very bright and that can stress the fish. By the way, the pictures make my sand look blinding for some reason, it is actually relatively dark. If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask.


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## MarinePsycho (Aug 16, 2011)

2.50 for 50 pounds of play sand? that could fill up about ten of my aquariums! also what fish do you plan on getting.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

MarinePsycho said:


> 2.50 for 50 pounds of play sand? that could fill up about ten of my aquariums! also what fish do you plan on getting.


Hahaha :lol: That's why I love it. I am on a tight budget, so it worked out perfectly for me. As far as fish go, I would like to get a group of small schooling fish and MAYBE one bigger fish like a gourami. At first I was going to get neon tetra, but my pH is a little to high for them. Right now I would love to get about 7 eyespot rasbora. I just need to figure out where to get them. I am set on getting MTS to mix up my sand and some ghost shrimp to fill the bottom of my tank. One thing I know for sure is that I love the look of the really small fish because they can make my little 20 gallon look pretty big. So I won't be getting any big fish.


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## MarinePsycho (Aug 16, 2011)

Oh, thats a nice selection. I am not a big fan of small fish like Neon tetra but Eyespot rasbora's remind me of mini Bala shark's for some reason xD. I get my fish from Petsmart and this other fish store. Also my mom is going to get some play sand from Home depot. I wouldn't recommend keeping Gourami's with small fish. Some gourami's are different but most of them are aggresive, like mine :3

I'd defanitly like to see some pictures when you update your tank. Also I just checked out Aquabid and it seems like a good site, alot of the fish are cheap.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

I recently found out that there is a good chance I won't receive my plants from sweet aquatics for possibly 3 weeks. They are very cheap, have very healthy plants, but I have been told that they are also very slow and it usually takes about 3 weeks. So I decided to do the fishless cycle with the free sample of fish food instead of the silent cycle. Maybe my tank will cycle before the plants get here and I can start adding the invertabrates to the tank before the plants.


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## alysalouise (Mar 15, 2011)

bigfish93 said:


> I recently found out that there is a good chance I won't receive my plants from sweet aquatics for possibly 3 weeks. They are very cheap, have very healthy plants, but I have been told that they are also very slow and it usually takes about 3 weeks. So I decided to do the fishless cycle with the free sample of fish food instead of the silent cycle. Maybe my tank will cycle before the plants get here and I can start adding the invertabrates to the tank before the plants.


 
Really nice job building your stand, How long did it take you to just build the stand without painting it? Im planning on using your pictures as an example to show my dad what kinda stand were building this weekend, he has all the wood in the world to use just will need to pick up some hinges and handles for the doors


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

alysalouise said:


> Really nice job building your stand, How long did it take you to just build the stand without painting it? Im planning on using your pictures as an example to show my dad what kinda stand were building this weekend, he has all the wood in the world to use just will need to pick up some hinges and handles for the doors


The stand took me about a days worth of work. That is all I used were 2x4 for the stand and one 1x4 for the trim around the bottom of the tank. The key to building a solid stand is to put the weight of the tank on the wood rather than the screws that are holding it together. I wish I would have taken more pictures to help you out. Let me know if you need any help and I will try to describe it to you the best I can.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

I just got a response from my email to Sweet Aquatics. They said that the earliest my order will be shipped out is this Saturday, possibly monday. If all goes as planned then I will have fish in my aquarium next weekend


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## BarbH (May 23, 2011)

Sounds good, hopefully you get those plants soon. I am planning on placing an order within the next couple of weeks. Might try contacting them after placing the order after a few days. Would be nice to get my plants quicker this time around than it did the last time.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Ok, I know I have changed my stocking list at least 10 times already. I think I finally found the perfect set up though. I will get 7 bloodfin tetra and 1 whiptail catfish. Along with some MTS to keep the sand from compacting. This will be a S.A. flooded jungle theme. I know that some of the plants I ordered are not South American, but I will slowly change them out later on down the road.


