Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping => Gallery Showcase => Topic started by: Matt on March 20, 2016, 09:51:43 PM

Title: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on March 20, 2016, 09:51:43 PM
Thought I'd post a few images of my set up for all to see...

See my signature for current stocking
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on March 20, 2016, 10:00:23 PM
Thanks for sharing. Really lovely! Sparkling gourami is indeed stunning and rams are so attractive.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on March 20, 2016, 10:16:39 PM
Great photos of a great tank.
 :cheers:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Anne on March 20, 2016, 10:35:43 PM
Love the decor and the fish look great.

In my imaginary tank (no space for anymore) I have always wanted sparkling gouramis, do yours croak?
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on March 21, 2016, 06:28:18 AM
Thanks everyone   ;D

I know there are others on here that have heard sparkling gourami croak, but mine are in the living room and so I've never heard them, what with the other noises in the room.  I don't believe it is a hugely loud sound nor is it especially distinctive from what Google can tell me.  Sue's experiences are:

Quote
I had them several years ago. I did hear them croaking - more a sort of football rattle sound. I could just about hear it from the other end of the room if it was quiet.
See more at: http://www.thinkfish.co.uk/forums/welcome-to-our-tropical-fish-forum-please-read/introduce-yourself!/msg21775/#msg21775

[Moderator fcmf has altered typo 'sparkling glutamine' to 'sparkling gourami'  :) fcmf, 9:03am, 21/03/16]
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Extreme_One on March 21, 2016, 07:39:10 AM
Looking good  :cheers:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Fiona on March 21, 2016, 03:42:31 PM
A beautiful tank, thank you for sharing  :)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on October 08, 2016, 10:00:51 PM
Didn't exactly want to make a new topic for this so apologies for using an old one...

Quick update, I've received plants from both Sue and Paddy recently.  Thank you both so much for this, I really must remember to return the favour when I have something worth offering!

The Hornwort and Hygrophila seem to be rejuvenating after their journeys.  I initially struggled with the Hornwort. Having planted it, it was loosing a lot of needles but I then tried it floating and I believe that the extra light made available to it has allowed it to fair much better. I now have half floating and another half weighted down with lead but resting on top of a rock and wood structure to bring it closer to the light to see how it gets on.  The sparkling gourami like having floating plants to play with,  previous attempts to have pennywort floating were appreciated but others in the tank were too hungry apparently to let this survive, Pistia Stratiotes struggles with my filter flow too so this is looking to be a good alternative.

The Hygrophila has only just been put in the tank today,  it did not appreciate being put in a dark box and thrown around by the postman at all despite Paddys excellent shipping package.  I had it in a bowl on the window sill for a few days with a crumbled root tab a couple of flakes of food and 1 drop of liquid carbon each day.  Happily, things seem to be going well, 2 of 4 'sprigs' have got new and or healthy looking growth and these are the ones I added to the tank earlier. I'm hoping the proper environment will now encourage them to grow well.  I will put some tank water into the bowl tomorrow to encourage the remaining sprigs and see how both sets get on but I'm remaining quite hopeful for them both.

I do hope I can keep these gifts alive, my track record is not in my favour...
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on October 08, 2016, 10:13:50 PM
Best of luck with the plants and it's good to hear that the fish are appreciating them.  :cheers:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Cod_only_knows on October 09, 2016, 08:23:14 AM
Nice looking tanks! I wouldn't worry too much about the Hygrophila, the stuff is pretty indestructible. I'd wager you'll be chopping it down within the month!
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Paddyc on October 09, 2016, 09:17:15 AM
Oh no, it really didn't travel well, did it! I'm sorry it arrived looking like this. I deliberately gave you the healthiest looking sprigs to give them the best chance of surviving the trip...

But as cod says, the consolation is that it is extremely hardy and it will sprout again at pretty much every junction of leaves... So if the old leaves don't rejuvenate, you'll quickly grow fresh new leaves and be able to chop away the old stuff. Especially because you seem to be very switched on to how to care for the plants. Might I suggest you plant it in the tank asap? The fish waste and excess food will help and it is an excellent nitrate eater.

Looking forward to seeing how you get on with it. Apologies again that it didn't arrive as green as it left  :(
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on October 09, 2016, 09:44:13 AM
Paddy please dont apologise,  if it wasn't for your efforts I'm sure that I would have recieved a brown rotting sludge rather than something which is already sprouting as you indicated (see top 'sprig' in the bowl). I'm going to give the remaining bits some tank water now. They are yet to show any signs of rejuvination - as soon as they do they will get put in the tank and old vegetation taken off. I just don't want them to a) rot in the tank and b) they would more than likely get eaten like the pennywort if I dont give them a fighting chance...

For fans I hitchikers guide to the galaxy... I'm sure there are a couple of ravenous planteaterbeasts in my tank... otherwise known as rams...

Update: one of the two remaining 'sprigs' has some healthy looking growth on top this morning so might get put in the tank later with its lower leaves removed, it will look a little like a pom pom but it might get some new growth along the stem if I'm lucky like the health piece in the tank now.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Paddyc on October 09, 2016, 10:24:12 AM
That sounds better then, I have confidence you'll get good results with it but as you say it might not look the best to begin with.

The cultivation session I did to collect your stuff has already made a big difference to my tank. Much less sparse looking in the bottom half and the replanted sprigs have wasted no time in gaining an extra inch or two in height in just over a week.

I think the Seachem Flourish i have started using is already doing a good job as the new growth is much greener looking.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on October 09, 2016, 10:33:09 AM
I keep considering flohrish (or other cheaper alternatives) then deciding that I am best picking plants that just grow without it and the liquid carbon I bought to get something which is more sustainable... I hate to think how much heating 140 litres of water will cost me when I upgrade my tank so running costs such as this need to be kept minimal to my eyes... then again I am known for being a bit tight...
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on October 09, 2016, 10:45:41 AM
All my set ups are low tech and all plants do without CO2 or regular additional fertiliser. Regular trimming and replanting of the pieces for certain plants have certainly made them very economical. It's always nice to set up a tank and have enough plants to make an instant impact, although sometimes a bit of patience and perhaps just a little fertiliser can make a spectacular display.
Your tank is looking quite awesome and I should imagine that your fish are loving it.  :)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on December 10, 2016, 10:01:51 PM
Christmas is coming early to the 64litre  :isay: (doddery Santa emoji)

I have new Spider wood soaking currently and new led lights on the way.   :D

This is the first real step I'm taking towards the eventual upgrade of the tank to a 140 litre aquaoak.  Nothing will be rushed along the journey though and I've certainly got no plans to actually upgrade any time soon so no-one need get too excited!

I do have a well researched plan of what I want the upgraded tank to look like and so the 2 pieces of wood are destined for the upgrade tank.  They will replace one of the chunky pieces of wood in my current tank giving more water volume for me now (ie better water quality/space for more fish possibly...) and will be arranged alongside an existing piece in what will essentially be a more compact version of the arrangement in the new tank.

The lighting is to try and get my current plants growing - hopefully I am right that my current cheap underpowered led lighting is currently the limiting factor to plant growth.  With this new lighting i hope I can keep what i have now alive and grow them bigger for use in the new tank.  Any plants purchased for the new tank can them be established in my current tank first too, or that's the plan anyway!  As I write this I also think I may have come up with a cunning plan to reuse this lighting in the new tank... I'll investigate this in the morning!

At some point next year I hope to be able to change my current gravel substrate to sand too. Again this is the plan for the new tank because I want to keep corys.  I want to be able to move as much beneficial bacteria over to the new tank as possible to avoid what I can in terms of any fish in cycling that will have to be done so again this will be a tactical move (I get the feeling a few pygmy corys might make their way into my current tank though!).

