CapeKates tank photos and a hello!

Hello everyone! Just wanted to introduce myself to the forum. I am addicted to this new hobby of mine. I can spend hours just watching the fish swim. I am very careful to take the best care I can of the fish and water conditions. I have found this forum to be the most useful tool I can possible have to ensure that I'm doing the right thing by the fish I choose for the tank. I have added three photos of my tank and fish and hope that they come out right. I have seen such beautiful tanks here, that make mine seem washed out. But I wanted to go natural in the look. I would like to add a cave of some sort for the cory fish to come, and hope that the plentitude of silk plants will work for now. I have six platys, three of which are the sunburst and three that are red wag tail. One of my platies came home from the LFS pregnant and had fry that didnt last long. Not that I wanted to breed them. but it was a shame tho. I also have 2 dwarf gourami's that are very peaceful fish. I have a 29 gal  tank, with a aqua clear 50; a 150 watt heater, and a wand air bubble. natural gravel and the silk and a few plastic plants. And assorted beach glass that I brought back from Nova Scotia. ( boiled first before I put them in the tank). Today I will be going to the LFS to add a a corydosa and two dalmation mollies. I would also like to add an angelfish but will wait a few weeks more. My PH is about a 6.4; Alkalinity is around 0+; nitrite 0.5 and nitrate about 15 or alittle less(by the color).. I will be getting a master tester asap. The tank is almost one month old...its a 18 inch tall size by 30 inches long and 12 wide. I'm wondering if the aquaclear filter which is a waterfall type is adaquate for the tank? and wondering if a biowheel is a better filter? Anyway.. thank you all for sharing your experiances, and wisdom and advice here on the board, it is so very much appreciated! 
I have moved the photos to the right folder, under freshwater fish and Members fish & tank photos. If anyone would like to see them ;D
~ capekate (aka Kate)

 

That tank really looks nicely done. Beautiful platys - one of my favorite fish. It's too bad the fry that you found didn't last long, we have just 12 that made it from the 3 batches our little pregnant platy dropped.

Right now you're using 18" of your tank and the fish you're picking up will add 8" for the mollys and 2.5" for the 1 cory (2-3 is recommended of them) so your tank's bioload would be maxed out & an angelfish (6") would overload it.

 

Hello FLbettacouple
Yesterday we came home with one male betta, a very small silver tipped shark cat, and two dalmation mollies. So now in the tank are the two dwarf gourami, and five platy,two mollies, one shark and the betta. They didnt have any corycats. the shark is the smallest thing in the tank at barely 1.5" long. I did a water test and everything seems fine. and they are all getting along well. Only the dwarf gourami and the betta are very curious of each other. but no fights as of yet. The silver tip is in the bubble wand at the surface playing with the bubbles and that seems to be all it wants to do. I know that one will get bigger, but as they grow I will move what needs to be, to another tank set up. Even if the betta needs his own ten gal tank, I have the set up ready to go. But so far they are getting along fine. Or maybe the two gouramis can go to the ten gal tank if need be. I am willing to do more water changes as needed and right now I am changing water and cleanning(vacumn) the gravel every five days. So will see how they do in the future. Thank you for letting me know that they may be over crowded if I get the angel fish. Right now I am putting that on hold as what I have are all very nice as it is. And the idea of another tank set up for just angels are not beyond my thoughts...I have plenty of time to give to the care of these fish and water conditions.
have a great day! ~ kate

 

You've got a good case of MTS.. we enjoy that affliction ourselves and a future tank for angels is something we'd like also - such beautiful cichlids, even more than the purple africans. I hope your Betta does get along with his buddies & them with him.. have you named him? Got pics of the new fish posted? - those are all beautiful fish. Best of luck with your tanks.

 

hmmmmm MTS??? I'm just learning the abbreviations here. Would that possibly mean.. Mutiple Tank Syndrome? lol...
I will post some photos that I took yesterday of the fish. Also I have a video that I took but will have to see if its not too large a file to add to a post??
I just Looove this forum!!! ;D

 

Yea, you'll find MTS runs rampant here with no cure in sight.

The best way to post videos here is to upload them to either youtube or google video, then put the link here in your post.

 

Hello CapeKate!
I'm just wondering how your betta is doing with the fish, I have a 10 gallon housing my betta and would like to get him a couple dwarf gouramis or some platies, so I was just wondering how your betta reacts with your fish, and which do YOU think would make a suitable tank mate for betta, he is not very aggresive, so I'm not so much worried about him but more about the other fish, he just recently had his tail nipped by 3 cherry barbs so they had to move out!
Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks!

 

Hello CapeKate!
I'm just wondering how your betta is doing with the fish, I have a 10 gallon housing my betta and would like to get him a couple dwarf gouramis or some platies, so I was just wondering how your betta reacts with your fish, and which do YOU think would make a suitable tank mate for betta, he is not very aggresive, so I'm not so much worried about him but more about the other fish, he just recently had his tail nipped by 3 cherry barbs so they had to move out!
Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks!

Hello trishjc~
Well.. Ive moved my betta to the ten gal tank as well. he was relentless in the pursuit of aggravating the male dwarf gourami. Tho it didnt come to blows, the betta would puff up and get into the gouramis space continually. For the sake of the gourami, I seperated the betta from the community tank. I can tell you however, the betta did not have any interest in the platys or the dalmation mollies. So I didnt see any problems with that arrangement. And I will most likely bring a few of the platys to the 10 gallon when it is time. I also am curious about maybe re introducing the betta back into the 29 gallon tank to see if he will not bother the female dwarf gourami. He didnt pay her any attention before, he was just after the male only. Who knows? Maybe with the male gourami gone, it can go two ways.. either he will now go after her or leave her alone. I'm not sure if it would be a good idea to keep moving the betta back and forth to find out. And so I haven't attempted that move as of yet. Oh BTW, the male dwarf gourami died after I accidently syphoned him up the vacumn tube two days ago. He was ok but the next morning he was dead. Anyway I hope I was able to help you with your question!