Matt's 220 Litre Aquaoak

Side photo and updated front shot.

Thanks Dave and Donna

I'd be happy to help with this... just get in touch nearer the time with some ideas and we can go from there if you like?

Some new additions today...

After the loss of all but 2 of my harlequins whilst I was away, the tank looked quite bare on the fish front and my stocking was at about 45%. I wanted a surface dweller ideally to fill a gap at the top of the tank, though was struggling to find any i liked (hatchetfish dont do it for me!) and  / or a smaller 2cm fish. I had galaxy rasboras at one point but they were very hidey and I didn't see much of them but I liked that they added another dimension to the tank amongst the mainly 3 cm fish. My honey gourami arnt really a surface dweller in my oppinion spending time through the whole tank... one is quite poorly too, it has a very large growth which developed shortly after I got it. I'm surprised it has lasted this long to be honest...

Anyway long story short now... I was deciding between chilli rasbora and ember tetra. I couldn't get the chilli rasbora in the numbers I wanted on the day which helped my decision making and I got ember tetras (impossible to photo). I am really glad I did! I have 12 and the schoal beautifully and are out and about and very active. Their colours also go great in the tank. Very happy. Ill get a decent photo at some point. I only have pictures of orange blurs at the moment...

I also got 6 dwarf pencil fish (that hurt my wallet a bit at £5 each) after seeing them in the shop and falling in love with them. I had seen hockeystick pencilfish and golden pencilfish before though they don't really stay near the surface like the dwarfs do, plus i find their colouration much more attractive. They settled in super quickly (as did the embers) and were eating half an hour after being put in the tank. They have been in the top third / quarter of the tank ever since as a little group making little adventures from their hidey hole near the vallis where there is some surface cover (I'm going to spread the vallis out a bit more for them) where they hover and display to each other regularly. Again I am very happy with my purchase! Photo attached.

Finally, I also got the golden eyed dwarf cichlids I had been on about in another thread. They have been quite hidey so far. Though I have seen them both out, when I approach the tank they quickly retreat. I'm sure they will be more comfortable after a night in their new home. The coloration of the male (the female is likely the same) I have observed to be very changeable, I have seen a dot a stripe and a general pattern across his side already and they are quite 'detailed' for example in comparison to the blue ram which whilst beautiful is essentially blue with a bit of orange near it's head, these are like a rainbow of colours. I will get some good photos of them in different moods and post them here soon.  More to come on these guys as they settle in!

The tank looks nicely stocked again (back up at 75% stocked) oh and I changed the layout recently too so there will be some full frontal shots to come of that too... I've basically changed it from an island layout to a triangular "slope" layout.

These pencilfish are one of my favourites, I love the way they hover in the water   

If you think they were expensive, you should see the price of the related N. mortenthaleri 

When I posted a pic of mine on the old forum, someone described them as humbugs. To me they look more like everton mints 

These pencilfish are one of my favourites, I love the way they hover in the water   

If you think they were expensive, you should see the price of the related N. mortenthaleri 

If it's any consolation, the price of annieae gobies is 

Here is a photo of the tank 

I'll get some better shots and some close ups and some of the other new fish soon...

Wow - these new additions are such an exciting development!      So envious of the full-tank pic and the various species you can accommodate, and indeed all of the pics, but the pic of the pencilfish is particularly amazing.

Looking forward to seeing pics of the embers once you're able to.

My honey gourami arnt really a surface dweller in my oppinion spending time through the whole tank... one is quite poorly too, it has a very large growth which developed shortly after I got it. I'm surprised it has lasted this long to be honest...

That gourami passed quite suddenly and seemingly quite peacefully last night (after looking 'a bit off' esterday night. Im quite gald really.

I realised I have all South American apart from the remaining gourami and harlequins. I'll have to look up where all my plants are from. I don't think there will be any similarities!

I do still have the gobies... forgot about them for a second. I was hoping to move them to the puffer tank for a while but since I've now managed to stop them brining the planting substrate out into the sand, they can stay! I do love their characters they are not peaceful though! Constant fighting!! Are yours the same?