This will leave a rock swap out and a filter to get cycled before the big move whenever that may be.

Rest assured I'll get some piccys posted when the new wood is in place.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on December 10, 2016, 10:17:12 PM
Excellent - good to read of these plans which do sound exciting but I'll heed your warning not to expect anything imminently. :)

Looking forward to the step-by-step pics as developments occur - you'll need to start a new thread with the title of your new tank size :).

:cheers:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on December 11, 2016, 09:55:28 AM
Plans to upgrade a tank... I'm looking forward to regular updates and piccies.  ;D
I'll try not to be impatient.  :-[

Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: MarquisMirage on December 11, 2016, 11:14:50 PM
If it's anything like the old tank it's going to look good. :D
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on December 12, 2016, 06:35:23 AM
Thanks!

As of last night I was still getting a lot of colour off the wood so it looks like any rescaping will have to wait until next weekend.  The new light will probably be the first change in that case (tho my wife keeps threatening to wrap it and put it under the tree).

In other news I added some red root floater (Phyllanthus fluitans) to my tank last weekend and whilst it has lost quite a few leaves it has also grown a lot of new green ones. It came with some free snails (removed) and some free duckweed which I might add once I've seen how everything responds to the new light. I want something that will keep the sparking gourami happy but I think floating plants for them need more leaf area and less root as they are not responding in the same way to it. It is the first red plant I've had and it looks great, it has encouraged me to try other 'coloured' plants. I need to prove to myself that I can keep them alive first though  ::)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on December 15, 2016, 07:45:13 PM
I still seem to be brewing wood tea every day so the wood hasn't made it anywhere near the tank yet... but my new lights arrived  :)  they are much brighter, yet would not be considered bright in comparrison to any other standard lights... I can't imagine how people face having really bright lights in the corner of a room to be honest!

I'm hopeful that they will encourage Paddyc and Sue's plant donations to do some growing at last... I can't let these plants die after they were so kindly donated... they should be pretty indestructible as plants go.

... maybe my water is just too clean for them  :raspberries
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on December 15, 2016, 08:34:32 PM
Wood can take a frustratingly long time to sort itself out when soaking.  ::)
Horray for the new lights, and best wishes for lots of plant growth.  :)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 01, 2017, 05:29:58 PM
:fishy1:  Rescape complete!  :fishy1:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on January 01, 2017, 06:51:12 PM
Very nice!  :cheers:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on January 01, 2017, 07:15:27 PM
Congratulations on such a fantastic rescape, it looks great.  :cheers:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 02, 2017, 07:01:35 PM
Thanks @fcmf @Littlefish

I'm really proud of it.  I did it rather quickly trying not to stress out the fish too much.  They recovered quickly from the ordeal and I did a gravel vac today on bits of the tank I used to have plants, needless to say the water change bucket was somewhat brown... this is all removed now thankfully and I have new root tabs in place so things should also be a bit cleaner for them.

I also got my first set of test strip results... I knew my water had become harder as the water company changed our source water but it surprised me.  It was right near the top of the gbr's range. It does explain how my lone endler has survived for so long though! I'm also glad that with recent deaths in my tank, the water quality was excellent.  These were 4 days after a water change (bit random I know...) Ill do some more mid week.

Test results:
Ammonia 0
Nitrite looked like 0.5
Nitrate est 17
GH 150 ish (keen to retest as higher than expected and hard to read accurately)
KH 170 ish (keen to retest as higher than expected and hard to read accurately)
pH 7.7 ish (keen to retest as higher than expected and hard to read accurately)

Next steps will be to either: upgrade filter, switch to sand substrate around the outside (not sure if this would work but keen to have 'cycled' substrate for the new tank if I can), or to do a bit of restocking.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on January 02, 2017, 07:36:47 PM
The fish look like they are enjoying the set up.
Don't forget to keep us updated on your next steps.
 :)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on January 02, 2017, 07:41:29 PM
While I find the test strips accurate (and easier to read) for nitrite and nitrate, I find that they inflate the GH and KH quite considerably in comparison with liquid-based tests and my water company results (and give a lower than expected PH reading). For that reason, I wouldn't overly rely on the results for these measures. I'm assuming you have a separate test kit strip for ammonia as I'm not aware of a 6-in-1 test strip that covers ammonia as well? (JBL and Tetra have chlorine instead.)

Looking forward very much to reading how you get on with your proposed future plans.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 02, 2017, 08:49:24 PM
Yes the ammonia is separate.  I've set up a spreadsheet to track the results I get (sad but wise I feel ::) ) so will do a couple more so I can do an average and see where I end up and let you know.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on February 08, 2017, 11:22:05 PM
I'd appreciate your support should you be willing to offer it:
https://fishkeeper.co.uk/gallery/ (https://fishkeeper.co.uk/gallery/)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Andy The Minion on February 09, 2017, 04:54:20 AM
There you go @Matt I hope you win
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on February 09, 2017, 07:52:47 AM
Done, and keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: MarquisMirage on February 09, 2017, 01:26:50 PM
Plus one.  Good luck.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on February 09, 2017, 06:40:22 PM
Plus one too. Good luck.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on February 10, 2017, 09:35:28 PM
Thanks @Andy the minion @Littlefish  @marquismirage  @fcmf   :cheers:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on February 20, 2017, 10:11:11 PM
I've just been on and have noticed the website has been upgraded  :o. Don't know if anyone else regularly check the blog etc?

I'd appreciate your support should you be willing to offer it:
https://fishkeeper.co.uk/gallery/ (https://fishkeeper.co.uk/gallery/)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on February 20, 2017, 10:45:52 PM
I see everyone's tank is allegedly a 275-litre tank ie the updated website has made a fee errors. Wonder if they'll upgrade you by offering a tank of that capacity by way of a prize if you win...?  ;)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: MarquisMirage on February 20, 2017, 11:14:45 PM
It let me vote again.  +1  :)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on February 21, 2017, 06:34:28 AM
I see everyone's tank is allegedly a 275-litre tank ie the updated website has made a fee errors. Wonder if they'll upgrade you by offering a tank of that capacity by way of a prize if you win...?  ;)

I hope so!!  :fishy1:

It let me vote again.  +1  :)

:cheers: thanks!
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on May 06, 2017, 08:13:46 AM
Feeling slightly annoyed...  >:(

I went to my local MA recently to pick up some more dechlorinator and take a look at what fish they had in stock. I've been planning a few different additions recently, after having a few of my gang go to fishy heaven.  O:-)

Over and above anything else, what I'm after is a tank with lots of fish with different 'behaviour'. For example, gourami behaviour I would describe as gentle inquisitive playful with their little feelers... my rams are also playful but more rulers of the tank and love how they seem to hover in the water then swim then hover as they inspect their territory, always after something to eat. Then there's the shrimp and snail's... I'm sure lots of you will know what I mean. This of course creates an unusual community but one I love.

As such, having never kept corys one part of my plan was I wanted to give one of the dwarf species a go as my tank isn't huge anyways and because the smaller bioload would allow my to look into other things like neon gobys (which I had discussed ordering in specially with the MA guy).  My local MA is a new store with enthusiastic staff and a really great store in my opinion (just want to make that clear). They didn't have any dwarf corys in (though dario dario might get their own tank at some point, or dwarf puffers, or... ::)) but they did have false julii cory labelled as 3cm max.

To cut a long story short I got three, thinking I might come back another time and get a couple more further down the line to boost numbers if they worked out ok in the tank. What I have since found out is that they grow to at least 5cm :yikes:.  Far bigger than anything else in the tank and putting me mildly overstocked. Fortunately my water quality (since I started growing Sue's Hornwort like 3 inches a week by dosing micronutrients, I think the Hygrophila might be getting going at last now too Paddyc) has been superb, perfect in fact for every test so I think Ill be OK on that front. But its certainly put a hold to my plans for other species increasing their numbers...