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## teddyzaper (Aug 30, 2009)

I started with corckscrew vals as my first plant. all i will say is that they start out slow, but will overgrow your tank soon enough. Make sure you plant them far and few between. I would also recommend putting all the little rocks closer together as it helps with the visual flow of the tank (where your eyes look).


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

How does this layout look? I was also thinking of combining the wisteria and val along the back and moving the amazon sword in the back left corner behind the rock. Which do you think would work better?


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## teddyzaper (Aug 30, 2009)

i would move the sword behind the rock and reduce the amount of space the val takes up, and add it across the right side a bit more. i also think that the wisteria should be behind the vals because its a thick bushy plant and vals are single leaved plants. wisteria will give a nice background for the vals


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## teddyzaper (Aug 30, 2009)

this help?

The wisteria is the red (behind the vals as i previously said.)

This is just an option


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

My plants were not shipped on Saturday or Monday like Sweet Aquatics told me they were going to be. So I emailed them again and asked for a status on my order and an approximate shipping date and told them I hope to have my plants soon. They responded today and told me that my plants will be shipped out this saturday and I will receive an email friday evening with all of the shipping info. Hopefully they really do get shipped out on Saturday this time, so I can get my tank going.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

It has been a long two weeks, but it is finally official. I received an email from paypal that said my plants have been shipped!! I am so excited to continue on with the next step in this project. I will have pictures up of the plants in the tank as soon as I get them planted.


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## k19smith (Aug 19, 2011)

I think we ordered near the same time I got my shipping email today to, it's about time.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

k19smith said:


> I think we ordered near the same time I got my shipping email today to, it's about time.


I agree. I was going to give them this weekend to ship may order out. If it still didn't get shipped out by monday then I was going to file a dispute on paypal. That seems to be the only way to get them to mail the order.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

My tank is finally planted! Now comes the really tough part, waiting for everything to grow and fill in. All of the plants look really healthy, there is some brown on them. Sweet Aquatics was unable to ship the water wisteria to me, so they are offering me a refund which is fine because the wisteria didn't fit my SA biotope theme. They did however give me 2 amazon swords. Not sure what to do with the second one ATM so I just put in next to the original one. I will get 4 bloodfin tetra on sunday if my parameters are where they should be.


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## k19smith (Aug 19, 2011)

Looks good, I got my plants today also, my jungle val looks awful but everything else is ok.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

k19smith said:


> Looks good, I got my plants today also, my jungle val looks awful but everything else is ok.


Thanks! My corkscrew val isn't looking very good either. Most of the leaves are brown and there are not to many leaves on each plant. The only that really looks good is my amazon sword.

Does anyone know what I should do with the brown leaves? Should I cut them of or just let the plants get established before I start trimming?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Let the plants settle in. Brown leaves will not recover and can be removed at the base but there is no harm in leaving them presently.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Here are a couple questions that I have that I hope you guys can answer:

1) Does corkscrew val grow taller than 12 inches?

2) Does the crown (point where the roots meet the stem) on the corkscrew val need to be exposed? I read somewhere that if it is buried then the plant will rot.

3) Is not enough flow bad? I got a sponge filter because the tetras like really calm water, but does this mean that I am going to end up with a lot of dead spots that lack nutrients for my plants?

4) How quickly does amazon frogbit send off runners? I am using this to dim the light in my tank so my tetras will not be stressed, but I only have 3 plants of it right now.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

> 1) Does corkscrew val grow taller than 12 inches?


I put 12-20 inches max in the profile since this is what the sources report. My plants are maybe 8-10 inches max, but then I have very soft water and I am quite certain this is affecting them.



> 2) Does the crown (point where the roots meet the stem) on the corkscrew val need to be exposed? I read somewhere that if it is buried then the plant will rot.


True. All plants generally do this, so plant the crown just slightly above the surface of the substrate. Sometimes a plant will pull itself down into the substrate; my crypts are always doing this.



> 3) Is not enough flow bad? I got a sponge filter because the tetras like really calm water, but does this mean that I am going to end up with a lot of dead spots that lack nutrients for my plants?


