Hillstream tank

Thanks!Haven't been feeling well and no change to the tank so not much of a update. Just some photos and a video:










[video=youtube;u85P5jf5Cnw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u85P5jf5Cnw[/video]

I plan to add the rest of the percs. next week then the loaches 2 weeks after but don't plan to keep all the percs. My main tank is more established than my qt tanks so the percs are going to be in here until they go to their new owner(s) next month. The final stock will be:5 sewellia lineolata7 gastromyzon cteno.1 gastromyzon unknown (I'm thinking G. stellatus but not sure yet)1 pair of stiphodon perc. All fish are getting fat eating Repashy with some frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms mixed with their algae.

I added the rest of the stiphodons into the main tank until they go to their new owners. I have to move the tank soon since my parents are going to renovate part of the house. Probably move it into the shed for a few months and sell off some stock to make the move easier. Also, starting to keep killies again. My mom wants a tank of them so I hatched out some old dated eggs from my notho. group I had. Plan to keep a 10g for the group and sell the other siblings I don't need. I'll be cleaning/changing out the peat and growing the killies but my mom will feed them which will make them her fishes as I won't have time to fully care for them myself. Anyways, on to some photos of the loach/stiphodon tank:FTS (I really need to clean the back; those dots are green dot algae I'm too lazy to scrub off the front glass):




I've found that the males don't get the black/blue color in this tank. They were black/blue in the qt tank though. I wish to see the yellow color but so far, nothing. Yes, that is hair algae. It is for the stiphodons. My brother told me it is disgusting to have the hair algae in the tank but the stiphodons seem to like it.

happypoet said:

I bet they'll color-up after they adjust. They're young yet, too. Looking good! We algae-philes gotta stick together!

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Yea, I want them to turn yellow. The males bite/chase each other and the females but no breeding colors yet, even from the pair that was in the tank before this group. There's two that are pretty big compare to the others. I'll try to get a photo of them compare with the others. Almost twice the size. I'm not getting rid of the algae as I had such a hard time growing it in my old tank. It's finally taking over the tank .

fishorama said:

They look very cute, I'm sure they'll color up again too. The male looks almost like an "orange fin" to me. I kinda like hair alga & clado can be quite pretty, I almost never clean the back glass.

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I thought so too but they were that blue/black color in the qt tank when I was netting them. Not sure why they're a plain color now. Even the first pair I put in the tank a week ago went back to this plain color. Maybe they're not in breeding mode yet. I'm going to let the hair algae grow and see how much space it takes up in the tank. I do love the green color of it.


Off topic but next summer, not this coming up summer, I am going to visit Thailand if I don't get hired/accepted for the job I want (going to apply for the job my last semester before graduation). I hope to visit the Chatuchak market while visiting other sites in Thailand. Probably spend a whole day there. Really want to see a fish market, which I've never seen before, even though I won't be able to bring anything back. I might even be able to check out some loach habitats when my parents go to Laos as I won't be going with them and will have some free time.

Yes, a job sounds better. I'm not sure as the qt tank was just plain with some rocks and plants.

I think I might be going a little crazy on the hair algae as it's just growing. I think I will take some out Tuesday so it will not break my koralias if it gets tangled up. Some photos of it (the lights make it look brown/yellow in some places but most of it is green):





Of course some photos of the fishes:

male sewellia showing his 'fences'; he's the boss of the tank now as the fat gastromyzon swims away from him; gastromyzon stills picks on the others though





Then a FTS:



I love turning on the lights in the morning and have the stiphodons pop out from under rocks. They dig a lot and throw the sand everywhere. I hope the green dot algae doesn't take over the front view as it's tough to scrub off.

Update

Photos of some stock and FTS (some photos were taken a week or so ago and I don't have them anymore; just didn't have time to post them; ignore the nasty green dot algae on glass too):










Cleaned out some hair algae, moved some rocks around, added some shrimps, and sold some fish. Percs and ctenos were a pain to catch in the tank so I had to remove most of the rocks and driftwood. Plus the percs would dig and hide in the sand so I had to wait until they came out to get them. Now, there is more room for everyone and my tank is understock.
Been busy with midterms, projects, and life but I plan on fixing up my killifish tank soon. Mom has been bothering me to set one up for her. Just waiting on the fry to grow up so I can add peat and fill the tank all the way with water as it's only half.

Thanks. I took off the hair algae when I gave them some repashy food today.

I am selling most of the stock as I will be moving in winter overseas and don't want to ship any live stock during the hot summer or fall when I have to pack and take care of errands. I plan to have my brother take care of the sewellias but they will be moved into a smaller tank. I might have to sell off the whole tank if he decides to go overseas too as no one else will be able to care for them. It's just a stressing time as I have a lot of things to take care of.

I think the sewellias are breeding. The alpha male was chasing the female and now she looks skinnier so I guess I have to look more closely and pay attention if any fry pop up in the tank. Most likely, the shrimp will eat the eggs if they did breed.