They are fantastic characters and I love their sail like dorsal fins as they jiggle around on the bottom, going for the occasional surf across the glass ;D and I've never felt comfortable with the thought of taking fish back to the store (why would you by something and put it through all the stress of being moved when you know you don't want it long term) so they are here to stay.  :fishy1:

So rather than feel annoyed by my plans being ruined I've decided to try and come up with a new plan for my community which will also translate into a larger setup whenever I decide the time is right to get myself that aquaoak  :afro

Might even try and tweak the tank layout a bit later to give some more floor space, and plan for a sandy area, maybe an external filter to create some more room...  :o

Keep you updated  :cheers:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on May 06, 2017, 11:41:56 AM
Ooops, that's a slightly unfortunate incident regarding fish size information. I'm with you as far as being reluctant to return any fish to a shop, and very glad to hear that you like the character of your new fish, even though they have caused your other fish plans to go on hold for a while.
I hope that the adorable behaviour of your cories makes up for the inconvenience of the situation.  :fishy1:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: MarquisMirage on May 06, 2017, 06:21:49 PM
I don't get why people would return fish to shop either unless it's because of a tank disaster or having to move house without the tanks,  Part of the fun of the hobby is watching the fish grow up (usually, hehe).
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on September 16, 2017, 09:25:37 PM
Thought it was probably time for a quick update...

I have added sponge to the filter recently; previously I just had loose filter media. Now I have loose media on the bottom and sponge on top. I was hoping for an improvement in water clarity and whilst I'm not sure I've achieved this, there is now more room for beneficial bacteria and I've eliminated any risk of a fish being able to jump into the filter and getting hurt so it's here to stay.

Not a huge amount of change in the tank layout.  A few smaller pebbles removed to create more 'grazing' area for the cories. And the plants are now all growing really well.  Amazon swords really took off so they've been relegated to the back of the tank and the hornwort has been thinned out and brought forward.  Floating plants might not last...will have to see.

I'm on a weekly dose of micronutrients and upgraded lighting with a siesta period.  Weekly 20% water changes. Mix of micropellets, flake, sinking pellets, bloodworm (and the occasional piece of algae wafer) fed daily.  Burst of airstone to clear protein scum on the surface every few days.

I'm hatching a plan to convert the filter to a external with the heater in it using a Tupperware container (tall one for spaghetti), but for the photo below I just removed it from the tank temporarily.

...anyway photo below!
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on September 17, 2017, 07:51:50 AM
A couple more photos...
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on September 17, 2017, 03:50:02 PM
Your tanks & fish are all looking great. Well done.  :cheers:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on September 17, 2017, 04:20:18 PM
tanks

Littlefish assuming that having 27 tanks is normal...

 :rotfl:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: MarquisMirage on September 17, 2017, 06:59:15 PM
Great pics @Matt .  Lovely looking tank(s) and quality photography.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on September 17, 2017, 07:57:08 PM
tanks

Littlefish assuming that having 27 tanks is normal...

 :rotfl:

Of course it is.  ;D
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on October 02, 2017, 11:46:36 PM
I decided to have another go at this, so as before, any support you would be able to offer me would be much appreciated :)

I'm fairly confident the tank has improved dramatically since February when I first changed the scape... hope you agree!

https://fishkeeper.co.uk/gallery/ (https://fishkeeper.co.uk/gallery/)

I'd appreciate your support should you be willing to offer it:
https://fishkeeper.co.uk/gallery/ (https://fishkeeper.co.uk/gallery/)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on October 03, 2017, 08:27:50 AM
I think it looks great.  8)

Top 3 in the gallery, well done.  :cheers:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on October 03, 2017, 08:16:54 PM
I agree - the tank looks fantastic now and I have 'rewarded' you with a well-deserved vote.  :cheers:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on October 04, 2017, 05:22:11 PM
Thanks both, much appreciated.

 :cheers:
 :fishy1:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on October 26, 2017, 07:08:10 AM
FINAL PUSH!!

It's going well so far, and I'm still in the top three, anyone else who'd be willing to offer their support and vote for my tank?

Slightly different photo below...

I decided to have another go at this, so as before, any support you would be able to offer me would be much appreciated :)

I'm fairly confident the tank has improved dramatically since February when I first changed the scape... hope you agree!

https://fishkeeper.co.uk/gallery/ (https://fishkeeper.co.uk/gallery/)

Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on November 01, 2017, 07:11:18 PM
I'm pretty sure I came in second position against an admittedly stunning photo of a pair of discus. You can see this on the website now in the Gallery section.

So close but yet so far, thanks for those who supported my submission  :cheers:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on November 18, 2017, 10:54:14 PM
You might have noticed an addition to my tank in my signature...

 ;D  Gobies!!  ;D

More accurately... Stiphodon semoni, the Cobolt Blue Goby.

Pictures to follow in the morning when everyone is a little more settled in. Algae wafer went down a treat this evening though so I've got high hopes for them both. I got them from Maidenhead aquatics in Wigan which is a recent discovery. The tropical fish section is HUGE. Much bigger than in any other store I've visited more locally, plus the staff are really friendly, and real fish people rather than just sales people. Thanks to being right next to the M6 it also doesn't take me any longer to get too. 


In other news I've also had a bit of a rearrange in the tank.  :yikes:
It was quite a spur of the moment thing following one of my regular deep cleans when the wood comes out of the tank and rocks are moved out of the way so everything can be thoroughly gravel vacced. Basically I have split one part of the wood away from the rest (it was always three pieces) and pushed all the wood into the corners meaning there is now more open swimming space for the fish. So rather than an island layout I now have a more traditional ' U shape' aquascaping layout ( for those of you into aquascaping ;) ). 
I will admit that I probably preferred the look of the tank originally but the fish definitely prefer the new look. The contrast of hiding spaces and open areas has given them much more confidence and I see a lot more of the fish now.  Clearly the old addage that if you give the fish more hiding spaces they will spend more time out in the open is very true.  The otto which normally only gets seen once in a blue moon is now out every evening.  I believe I have also created more opportunity for territories to be formed for the rams and gobys which is also keeping them happier.  So the new look is here to stay. I'll post pictures soon, possibly next weekend, it's not quite camera ready yet  ::)
I am planning to take things a step further soon too as even before I changed the layout, I really wanted to get rid of the marble pebbles and instead move to dragon stone. I have now also realised that this rock with its "pot holed" texture will be brilliant for the gobys to provide further hiding places/places to rest and more surface area for algae to grow.

Oh and I think I might be getting a 220l aquaoak for Xmas!...  :cheers:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Helen on November 18, 2017, 11:47:07 PM
Your tank is beautiful. You have a real talent for aquascaping (imho). I can't wait to see photos of the new layout.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on November 19, 2017, 02:23:38 PM
This is all very exciting, @Matt - congrats on the gobies, the promising-sounding new layout (all very interesting) and the forthcoming larger tank (very envious!).

Incidentally, have you ever visited Pier Aquatics in Wigan? I see adverts for it quite regularly.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on November 19, 2017, 07:02:01 PM
I haven't been there no... I'm based up in Lancaster so to get to Pier Aquatics would take an hour... I'm sure I will manage to go in one day when I'm in the area. I've tried Aquahome in Leyland which also gets brilliant reviews. I wasn't hugely impressed to be honest... a lot of dead fish and a cramped store... staff not as friendly as elsewhere either...

I seem to have one overactive goby and one very timid goby.  They are such unusually bad looking swimmers, flapping their fins and not getting anywhere then they land, twist their long bodies and lift their head as if to say "I'm cute and you know it". I've never just sat and watched the tank for so long!!

