40 Breeder (45 gal) South American inspired planted tank!

Love it!

Excellent start. Looking forward to see what happens when the plants have grown in and the leaf litter has aged and accumulated.

Switching up the perspective has really helped to get an impression.

I plan to add some more botanicals tomorrow: bamboo leaves, bakuli pods, wood apple pods, alder cones and almond bark.

I also plan to use rooibos tea to acheive my darker water tint.

 

alright i know i said i wouldnt do hatchetfish but honestly i like them sooo much more than pencilfish, i'll wait till my floaters grow in, and use a glass lid to cover most of the tank.

10 marbled or pygmy hatchetfish (instead of pencilfish)
15 black skirt tetras
10 sterbai corydoras
1 apistogramma agassizii
1 red lizard catfish

 

Week 2 test results

Ammonia 0.5
Nitrite 0.01
Nitrate 2ppm

 

are you going to get a different agassizii color like double red, Alenquer, fire gold etc

 

are you going to get a different agassizii color like double red, Alenquer, fire gold etc

I'll get a fire red

I'll get a fire red

Double red
Added the rooibois tea for a light tint





Last botanicals arrived! All that's left to put in this tank is the fish!

 

I just ordered some garden insect mesh and some magnets, im going to try and create a screen over the tank to stop the hatchetfish from jumping

 

Week 2 test results

Ammonia 0.5
Nitrite 0.01
Nitrate 2ppm

What's the status on hardness and pH?

Double red***

I'm not sure right now, whether you do the full RO-thing, but be careful acclimating, double red and the like are domestic strains that might not be used to actual blackwater conditions. Might need drip acclimation.

 

I haven't tested GH, but pH is 6.0, maybe a lil less, my test kit is salifert and only goes down to 6.0 on the low end.
I always drip acclimate

I haven't tested GH, but pH is 6.0, maybe a lil less, my test kit is salifert and only goes down to 6.0 on the low end.
I always drip acclimate

I haven't used rodi yet, my unit is 50 gpd and it would take too long using 5 gallon buckets to fill the tank up from 0. I used tap water to fill it up but I plan on using rodi for my water changes

 

my test kit is salifert and only goes down to 6.0 on the low end.

Get a testkit for lower pH. When you reach below the low end of the test you still get the lowest result. KH would be interesting aswell.

I haven't used rodi yet, my unit is 50 gpd and it would take too long using 5 gallon buckets to fill the tank up from 0. I used tap water to fill it up but I plan on using rodi for my water changes

I have one in the same size category. But I also have a smaller tank to fill. I have a lot of canisters from when I foolishly still had to buy distilled water, so once every two weeks I pick a day I'm mostly home and while cleaning the flat I fill up one canister after the other and have enough for two weeks worth of waterchanges. Using RO always works best with some kind of sufficiently sized storage container.

 

Get a testkit for lower pH. When you reach below the low end of the test you still get the lowest result. KH would be interesting aswell.

I have one in the same size category. But I also have a smaller tank to fill. I have a lot of canisters from when I foolishly still had to buy distilled water, so once every two weeks I pick a day I'm mostly home and while cleaning the flat I fill up one canister after the other and have enough for two weeks worth of waterchanges. Using RO always works best with some kind of sufficiently sized storage container.

I'll try to find a test kit for low range ph but I haven't found any at the fish store I work at or online. I can get a gh and kh test kit but to be honest, I don't do much testing after my tank has cycled, so I'd probably use them very sporadically. One of the reasons I left the reefing hobby was because I hated the weekly testing for essential elements. As for an RODI reservoir, can't do it at my house because it's still my parents house and they wouldn't appreciate a big tub of water sitting somewhere haha.

 

It's not that you have to test all the time. During cycling you test different things than in normal maintenance. But you definitely should know the levels you have. I only test KH and GH 3-4 times a year, a. to see if my tap has changed and b. to make sure the RO membrane still works fine. As I use almost a 100% RO for the tank I don't have to test there. Fluval has a 3-10 pH test kit, as do Sera and JBL.

My usual tests: pH - weekly, drip test, TDS/EC - weekly, TDS-meter, Nitrates - weekly, test strips (monitoring ferts). That's it. GH/KH once per quarter. Anything else only when something is wrong.

Hmm... I would still ask them. I work with 5 liter canisters. 12 of those, because I have such a small appartment, so I can spread them between bathroom and around the tank. Plus the house is over 100 years old so the floor might not hold this weight in just one spot.

 

It's not that you have to test all the time. During cycling you test different things than in normal maintenance. But you definitely should know the levels you have. I only test KH and GH 3-4 times a year, a. to see if my tap has changed and b. to make sure the RO membrane still works fine. As I use almost a 100% RO for the tank I don't have to test there. Fluval has a 3-10 pH test kit, as do Sera and JBL.

My usual tests: pH - weekly, drip test, TDS/EC - weekly, TDS-meter, Nitrates - weekly, test strips (monitoring ferts). That's it. GH/KH once per quarter. Anything else only when something is wrong.

Hmm... I would still ask them. I work with 5 liter canisters. 12 of those, because I have such a small appartment, so I can spread them between bathroom and around the tank. Plus the house is over 100 years old so the floor might not hold this weight in just one spot.

I'll try to find the fluval test kit, haven't seen one yet. I live in Canada but I'll try to find one online. And yeah I can definitely test occasionally gh and kh, I'll snag a couple of those test kits from where I work. As for the rodi reservoir, trust me it's a no from them. I definitely plan on getting one when I move out.

My parents are getting annoyed at my fish antics, I have a 45 gallon, a 1.5 gallon shrimp tank, a 20 gallon long leopard gecko tank and I'm setting up a 3 gallon single pea puffer tank in a few months. I can't bring anymore in without getting kicked out haha

 

I'll try to find the fluval test kit, haven't seen one yet. I live in Canada but I'll try to find one online. And yeah I can definitely test occasionally gh and kh, I'll snag a couple of those test kits from where I work.

Actually... for GH and KH test strips are enough to get an idea and also you should find a water analysis on your water provider's website.

As for the rodi reservoir, trust me it's a no from them. I definitely plan on getting one when I move out.

Good!

My parents are getting annoyed at my fish antics, I have a 45 gallon, a 1.5 gallon shrimp tank, a 20 gallon long leopard gecko tank and I'm setting up a 3 gallon single pea puffer tank in a few months. I can't bring anymore in without getting kicked out haha

Believe me, as someone who grew up with fish: My mum never really liked it when my dad and I came home with 600,- worth of fish straight from the Rift Lakes in Africa. I know how it is when somebody in the family isn't supportive. And now you're getting into blackwater, which I have found is something people often find quite appaling. I hope you manage to get along until you move out, I see a lot of aquaristic potential here in your setup and it would be a shame they make you quit.

 

Actually... for GH and KH test strips are enough to get an idea and also you should find a water analysis on your water provider's website.


Good!


Believe me, as someone who grew up with fish: My mum never really liked it when my dad and I came home with 600,- worth of fish straight from the Rift Lakes in Africa. I know how it is when somebody in the family isn't supportive. And now you're getting into blackwater, which I have found is something people often find quite appaling. I hope you manage to get along until you move out, I see a lot of aquaristic potential here in your setup and it would be a shame they make you quit.

Don't u worry I'm not quitting. I'm a bit of a rebel, I don't allow my parents to tell me what I can put in my bedroom, they simply have no right to tell me I can't have fish, it's my room and I spend my money on it. That being said, it is their house so I respect that and I leave the rest of the house alone, I plan on returning to university in January to become a therapist so I can move out and enjoy this hobby without any limits. I've been keeping fish on and off for over ten years (I'm 21), and I like to say that my best tank will always be the NEXT tank.

There's always more to learn so thanks again for your help!

Don't u worry I'm not quitting. I'm a bit of a rebel, I don't allow my parents to tell me what I can put in my bedroom, they simply have no right to tell me I can't have fish, it's my room and I spend my money on it. That being said, it is their house so I respect that and I leave the rest of the house alone, I plan on returning to university in January to become a therapist so I can move out and enjoy this hobby without any limits. I've been keeping fish on and off for over ten years (I'm 21), and I like to say that my best tank will always be the NEXT tank.

There's always more to learn so thanks again for your help!

my dream freshwater tank is a large 200+ gallon tank that is alos a south american biotope with piranhas, ghost knifefish, freshwater stingrays, silver arowana, oscar and whatever else is cool i can throw in there

 

I've ran Into a problem, ive realized that because my water is tinted, I can't propperly read my test results so I'm going to bring my water Into my lfs to compare my results.

For a better understanding of what I mean....
I took water out of my tank and into a test tube, but before I added the reagent, the water was still tinted from the botanicals and it looked like it read 0.5ppm ammonia BEFORE I even did the test, after I did the test the water color did not change, so I don't know if I'm at 0 ammonia or 0.5 ammonia

I will go to my lfs, have them test it, and if my parameters are good I'll add a small school (maybe 5) black skirt tetras

 

I've ran Into a problem, ive realized that because my water is tinted, I can't propperly read my test results so I'm going to bring my water Into my lfs to compare my results.

That should not be the case usually. How dark is your water right now? The average tint doesn't interfer with testing.