No. There are thermal currents, fish swimming, plus the filter to move the water around, and more than one might realize. After all, one can maintain good plant growth in tanks with no filter at all.



> 4) How quickly does Amazon Frogbit send off runners? I am using this to dim the light in my tank so my tetras will not be stressed, but I only have 3 plants of it right now.


This depends upon the plants and their cycle. I have noticed with this species that it regularly goes through growth spurts followed by a slow down that actually even causes the plants to die off. In the two years I have had this species this has happened twice, so I believe it is seasonal/cyclical. All plants need a period of vegetative rest. Swords go through spurts of new growth, inflorescences, leaves, whatever. Then they sit almost static for a couple months. If our plants flowered in our aquaria, I am sure we would see this relating to these periods. This week I have noticed several plant species in my tanks beginning to show increased activity. This relates to the seasons in South America, we are entering the end of the dry season for areas north of the Amazon [if I've got my directions accurate].


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## twocents (Feb 22, 2010)

Nice woodwork there.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Thanks Byron, I would be lost without you! I truly appreciate all the help you have given me along the way. I pulled all the plants up a little bit and they look better already. The leaves are now spread out more instead of just pointing straight up. I am hoping the vals at least reach 15 inches as I am using them as a background plant. If they don't then I guess I could put them in the mid ground. Do you think the fish would be ok with the light the way it is now? Then in a couple months I should have the dim light I am going for with the frogbit. 

I will be getting a few fish this sunday. I am torn between the bloodfin tetra and the black neon tetra :-?. I guess I will go to my LFS and see what they talk me into. I love the look of the bloodfin tetra, I just wish it were a little smaller. I like the black neon tetra because it is small, it just isn't as cool looking as the bloodfin.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

twocents said:


> Nice woodwork there.


Thanks twocents. I am assuming you are talking about the stand. It turned out better than I thought it would so I am proud of it. If by chance you are referring to the driftwood, then I have Dr. Foster and Smith to thank for that. They picked it out for me :-D


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Here are pictures of my plants. If you see anything wrong with them then please let me know so I can get it fixed. This is my first planted tank and I am still trying to figure out how everything works.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

The plants look as I would expect them to for new plants. They will perk up.

Don't know what other fish are intended for this tank, but Bloodfins can be nippy with many fish, esp slow sedate ones or those with longer fins. Every species in that genus Aphyocharax is prone to this, some are real terrors.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Byron said:


> The plants look as I would expect them to for new plants. They will perk up.
> 
> Don't know what other fish are intended for this tank, but Bloodfins can be nippy with many fish, esp slow sedate ones or those with longer fins. Every species in that genus Aphyocharax is prone to this, some are real terrors.


It is going to be a species only tank, aside from the one whiptale catfish that will inhabit the bottom of the tank along with the MTS.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

It has been 2 days since I have put the plants in my tank and they are not looking any better. I know it is going to take some time for them to settle in, but until then I am going to be very worried. I do not want all the plants to die on me. It will be a huge relief the day I see new growth on all of them. The only plant that is thriving right now is the amazon frogbit. It has already sent out two new shoots.


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## Ebonynivory06 (Aug 11, 2011)

Your tank is beautiful so far! I can't wait to see more pictures when fish are added.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

bigfish93 said:


> It has been 2 days since I have put the plants in my tank and they are not looking any better. I know it is going to take some time for them to settle in, but until then I am going to be very worried. I do not want all the plants to die on me. It will be a huge relief the day I see new growth on all of them. The only plant that is thriving right now is the amazon frogbit. It has already sent out two new shoots.


You need to have patience. I have had plants take weeks to settle, then off they go. Changing environments (water parameters) is one issue, plus shipment. Floating plants usually recover faster because they are closer to more intense light, and can assimilate CO2 from the air which is faster than in water.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

I did some tests on my water today and here is what I got:

Ammonia: .75ppm

NitrIte: 4ppm

NitrAte: 0ppm

pH: still around 7.6

I still need to check with our water company to find out what my water hardness is. Hopefully it isn't to hard so that the pH will naturally lower. I am guessing that I am at the nitrIte spike in my cycling process? Should I do a water change to help bring this down?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

bigfish93 said:


> I did some tests on my water today and here is what I got:
> 
> Ammonia: .75ppm
> 
> ...