Ill try and get some photos now... gobys only... Ill leave the tank photos till next weekend when things have settled in a bit.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on November 19, 2017, 08:34:35 PM
Here we go...

 :cheers:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Sue on November 20, 2017, 09:00:03 AM
Are the photos of the same fish? All three photos show a male stiphodon. According to Seriously Fish, stiphodons should be kept with 1 male to a tank, though you can have as many females as will fit.

However....
I bought 6 "indie blue" gobies, which are either S. semoni or A. atropurpureus. They turned out to be 4 males, 2 females. I lost one male in the filter bracket incident, and I found one of the females dead. I did manage to get another female but that still leaves me with 3m 2f.
The males don't fight, or I should say they've never fought when I've been looking in the tank. When there was just one female, she did get chased a bit but that seems to have stopped now there are 2 females.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on November 20, 2017, 09:17:57 AM
Don't they have the most adorable little faces.
Lovely.  :)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on November 20, 2017, 07:48:15 PM
@Sue Yes the photos are all of the male,  I have a female as well but she is incredibly shy at the moment and whilst she does occasionally come out of her hidey hole, it hasn't been long enough for me to get a decent picture.. yet...    I'm just hopeful she is funding enough to eat whilst she is settling in  :-\
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on November 20, 2017, 08:58:17 PM
Very cute.
:D

Looking forward to seeing the female too, once she's settled in.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Sue on November 20, 2017, 09:49:01 PM
My 5 get half an Omega One veggie round, crushed to small bits, once a day. Of course they may also eat the sinking pellets and flakes I feed the other fish. And then there's all the algae that grows in my tank. They seem to do well on whatever it is they are actually eating. I've had 4 or my 5 about a year so they are eating something  :)
Provided you do feed something veggie or there is algae in your tank they should be OK.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on November 22, 2017, 08:23:33 PM
I managed to get a look at the female today Sue who looks white thin, she is still hiding away nearly all the time.  Any suggestions to get her feeding?  I'm going to try some cucumber tomorrow. I've put the algae flakes in just before lights out in the hope she might get them to herself tonight...
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on November 22, 2017, 08:33:32 PM
If these http://dennerle.com/en/products/nano-aquarium/feeding-minerals-vitamins/food-dwarf-crayfish/shrimp-king-snail-stixx were suitable, I'm more than happy to send you some in the mail as I have plenty of them.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Sue on November 22, 2017, 08:35:00 PM
I don't know if stiphodons eat cucumber as I haven't tried it. I do know that the dominant male in my tank chases the other stiphodons away from the algae wafer if I leave it whole. So mine must like my algae wafers. I now break the wafer into tiny bits so all the fish get chance to eat some.

Are your algae flakes floating ones? If they are, don't forget to soak them so they sink faster.


fcmf - they should be fine for stiphodons.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on November 22, 2017, 08:40:55 PM
I'm doing the same Sue, breaking up an algae wafer, or rather a couple of bits off an algae wafer. Sorry not sure why I used the word flake! Apparently you can get mini algae wafers which I'll look out for next time I buy them, though the current pack I have looks like it will last forever!
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on November 22, 2017, 08:45:38 PM
Apparently you can get mini algae wafers which I'll look out for next time I buy them, though the current pack I have looks like it will last forever!
I have a pack of mini algae wafers, which also looks as though it will last forever - happy to send you some of these as well as some Snail Stixx, so no need to buy any just yet!

Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on November 22, 2017, 08:56:42 PM
Thanks fcmf you're very kind :cheers:

To be honest I don't think the food I'm offering is the problem as the other goby goes mad for it (as do the rams... but then again they will eat anything).

I'll put another couple of bits of algae wafer in the tank in the morning when any Malaysian Trumpets Snail activity should be minimal too and see if that gives her a better chance...
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on November 22, 2017, 09:01:42 PM
Have you tried soaking the algae wafer in some crushed garlic juices to help stimulate her appetite?
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on November 22, 2017, 09:04:44 PM
I wasn't sure if that would work for gobies... can't hurt I suppose...  do I just crush a couple of cloves and put the wafer in with the crushed garlic for a bit, quick rinse, then into the tank??
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on November 22, 2017, 09:31:48 PM
Yes, that should be fine. You probably don't even need to rinse as it might dilute the garlic. However, I always advise erring on the side of caution / under-dosing when trying something new, so you could try the quick rinse on the first occasion. If that doesn't work in stimulating her appetite, then you could try it without rinsing on the next occasion.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on November 27, 2017, 09:51:41 PM
Heres how things were looking tonight...

That femal goby is still doing ok... I'm tentatively going to say shes fattening up but it's probably a bit soon to feel confident yet. Still see very little of her.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Helen on November 29, 2017, 12:21:10 AM
Your tank is so beautiful. I can't stop looking at it.

Don't be surprised if you see some elements in my finished tank. (If you've not changed yours again before I finish!)  :o
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on November 29, 2017, 10:07:44 PM
Thanks @Helen
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on November 29, 2017, 10:26:38 PM
Hope she does ok/improves.  I agree with how lovely your tank looks - and how healthy/luscious and algae-free your plant leaves are (I'm envious).
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on November 30, 2017, 06:12:57 AM
I found her again yesterday and initially thought she had passed... eventually she moved... I'm not sure she's got long left  :(  apparently it's not uncommon for gobies to come into stores in this way following the stress of capture...

Algae has decreased recently following a move from weekly fertiliser dosing to daily. @fcmf it sounds like you need an algae eater in your tank! (Ref your poll!) Have you also considered shrimp?
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on November 30, 2017, 09:19:54 AM
Sorry to hear that your female goby is not doing well.  :(
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on November 30, 2017, 07:31:19 PM
@Sue I dont suppose you've any other thoughts from your experexperience with gobies?

My wife saw the female today and apparently it was chased away by the male...
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Sue on November 30, 2017, 07:40:26 PM
It could be the male chasing her. Any chance of getting another female or two? When I had just one female, the males all chased her but now I have 2 females, they don't seem to bother.
I did lose one of the original two females, I found her dead one day during a water change.

But I did notice that a lot of the gobies in the shop tank looked very thin; I wouldn't buy any that were thin and waited till they got more in. Some of them looked like just a head with a bit of string attached. I wonder if it's like otos, they starve between being caught and us buying them.
Did the shop worker catch them easily? The ones I have buried themselves in the gravel on the bottom of the tank as soon as the net went in the tank and I can imagine it would be very easy to cause internal damage during netting.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on November 30, 2017, 08:25:05 PM
Algae has decreased recently following a move from weekly fertiliser dosing to daily. @fcmf it sounds like you need an algae eater in your tank! (Ref your poll!) Have you also considered shrimp?
I wouldn't trust my female x-ray tetras with shrimp.

I do hope your female improves ultimately, however you go about it - Sue's suggestion sounds a good plan.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on December 02, 2017, 06:06:56 PM
Oh and I think I might be getting a 220l aquaoak for Xmas!

It's finally happening... 220ltr aquaoak purchased today (theres a sale on!)!

 ;D ;D ;D

Its a three month waiting list apparently though...  :'(  Still... plenty of time for some planning! I'll start a new thread to cover this!

At some point I'll need to decide what I'm going to do with this tank. I'll likely keep it going in one form or another. Possibly temperate river manifold, possibly planted with gobies, possibly shrimp only... who knows! Open to suggestions  :cheers:

Goby is holding in there for the time being - unfortunately I dont have the stocking capacity at the moment to add another female.  Theres plenty of hiding spaces in the tank so I'm hoping that as she builds her strength I'll see more of her.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on December 02, 2017, 06:42:43 PM
It's finally happening... 220ltr aquaoak purchased today (theres a sale on!)!
Yes, re the sale, so I noticed - I was browsing the tanks online for what I would purchase if only I had the space.  ::)
Delighted for you, though - :cheers: - and, indeed, the waiting time can be put to profitable use in making decisions on stocking. In your new thread on that, don't forget to remind us of your water parameters, so that we can suggest suitable inhabitants.

