My 36 Gallon Bowfront Planted Tank

HI Everyone!

Ive been posting here for a couple months now and I wanted to share my setup with you. I'm still in a fishless cycle, 38 days in, and I believe I am done adding plants and rocks and whatever to my tank. I kinda went crazy with the pictures so I have a bunch for you so here goes....

more....

first round of pics is the full setup. The stand I built myself with 2x4s and the 20 gallon tank on the floor next to it is a water change prep tank that I set up tonight(Thanks go to Nutter and Aquarist48 for the idea). Also a couple full front shots and the left side shot.

the next post is the right side shot and a few close ups of different sections

 

Awesome! It looks really good! I lOVE those rocks, and all the pretty plants. A nice black/brown/someothercolor background would really complete it

What do you plan on stocking in it?

 

Thanks rae64!!

I have definitely been thinking about a background for it.

I don't have a finished stock list yet but my best idea so far is

2-3 rainbow cichlids

7-10 of either Snakeskin Barbs or Cardinal Tetras

1-2 Gouramis

3-4 YoYo Loach

but I'm still researching and getting new ideas from members here

 

That's a very nice looking tank !!!

 

nice! with dwarf gourami I think they have to be with either 1 or at least 5 due to their social order but any others need a 1:2 male to female ratio good luck!

 

thanks Boris and Fishfriend!

With the gouramis I was thinkin 1 Honey and 1 Pearl or maybe 1 three spot but I need to do more gourami research

 

I would avoid the 3 spot and go with the honey and pearl. Honeys are a surefire awesome and peaceful fish, and from what I've heard, so are pearls. Females of both would be the safest, but I don't think you would have problems with them. Avoid the 3 spot, I had one that was a terrible devil and I had to donate it to a LFS due to harassment.

 

Nice set up. Those rocks do look cool

 

Beautiful tank

 

Thanks Mr.Fishy and Tyspot! and Great advice Cgassaway, I was already leaning more towards the Honey and Pearl and that helps alot. Although my lfs has some really nice big snakeskin gouramis and I like those a lot too.

 

Good morning,

You've done a great job Dogfishead! Beautiful tank.

I'll be looking forward to your updates.

Ken

 

Thanks Aquarist!

 

That looks great. =D

 

Thank you Konstargirl

Went to my LFS today and picked out a background. Its kinda hard to see in the pic but what do you think?

 

I like

Your tank is coming out gourgeous

 

Looks great. The background really gives the tank depth.

 

great background, it really emphasizes the colors!

 

Good morning,

I think the background looks very natural! Nice job

Ken

 

Looks awesome! Great job!

On those gouramis, I would just pick 1. I am not sure if you were considering putting two together, but even with the gentle honey, I wouldn't try it. Especially since they will be in the same space most of the time.

If you wanted to go 3 honeys, that might work. But the pearl... I think he would do best by himself. Those snakeskins are beautiful too.... but they get pretty big, like 8 inches. Not sure if 36 gal is big enough.

 

thanks all, I was worried a background would make it look too busy but I'm glad I found a good one. And thanks for the advice Rae, will definitely keep that in mind.

 

So ive been getting 0 Nitrites for awhile now and my ammonia goes down pretty consistently and my nitrates are still off the chart so I decided to get things ready to add a couple fish.

I spent 2 days doing water changes before I got my nitrates down to about 20 ppm. Turns out my tap water tests for about 5 ppm nitrates so maybe that was slowing things down. Its amazing the difference clear water makes to the overall effect of the tank. Everything looks so much better.

I went to my best LFS the other night, after I got the water right. I picked up one 2.5" Pearl Gourami and one 1.25" Red Fire Dwarf Gourami(couldnt help myself Rae). The first dwarf gourami I picked out was in a tank with a school of Rummy Nose Tetras and after the guy pulled it out he stopped and told me all the Tetras in there had Ich. I was a little surprised but happy he decided to tell me that so we put that one back and got one from another tank. Overall the conditions in most of their tanks are pretty good but some do have the random dead fish or apparently schools of fish with ich.

When I got them home I got them acclimated in a couple hours and now they seem to be doing well. I don't see much of either of them from the front of the tank. They spend all their time hiding in the plants. I have fed them a few times with some tetra flakes but I haven't seen either of them go for them. The DG seems to be nibbling at some of the plants but that's all ive noticed. Hopefully this is just them getting used to the tank.

Ill get some pics up as soon as they come out of hiding, but ill post some new clear tank pics later today

Ok a few new pics.... one full tank shot with all newly changed water, no more orange tint although I'm starting to get some brown stuff growin on the rocks.