Are there fish in this tank now?


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Byron said:


> Are there fish in this tank now?


Nope. Not until the nitrites and ammonia read 0


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

bigfish93 said:


> Nope. Not until the nitrites and ammonia read 0


Then a water change isn't needed, as you are cycling artificially with something.

Now that you have live plants, once they start growing, you can add some (few) fish. We can talk about that later.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Finally made my way over to my LFS today, Trilby Tropicals, and alll I can say is WOW :shock:!! The quality of everything in that store is amazing and I don't think I will be going back to Petsmart again. They had rows and rows of nothing but freshwater tanks. On the other side of the store was rows and rows of saltwater tanks. I went in there to get some Flourish root tabs and I came out with a nice peice of driftwood and root tabs. They had an entire shelf of driftwood that I just couldn't pass up. The best part is, I found my new inspiration! One of there freshwater display tanks is amazing. It had 2 big peices of driftwood in it and the only plants it had were jungle val. They put the val in the front, middle and back of the tank and it added a ton of depth. More than the usual big plants in back, little plants in front look. I loved the simple look. So now I set my tank up in a similar manner. I now have 2 big pieces of driftwood, and I moved my corkscrew val all around the tank. Now I just need to wait for all the plants to get big so I can add the finishing touches. I will tank a picture of the tank next time so you guys can see it.


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## BarbH (May 23, 2011)

Look forward to seeing how the tank is coming along. Wish I had a place locally that had a decent plant selection other than the typical choices from petsmart.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

BarbH said:


> Look forward to seeing how the tank is coming along. Wish I had a place locally that had a decent plant selection other than the typical choices from petsmart.


I thought I was stuck with petsmart for a while then I did some searches online and found Trilby Tropicals. Not sure how far up in Michigan you are, but it is located in Toledo. It's about a 25 minute drive for me, but worth every minute.

By the way, when I got home from school today, I discovered 3 very tiny snails on the front of my tank. They must of hitched a ride on the plants I got from SA. I am actually really excited to see the first signs of life in my tank. Who knows, maybe fish fry will appear next. Hahaha just kidding :lol:


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## KendraMc (Jul 20, 2011)

bigfish93 said:


> By the way, when I got home from school today, I discovered 3 very tiny snails on the front of my tank. They must of hitched a ride on the plants I got from SA. I am actually really excited to see the first signs of life in my tank. Who knows, maybe fish fry will appear next. Hahaha just kidding :lol:


not as impossible as it might sound, i know my aunt got a goldfish of some form with some pond plants she bought one time.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Took another step in simplifying my tank today. I removed all of the big rocks that I had added earlier because they just didn't look right and they were almost to much. My next step will be to siphon out some of the sand in the back of the tank so I get an even 2 inches of sand in the whole tank. I won't need the deeper sand in the back because I will be giving my amazon sword to my LFS along with the dwarf sag. I will probably trade them in for some more corkscrew val so I can fill my tank with it.

I tested my water today and here is what I got:

Ammonia: .25ppm

Nitrite: more than 5ppm

Nitrate: 5ppm


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Tested the water today and here is what I got:

No more ammonia!!!

Nitrite: above 5ppm

Nitrate: 30ppm

By the way, here is a picture of the new piece of driftwood I got on sunday.


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## Jbrofish8 (Jul 7, 2011)

ooh i love that DW. Looks like a massive hand with the fingers going into the sand. Neat piece!