All the best with the goby - it may be a matter of weighing up whether an additional female goby is actually ultimately the better option even if it does mean the tank is marginally overstocked.



Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Fishbeard on December 02, 2017, 08:54:14 PM
It's finally happening... 220ltr aquaoak purchased today (theres a sale on!)!

Very pleased for you and not at all jealous! Especially with the pictures of your 64l tank already, I'm sure the new one will be a sight to behold.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Sue on December 02, 2017, 09:38:15 PM
That's the best time to buy a tank - in a sale  :)

The delay will give you plenty of time to decide what you want to do with this one.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on December 05, 2017, 06:29:35 PM
Unfortunately the goby passed this evening. Hardly ever saw it then there is was in the in middle of the tank the wrong way up... :'(

 I'm putting it down to internal dammage/stress of the move. My wife has told me that the guy in the shop was extremely rough with catching her. (I got distracted by the other fish!!)  The fish didn't look in bad condition externally. I dont think the other goby bullied it to death as there is plenty of algae and stuff in the tank for it to feed on qnd plenty of hiding places for the two to keep apart. Having had a think about how a fish behaves when poorly ('sulking' and hiding/resting in plants etc) this very much fitted with the behaviour of the goby be it all based at floor level. It barely moved when I moved a rock the other day to find it for example and if scared of the male it would have darted. I also believe it was also thin when we bought it as it looked so thin a few days after so may have been hurt during previous purchases at he store...

I'll be adding more in the 220 ltr as i still think they are real cuties  :D
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on December 05, 2017, 06:56:46 PM
Very sorry to read of this, @Matt - it did sound as though it was just a matter of time before this eventuality occurred but at least you did your best and gave her the opportunity to recuperate. Although very difficult when a fish dies, hopefully you feel reassured that it seems to have been factors outside your control - perhaps you can relax a little rather than peering in anxiously every so often to see how she's faring.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Sue on December 05, 2017, 06:57:08 PM
I'm sorry to hear that. But they are very tricky to catch, and internal damage is a possibility.

And yes they are cute  :)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on December 13, 2017, 02:35:10 PM
Sorry to hear about your goby.  :(
They are adorable little fish, and more in your new tank would be lovely.  :)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on December 29, 2017, 07:40:06 AM
Whilst I am not quite yet ready to start doing my 220litre tank as the festivities are not yet over, to allow me reliably complete water testing, water changes and tank monitoring... I did however promise an update on my plans for the 64litre tank. I am hoping to go as different as possible with this and create a contrasting aquascape. I am planning a low maintenance tank with sparkling gourami and scarlet badis - I also quite fancy pygmy cory, though I'm concerned this will push the stocking on a supposedly low maintenance tank!. I am very fond of the behaviour of these species which are both shy but interesting characters which are known to cohabit well.

The aquascape would have rocks and wood though the wood would be 'falling' from the top rather than 'branching' from the bottom (if I can get this to look right!).  This would be on a mixed gravel and sand substrate filled with leaf litter ( which will also stain the water with tannins - though not deeply as I'm thinking of using beech).  There would not be many plants apart from floating plants and maybe a couple of plants tied to the rocks or nested in the wood.  The tank will have a dark and moody appearance and would be vaguely a south asian biotope (if a biotope can be vague... :vcross:).

That's the plan at the moment anyway, though this is a way off yet, with the 220 litre still to do  :yikes:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 12, 2018, 09:28:24 PM
The tank look somewhat devastated now most of the plants have been transferred to the 220 litre...   :-\
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on January 13, 2018, 08:52:15 AM
Perhaps you should give it a name and create a new style of aquascaping.  ;)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 13, 2018, 07:17:59 PM
Well the plans changed...

We are now going for a pygmy puffer tank  :fishy1:

Let just say Mrs Matt could barely be told not to bring them home today with her   ::)

We will be doing the tank together (my evil plans to get her into fish keeping seem to be working at last) and building an jungly aquascape with quite a bit of height thanks to some large rocks.  Something like the image below, but more junglely if that makes sense...

I've wanted pygmy puffer ever since I first heard about them and saw videos of them online.  They are just as endearing in the flesh. We are more comfortable about feeding them now having done a bit more research and so they have been given the green light for a group of 6. I'm hoping to stock them with 2 otos which many people have had success with.  Also I've heard about them being kept successfully with khuli loaches which will eat any left over food from the messy puffers. It sounds like a really good idea and seeing as I have a back up tank if needed, I'll be giving 2 of them a go in with the puffers.

I feel like there is a fellow pygmy puffer keeper on the forum??? Any advice?
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on January 13, 2018, 09:45:37 PM
Welcome to the wonderful world of tiny adorableness.  ;D

I have had my little guys for nearly 2 years, they are great characters, and are a nightmare for how cute they look all at the front of the tank begging for food.

Mine are in a species only tank, so I can't advise you on mixing with otos and loaches, but I'm fairly certain someone else had a couple in a community tank without problem.

 ;D
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 14, 2018, 06:41:27 AM
Odds were it would be you @Littlefish , is there a species you don't keep!?  :rotfl:

More seriously... a few questions if I may please...

What do you feed yours, how many do you have, and how often/how much do you feed? Sorry that seems very specific... from my research I know what they eat, it's the how much per fish and how often big e seems to be less detail on out there. I'm thinking a cube of frozen bloodworm will be too much each day - half every other day might be better supplemented with snails or Daphnia or something?

What temperature do you keep yours at? Again a range is always given... Im thinking I might go slightly cooler at 23 degrees to save a few pennies... they seem to be able to take that.

How many males do you have? I think if they are juveniles in the shop and I can't sex them, only one male will result from a group due to hormone release but the alpha fish which would be good... do you have any advice on this?

I think the other puffer keeper was Fiona who we've not seen online for a while now. She had them with corys, gobys and otos, so it looks like these types of species work ok.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on January 14, 2018, 12:57:17 PM
Ok, it was a fairly safe bet.  ;D
You are also correct that Fiona was the other keeper, with hers in a community tank.

I have 11 in a 140L/100cm tank. I mainly feed them live bloodworms and small pest snails, but they also take frozen foods quite happily. I feed them what seems to be quite a small amount (a pinch with the aquascaping forceps) 2 or 3 times a day. I'd read that little and often was the way to go. If feeding them a cube of frozen I would estimate I give up to half a cube a day, but split over several meals. I think it's always good to supplement with a variety of foods, and I'm lucky that an LFS has quite good range of live foods.

I also keep mine at the cooler end of the range, 23-24C. They seem fine with this.

I got all of mine as juveniles, and there is a roughly equal split of males and females. 2 of the males are much larger than the others, and their chosen territories are at opposite ends of the tank. They are quite dominant, but the group is very good natured, and everyone comes together without trouble at feeding times.

Even when the fish were in the shop, it was possible to spot if there were any males as some already had the line along the belly, but any without the line couldn't be guaranteed female.