And 2 shots of the Red Fire DG, hes still mostly hiding but comes out a lot more than the Pearl who just runs away when I get close

 

Beautiful tank

The brown stuff on the rocks is probably diatoms (brown algae)

 

That red gourami sure is great looking, I'm not sure the 2 gouramis will get along too well though.

 

Thanks Tyspot and Walkey, ive read that the diatoms usually just go away by themselves is that usually the case?

And Ill be keepin my eye on those gouramis, so far they haven't bothered each other at all but its probly way too soon to tell anyway. I'm hoping that since I have 2 separate corners of floating plants that maybe each gourami will choose a corner and be happy

 

Yes they usually go away on their own. There are other methods, but scrubbing it off is the best way to go. And yes hopefully those gouramis will take those 2 territories and that would be the end of it

 

The red dwarf looks like a reddish honey gourami to me.
Both the pearl and honey gourami are peaceful gouarmi

 

I still would be extrememly careful, I doubt that they will get along for long. Once that pearl gains his confidence, everything will be his. EVERYTHING. Trust me, nobody messes with my pearl. And I don't think he would tolerate another gourami in his space, ever. Keep a close eye on them. Hopefully you will get lucky.

 

Awesome! What is the name of these plants with the big leafs?
Thanks

 

Awesome! What is the name of these plants with the big leafs?
Thanks

Thanks Sig, those are Banana Plants and mine keep sending stems up to the top of my tank. I have one now that is about 30 inches long with a big leaf on the end floating at the top

 

backround blends in well with the overall theme of the tank.

 

Love it!!! I should hire you to decorate my tanks!

 

Went out today and picked up some new friends for my Gouramis. 3 Kamaka Rainbows. They are acclimated and seem very happy in their new home. I was able to shoot a little video of them, enjoy! and thanks Crazyboutfish and v369 its my first tank glad you like it!

 

Congrats on the Rainbow!

keep us updated

 

The red dwarf looks like a reddish honey gourami to me.
Both the pearl and honey gourami are peaceful gouarmi

Ty, I'm pretty sure your right I did some research and it looks exactly like a honey gourami and not a red DG. Which means my LFS has a few tanks of Honey Gouramis labeled as Red Fire Gourami. And also means I'm happy because I had really wanted a Honey and not a DG!

Thanks for the catch

 

I like it a lot. The rocks and plants really make it look lush and full. be lots of places the fish can hide and peek out of. Nice job!

 

Thanks Leftyizme.

Everybody seems pretty comfortable now. The Pearl is swimming around a lot more when I'm there. And the Rainbows just don't stop moving almost at all.

I'm a little worried about the honey gourami though. I never see him goin after food with the others and he(or she) mostly swims around alone against one side of the tank. Also the honeys color has darkened to a blackish area around the top of the head. Is that a sign of anything bad? Ill try and get a video or some pictures of it later

 

Hiding constantly is generally a sign of stress. It could be that since the pearl gourami has decided that the tank is safe and ventures out more, the honey is playing it safe and staying hidden. He may come out when the pearl is asleep and scrounge for food.

Are you going to be getting more rainbows? They really need to be in groups of five or more.

 

Thanks for the response Bassbonediva,

Yes I am planning on getting probably 3 more rainbows either tomorrow or wednesday, I'm just trying to make sure my test readings stay consistent as I add more fish. Ill keep an eye on the honey, hopefully its all just because the other fish are so active that its taking a bit to adjust.

So I went to my LFS today to get 3 more Rainbows and maybe a few Amano Shrimp. What I came home with was 3 more Kamaka Rainbows, 3 Amano Shrimp and 3 Kribs! I have been trying to decide between Kribs, Rainbow Cichlids or L.Curviceps and when I saw the new baby Kribs at my LFS that decided it for me.

Here is a new video!

 

Congrats

 

I still would be extrememly careful, I doubt that they will get along for long. Once that pearl gains his confidence, everything will be his. EVERYTHING. Trust me, nobody messes with my pearl. And I don't think he would tolerate another gourami in his space, ever. Keep a close eye on them. Hopefully you will get lucky.

I'm starting to see what you mean about the Pearl. Not really with the Honey Gourami because it stays away. My Pearl, still not sure the gender, sometimes is chasing away my Rainbows when they come into a certain area of the tank. May be a problem if it gets any worse but so far its not happening all the time.

and thanks Ty, everything is coming together great. I'm really happy with the tank.