55g Dragon Scape

Sams 55 gallon Dragon scape

HI guys! Ive been away for a while but I just moved house and re set up my 55 gallon (56.1g!) with its brand new tank stand that I built by hand. I see some of the regulars from when I used to come on such as bizaliz3 , Coradee and BottomDweller are still about! Here's a couple photos to start with:






The tank is a hand built 36" x 15" x 24" tall tank, on a new stand I just built myself. I run a fluval 306 filter reset with my own media setup, and a powerhead to aid circulation and cleanliness. My stocking is:

1 x Anglefish "Spock"
6 x Albino Corydoras C.Aeneus
6 x Otocinclus
3 x Cherry Barbs (1 Male 2 female, ive had them a long time and lost some)
6 x Rummy nose tetra
1 x Cardinal tetra (Rescued from my brothers abismal tank)
Countless Amano shrimp
2 x Nerite Snails

They are fed a mixture of dried and frozen foods such as blood worm, daphnia and fluval bug bites with the occasional live treat!

My planting includes Echinodorus Osiris (Melon Swords x2), Various Crypts such as Cryptocoryne beckettiI 'Petchii' and Wendtii, Marimo moss, Anubias nana petite, Hygrophilla Polysperma and java moss. The planting is only a week or two old using some plants from the old scape and some new, so not all have grown visible just yet. The hardscape is entirely spiderwood and Dragon stone that I broke apart and shaped myself.

Heres some closer s of the fish and planting:







So my questions / Discussions:

- Do you think I am under / over stocked? I would like to fill out some of the fish schools but don't want to over do it considering its a large capacity but small footprint tank

- What do you think of my setup/stand/scape? Any changes or opinions?

- Spock (My angelfish) is not bullied or really bothered by a single other fish in that tank. But she literally spends 80% of her time by the filter. The water parameters are pristine as I always keep them, and the temperature is at a constant which is backed up by high water flow within the aquarium. what could it be?

I look forward to any discussion on my questions and also just chat about my aquarium! I have many other small QT and Breeding tanks but this is my pride and joy

- Samuel [/SPOILER]

 

Welcome back!

Do you want cherry barbs, rummynose and cardinals or just one school?

I love your scape but I feel you could add some more spiderwood to fill it out some more. The top portion looks a little empty to me

 

Welcome back!

Do you want cherry barbs, rummynose and cardinals or just one school?

I love your scape but I feel you could add some more spiderwood to fill it out some more. The top portion looks a little empty to me

I would love to fill out the school of both the barbs and the cardinals if I have the space. I thought about adding another spiderwood, but the space in the soil there is actually very limited due to heavy heavy planting of the swords, polysperma and various crypts. I think the plant growth when they start to shoot up might fill the gap.

 

I would love to fill out the school of both the barbs and the cardinals if I have the space. I thought about adding another spiderwood, but the space in the soil there is actually very limited due to heavy heavy planting of the swords, polysperma and various crypts. I think the plant growth when they start to shoot up might fill the gap.

Personally, I wouldn't do 3 schools in a tank that size but I don't think it would be overstocking necessarily, just very busy.

I agree, I think the plants will fill it out. It just might take a little while lol

 

Nice looking tank!

 

I like the overall design, it's very neat.
But I don't see what you call "heavy planting" there is so much empty canvas at the top and sides that you can work with.

 

Personally, I wouldn't do 3 schools in a tank that size but I don't think it would be overstocking necessarily, just very busy.

I agree, I think the plants will fill it out. It just might take a little while lol

Hmm ok. They do have plenty of spcae upwards if they would only use it instead of haording together at the bottom!! Yes the crypts might take a while without co2, but holefully the polysperma will settle in soon and rocket up!

I like the overall design, it's very neat.
But I don't see what you call "heavy planting" there is so much empty canvas at the top and sides that you can work with.

All of the area with plant soil (held in by the rocks, 2.5 inches deep) is filled to the brI'm mostly with crypts that I cut back to avoid melt, they will hopefully pop up and fill in the gaps around the spiderwood. The side gaps are intentional for aesthetics and to give Spock some space to swim when she gets big, but I don't really know what I can do to adress upwards as 24" is a long long way!

Nice looking tank!

Thankyou D

 

Nice

 

Nice

Very detailed xD

 

Is your powerhead or filter blowing the sand out of the bare spot in the front? May need to be adjusted? Or put something in the way to break up the flow in that spot some?

Looks good so far, I love dragonstone and have picked up a bunch, likely to use in a 20 long. Once my 10 gallon shrimp tank is running well I will turn my attention to that. I'm sure will look great when everything fills in. Only thing I noticed is that it looks like the hygro is planted toward the front of the "island" Are you going to try and keep it trimmed and bushy? or let it grow tall? Is it just that one plant in the front center? it could end up blocking a decent amount of whatever is behind it depending on how you let it grow.

 

Is your powerhead or filter blowing the sand out of the bare spot in the front? May need to be adjusted? Or put something in the way to break up the flow in that spot some?

Looks good so far, I love dragonstone and have picked up a bunch, likely to use in a 20 long. Once my 10 gallon shrimp tank is running well I will turn my attention to that. I'm sure will look great when everything fills in. Only thing I noticed is that it looks like the hygro is planted toward the front of the "island" Are you going to try and keep it trimmed and bushy? or let it grow tall? Is it just that one plant in the front center? it could end up blocking a decent amount of whatever is behind it depending on how you let it grow.

Yes the powerhead is doing that, I adjust it every now and again but it eventually hollows out a new piece of sand because I like it close to blow away the detritus. There is a few hygro about that yes I plan to be trimmed fairly bushy, but msotly they are there to soak up nutrients and prevent algae before the crypts really settle in around that area to really filly it out niceley.

I Love dragon stone so much, Always unique shapes such as 'pride rock' on the right hand side of the island and also all the little crevices for planting and shrimp to hid and breed in

 

Looks nice!
I would fill out the schools (especially cories) and add some floating plants such as water lettuce. The top half of the tank looks a little empty, most do, but floating plants help with that.

 

Very detailed xD

Very nice and slick

Looks nice!
I would fill out the schools (especially cories) and add some floating plants such as water lettuce. The top half of the tank looks a little empty, most do, but floating plants help with that.

Personally I’m not a fan of tanks with floating plants

 

Looks nice!
I would fill out the schools (especially cories) and add some floating plants such as water lettuce. The top half of the tank looks a little empty, most do, but floating plants help with that.

Oooo I would love it if I had space to fill out both my cories and tetras, do you really think I have enough space? Good to see you again I tried water lettuce but the flow was too much for them and if it wasn’t they might stifle my swords I thought of vallisnera gigantea but again worry it might stifle my other plants

DoubleDutch do you think it’s wnough space for more cories?

 

I personally don't think you would have any issues adding a few more cories and rummys, since cories stick to the sand which there is plenty of it not planted, and rummys will stay mid tank.

Do you think you will plant anywhere other than the "island? Reason I ask, is although island tanks can be stunning with you island in the middle of the tank, you are going to have empty space on either side showing some mechanical's, and background. I don't think you are going to have issues with swimming space, especially if you are really only planting the back portion of the tank with smaller-ish plants. I tried something similar with my 40 gallon, I had a sand area and planted area with rocks surrounding the planted area to split it up. I ended up expanding my planted area by removing some rocks as my cories were not just staying in the sand like I had thought they might.

 

Oooo I would love it if I had space to fill out both my cories and tetras, do you really think I have enough space? Good to see you again I tried water lettuce but the flow was too much for them and if it wasn’t they might stifle my swords I thought of vallisnera gigantea but again worry it might stifle my other plants

DoubleDutch do you think it’s wnough space for more cories?

Nice to see you again too!

I would do something like this
1 angel
12 aeneus cories (bronze or albinos)
6-8 otos
8 cherry barbs (if you want to keep the school going?)
10 rummynose tetras
10 cardinal tetras (if you want a school of these?)
Amano shrimp
2 nerites

 

Agree only don't like the idea of 1 angel.

 

Nice to see you again too!

I would do something like this
1 angel
12 aeneus cories (bronze or albinos)
6-8 otos
8 cherry barbs (if you want to keep the school going?)
10 rummynose tetras
10 cardinal tetras (if you want a school of these?)
Amano shrimp
2 nerites

Wowow that's so much more fish than I thought I could have, excite! IU will slowly build up to this stocking I love it!

Agree only don't like the idea of 1 angel.

How so? I thought it was better to keep one than get two and have them fight. Spock can be shy and skittish and i'd maybe worry if she had an aggressive male.

I personally don't think you would have any issues adding a few more cories and rummys, since cories stick to the sand which there is plenty of it not planted, and rummys will stay mid tank.

Do you think you will plant anywhere other than the "island? Reason I ask, is although island tanks can be stunning with you island in the middle of the tank, you are going to have empty space on either side showing some mechanical's, and background. I don't think you are going to have issues with swimming space, especially if you are really only planting the back portion of the tank with smaller-ish plants. I tried something similar with my 40 gallon, I had a sand area and planted area with rocks surrounding the planted area to split it up. I ended up expanding my planted area by removing some rocks as my cories were not just staying in the sand like I had thought they might.

I have only planted it in the last few weeks and am hoping it will grow in a fair bit to fill out the space more than it does currently. The sand around the edge is quite thin as I had problems with aenerobic areas when I had deep sand last time. My cories are in the sandy areas 90% of the time, the planted area is basically Amano-Zone haha!

 

I don't like to recommend more than one angel. Often they don't get along. If they do get along they may become aggressive towards the other fish.

 

I don't like to recommend more than one angel. Often they don't get along. If they do get along they may become aggressive towards the other fish.

That was my thinking too. I think ill start off beefing out other fish groups before I think about an angel