I can completely understand why Mrs Matt would struggle not to purchase them immediately. Their cute little faces, and the way they swim, described in one article I read as being that of an inebriated cow in comparison to the grace with which most other fish swim, an the looks of utter wonder on their faces when they are investigating plants and decor...the little buggers will steal your heart as you watch them.  :)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 14, 2018, 06:55:36 PM
Their cute little faces, and the way they swim, described in one article I read as being that of an inebriated cow in comparison to the grace with which most other fish swim, an the looks of utter wonder on their faces when they are investigating plants and decor...the little buggers will steal your heart as you watch them.  :)

We both went "aaawwwwww..." upon reading that and are now desperate to have them in our lives!!!  :-*

I got some rock and wood today, plus buce, vallis and hydrocotyle tripartita. That plus the existing hornwort and some plants stolen back from the 220 litre should make for a nice puffer habitat. :D

I've put the new plants in the 64 litre and done a quick photo just to show the tank looking a bit better!!  ::)

Also a photo is attached of the hardscape layout for the 64 litre (sorry about the label).

I am going for, the built up area will be planted and vallis and any stolen plants from the 220l will be intertwined with the wood, coming up from the base.  The buce will be attached to the wood and pushed into cracks in the rock.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on January 14, 2018, 09:41:21 PM
This is such an exciting development - I've been so envious, reading the update. Those fish are adorable (although sadly not suitable for my own water, so I just have to enjoy them via reading of others' experiences with them, so keep us fully posted once you get them and of their antics :D).
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 14, 2018, 09:58:22 PM
They should hopefully be with us on Sunday!! Very excited, though a lot to do in preparation for their arrival, most of which will need to be done on the Saturday before!

Moving the tank, moving the danios and goby, soaking the wood, changing from gravel to sand substrate, setting up the hardscape, planting......

Another tank adventure!
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Helen on January 14, 2018, 10:10:49 PM
We visited the fish shop this afternoon. Out of all the tanks in the shop, my daughter insisted on making sure I saw the tank that had her favourites in - pygmy puffers!   :rotfl: Fortunately this thread has been enough research, so I was able to say immediately that they wouldn't be good in my tank.


And no, @Littlefish , she's not getting her own tank.  :yikes: She's not yet 5. My tank is older than she is!
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 14, 2018, 10:17:14 PM
I was pleasantly surprised to hear the MA staff offering very good advice about them, tankmates, their diet etc. In fact the sales assistant said they said they don't sell many due to people not being able to provide what the puffers need. 
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on January 14, 2018, 10:24:37 PM
@Helen there is plenty of time for another tank...perhaps a future birthday or christmas present for your daughter...perhaps...Those little puffers don;t need much space (but a bigger tank with lots of them is worth it). ;D

@Matt it is very comforting to hear of sales staff in any fish store offering good advice. Hooray.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 19, 2018, 10:01:45 PM
Ok so here is my plan...

I have had the wood soaking all week to get rid of as much tannins as possible and to make sure they sink. The rocks have also been in the tank growing biofilm (I will loose some biofilm by changing the substrate so it seemed sensible even if it makes little difference in reality).  I need to wash the sand first thing so everything is then ready to go. I'll have to put it in a mixing bowl once done to save running out of buckets later down the line...

Next step will be to remove the decor and plants from the tank. The plants are being reused so will go into a bucket of tank water.  I will then do a little bit of gravel vacuuming just in the areas with plants that have root tabs under them to avoid creating a big mess later on. This will also remove some water which will make it easier for me to catch the galaxy rasbora and assassin snail which are being transferred to the 220litre.  The otocinclus and goby will be put into the bucket with the plants along with the filter and heater. I'll then need to remove the tank lid because of the way the electrics work on the tank so i can run the filter in the bucket. I'm going to take a risk on keeping the goby in with the puffers for a week as I want to add 4 gobies into the 220litre in total and because they can be territorial I want to add them all at the same time if I can. If the puffers and goby don't get on I can always just transfer him across early. 

I can then drain the tank, take out the gravel, and move the tank to its new permanent location. Mrs Matt will sort through the gravel which ill put in the other bucket to find any shrimp babies and Malaysian trumpet snails.  Whilst she is doing this I can put the sand, rocks and wood into the tank and spend a while aquascaping it all until I'm happy with things. I'm going to use tetra initial sticks under the sand to provide the plants with some nutrients.

Once we are happy with the hardscape, the tank will be partially refilled with water from the 220litre, and the filter and heater reinstalled.  The next step will be planting.  As the plants are going to be in the fish bucket it will be less stressful for the fish to have the big tank with the decor in it to hide behind whilst I plant it than be in a bucket I keep putting my hand in and out of so ill move them across before i start. Ill also be stealing a plant or two from the 220litre tank.

Once the planting is done I can top up the water if required from the fish bucket and go get the puffers!!
  :fishy1:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on January 20, 2018, 09:16:48 AM
 ;D

A busy day, but totally worth it.  :cheers:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 20, 2018, 06:37:43 PM
 :fishy1:

 ;D
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on January 20, 2018, 06:47:18 PM
 :cheers:

Aren't they sooooooooooooooooooo cute.  ;D
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on January 20, 2018, 07:48:45 PM
Oooooooooooh, gorgeous!  :fishy1:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 20, 2018, 07:56:16 PM
Not enough 'o's there littlefish and fcmf for something so adorable!!  :D  They swim around in little groups or on their own but constantly get distracted by absolutely everything that catches their googly eyes!!!

They have had some live bloodworm... hilarious watching them stare at it on the substrate, swim around it whilst never taking an eye off it... then dart at it and suddenly find themselves with a bloodworm in their mouths that is twice as long as them! Even better when they pick up the bloodworm in the middle of the worm and can't figure out what to do and one of their mates comes over and nicks it whilst they are still thinking about it.

The khuli loaches are lovely too, so different from other species behaviour.  I've seen one eating tonight too so they seem to be settling in well. They are going to make a great companion fish for the puffers, who so far seem to only have been confused by them (giant stripy bloodworm :o)!! The otocinclus are being totally ignored.

The plants I have are dwarf sag, buce, vallis, anubias nana, hornwort,  hydrocotyle tripartita and dwarf hairgrass. There is some java moss in there too for tieing to the wood at a later date.

The tank is still a bit cloudy but here are a couple more photos of the inhabitants...
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on January 20, 2018, 10:25:01 PM
Dwarf puffers, khuli loaches, otos - that's a tank that will provide you with endless hours of entertainment.
Awesome.  :cheers:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on January 20, 2018, 11:15:02 PM
Fantastic update and pics. I particularly like the one of the dwarf puffer eyeing/sizing up the bloodworm, having read your description. The eye movements of dwarf puffers are adorable.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Helen on January 20, 2018, 11:37:11 PM
Once you've put kuhlis in your tank, there's no moving away from them! Apart from the fact that they're long lived (mine could be up to 8 years old), they are so different to anything else I've researched and seriously considered.

I find I can spend hours watching them after the lights have gone out, if there's enough background light.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 21, 2018, 05:48:01 AM
Thats a good idea regarding the background light @Helen as i suspect they will soon figure out that the left over bloodworm is there in the evening and they dont get disturbed as much on evening bloodworm expeditions... I may have to try using my blue moon light in the evenings again once the tank is stable.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Helen on January 21, 2018, 09:53:18 AM
Being nocturnal, I'm pretty sure they will find any left over bloodworm no matter how little light there is. It's just whether you can see them!

The most interesting thing I've seen since putting the sand in my tank, is seeing the kuhlis feeding by shifting the sand through their gills. They do it at quite a surprising rate - I can see little showers of sand flying nearly halfway down their body! And they leave some interesting scalloping patterns in the sand. I imagine that a few feeding in the same place could have quite an aquascaping effect!
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 21, 2018, 10:29:27 AM
One khuli was very active indeed this morning... though the other is yet to be seen...I just have snail tracks across the sand... Im regretting using the old gravel to build up the sand in the corner now...

