Post-Apocalyptic Tank Build

Then plan c sounds the best to me. What are the two big plants?

Some of the Aponogeton... Like I said, I ordered three varieties, 1 plant of one, and 2 plants of the other two. The 1 plant is what it’s supposed to be, but the other four are all the same and not what either was supposed to be lol
Still a cool plant tho and it wasn’t super expensive so I’m not mad

 

Then, depending on how you have them planted in the quarantine, maybe you could take them out, scape, and then put the big plants back in, so you can still find what looks good, and the fish will be happy. This would be easier if you have them potted or bare rooted though.

 

Then, depending on how you have them planted in the quarantine, maybe you could take them out, scape, and then put the big plants back in, so you can still find what looks good, and the fish will be happy. This would be easier if you have them potted or bare rooted though.

Oo that’s a good idea, I’ll do that. Also, they’ve got bulbs so right now they’re just kinda chilling on top of the gravel in the quarantine, so it’s super easy for me to take them out. Thanks!

 

You’re welcome. We just need pictures before you take the plants out

 

You’re welcome. We just need pictures before you take the plants out

Will do! I should be going the the LFS soon... plan on getting one more albino and one more kuhlI as well as the soil and sand. And if they have bronze corys I might get three of those too, but they don’t usually. Those can go right in tank, my LFS has a good quarantine procedure

 

So... I went, and I was waiting for someone to help with the fish (seeing as one can’t get out themselves)... but they kept helping like everyone but me. After like 40 minutes of waiting I just went home I’ll try again tomorrow lol

 

Sooo forgot they were closed on Sundays - this is a whole mess I apologize

But I did go digging through our scrap metal pile and found some options:
1. These metal ribbons are exactly what I imagined, I think I’m definitely going to use these - stick them into the substrate and stuff so it looks like they fell in from crumbling buildings



2. My boyfriend (who was helping me look) was enamored with this metal star, I could cut it off to use



3. I could cut out either a section of the fence (rectangular one) or a section of the coil of whatever that is. Or I could do both



4. Another of my boyfriend’s ideas... I could cut out a section around this opening, then remove every other of the protrusions, so that I’d look like a toxic symbol. This was something I originally wanted to steer clear of for fear it would look tacky, but if it was actual metal and just a vague symbol, it may be more subtle than otherwise, so I’m willing to consider this...though it doesn’t quite fit the “story” I’m going for



5. There’s a couple metal sheets I could break a large flake off of, and it’s just be an uneven metal wall of sorts in the tank. I forgot to get a pic of these

What do you guys think I should use/try? I can always prep more, then decide, but it’d be a lot of work to do so in some cases, hence why I ask for opinions first lol

 

Stopped by my LFS again today and picked up one more KuhlI (4 total), and one more albino Cory (3 total). That was supposed to be it, but I realized the green cories they had were not, in fact, emerald cories like I had assumed, but actually a green variant of the bronze Cory (or possibly just another name for them, I’m not sure) - but they’re the same species as the albinos! They’re pretty cool (and cheaper than the long finned bronze ones) so I picked up three of them too (6 cories total now!)




(please excuse the cloudy water, I had just stirred stuff up)

I also picked up some dirt and sand, I’ll put those in this weekend

 

I've been thinking about this concept of a tank and I love it. Personally I'd make it a little more cartoonish, add a miniature nuclear bomb like a minI version of fat man or little boy, add an air stone so bubbles come out the back. Arrive the perimeter put bright green gravel to represent nuclear fallout.

Then scatter ruins and waste around the tank, broken bottle, skulls, inverted ruined model car, damaged statue of liberty etc.

 

I've been thinking about this concept of a tank and I love it. Personally I'd make it a little more cartoonish, add a miniature nuclear bomb like a minI version of fat man or little boy, add an air stone so bubbles come out the back. Arrive the perimeter put bright green gravel to represent nuclear fallout.

Then scatter ruins and waste around the tank, broken bottle, skulls, inverted ruined model car, damaged statue of liberty etc.

You should do a tank like that too with your own spin on it!
I personally am trying to stay away from the “cartoony” things - like no explicit symbols and stuff. Just trying to make something that’s clearly different from a normal, natural setting, but that people will draw their own conclusions about... kind of more of an “art piece” I guess, if you will

But! I am planning on having an air stone, and I have glow in the dark rocks, and I plan on having metal debris like you mention!

 

I've been thinking about this concept of a tank and I love it. Personally I'd make it a little more cartoonish, add a miniature nuclear bomb like a minI version of fat man or little boy, add an air stone so bubbles come out the back. Arrive the perimeter put bright green gravel to represent nuclear fallout.

Then scatter ruins and waste around the tank, broken bottle, skulls, inverted ruined model car, damaged statue of liberty etc.

Let me guess... fallout fan?

 

Oh the irony. One of the reasons I decided to go with the green corys from my LFS was because the online store was out of the longfinned bronze ones. I just checked my email.... they're back in stock as of this morning Of course lol

 

Tank is all set up and fish added... like 95% done... will update with pics and stuff in the morning I’m dead tired

 

Let me guess... fallout fan?

Tank would look like Megaton!

 

Okay! Finally! Here’s some pics! (Will get a video up later)


Full tank, normal “everyday” lighting



Full tank, lamp + some colored lights my mother wanted to add (Green)



Full tank, lights off + the colored lights my mother added (white)



Left side of tank, everyday lighting



Right side of tank, everyday lighting



Back right corner of tank, Indian Almond Leaf Litter leaves crammed under shelf (aka Loach heaven)

Onto more practical matters:
The tank still needs to have a background - I’m going to see if staples can print me one in a couple weeks. Still need to add the metal. Madagascar lace bulb is still on the way.

I moved my Odessa barbs into this tank, as I wanted them out of the quarantine tank, but the tank they’re supposed to go into is battling some parasites rn, and I don’t want to expose them. They seem pretty happy though. But because of this, all the activity is at the bottom on the tank. Corys and Kuhlis are bottom dwellers, and the barbs and the cave tetras spend all their time picking along the bottom too. Titan goes everywhere, but my only upper schooling fish are the danios.
Remember how I mentioned I was down to four danios? Well, I got home this weekend and I was down to two. Two perfectly healthy looking fish, and still neither my mother nor I had seen a single corpse (in the tank or on the floor (so no one had jumped out). Also recall, I didn’t think I’d been sent the right species of glassfish. I suspect that they might have been eating my danios, that’s all I can think of honestly. I think I’m going to take them over to my LFS and see if they can ID them (will also post on here) and if they ARE the wrong species, maybe they’ll buy them from me. For now, they’re staying in the quarantine tank by themselves cause I don’t trust them.

So now I need to order more danios. But also, will potentially need a replacement for the glassfish, so here’s my options:
1) look again for the correct species of glassfish (not easy to find in stock honestly)
2) my LFS carries the correct species, but their dyed, and I’m sure you all know the implications of that, but it is an option.
3) I get some glass catfish, but their minimum tank size is 30 gallons, and they’re very touchy about parameters
4) I get some red phantom tetra, which I love but are kinda hard to find
5) I go with the bargain-priced red phantom tetra - Serpae tetra, but they’re fin nippers
6) I locate some diamon tetra, not see through, but maybe strange enough

Thoughts? Which should I go with if I end up getting rid of my glassfish I have rn?

 

IME serpaes don't nip fins. Even when I just had 2 in a 20 gal with an angel!

 

It's a good looking tank but without the metal and scrap it doesn't look very post apocalyptic.

 

IME serpaes don't nip fins. Even when I just had 2 in a 20 gal with an angel!

So they were angels with your angel?
But cool, I’ve always heard them talked about as fin nippers, but I suppose I could just pick some up from my LFS, and if they do start nipping, just return them. If I decide to go with them - is that your vote out of the six options?

It's a good looking tank but without the metal and scrap it doesn't look very post apocalyptic.

Thanks, but I mean, a fish tank is going to look like a fish tank no matter what lol

A lot of the post-apocalyptic-ness is just going to come with time. Once the rest of the plants arrive, and all of them grow more, they should lend to the atmosphere a lot, as they’re quite strange on their own. As the cave tetras get bigger and more visible, their creepy-ness will also add to it. It’d help too if I actually had my glassfish. And once the blackwater gets going, that should help a lot too (I was running low on leaves so I didn’t make a tanning solution yet - I need to order more leaves).
Yes, the background and metal will help a lot, but they’re also the most heavy-handed aspect of this. It really isn’t supposed to be in-your-face post-apocalyptic. Like, it’s been a few year since the world’s ended, but nature will continue as always, maybe just a little differently than before

 

Angels with angels? I'm confused.

Id go with serpaes or diamonds. I believe that Dave125g breeds them (diamonds).

 

Angels with angels? I'm confused.

Id go with serpaes or diamonds. I believe that Dave125g breeds them (diamonds).

You said they were well behaved, that’s another definition of “angel”. So it was a play on words - the Serpae were behaving, they were being angels, while in a tank with your angel[fish]

 

You said they were well behaved, that’s another definition of “angel”. So it was a play on words - the Serpae were behaving, they were being angels, while in a tank with your angel[fish]

ooooooooh! That makes sense. (I'm not thinking so well today)

 

ooooooooh! That makes sense. (I'm not thinking so well today)

You’re good! We all have those days lol

 

Angels with angels? I'm confused.

