Think I've finished my 15 gall :-)

NetMax wrote:
"Gill Passman" wrote in message
.. .

Hi All,

Just wanted to share. This tank has been a "tank of death" in it's last
two incarnations but right now it is looking great....taking a slow
approach and seeding as necessary. It is heavily planted with driftwood
(why do all my tanks look the same with the exception of the Malawi
tank?????).


Tanks tend to go planted (driftwood, soft water etc) or rockface (rock
chunks & hard water). I've played around with hybrids, by using inert rocks
in planted tanks, and using driftwood, silk plants and thick leaved plants
like Amazon swords (in pots) into the mbuna tanks. After a while you get
used to seeing African cichlids swimming around plant life, and plastic/silk
plants are a lot easier than real plants to 'plant' partway up your rock
walls ;~).


Anyway the occupants a-

2 Powder Blue Dwarf Gouramis (1M/1F)
5 Rummy Nose Tetras
3 Dutch rams (1M/2F)

It is looking incredibly pretty and the fish are all feeding well. I was
hesitant with the Rams but so far I've done better than my last attempt (2
dead within 30 mins of adding them - different tank).

The only possible other additions (bear in mind this is UK not US galls)
would be some sort of clean up crew.It originally came with the Rena
equivalent of a Fluval Plus 1 - this has been upgraded to a Fluval 2 Plus.
The tank will not get severe algae because of its location....I'm going to
wait until I discover what type of probs it might get....but I think that
Corys would cope with any waste food if I need to go that route. The only
other possibility is if I ever find the illusive Peacock Gobies again (or
get overrun with snails and need loaches)

Does this sound a good mix to everyone?


Sounds good. I have no experience with Gobies, but I have lots of
experience with algae ;~). In my high light tank, the algae doesn't
actually settle down. It just grows different kinds, typically 1 or 2 at a
time, replacing its predecessors. I have a low light tank which grows algae
sheets along the side glass and fur on all the rocks. This one is very
stable (from an algae evolutionary perspective). The front glass is also
surprisingly clean (I guess I've conceded enough surface area to consume all
the nutrients in the water).

cheers

I've fought (and hopefully defeated almost other than what I am prepared
to tolerate) all types of algae...in fact I allow it to grow
(controlled) in some of the tanks now to provide food for my algae
eaters....the key I am sure is either very heavy planting or very
stringent clean up (elbow grease) and water changes.....

I've been looking at the tank again....since adding the Rams the tetras
are now very much out and on show....very happy with this tank but will
be monitoring everything closely and seeding as nec....

The Gobies were an impulse buy....I'd got a 7.5 hex planted tank and was
looking for something to put in there....went to my LFS with my Dad, on
one of his trips and he wanted to buy me some fish...spotted the Gobies
and just went for them....I've never seen them since, which is why I was
so "fed up" when I lost one a few weeks ago....apparently they can ony
be imported from Holland if you want to source them in the UK...I asked
one LFS (the original source) if he would get some more in and got the
answer "only if I buy 50 of them"...another place is telling me they are
trying to source them....it could be months....The Peacock Gobies are
what my teenage sons would probably describe as "chill"...they don't
fight..they are not overly active...they just sit in the tank looking
pretty....I'm very attached to them. They share the Hex with 5 Panda
Corys which give a little bit of action to the tank.

They are very, very fussy eaters...I can only get them to take frozen
brine shrimp, blood worm or daphnia (turn their noses up at freeze dried
or flake). The only other food they take is the catfish pellets I put in
for the Pandas...and I think that is only from watching the Pandas...

Very fond of the Gobies and want more....perhaps as I now have 2M/2F I
could home grow some - off to Google...

gill