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Thanks Jbro, I never thought of it like that. I have very exciting news!!!! my cycle is complete and my tank is ready for fish. I am going to wait a couple more days to make sure I don't get any more spikes, but I am hoping to have fish in my tank by tuesday. My parameters are as follows:

Ammonia: 0ppm

Nitrite: 0ppm

Nitrate: 6ppm

pH: 6.5

Well after testing my pH, I realized that something must be wrong here. My pH used to be 7.5 and now it says its 6.5. I doubt that the extra peice of driftwood I added last week changed the pH that much. I did my tests about 5 minutes after dosing the flourish comprehensive. Does anyone think that this effected my results? If not, then I am very happy to see that my pH is at 6.5 as this will suit my lemon tetra better. I am gonna test again tonight to see if I get the same results. I am crossing my fingers that everything really is what it says it is.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

bigfish93 said:


> Thanks Jbro, I never thought of it like that. I have very exciting news!!!! my cycle is complete and my tank is ready for fish. I am going to wait a couple more days to make sure I don't get any more spikes, but I am hoping to have fish in my tank by tuesday. My parameters are as follows:
> 
> Ammonia: 0ppm
> 
> ...


What is your tap water (source water) hardness, both GH and KH?


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Well im not really sure. When I called our water company they didn't know what gh and kh were. I checked their website and there isn't really anything on the water parameters. I guess I will have to buy the gh and kh test kit at the LFS. Hopefully it isn't to expensive. I came to the conclusion that my pH lowered because of a few things: I removed the rocks from my tank, added a second piece of driftwood, and/or my water is soft.


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## k19smith (Aug 19, 2011)

What was your ph out of the tap, after it sits for 24 hrs?

I really don't think driftwood and rocks would change it that much that quick.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

I just filled up a cup of water so I'll get back to that one in 24 hours and let you know. I have done every test about 10 times throughout the day and they always have the exact same results. I have tested water from every area of the tank and everything. I guess my pH really is that low. Maybe I messed up the pH test the last couple times I tested my water before today?


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## k19smith (Aug 19, 2011)

My water company does not test the gh and kh or that's what they told me, but they did have a total hardness number. Some local fish stores can/will test for gh/kh you may want to call around. 

When was the last time you have tested your ph? Did you see this drop in a day or a few weeks? As long as it is stable I wouldn't worry, but you need to make sure.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Yes, before spending money for a hardness kit that you will likely only use the once, try the fish store. I would suspect fairly soft water, with low KH (Alkalinity) which will allow the pH to acidify. Wood as someone mentioned will do the same but not usually that much.

Soft water fish will be fine at pH 6.5 so I wouldn't worry. At the next water change, check the tank pH prior to and then about an hour after to see how much it changes. A few decimal points is fine, but you don't want it going from 6.5 to 7.5, and if that occurs then changing less volume is the answer.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Thanks guys! I will check with my LFS and see if they can test my water. I am pretty sure I have soft water because a lot of people with hard water said they are always dealing with water spots. I have not had that problem with my glass hood and I know it gets wet from the bubbles from the sponge filter. Hopefully my LFS can test it and then I can pass along the info. I have another question, when I go to pick up my fish on sunday, how many should I get. I was planning on getting a total of 7 lemon tetra and possibly a whiptale catfish. I know you are suppose to only get a few, but Lemon Tetra are schooling fish and I am afraid they would get stressed if I only got 3 or 4 this week. It is also a bit of a drive to get there, so the fewer the trips the better.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Yes, get them all at once, the tetra and the whiptail. There are live plants (?) so there will not be an issue.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

I went and got my fish and plants today. The lemon tetra are floating right now and the italian val are planted. I know the italian val doesn't fit my biotope, but Trilby tropicals was out of corkscrew val and I liked the look of the italian. I will have some pictures and a video up in about an hour once the fish are officially in the tank.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Here is the video of my tanks new inhabitants. The lemon tetra are doing great, but they are all crowding in one corner of the tank right now and seem to be staring at their own reflection. Hopefully this is normal for new fish. I was unable to get the catfish because Trilby didn't have anything except for common plecos. I have also included a picture of a tank at Trilby Tropicals that I am trying to create with my own aquarium. Thanks for following along and feel free to ask me anything about the tank. Advice is welcome too.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Those are very nice looking Lemons for being newly-acquired.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