Do your khulis dig little burrows into the sand under rocks/wood? My goby has spent ages excavating the sand under a rock to build himself a little hidey hole  ::)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Sue on January 21, 2018, 11:24:41 AM
Stiphodons do that. They are a nightmare to catch in a shop tank that has gravel on the bottom.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 21, 2018, 11:31:26 AM
Yeh... i cant catch the goby to transfer him now...!!!  :vcross:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Helen on January 21, 2018, 11:50:07 AM
I'm not aware of my kuhlis burrowing. But they've only just got sand after many years of gravel that was a bit too big for burrowing.

But I think it was my BN Plec that was landscaping to make his favourite caves big enough for him. I've not put them completely back (just rearranged to stabilise) and he seems happy, so it has stayed as it is. I actually find the variation in substrate levels add interest.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on January 21, 2018, 12:07:26 PM
Burrowing gobies are so cute when you see their little faces poking out of the burrow.  ;D
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 21, 2018, 01:08:46 PM
Anyone got any tips for catching them??  :vcross:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Sue on January 21, 2018, 02:16:44 PM
The woman at the shop just scooped up a load of gravel with the fish hidden in it ..........
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 27, 2018, 11:23:49 PM
Everybody seems to be doing well, I'm still getting used to how much I need to feed the tank. It is certainly not as easy as it is with 'normal fish' where you can flow things like the 'as much as they can eat in 2 minutes rule.  I am thinking that  about 2 blood worms per puffer per day is about the right amount, a bit more though for the khulis to get something at lights out.

The wood is growing that white gloopy stuff in absolute bucket loads. I've never see it so bad. There are three pieces of wood in the tank and the two bought from the same store have as much some on them as there is wood, most likely there is more some than wood.  :sick:

I took all the wood out (won't be doing that again... nightmare getting it assembled and back in right again) and rubbed the growth off in hot water.  Hopefully that will slow it down a bit...
I think some if the root tabs in the built up area at the back had become dislodged in a landslide and may have been feeding the tank with nutrients.  This has been sorted now too.

I rejigged the layout of the buce and anubias a little when I put the wood back in and the tank looks a lot more 'balanced' now.  I'll get some photos in the morning when everyone has had a chance to settle back in.

I have also built a snail breeding 'tank'. It's very heath robinson :-[ but I think it should serve a purpose for feeding the puffers. I had a spaghetti storage Tupperware thing with a clip on lid that I had once planned to build an external filter from with a heater inside it. This is the 'tank'. Using this allowed me to gain enough height (when compared to normal 'horizontal' food containers) to install a cheap air powered filter. The airline goes through a hole I've drilled in the lid and there are several very small holes also in the lid to allow the air to escape... but not the snails!  I have put the whole thing in the cabinet of my aquaoak in the bucket thing I have the filter in so it's packed right up next to it and I'm hoping this will provide enough heat to keep it warm enough for the snails to breed. I can put veg or bits of algae wafer in every now and then to feed them.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 28, 2018, 07:19:12 AM
I woke up this morning to find the puffers sleeping as normal. They loose their colour as per other fish but just seem to rest on the bottom scattered about the tank in the nearest place to when they got tired.

 This morning though one had obviously got tired near a branch of wood because it had decided to go to sleep perched on the branch... looking like a bird!   :o

They are such silly little things...
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on January 28, 2018, 08:45:30 AM
 ;D

Having access to baby snails on a regular basis is great when you have dwarf puffers. They love them. Nom, nom, nom.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 28, 2018, 11:02:57 AM
It would help if the little idiots didnt swim down the siphon hose!...

To be honest i think it enjoyed its trip on the rollercoaster... seemed to take it all in its stride  :raspberries

They are somehow very annoying in the cutest possible way  ???
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 28, 2018, 11:36:21 AM
Shot of the tank... not the best in daylight but it shows how I've changed it round a bit...
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on January 28, 2018, 12:53:28 PM
If I remember correctly, one of Fiona's puffers took a spin in a syphon, and was fine with the whole thing.
They are very inquisitive little fish, which is adorable, but can be a tad inconvenient during tank maintenance.  ::)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on January 28, 2018, 03:20:41 PM
So envious of you having these. Saw some baby dwarf puffers - each about 0.5 cm in size - recently in the LFS and was almost drooling over how gorgeous they were.  Keep up the updates on their antics.
 :fishy1:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on April 20, 2018, 09:58:49 PM
I was never quite happy with this tank... well now I finally am. It's funny how you can start with a certain vision in your head but end up with something completely different in the end!...

Hopefully you can see how the vallis will grow to create a green background to the tank.  The buce now looks more natural in the layout and the baby java fern will grow much taller of course and will be moved backwards to grow up through the wood to hopefully give a very natural feel. The dwarf sag is growing well and sending out little runners and forming new plants and over time will fill the central gap left by the java fern when it gets moved back into the wood more. The sag and vallis look surprisingly similar which ties things together nicely.  I have the substrate sloped towards the back of the tank which also looks better than the previous slope from left to right.

Hope you like it too! I think it will only look better with time. Other advantage is I'm seeing more of the khulis and otos as there is actually less space to hide in this new scape.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on April 20, 2018, 10:12:21 PM
Your tank looks great.  8)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: TopCookie on April 20, 2018, 10:25:52 PM
Looking v.good there Matt...   ;)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on April 20, 2018, 10:41:37 PM
Does indeed look great. You have a natural aquascaping talent.  8)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Helen on April 20, 2018, 11:46:35 PM
Looks great.  :cheers:

As @fcmf says, you have a real talent for aquascaping.

You should take a photo every week then your post will look like one of the "how to aquascape" articles in Practical Fishkeeping!  ;)

* Apart from all our comments.  :rotfl:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on April 21, 2018, 08:26:26 AM
Thanks everyone.  :cheers:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on November 26, 2018, 10:29:20 PM
Here is how things grew in :)

Getting a bit bored of this scape to be honest so might be getting re-worked soon...

Great to see how much the buces have grown, though some appear to have done better than others, they are all much larger.  I was only thinking the other day that they never seen to get any bigger... it may have been six... no wait... seven(!) months but I can definitely see the growth by comparing the two photos  :))
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on November 26, 2018, 10:41:03 PM
I've got something like this in mind... though I think I'd like the front to be a carpet... not sure yet but this is the direction I'm thinking of taking it...

The tank is a old but great scape of George Farmers that I've always loved.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Helen on November 26, 2018, 10:48:49 PM
I think it looks really good grown in.  ;) It is difficult not to constantly tinker with tank set up.

I've found have plants on moveable bits of wood was bad for me in that respect. Every time I vaccumed the tank I'd pick up the wood and want to put it somewhere different.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on November 26, 2018, 10:53:01 PM
Thanks Helen :)

Having posted that image of George Farmers tank, I think I've realised that it is my nano tank that I want to look like this... so what do I want to do with this tank? Oh I'm so confused and excited all at the same time!!!
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 08, 2019, 07:17:58 PM
Just a quick New Year's update... still contemplating the next move for this tank but managed to get some decent snaps of the tank and inhabitabts earlier... i may have to try again for a khuli loach and/or oto picture though... they are far less easy to catch out in the open!
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on January 09, 2019, 10:48:15 PM
Great pics. Those dwarf puffers eyeing up the bloodworm are absolutely adorable.  8)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on January 10, 2019, 01:50:34 PM
 :afro
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Sue on January 10, 2019, 03:55:17 PM
All these photos of puffers made me debate whether to replace my betta with a puffer. But then I though about having to make sure they get enough snails to keep their beaks in trim, so adorable as puffers are I decided another betta was the best option. I'll just enjoy photos of other people's puffers  :)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 10, 2019, 06:50:53 PM
The pygmy puffers don't need snails to keep their beaks worn down @Sue !!!
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Sue on January 10, 2019, 06:58:12 PM
I read that they did on SF which is what put me off dwarf puffers
Quote
It should be fed small snails (shell on) regularly, in order to maintain its sharp teeth