 

That should not be the case usually. How dark is your water right now? The average tint doesn't interfer with testing.

Its pretty tinted, and the color on the test kit is yellow so the tank water in the test tube looks like it reads ammonia before any test has actually begun

 

Try if you can still make something of it if you test.

 

Try if you can still make something of it if you test.

I did do the test and the tint was unchanged, so I'm going to my lfs right now to see what they think

I did do the test and the tint was unchanged, so I'm going to my lfs right now to see what they think

Results from lfs

Ammonia 0.5
Nitrite 1
Nitrate 5
ph 6.2

Tank is not ready yet, maybe next week

 

Ive decided to tweak the stocking one more time: I don't want a lid, so no hatchetfish, also don't think my tank is tall enough for 3 levels of fish, so no pencil fish. I also fell in love with black phantom tetras at my lfs today, so I will substitute them over the black skirt tetras.

I'm going to go with....

20 black phantom tetras
15 sterbai corys (or maybe black venezuelan cories, I'll decide later)
1 apistogramma agassizii double red
1 red lizard whiptail catfish

Ive decided to tweak the stocking one more time: I don't want a lid, so no hatchetfish, also don't think my tank is tall enough for 3 levels of fish, so no pencil fish. I also fell in love with black phantom tetras at my lfs today, so I will substitute them over the black skirt tetras.

I'm going to go with....

20 black phantom tetras
15 sterbai corys (or maybe black venezuelan cories, I'll decide later)
1 apistogramma agassizii double red
1 red lizard whiptail catfish

 

Ammonia 0.5
Nitrite 1
Nitrate 5
ph 6.2

Tank is not ready yet, maybe next week

Or the week after. In that pH it takes a while. But the fact you have NO2 already is a good sign. The bioload of botanicals is helping lots.

Little hint: Don't leave that amount of alder cones in for longer than some days. They still have the seeds in and those are an endless source for NH3/4 for quite a while.

Otherwise, I love the tint. That's a great level.

The tweaked stocking looks good to me.

 

I shook most of the seeds out of the alder cones but maybe there's more, I'll take some out

 

I shook most of the seeds out of the alder cones but maybe there's more, I'll take some out

One can still see some swelled up in the cones, yes.

I shake them in a closed container for a few minutes before I use them straight to the tank. Usually that only removes some, but not all. Can be infuriating.

 

One can still see some swelled up in the cones, yes.

I shake them in a closed container for a few minutes before I use them straight to the tank. Usually that only removes some, but not all. Can be infuriating.

Ill decide in person but so far I think the panda cories are my favorite

 

Ill decide in person but so far I think the panda cories are my favorite

Limnopilos nayanetri (Thai micro crabs) and neocaridina shrimp in my 1.5 gallon

 

Just got another tank cycing: 3 gallon pea puffer tank!

 

updated test results on 45gal

ammonia - 0
nitrite - 0.4
nitrate - 15

updated test results on 45gal

ammonia - 0
nitrite - 0.4
nitrate - 15

almost there!

 

updated test results
ammonia 0
nitrite 0.1
nitrate 4
very close to finishing up here; if tank is ready by Wednesday i will add my first school of fish!

nitrates went from 15 to 4 so it means the floaters are doing their job. tiger lotus is sending lilies to the surface every few days and floaters have doubled in population. a bit of die back on the valisneria and amazon sword but thats to be expected

 

She's cycled! will add my first school of fish on wednesday!

i'll go with whatever is in stock at my lfs, if they have panda cories and black phantom tetras i'll get a small school of each and add more later on
Also, due to changes in my life, this tank will most likely be running no longer than a year, I've decided to return to college in another province in fall 2022 and i wont be taking this tank with me. I think im going to understock it and setup a small 5 gallon at my future dorm.

new stocking plan:
20 black phantom tetras
10 panda cories

thats it, ill skip the apisto and the red lizard catfish

 

She's cycled! will add my first school of fish on wednesday!

i'll go with whatever is in stock at my lfs, if they have panda cories and black phantom tetras i'll get a small school of each and add more later on
Also, due to changes in my life, this tank will most likely be running no longer than a year, I've decided to return to college in another province in fall 2022 and i wont be taking this tank with me. I think im going to understock it and setup a small 5 gallon at my future dorm.

new stocking plan:
20 black phantom tetras
10 panda cories

thats it, ill skip the apisto and the red lizard catfish

Because this tank will only be up for a year, I decided to go with black skirt tetras, the only reason I didn't pick them from the beginning is because they pale as they age

 

update:

the tank is doing very well, nitrates are testing low, plants are growing in (even the jungle val) and the black skirt tetras are already spawning!

I'm going to be very sad when i have to tear this tank down in about a year