The Tetras have been in the tank for more than 24 hours and everyone seems to be doing great. They are starting to explore the tank and they are eating the pellets. I am floating the fake plants that came with my tank to help dim the light until the vals grow and cover the surface. The fish seem to appreciate this. One fish seems really fat, almost like it is bloated. I am pretty sure it is a female, so maybe it is pregnent. She is swimming around with everyone else and eating so I don't see it being a problem right now.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

I felt like the play sand in my tank was to bright, so I added a layer of pavers sand to my substrate today. It is more of a gray color and looks more natural to me. I could see the tank get dimmer right away and I will post a picture once the cloudyness goes away. The lemon tetra already seem more active than before. During the day they would stay near one corner of the tank until the moon lights came on. Then they would all go out on their own and looked more relaxed. They look a lot more relaxed during the day with the new substrate. My next step will be to get a group of ember tetra and a few small chunks of driftwood to create the caves in the left rear corner of the tank. That won't be for a couple of weeks though. I want the lemons to get settled in.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

new substrate layer


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

I woke up this morning to quite the scare. Two of my lemon tetras were wedged in between the sponge of the sponge filter and the glass. I thought for sure they were dead, so I grabbed my net and moved the sponge. To my surprise they both swam out as if nothing had happened, which was a huge relief. I went to class and when I came back, another tetra was wedged the same way the first two were. This one also swam out once I moved the sponge. All of the fish are fine and swimming around like they usually do. I tested my water to make sure everything is fine and I have 0 nitrite, 0 ammonia, and 10 nitrates. The pH hasn't changed from 6.8 and the temperature is still 77 degrees. I just finished feeding them and all of them aggressivly ate the food like they usually do. Not sure why they wedged themselves the way they did, but I am praying that it doesn't happen again while I am away at work for the rest of the day.


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## KendraMc (Jul 20, 2011)

can you move the sponge a little? make it so they can't get stuck?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Agree. This sometimes hapens. Fish do like to explore; I have had them get pulled into surface skimmers and not being able to back out they get trapped. Inctrease the space between the sponge and the tank walls so they can swim through it.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Thanks guys. I moved the sponge a little to hopefully prevent this again. The fish are very curious right now, checking every square inch of the tank out. I guess that means checking out behind the filter too :lol:.


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## MinaMinaMina (Aug 28, 2011)

Everything looks lovely! I love the tank that you're trying to emulate, and I think you're doing a great job.

I just wonder... I know you said your pH was unchanged at 6.8, but did you test the paver sand to see if it reacted with an acid? The paver sand I tried fizzed in vinegar, and so was unsuitable for my S.A. set up. And if it didn't react, what brand and type was it? If its neutral, I want to get some of the same kind. Just curious, and thank you!


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

MinaMinaMina said:


> Everything looks lovely! I love the tank that you're trying to emulate, and I think you're doing a great job.
> 
> I just wonder... I know you said your pH was unchanged at 6.8, but did you test the paver sand to see if it reacted with an acid? The paver sand I tried fizzed in vinegar, and so was unsuitable for my S.A. set up. And if it didn't react, what brand and type was it? If its neutral, I want to get some of the same kind. Just curious, and thank you!


You probably saved my fish! I completely forgot to test the paver sand before putting it in my tank. I just tested a little bit of it after reading your post and it fizzed! I guess I will be removing it on Sunday during my weekly maintaince. I am really disappointed because I love the look of the paver sand and it hasn't changed my pH the past couple of days that it has been in the tank. I am assuming it takes a while though. My search for a darker sand continues.


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## MinaMinaMina (Aug 28, 2011)

I totally feel ya, man. My heart sank when mine fizzed. At least you didn't wash 75 pounds of it first, like I did! D'oh! :lol:
On an positive note, play sand has really grown on me. I use leaf litter on mine, and the tetras seem pretty comfortable with it, and the cories are thrilled. I think the floating plants help a lot, too. It seems to me that a lighter substrate is better tolerated if the light is dimmed sufficiently with floaters. Just my experience for a couple months into this tank. And, again, sorry about the paver sand. But good luck on your 20g journey!


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Calcareous substrates (like this paver sand) sometimes take a few days or even a couple weeks to "get going" but once they do, up goes the hardness and pH. Remove it sooner rather than later.

Playsand like the Quickrete brand from Home Depot or Lowe's is inert. I have it in 3 tanks now, and am planning a fourth.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Thanks for the help guys. They layer of paver sand will be coming out tomorrow. I really don't like how bright play sand is, but minaminamina gave me a really great idea, thanks mina. I am going to use oak leaves and put them at the bottom of the tank and cover up the substrate. It turns out that this actually mimics the natural environment of the ember tetra that I am going to be getting, so it all worked out perfectly. My hunt for oak leaves now begins.


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## MinaMinaMina (Aug 28, 2011)

I'm so glad!

P.S. I use two different kinds of Oak and I use Beech leaves, too. I like the variety of the different leaf shapes, makes it look more natural to me. I've heard Maple can be used, but haven't tried it. Maybe you know already, but just make sure they're completely brown, chemical free, and very dried out. Then I boil mine, and that also helps them sink. I bet your future whiptail will love it!


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

MinaMinaMina said:


> I'm so glad!
> 
> P.S. I use two different kinds of Oak and I use Beech leaves, too. I like the variety of the different leaf shapes, makes it look more natural to me. I've heard Maple can be used, but haven't tried it. Maybe you know already, but just make sure they're completely brown, chemical free, and very dried out. Then I boil mine, and that also helps them sink. I bet your future whiptail will love it!


Since it is fall and all of the leaves are brown and on the ground, I figured this would be the best time to collect them. I plan to get a huge bag full of them so that I will have a nice supply until next fall. I read that you are suppose to replace the leaves every 2-3 weeks to prevent them from rotting so that is the reason for collecting so many. I will definitly be sure to boil them to kill any parasites. Do you have any pictures of your tank with the leaves in them? I would love to see it.


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## MinaMinaMina (Aug 28, 2011)

My hard drive was recently replaced and I don't have many apps installed. I'm been meaning to get pix up, so I'm trying to get it figured out. This is one of the very few times I wish I had an iphone.

I've heard, though I'm not sure how reliable this is, that one could use leaves from any type of hardwood tree. If you use anything besides oak, indian almond, or beech, you'll have to post and let us know about it!

BTW, hello from a fellow Ohioan!


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

On the leaves. Oak and beech are safe, and there may be others but I have not read of them so I would stick with these two. Almond leaves are OK too of course, you can buy them in some fish stores. But if you live in a temperate area where there are oak or beech trees, collecting the leaves in autumn is cheaper.

You should collect them from the ground, not the tree, as the ground leaves will be older and thus "dry;" leaves still on the tree may likely contain some liquid. Then wash them if necessary (I don't usually, but then I collect mine in the back garden so I know there are no insecticides, etc. on them). I would not boil them; dry leaves provide nutrients and infusoria for fish, snails and plants. They are especially good in fry tanks for this reason, as a good souorce of infusoria for fry. They will leech some tannin but minimally. Lay them out singly (not stacked) to fully dry, and when dried, put them in a plastic bag to store.

Byron.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

I collected a ton of leaves today. I'm pretty sure I have enough to last me until next year. I added a few to the tank today and it looks really nice. I'll upload some pictures later so you guys can see. How do you guys keep the leaves from floating. The plants are holding mine down right now, hoping they get water logged soon.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

bigfish93 said:


> I collected a ton of leaves today. I'm pretty sure I have enough to last me until next year. I added a few to the tank today and it looks really nice. I'll upload some pictures later so you guys can see. How do you guys keep the leaves from floating. The plants are holding mine down right now, hoping they get water logged soon.


