Marc

My Tanks

My oldest running tank is my 55 gallon freshwater setup.

• 1 betta
• 8 or so assorted Corydoras
• 2 Flying Foxes
• 3 Pearl Gourami
• 6 Buffei Cats
• 2 Bala Sharks
• 6 Rummynose Tetras
• 5 Angelfish
• 5 assorted Rainbowfish
• 3 Yellow Panchax

I'm well aware of how over-stocked it is and take care of it accordingly - I'm running 4 filters (2 small ones I can transfer to a tank in case of isolation/acclimation/breeding, a sponge filter, and a VERY big aquaclear), have it crammed full of plants, and do alot of water changes. There is never any ammonia, nitrites, or even nitrates, and the pH is just below neutral. Definitely my most useful tank.

My "show" tank, so to speak, is my african cichlid setup.

• 13 assorted mbuna
• 3 Jewel Cichlids
• 2 Lace Synodontis
• 1 Bristlenose Pleco

If my camera was working, I'd definitely post a picture. I have made as many caves as can fit into a 33gallon 'long' tank, with real coral skeletons dotting the tops of the rocks. A few java ferns for some green, and voila!... you have my tank.

For the moment, I'll just list what my other tanks are..
15 gallon HEAVILY planted - 3 Sewellia Lineolata, Badis Badis, Corydoras Pygmaeus
20g long - Firebelly Toads
5g - Krib "grow out" tank. The little guy I've got in there was too aggressive for my community tanks but not big enough for my African setup, so he's got his own little tank.
5g - Mystery fry. I'll post more about these guys in my new Fishlore blog.

atmmachine816

Cool, but what happened to your brackish tanks?

Marc

My Neovespicula Depressifrons were slowly wasting away and I lost them a while back. They were the real reason I had even made the brackish setup. After that, I decided I'd rather go with a more heavily planted tank and built a custom hood for it.

atmmachine816

O ok, you running co2 or dosing any ferts? did you end up buidling the hood?

Marc

I was running a DIY CO2 (water bottle w/ yeast and sugar) for a while but when I got my Sewellia Lineolata I stopped, since they need more oxygenated water. And yes, I did build the hood. Very simple - just the metal from a broken 48" light cut in half for 2 24" bulbs and a single ballast screwed into the top which is hinged on. I've been forgetting for months to get a 120mm computer fan for the back to cool off the lights and tank.

atmmachine816

O ok. You know what I always thought would be cool is try the DI natural method I think it's called when you put the tank by a window and put in soil. Always thought it was interesting.

Marc

....and I've got two more tanks up. I had these up ~8 months ago, but tried downsizing as much as I could and successfully brought it down to 4 tanks. It didn't last long.

Put some "Banded Killifish" Fundulus diaphanus and some albino (?) halfbeaks, probably Nomorhamphus ebrardti into the 15 gallon planted.

Got a small (chicken nugget sized!) sunfish in a 10g. Definitely a Lepomis sp., possibly Lepomis gibbosus. I doubt it'll get larger than 8 inches since the adults in the pond I got it from were only 7" at the most, and aquarium fish seldom get larger than their wild counterparts, but I have several people who already want it for their ponds if it outgrows my tank


Got a red-spotted newt Notophthalmus viridescens in a plastic 2 gallon tank with 2 1/2" of water and a big rock in case it wants to get on land. Currently figuring out if there's anywhere else it can go since the firebellies would probably eat it.