new pics of the 55g

[Orion]

I don't think a single bulb will do you justice. You will want to upgrade to something minimum 100w total of good lights. t-5's are good because they are efficient little things as long as they are used with a good reflector. Yes, this is getting expensive, but the good thing is that once the initial cost is out of the way, it's not to hard on the wallet.

I can't really give any suggestions on a particular Co2 setup. I know a lot of people get the stuff from beer places because it tends to be cheaper. I would throw down money on the Co2 first, and then do the big upgrade on the lights. Co2 will help you more now than adding a lot of light.

 

[tropicalcrazy]

I don't think a single bulb will do you justice. You will want to upgrade to something minimum 100w total of good lights. t-5's are good because they are efficient little things as long as they are used with a good reflector. Yes, this is getting expensive, but the good thing is that once the initial cost is out of the way, it's not to hard on the wallet.

I can't really give any suggestions on a particular Co2 setup. I know a lot of people get the stuff from beer places because it tends to be cheaper. I would throw down money on the Co2 first, and then do the big upgrade on the lights. Co2 will help you more now than adding a lot of light.

why on a 48" bulb would you need up to 100w to grow amazon swords, moss, java fern? i will eventually do pressurized CO2 by march april of next year.

 

[tropicalcrazy]

well also heres another update just picked up a 6500k spectrum bulb and put it in there. lights the tank up the same color as the previous bulb did in my avatar.

also since the store will close by time i get in town tonight im going to go tomorrow and pick up 2 yoyo loaches and calling another local LFS and having him order in some botia striata's and tell him i want 3 but i dont want really tiny ones i want some that are somewhat decent size. and over the next couple days im giving my hifin pleco to my girlfriends sister and her boyfriend.

i think tomorrow i am going to go get a bottle of liquid florite to to help aid in the plant growth. after i have all 5 loaches i am going to go get a 2 more amazon sword plants and i guess im still kinda looking for something on my right side that isnt too demanding, grows fast, gets maximum of approximately 12-18" high, and does good in medium lighting.

 

[tropicalcrazy]

just picked up 2 yoyo loaches yesterday and i love them. they have so much personality and adapted very quickly and seem to love the large space now. i think i want another 1 to add to the group then i want 3 botia striata's and im thinking now a neon blue dwarf gourami rather than a sparkling blue gourami.

i think tonight im going to try and attempt to fish out the hifin so he can go to his new home and within a couple weeks im going to add some more plants

 

[tropicalcrazy]

hifin has been transfered to a bigger tank and is now gone. tonight will be going and picking a new bottle of fertilizer for the plants and i think im gonna grab 1 more yoyo loach.

after all that next step is to get 3 striata botia loaches, then some more plants, and i think to top it all off add 2 neon blue dwarf gourami's. i know i will be a little overstocked but i have 2 dual filters rated at 55g and 330gph and i will have all the loaches and the clown pleco to keep the tank clean. bioload shouldnt be that bad and i will just keep up the water changes more frequently to accomodate

 

[Newman]

Sounds like youre having a blast with all these new loaches comin in xD

I wish i could get my pleco out of my tamk as easy as you got rid of yours. The problem isnt catching it for me, its my parents (theyre too attached to it)
But its really wrecking havoc on my plants (uprooting)

 

[tropicalcrazy]

Sounds like youre having a blast with all these new loaches comin in xD

I wish i could get my pleco out of my tamk as easy as you got rid of yours. The problem isnt catching it for me, its my parents (theyre too attached to it)
But its really wrecking havoc on my plants (uprooting)

and those loaches are so fun to watch to. they have hella personality. and so far i only have 2 yoyo's. cant wait till i get a whole school going on because the striata's and yoyos should all school together and i want 3 each. im also using the loaches for not only cleaning of the tank but snails also. ive had a problem with snails for awhile now but it seems like they are quickly going away. im loving it

and dont get me wrong fishing that hifin out sucked. i had to take the 2 ornaments on both sides out and then he wedged himself in this smaller tree stump ornament that i have underneath the driftwood so in trying to get him out since he was stuck i tore his top fin but its not too bad and i would think that it will grow back. yeah my girlfriend was pretty attached to him also but since he was going to her sister and her boyfriends tank she wont miss him too much but she wont let me get rid of the bala shark though and yeah he kept on destroying and uprooting plants. on top of all that the larger pleco's get the lazier they get and their bioload becomes more than what they actually clean so he was doing no good in my tank. he always hid and his size was getting WAY to big for my tank

also should have new pics of the new plants and hopefully can catch a couple pics of the new Yoyo's this weekend. dont know if ill get the yoyo's since they are so active and are always moving

 

[Newman]

This pleco's cool and all but i really cant keep him around. Everytime he gets spooked (whever someone walks into the room) he torpedoes into my cabomba plants and talkes some out -___-
He's getting really annoyin.
Same with my Raphael cat. he constantly digs around at night (he's 5" and he is able to uproot even the sword plants in my aquarium)
So i have to get rid of both of these "Tanks" (pardon the pun) to keep my plant planted the way i want it to.

 

[tropicalcrazy]

This pleco's cool and all but i really cant keep him around. Everytime he gets spooked (whever someone walks into the room) he torpedoes into my cabomba plants and talkes some out -___-
He's getting really annoyin.
Same with my Raphael cat. he constantly digs around at night (he's 5" and he is able to uproot even the sword plants in my aquarium)
So i have to get rid of both of these "Tanks" (pardon the pun) to keep my plant planted the way i want it to.

i hear ya on the getting spooked part. my hifin would always do that. my bala shark does get spooked and ruffles up the water but for the most part he doesnt dart into any plants "yet" but then again i dont have really any tall plants in there yet.

for your cabomba and your plants are you using any type of C02 setup? also how long have you had your plants?

reason im asking is i wont be getting a pressurized C02 setup for about another 6 months and i want some plants that arent gonna require much of the C02 till then. for the most part some undemanding plants that will grow decent under my plant light, the plant substrate that i have, and the fert that im using

 

[Newman]

Yea im using the DIY CO2 method. You can check the progress and statistics of my tank in the "rate my freshwater tank" thread.

I've had all my plants for about a week now. The cabomba's growing good.

I suggest running a DIY setup until you can get the pressurized system. It really helps to have something as opposed to just atmospheric CO2.