However, it's a bit too late to reconsider as I now have a new betta  ;D
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 10, 2019, 07:14:32 PM
Oooh, exciting!!! As I'm sure you're aware of the requirements for photos etc. I look forward to seeing him/her soon!.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Sue on January 10, 2019, 07:26:44 PM
I'll give him time to settle in first  ;D
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on January 10, 2019, 08:23:31 PM
I read that they did on SF which is what put me off dwarf puffers
Quote
It should be fed small snails (shell on) regularly, in order to maintain its sharp teeth

Yes, it's primarily because of that (and my water probably being too soft) that I had trained myself to "look but not be tempted" by dwarf puffers. My latest episode of fish broodiness had subsided slightly - don't tempt it back again, @Matt, with comments about snails not being necessary!
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on January 31, 2019, 10:29:24 PM
I have killed the vallis!  >:(

I did a liquid carbon overdose to deal with some nuisance algae... and once and for all proved that vallis doesn't like liquid carbon... it is all slowly dying... I will have to trim it all back. Tank going to look too rubbish to bear so this will definately be rescaped now... ive fished out some more stone to use and some anubias... but no real plan yet... too many ideas and not enough decision making!! ::)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on February 01, 2019, 08:20:12 AM
Oooops.  ;)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on February 02, 2019, 11:58:01 AM
Rescape complete!... I'll post a photo when the water clears  :cheers:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on February 02, 2019, 01:34:43 PM
That didn't take you long.
I'm looking forward to seeing what it looks like.  :)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on February 02, 2019, 03:11:50 PM
Ive replicated George's 65cm NA tank like I said previously (photo attached again below)... we've actually been out for the day so can't wait to get back shortly and see what it looks like!  The lights were turned off to calm the fish down after the ordeal and the tank water was quite cloudy right up until a rapid water change before we jumped in the car... so it will be nice to see it myself!
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on February 02, 2019, 09:23:26 PM
More work to do tomorrow on this i think... but here is the overnight view.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Helen on February 02, 2019, 09:31:16 PM
Wow!! That's fabulous.
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on February 02, 2019, 09:39:10 PM
Thanks @Helen  :cheers:

I need to add more plants tomorrow and tidy things up a bit. And there will some growing in to do too... not quite finished here yet!
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on February 03, 2019, 08:15:05 AM
Awesome.  :afro
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on February 03, 2019, 08:31:10 AM
Thanks Donna!

I am just about to finish my brew and get to tweaking things...
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on February 03, 2019, 02:13:46 PM
Stunning. The blue background works really well in this case. Congrats!  8)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on February 03, 2019, 10:12:34 PM
I added more crypt balansae and some crypt beckettii. Bit of a tidy and job done...  :))

Somebody got a bit fat after their tea...

@fcmf The tank has a black background but does look blue in the photos where the light is reflecting at the top... odd really I assume the led light must have a blue component to it else I'm not sure why it looks blue  ???
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on February 04, 2019, 08:28:44 AM
It's looking fantastic.  :afro

Dwarf puffers always look funny with the post-feed tubby tummy.  ;D
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on February 04, 2019, 01:44:30 PM
Looks great, and those dwarf puffers are soooooooo adorable.  (Argh - I'm getting fish broody again...)

Dwarf puffers always look funny with the post-feed tubby tummy.  ;D
6 of my 7 neon green rasboras get that, especially after a feed of brineshrimp or bloodworm. ;D

Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Sue on February 04, 2019, 02:12:36 PM
All these puffer photos...... maybe I will get puffers when my current betta passes away  ;D
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: jaypeecee on February 04, 2019, 06:09:37 PM
Hi Matt,

I admire your aquascaping skills - did they come naturally or did you take a course in aquascaping? Choosing a bunch of plants that will grow well together is also to your credit. You also have some lovely fish - the blue Gobies are one of my wife's favourites and no-one can resist puffers! I keep Panda Garras, which are similar to Gobies.

BTW, I think I spotted you on the UKAPS forum very recently.

JPC
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on February 04, 2019, 10:12:01 PM
Thanks all, very kind comments   ;D  :cheers:

@jaypeecee yes I'm on UKAPS too. Between these 2 forums I am kept quite busy!

I learnt most of what I know from YouTube, podcasts, the internet... it certainly isn't something that has come naturally!! But I have always enjoyed planted tanks from the get go... I didn't start as a fishkeeper and transition to aquascaping as such.

If you are interested, take a look at my website: www.scapeeasy.co.uk (http://www.scapeeasy.co.uk)
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on March 03, 2019, 06:42:32 AM
Finally happy enough with the look of this tank to submit a photo to the Maidenhead Aquatics gallery competition... any support you would be able to offer me would be much appreciated :)

https://fishkeeper.co.uk/gallery/ (https://fishkeeper.co.uk/gallery/)

I'm getting quite addicted to this competition lol... the level of competition on there gets better and better month on month! Its great to see more people getting into aquascaping... make my job harder though!!!
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on September 01, 2019, 11:03:50 PM
Another rescape... this seems to be in the classic Matt style... It's less hardscape than before and more plants... they have a bit of growing in to do but it will only improve with age!  Sorry about the fairly rough and ready photo... this is just after switching it from planting substrate and carpetting plants in the foreground to cosmetic sand and the odd baby crypt so things are still a bit messy... Hope you like it!
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on October 17, 2019, 11:22:54 PM
Brief update on this tank... I'll get another photo soon now the evenings are getting darker its easier for me to get photos without reflections... not much growth though as plants didn't transition too well and minimal fertilisation to minimise maintenance requirements.  However, a stocking update...

I've had the dwarf puffers for about 3 and a half years.  I bought 6 originally (one was a freebie neither I or the shop expected to 'make it').  One passed a a few months back quite quickly, unknown cause. I just had the one no one thought would make it pass away today too...  The remaining puffers are in good health although they are getting somewhat old in puffer years now...

I still have the 2 khuli loach, i removed the x2 otocinclus from the tank which are now in my main 220litre. The 220 is getting a South American fish only thing going so they will be swapped with the 2 remaining cobalt gobies as soon as I can figure out how to catch them!...

Basically I'm already feeling like the tanks days are numbered...  Likely though that I will swap Gretta the Betta into here if the puffers are no longer the stars of the show. Gretta will need a bit more room soon anyways as she is growing fast!  I can see a heavily planted aquarium for her... minimal hardscape etc...
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Matt on February 16, 2020, 07:45:14 PM
I shut this tank down today, something I’ve wanted to do for quite a while now. With the introduction of Baby Matt 8 months ago two tanks and the pond really is my maximum for now. This means I should be able to focus on having 2 really good well maintained aquascapes rather than neglecting 2 of them... I moved the dwarf puffers over into the main 220litre community tank a week or so ago after my elderly honey gourami passed (I was concerned for her feelers). I have been lucky with my puffers I think - they were quite peaceful from the start and have integrated well into the community setting. They leave the other fish well alone, preferring to hunt pest snails in the vegetation. When I introduce some frozen bloodworm they flock to it straight away and get a good full before the others know what’s going on! The puffers are elderly now and won’t be replaced when they pass. Feeding bloodworm is an added faff too... so eventually I will have the community tank on an auto feeder and the Betta tank will be the only thing I need to worry about day to day.   khuli loach of course are rarely seen but will be fine too. I was actually quite surprised I still had 2!
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: fcmf on February 16, 2020, 10:46:11 PM
Great that the puffers have integrated well into the main tank.  :cheers:
Title: Re: Matt's 64 litre tank
Post by: Littlefish on February 17, 2020, 07:58:15 PM
Good to hear that everyone is getting along in the community tank. Well done.  :cheers: