Sunlight’s other tank journal (20g version)

[Sunlight]

The sword was originally in my 10g ages ago, but it outgrew so I moved it to the 20 (it was my aunt’s at the time). It’s been in the 20 ever sense and honestly hasn’t grown much. But it’s likely that now that it’s actually being taken care of, it’ll start growing like a weed. I really like the emerged idea, as I have like 30+ house plants. My dorm looks like a jungle. How would you suggest going about switching it? I hear all the time about going from emerged to emersed, but never the other way around.

 

[dougall]

Mist nursery plants are grown emersed . So a lot you get from the store were originally grown emersed.

And if you keep a sword and prune the leaves to make it appear small, just remember the roots will continue to grow unless you prune them too.

 

[the loach]

When you convert it to grow emersed, the leaves that were grown submerged will die off depending on the humidity. But it will grow new leaves as the root system is still alive.

 

[fishorama]

I like the new tank! If you decide to try the sword emersed its roots will need to be wet all the time, don't let it dry out. I use a deep (2-3inch) plastic dish as a saucer for my outdoor pitcher plant. As for keeping it outdoors, it depends on where you live. I keep a tropical lily outside in my climate, we get night frost but no hard, long freeze. It has spread but no flowers yet You can trim some of the long roots when you pot it but like tl said you'll gradually lose the old leaves.

With your fish I'd go with kuhlis (at least 6, better 8, I prefer the striped) OR corys 6-7 "regular size" or 10-12 dwarf. I think your fish will either try to eat shrimp or force them to hide all the time. I added some to a heavily planted 55g tank with leopard danios (color form of zebras) & I've never seen them again...

 

[Sunlight]

I like the new tank! If you decide to try the sword emersed its roots will need to be wet all the time, don't let it dry out. I use a deep (2-3inch) plastic dish as a saucer for my outdoor pitcher plant. As for keeping it outdoors, it depends on where you live. I keep a tropical lily outside in my climate, we get night frost but no hard, long freeze. It has spread but no flowers yet You can trim some of the long roots when you pot it but like tl said you'll gradually lose the old leaves.

With your fish I'd go with kuhlis (at least 6, better 8, I prefer the striped) OR corys 6-7 "regular size" or 10-12 dwarf. I think your fish will either try to eat shrimp or force them to hide all the time. I added some to a heavily planted 55g tank with leopard danios (color form of zebras) & I've never seen them again...

I think that’s my sign to go with khulis! I’ve wanted them for so long! They’re such fun looking fishies.

 

[Sunlight]

Quick update, the guppies uprooted a few of the plants. Lol. I’ll replant them tomorrow. My dad and I also modified the lid to be able to fit the light that I had on my terrarium jar, since all that was on the lid was stock lights and the plants wouldn’t have done well with them. The goal is to make a lid similar to the one on my 10 and get a better light, as this one is too bright/purple toned.

 

[the loach]

Kuhli's are very interesting fishes but chances are you won't see much of them. There are a lot of different species, but only a few of those are farmed now and readily available in the trade. In the late 70's they were still wild caught, I had a bunch some of those had more interesting patterns as what you have now (like giraffe spots if that makes sense) and my favorite was a red/black striped one that unfortunately I never saw again anywhere. I have an old book that even has a picture of a blue one, don't know if that is a real thing or like a printing/lighting artefact as I don't recall that even being mentioned in a species? Anyway tank looks really nice ! I like the dead leaves on the bottom, you can put more of that in kuhlis will love to rummage between those leaves.

 

[fishorama]

I love loaches! But corys are nice too...you can't do both (sniff)...next tank This getting to be "loach season" (our winter), so if you don't see a pangio (kuhli) species you want (get all the same species if at ALL possible), ask your lfs if they can get them. I'm old & pushy, I ask to see their order list, lol. Striped pangios can be semicincta, kuhli, (giant) Meyers or a few less common others. Black are usually oblonga or angularis (sometimes called "cinnamon")...

The reason I like striped pangios is my semicincta were very mellow & people friendly, I had them for years. My oblongas were hyper & more shy but I only had them for a year or 2, with semis...they never calmed down!

tl, I saw my semicintas all the time, my oblongas too, in a more hyper way...I guess it depends on how you keep them. I could reach into my semi tank & the 2 that hung out in the floating plants never moved...until I touched them to make sure they were ok...I did that a few times, lol, we were all surprised!

 

[Sunlight]

thank you guys for your khuli suggestions!! I think that’s for sure what I’m going with. I don’t mind if they’re shy, that could be a potential fun adventure trying to get them to be more outgoing. Any tips for that?

and for sure cories are for the next tank! I’d love to get pygmies one day

 

[the loach]

Lots of plants, caves, wood and leaves on the bottom will help them to be more outgoing, as well as keeping them in a group.