sspitfire
08-31-2007, 1:31 AM
I'm going to pick up my 5.5, 10, and 29 tomorrow afternoon and I've been ordering stuff and picking stuff up left and right lately.
I actually ordered some cold cathode lighting to do a moonlight on my 55, and I think I got the wrong/incorrect voltage on the ac adaptor, but theyr'e too dang expensive to try again (since I already sliced and diced it beyond return). So I'm feeling ehhh about my moonlight. It is just kind of so so. If I get real close to it I can see the fish (kind of), but otherwise looking at it from my desk (10 ft maybe?) makes my head hurt. So not exactly what I wanted, but I guess could be worse.
Anyways, my plans for the three new tanks... Still not entirely sure what to do with the 5.5 so I will probably sit that one in a closet and wait till I get a super brainstorm.
However, I am doing two Lake Tang biotopes for the 10 and the 29. I did lots of research and found that for the 10 I'm doing multies, with crushed coral substrate. In the 29 I'm still not entirely sure which species, but I am doing a multi level which I have already ordered the acrylic for. The tank is 30" long, so I ordered 4 (only need two) pieces of 12"X12" sheets, along with acrylic risers that are 6" X 6" X 6". I will place one riser at each end, centered of course, and place a sheet on each. Then I will use silicon/sealant to seal the edge so the sand/substrate doesn't escape to the bottom. That will leave a 6" space between each end on the second layer to access the bottom layer. I may find myself taking out one shelf entirely due to I'm not sure what kind of filtration system I'll be able to use. But this is the plan so far. So I looked up plant species that I can get for it and ordered some vallisneria(corkscrew)- I think I have some java fern and moss coming at some point so I'll wait patiently to see if I do. I have yet to find some truly awesome rocks to do a little bit of rockwork, but I just went a bit crazy on ebay and ordered fifty gazillion shells. I figured I'll offer the little buggers the different types and they can pick which ones they want. And I ordered a small barnacle as a "centerpiece" for the 29 gal tank.
I'm thinking that I'm going to use the aquaclear filter that is coming with the 29 in my currently cycled 55, because I have two filters running in it now. One filter is meant for a 30 gal which I hung in there (internal whisper) specifically for this purpose. So I'd switch out the one in there now for the aquaclear, and put the currently cycled one in the 29 (leaving the whisper 60 that's been running in there all along plus the new aquaclear). But are those internal filters (whisper model) safe for shell dweller fry? I'm assuming yes. This means I need to cycle the 10, and I think I'm going to end up with sponge filters. So how in hades do I use some of my "gunk" in those. Wait, I forgot I already ordered those sponge filters on aquabid- actually enclosed ones with two media. I'm not sure how to "cycle" it. I guess just set the 10 up with everything in it, and swish around one of the sponges from my 55 in the water? Let it clear and add fish? The 10 is only going to have 1 male and 2-3 females anyways. (from what I read multies are colonies and in a tank that size will do well as a trio) I'm thinking of using one piece of "shelf" for this tank, to make it half two layers. It could be my "experiment" tank because the 10 is the first one that will be set up. I'm going to need plenty of airstones to make sure there is a current throughout to circulate the water.
The species I am thinking in the 29 are:
Possibly 2 upside down synodontis OR 1 bristlenose pleco (mixed research on whether they will work in this setting)
2 cyprichromis leptosoma (surface/rock dwellers- thus the rock formations)
maybe a pair of julidochromis transcriptus or ornatus (also rock)
and since I already will have multies two shell dwelling species (the shelves hopefully will allow for this...) I'm thinking lamprologus caudopunctatus or occelatus and neo brevis or similis.
I'm going to be in a frenzy setting up my tanks tomorrow.. I can't wait. Can you tell the trip I took to the aquarium really did a number on me today?
Other than not making much sense, do you see any major flaws? I expect these two tanks to take me about two weeks to just get set up, but we'll see. I'm going to have to play with buffers and salts to get the ph and hardness right because my ph is only 7.4 and hardness is LOW for cichlids. I'm hoping the crushed coral/aragonite substrate will do the trick alone, but I probably won't be that lucky.
