Peering out from under my rock

[clipclop]

I used to post here around four years ago. Then life got in the way. I've got a pair of 10 gallon tanks which are running but not doing anything exciting right now. They have a couple of shrimp and a few plants at present, nothing more. I'm getting ready to start up a big tank again for the first time in probably 15 years. My old 55 gallon developed a crack while sitting in storage, so I'll be starting totally from scratch. Scary and exciting both!

[J.B.]

Glad to have you back, clipclop and look forward to checking out your new journal. What are your plans for the new tank?

[ScottFish]

Welcome back! We've kept a light on for you, their's milk in the fridge; make yourself at home.

[Crazygar]

Welcome back Clipclop! The Hobby is hard to shake, once it gets in your system, chances are, you will be afflicted for the rest of your life.

That's a good thing.
Gary

[clipclop]

Glad to have you back, clipclop and look forward to checking out your new journal. What are your plans for the new tank?

I'm still in the thinking stages. My goal is a planted tank with a lot of small community fish and some shrimp. I was mulling over a trash as beauty theme. I was thinking of using cleaned beer and wine bottles as hard scape with something like Dwarf Sagittaria planted between them and taller swords further back. The idea would be to make it look like the littered bottom of a river with the river life finding its own uses for the discarded glass.

My tapwater is quite soft, so tetras and/or rasboras are pretty likely. I adore corydoras. The question isn't what kinds of corys I want; it's how do I know when I've got too many. I'm debating bringing in some otos once the plants settle in and some algae gets going. I haven't had great luck with otos in the past, but I'm also more educated about their needs now. I've never had loaches, and they're very tempting since they'd probably enjoy hiding in the bottles. I've been wanting to try kuhlis for years. However, I'm not sure loaches and shrimp will be a good idea in the same tank. Ah well. I'm sure I'll change my mind a thousand times over the next few weeks.

The question weighing most heavily on my mind now is substrate. Minerals for the plants? Rounded texture for delicate little bellies and barbels? Dark color? Does anything have all of the above? Does anything have all of the above at less than $40 a bag plus shipping?

[freshfish]

Welcome back!!

Go for dwarf corydoras (you can keep more of em in 10gal tanks!) and Flourite black sand.

[clipclop]

Welcome back!!

Go for dwarf corydoras (you can keep more of em in 10gal tanks!) and Flourite black sand.

Ah, but I've replaced the 55 with a 75. Figured I might as well go with the larger tank; the footprint isn't that much larger. (The LFS owner and I tried to convince spouse that I really should go with a 90 long. The joint lobbying attempt was successfully repelled, alas.) The 10's are going to be used as quarantine tanks as I bring in new fish over the next few months. Once the big tank is stable, or if I get some bad characters who need to be banished, I'll probably rededicate one of the 10s as a nano. Of course, no reason I couldn't just go with 30 or 40 habrosus corys in the big tank.

The project is still at the zygote stage. Waiting for various equipment orders to get pieced together. Stand is a DIY project. Substrate is going to be Tahitian moon black, for some reason that seemed good when I ordered it. Lights en route. Filter here. I'll get the heater when I pick up the lights.

[Freshwater Tropic]

1st, Welcome back to the Forum!

2nd, I wanna see pictures!!!!!!

[freshfish]

I'm at the 10 gal to 75gal upgrade.

TMS is beautiful, but zero nutrients for the plants, so my advice would be to either use it as a cap, or be sure to seed it appropriately with root fertilizer tabs.

[Crazygar]

TMS is nice. Nice deep black but merely a cosmetic than functional! Either way, nice to see you back.

Gary

[lou zello]

welcome back,even if we haven't talked to each other yet.i'm known as "OVERSTOCKED" as you will see in the rest of my post.i have been at this fishy thing for 50+yrs and currently have 5 tanks.a 10gal with a male and female betta soon to have a pair of dwarf gouramis,a 20 gal with a female blue lobster and approx 25 guppies and neons,a 10gal with 8 out of the original 100 blue lobster babies from the female in the 20 (they have been eating each other),a 40gal stored in my garage since my sister-in-law moved in my basement and the ONE i'm known as "OVERSTOCKED" for which is in my living room.it is a 55gal with approx 550 fish and shrimp in it.YES 550!!!!!! there are 25 amano shrimp and the rest are fish,approx 300 cardinal/neon mix,9 corys,3 TRUE siamese algae eaters,orange chelas,zebra danios,candycane tetras,von rio tetras,serpa tetras,glowlite tetras,and black phantom tetras.it has approx 50 plants,driftwood,large rocks,and med size gravel.it is filtered with 2 marineland c-220 canisters,gets a 25% water change every 5-7 days WITHOUT FAIL,the filters get cleaned a week apart from each other with old tank water approx every month and the tank has been up for allmost 3yr's.if you would like to see some photos they are in the photography forum under "LOU ZELLO,let me know what you think,and again WELCOME BACK!!!!!!!!!

[lou zello]

i forgot to mention the plecos!!!!! 2 albino longfins and 2 clown.

[clipclop]

Wow Lou. That's an insane number of fish.

Gary and FF - I've got an inert quartz substrate in my current 10's, so I'm ok with the idea of using root tabs. Only trouble is, the company I used to buy from went belly up. Sigh. Now I need to decide on a new brand. I'm thinking I'll probably go with Flourish this time around. Seachem looks likely to stay in business. API would be another possibility; they seem likely to stay in business too, but I think the API tabs have a little more nitrogen and less micros than I want in my substrate.

[Crazygar]

Not that I am peddling one brand over the other, but I stick with the Seachem line of products. I have had no issue and live by them.

Yeah, with that type of substrate, root tabs and ferts are a must.

Gary

[lou zello]

me too,Seachem and API only