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New Cichlid tank setup

  • #41
have you tried utilizing certain aquarium plants to help control nitrates?
water wisteria and hornwort are good candidates. fast growing plants usually equate to fast nitrogen uptake. java fern and anubias are rather slow growers.
 
  • #42
I thought about some hornwort and I actually already have some Wisteria in another tank.... and crissy sent me some guppy grass to try as well.

(When a group of us hiked the swamp at ICPS, I saw tons of what I think was hornwort in one of the billibongs.... it was tempting LOL)

I'm wanting to maintain as much open space as I can, but I’m going to have to find a happy balance somewhere....
Actually, things have improved quite a bit.... the java fern and moss are growing well and some algae growth also helps

Right now I’m running 0.66w/gallon so limited to low light or floating plants me thinks...

I’ve also gotten myself one of the venturi powered vacuums, and added a long discharge hose to my RO system prefilters. So now water changes are pretty painless.... The vacuum removes the water in just a moment or two and the RO prefilter hose gives me a way to refill the system with fresh, dechlorinated and filtered but Non-RO water (and no more buckets woohoo!!)

I’m also going to start raising Grindal worms as a food source, I think that will help some too.... less uneaten detritus (not that i have much now, I’m careful with feedings... but still)

(one of my two daily feedings is now frozen brine shrimp which seems to work well too. Their morning meal is Omega brand sinking pellets, the corys and rams love them)

Had i to do it over, I would have drilled my tank for overflow and cycled the water down to the basement and through Sphagnum cultures. Putting that Nitrate resource to good use and not worried about it!

Oh well, hindsight is always 20/20
 
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  • #43
have you tried utilizing certain aquarium plants to help control nitrates?
water wisteria and hornwort are good candidates. fast growing plants usually equate to fast nitrogen uptake. java fern and anubias are rather slow growers.

Added a 1gal capacity /40gph HOB Refugium/Algae scrubber this weekend.... :)
Have high hopes it will reduce nitrate levels dramatically.

It looks impressive.... hope it works like I think it should.

Av
 
  • #44
wooohooo, I have what looks like dozens and dozens of ram babies LOL....
not sure what to do, I will just let nature take it's course this time around I guess,
Maybe next time I'll be more prepared and set up a breeder tank and try to raise a few

sweet!
 
  • #45
wohoooo!!!! if you can add a sponge in your filter intake, it will increase the chances of having a few :) just my two cents :)
 
  • #46
Ive got a sponge on the refugium intake, but the main filter has an odd shaped intake.... not really a good way to cover it

next time Ill be ready with a breeder tank :)

hope a couple makes it just for sake of first litter
 
  • #47
Oh Ok, Fingers crossed!!!! :)
 
  • #48
video,
sorry for poor quality, point and click camera vid at much closer distance than it could really focus
http://youtu.be/ZTcY1ob3QAo

thanks for looking,
Av
 
  • #49
:) such good parenting
 
  • #50
Well, their numbers went from dozens and dozens to just 5 or 10 last night to a couple this morning....
As their bravery increases and their journeys further and further from the nest increase.... their numbers drop dramatically.
Evidently, they taste goooooood LOL

Fry survival in a 29g community tank doesn't appear to be very likely, DOH!

LOL....
 
  • #51
Butch

If you want to put in some extra work feeding your next batch of fry, try this. I use a 1" diameter plastic tube long enough to reach the bottom and be above the water by a few inches. I place the bottom of the tube in the area where the fry are and add my fry food into the top of the tube. It will sink down and spot feed your fry. The water currents won't disperse the food as it travels down. You can use this to place black worms in a feeder dish so your Corys can get a really good feed. I use a dedicated Mortar and Pestle to finely grind adult food and then doctor it up with Seachem Entice http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Entice.html and a vitamin additive like Seachem Nourish http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Nourish.html to feed the fry. Multiple feedings per day are best if you can.
 
  • #52
Jerry,

Oh i love simple ideas that make sense :)
Using the tube is uber simple and brillant, thanks mate!

Now if i can talk the rest of the tank mates into not eating the fry LOL
 
  • #53
3.5 yr past due update LOL

the kids have done well.... you can see all five of my Bolivian Rams if you look carefully.
One is playing peekaboo... and there are a couple emerald cory's up front looking for leftovers lol.

I originally started with seven BR's but lost two early on due to me doing stupid stuff with filter.

they are now pretty old for the species but seem to be doing just fine. Love the species, they're spunky and playful and gather at the front of the tank when I'm nearby

bolivianram16.jpg


cell phone image taken yesterday

thanks for looking,
Av
 
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  • #54
That's the cleanest freshwater tank I've seen! Nice!
 
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