So let's hear your plans for those new petco tanks. http://www.badmanstropicalfish.com/forum/Smileys/badmans/wink.gif Don't let me be the only crazy one.
I actually ordered some cold cathode lighting to do a moonlight on my 55, and I think I got the wrong/incorrect voltage on the ac adaptor, but theyr'e too dang expensive to try again (since I already sliced and diced it beyond return). So I'm feeling ehhh about my moonlight. It is just kind of so so. If I get real close to it I can see the fish (kind of), but otherwise looking at it from my desk (10 ft maybe?) makes my head hurt. So not exactly what I wanted, but I guess could be worse.
Anyways, my plans for the three new tanks... Still not entirely sure what to do with the 5.5 so I will probably sit that one in a closet and wait till I get a super brainstorm.
However, I am doing two Lake Tang biotopes for the 10 and the 29. I did lots of research and found that for the 10 I'm doing multies, with crushed coral substrate. In the 29 I'm still not entirely sure which species, but I am doing a multi level which I have already ordered the acrylic for. The tank is 30" long, so I ordered 4 (only need two) pieces of 12"X12" sheets, along with acrylic risers that are 6" X 6" X 6". I will place one riser at each end, centered of course, and place a sheet on each. Then I will use silicon/sealant to seal the edge so the sand/substrate doesn't escape to the bottom. That will leave a 6" space between each end on the second layer to access the bottom layer. I may find myself taking out one shelf entirely due to I'm not sure what kind of filtration system I'll be able to use. But this is the plan so far. So I looked up plant species that I can get for it and ordered some vallisneria(corkscrew)- I think I have some java fern and moss coming at some point so I'll wait patiently to see if I do. I have yet to find some truly awesome rocks to do a little bit of rockwork, but I just went a bit crazy on ebay and ordered fifty gazillion shells. I figured I'll offer the little buggers the different types and they can pick which ones they want. And I ordered a small barnacle as a "centerpiece" for the 29 gal tank.
I'm thinking that I'm going to use the aquaclear filter that is coming with the 29 in my currently cycled 55, because I have two filters running in it now. One filter is meant for a 30 gal which I hung in there (internal whisper) specifically for this purpose. So I'd switch out the one in there now for the aquaclear, and put the currently cycled one in the 29 (leaving the whisper 60 that's been running in there all along plus the new aquaclear). But are those internal filters (whisper model) safe for shell dweller fry? I'm assuming yes. This means I need to cycle the 10, and I think I'm going to end up with sponge filters. So how in hades do I use some of my "gunk" in those. Wait, I forgot I already ordered those sponge filters on aquabid- actually enclosed ones with two media. I'm not sure how to "cycle" it. I guess just set the 10 up with everything in it, and swish around one of the sponges from my 55 in the water? Let it clear and add fish? The 10 is only going to have 1 male and 2-3 females anyways. (from what I read multies are colonies and in a tank that size will do well as a trio) I'm thinking of using one piece of "shelf" for this tank, to make it half two layers. It could be my "experiment" tank because the 10 is the first one that will be set up. I'm going to need plenty of airstones to make sure there is a current throughout to circulate the water.
The species I am thinking in the 29 are:
Possibly 2 upside down synodontis OR 1 bristlenose pleco (mixed research on whether they will work in this setting)
2 cyprichromis leptosoma (surface/rock dwellers- thus the rock formations)
maybe a pair of julidochromis transcriptus or ornatus (also rock)
and since I already will have multies two shell dwelling species (the shelves hopefully will allow for this...) I'm thinking lamprologus caudopunctatus or occelatus and neo brevis or similis.
I'm going to be in a frenzy setting up my tanks tomorrow.. I can't wait. Can you tell the trip I took to the aquarium really did a number on me today?
Other than not making much sense, do you see any major flaws? I expect these two tanks to take me about two weeks to just get set up, but we'll see. I'm going to have to play with buffers and salts to get the ph and hardness right because my ph is only 7.4 and hardness is LOW for cichlids. I'm hoping the crushed coral/aragonite substrate will do the trick alone, but I probably won't be that lucky.
So let's hear your plans for those new petco tanks. http://www.badmanstropicalfish.com/forum/Smileys/badmans/wink.gif Don't let me be the only crazy one.