Id go with serpaes or diamonds. I believe that Dave125g breeds them (diamonds).

I was breeding diamonds. I'm currently downsizing the number of tanks I have and the last 15 diamonds I have are being rehomed. Thanks for the honorable mention though.

 

I was breeding diamonds. I'm currently downsizing the number of tanks I have and the last 15 diamonds I have are being rehomed. Thanks for the honorable mention though.

Aw darn!

Speaking of, I think I'm going to go with the diamond tetras


Anywho, here's a video, as promised (Ignore my mom calling the cory a sucker-fish lol)

As you can see, right now, all of the activity is at the bottom. Hope to fix this soon lol

 

Aw darn!
Speaking of, I think I'm going to go with the diamond tetras
Anywho, here's a video, as promised (Ignore my mom calling the cory a sucker-fish lol)
As you can see, right now, all of the activity is at the bottom. Hope to fix this soon lol

They're quite a beautiful fish. If you ever need any advise on them don't hesitate to ask. 1 thing I have found is you don't want too many males. They will fight each other for breeding rights. My dominant male (AlI Babba) killed 4 of his rival males.

 

They're quite a beautiful fish. If you ever need any advise on them don't hesitate to ask. 1 thing I have found is you don't want too many males. They will fight each other for breeding rights. My dominant male (AlI Babba) killed 4 of his rival males.

Oh my! Is there are particular ratio? Or should I ask for just like 1 male?

 

Oh my! Is there are particular ratio? Or should I ask for just like 1 male?

It depends on how big the tank is. Probably is your most likely going to get juveniles. There age can't be determined at 3-4 months. If it's a small tank I would do 1 male for every 5 females. Most tetras spawn as a school. An sort of speak. Diamonds are different in that each school has only 1 dominant male with breeding rights to every female. Ofcourse every male wants that top slot.

 

It depends on how big the tank is. Probably is your most likely going to get juveniles. There age can't be determined at 3-4 months. If it's a small tank I would do 1 male for every 5 females. Most tetras spawn as a school. An sort of speak. Diamonds are different in that each school has only 1 dominant male with breeding rights to every female. Ofcourse every male wants that top slot.

Okay, since I'll likely be ordering them online, I'll just add a note asking for the 1 male, 5 females, and will just cross my fingers they're genderable lol

 

Okay, since I'll likely be ordering them online, I'll just add a note asking for the 1 male, 5 females, and will just cross my fingers they're genderable lol

How big is the tank there going in?

 

Aw darn!

Speaking of, I think I'm going to go with the diamond tetras

Anywho, here's a video, as promised (Ignore my mom calling the cory a sucker-fish lol)
As you can see, right now, all of the activity is at the bottom. Hope to fix this soon lol

I think the Barbs look more confused than the Cory

 

How big is the tank there going in?

20 long - As far as I read, 15-20 gallons was the minimum for a school - is that correct?

I think the Barbs look more confused than the Cory

"Who are you?! Why are you following us?!"

 

20 long - As far as I read, 15-20 gallons was the minimum for a school

20 long - As far as I read, 15-20 gallons was the minimum for a school - is that correct?
20 long is bare minimum. These guys are very active and very fast. Hopefully you only get 1 male or the other males stay in line.

 

Okay, thank you! If they seem like they'll be too active for the tank, I can always sell them to my LFS so they can find a better home

 

Okay, thank you! If they seem like they'll be too active for the tank, I can always sell them to my LFS so they can find a better home

They may be ok if you get juveniles. Growing up in your tank will allow them to adapt to it. Just have to keep an eye on the number of males you end up with. You may only need rehome a couple of males.

 

They may be ok if you get juveniles. Growing up in your tank will allow them to adapt to it. Just have to keep an eye on the number of males you end up with. You may only need rehome a couple of males.

Okay, thank you so much!!

 

They may be ok if you get juveniles. Growing up in your tank will allow them to adapt to it. Just have to keep an eye on the number of males you end up with. You may only need rehome a couple of males.

How do you sex them?

 

How do you sex them?

Easy as adults. Males are larger with long dorsal and analfins. See?

 

Easy as adults. Males are larger with long dorsal and analfins. See?

I don't see a difference.

 

I don't see a difference.

Easy as adults. Males are larger with long dorsal and analfins. See?

I think in the second pic, the left one is female and the right one is male - is this correct?

 

My apologies. Let me see if I can find some better pictures.

Here is a male.

Here's a female. Notice the distinct difference in the length of the dorsal fin.