They should sink in a few days, maybe a week or two.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

I haven't updated you guys about my tank in a while, so I thought I would let you know that everything is going well. All my plants are growing, slowly, but they are deffinitely getting taller. I just put some more root tabs in my sand to help them out. I have not lost a fish (knock on wood) and the hitchhiker snails are getting quite large. I was feeding my fish a slice of cucumber every monday, but I decided to pick up some frozen bloodworms instead. I will see how much the tetras enjoy them tomorrow. If you would like to follow along on youtube, click on the link. MrBigfish93's Channel - YouTube Feel free to like, rate, and subscribe as I will be posting more video updates about this tank on youtube.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

I just viewed your video and the older one. That is really a nice tank, well done. The fish are looking very healthy and colourful (Lemons can be so washed out in stores, many don't realize how beautiful they can be in the _right_ environment). And to see in that older video, the tetra just gently cruising around--that is exactly what characins should be doing. And your aquascape--with minimal water movement, low light and those two groups of floating plants (cabomba)--creates the perfect habitat. 

This is a relaxing tank to view. Good work indeed.

Byron.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Byron said:


> I just viewed your video and the older one. That is really a nice tank, well done. The fish are looking very healthy and colourful (Lemons can be so washed out in stores, many don't realize how beautiful they can be in the _right_ environment). And to see in that older video, the tetra just gently cruising around--that is exactly what characins should be doing. And your aquascape--with minimal water movement, low light and those two groups of floating plants (cabomba)--creates the perfect habitat.
> 
> This is a relaxing tank to view. Good work indeed.
> 
> Byron.


Thanks Byron. This tank is still a work in progress, but I think it is coming along nicely. Still waiting for the plants to grow in and I can't decide if I want to add 7 ember tetra or 2 more Lemon Tetra. I don't want the tank to be crowded, but when I went to my LFS and saw how tiny the embers are, I think I am gonna go with 7 of them to add some variety. You are right about the tank being relaxing. I often get distracted by it when I am doing my homework. I would never get anything done if I had as many tanks as you :lol:


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

I would add the Ember Tetra. They would provide a nice spot of red which would be nice with the Lemons. The Lemon shoal looks fine to me.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

It has been a while since I have been on the forums and updated you guys about my tank. I have been caught up with my final exams and a winter project in our backyard. We are putting up an ice rink in our yard this year and that has been very time consuming. However, everything is going great with the tank. All of the Lemon Tetra are still alive and I have recently added a Striped Raphael Catfish. The plants are growing like crazy now and the vals have reached the surface of the water. They have also sent out a lot of runners, which is great because I plan on upgrading to a 40b over the summer. All of the runners will help fill in the larger tank and I won't have to buy more plants. I would like to get one more kind of fish once i get the 40 gallon and I am leaning towards the rummynose tetra. I will have pictures up later, so that everyone can see the current state of my tank.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

bigfish93 said:


> It has been a while since I have been on the forums and updated you guys about my tank. I have been caught up with my final exams and a winter project in our backyard. We are putting up an ice rink in our yard this year and that has been very time consuming. However, everything is going great with the tank. All of the Lemon Tetra are still alive and I have recently added a Striped Raphael Catfish. The plants are growing like crazy now and the vals have reached the surface of the water. They have also sent out a lot of runners, which is great because I plan on upgrading to a 40b over the summer. All of the runners will help fill in the larger tank and I won't have to buy more plants. I would like to get one more kind of fish once i get the 40 gallon and I am leaning towards the rummynose tetra. I will have pictures up later, so that everyone can see the current state of my tank.


Careful on the Raphael. They attain 6 inches and will attempt to eat small fish...and at 6 inches any tetra will seem small to the Raphael.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

As some of you may have heard, this tank will be upgraded to a 40 gallon in a couple months. A new thread will be started for it and I will let you know when that happens. Anyway, here are the pictures as promised. Better late than never, right?


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

Also, remember to subscribe to my youtube channel, MrBigfish93, for video updates of my tank and a How-To series on setting up an aquarium.


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## bigfish93 (Jul 7, 2009)

I have been bitten by the saltwater bug and I am currently setting up a 40 gallon reef tank. I can only afford to keep one tank running, so this entire set up, including the fish is now for sale in the Classifides. It's a deal that can't be beat.


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## pdludbrooke (Jul 18, 2011)

You closed your you tube account ?? I wanted to ask advice as just started a new tank, I have never done this before, I hope your ok ?


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