Michigan Cichlid Association

General Category => Non Cichlids => Topic started by: Nick on January 05, 2013, 08:20:03 PM

Title: First planted / community tank (New Pics)
Post by: Nick on January 05, 2013, 08:20:03 PM
I got it set up yesterday and some local friends gave me the plants and a bag full of cherry shrimp to start out. If anyone is wondering its a 56 gallon column tank. Trust me when we say more than enough filtration and True Lumen Pro LEDs for lighting.

Sorry the pics aren't that great.

(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/IMG_20130104_194034.jpg)

(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/IMG_20130104_194049.jpg)

(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/IMG_20130105_200044.jpg)

(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/IMG_20130105_200055.jpg)




Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: danielratti on January 05, 2013, 09:30:00 PM
cool. What are your plans for stocking it?
Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: Nick on January 05, 2013, 10:29:43 PM
cool. What are your plans for stocking it?

Pretty much everything. I was thinking some cardinal tetras, a variety of guppies, a few rare plecos, Blue rams (already have them waiting for me to pick them up), maybe some angels and whatever else I can stuff in there...lol. Never had a planted aquarium before so im sure the first little while will be quite interesting. Basically I want a big community tank.
Title: Re: First planted / community tank/new pics
Post by: Nick on January 16, 2013, 12:12:45 AM
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/IMG_20130115_214821.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/IMG_20130115_215002.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/IMG_20130115_214911.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/IMG_20130115_214538.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/IMG_20130115_215002.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/IMG_20130115_214507.jpg)
Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: linuxrulesusa on January 16, 2013, 12:16:09 AM
Looking good.  I especially like that electric blue ram.
Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: Helloitsme on January 16, 2013, 01:22:39 AM
I'd go with Platy's instead of guppies. In my experience guppies and Angels don't do well together.
Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: GrizzlysDad on January 16, 2013, 10:06:45 AM
I'd go with Platy's instead of guppies. In my experience guppies and Angels don't do well together.

I agree with Chuck...guppies will constantly go after the angel's fins.

Tank looks great!!!
Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: Nick on January 16, 2013, 10:55:13 AM
I'd go with Platy's instead of guppies. In my experience guppies and Angels don't do well together.

I agree with Chuck...guppies will constantly go after the angel's fins.

Tank looks great!!!

Thanks guys. The funny thing is the angels ate 2 of the guppies....well endlers. And all the guppies won't leave the top of the tank. Acting normal and eating good but won't leave the top and of the tank.

I wish I liked mollies but I really don't care for them at all. Maybe another schooling group or perhaps I might find a sword tail I actually like.

Im excited for the auction though I'm hoping for lots of corys and hypancistrus
Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: danielratti on January 16, 2013, 11:10:28 AM
I'd go with Platy's instead of guppies. In my experience guppies and Angels don't do well together.

I agree with Chuck...guppies will constantly go after the angel's fins.

Tank looks great!!!

Thanks guys. The funny thing is the angels ate 2 of the guppies....well endlers. And all the guppies won't leave the top of the tank. Acting normal and eating good but won't leave the top and of the tank.

I wish I liked mollies but I really don't care for them at all. Maybe another schooling group or perhaps I might find a sword tail I actually like.

Im excited for the auction though I'm hoping for lots of corys and hypancistrus

I have some lyre tail swords that I might have babies from soon. They look super cool.
Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: linuxrulesusa on January 16, 2013, 11:11:31 AM
Endlers should be fine, other than the angels will eat them because they're so small.  I keep swordtails and platies with my angels and so far they all get along.  Just regular red swordtails and then some yellow 'mickey mouse' platies.
Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: JeffroM on January 16, 2013, 11:13:09 AM
Looking good!
Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: TrailerParkFishTanks on January 27, 2013, 08:57:33 AM
if you like schooling fish i personally like harlequin rasboras. they arent as skiddish as cardinals and they wont bother your angels. i really like your angels by the way. they look great. another option to replace the guppies are bloodfin tetras. they also keep a tight group. i keep cardinals and rummy nose tetras in my planted tank and i think its a good match. (im a sucker for rummy nose though)  the rummy nose are quite active and great schoolers, and their little red faces remind me of an alcoholic. lol. those are my top community fish anyways, but there is so much out there.
Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: TrailerParkFishTanks on January 27, 2013, 08:58:54 AM
oh p.s. great job on the scaping.
Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: Nick on February 11, 2013, 10:50:40 AM
oh p.s. great job on the scaping.

Thanks for the comments everyone. I ended up getting a group of Double Red Apistograma and a pair of Golden Rams at the MCA auction. Everyone is doing great. I also got a L333 from a local breeder too. I also ordered some more plants that should be in this week. Dwarf Baby Tears, Ludwigia Repens, Rotala Walichii, and Alternanthera reineckii  'roseafolia'. Now if I can just get a nice group of corys and maybe a few algae eaters / long fin plecos at the auction this week I will be about set.....who am I kidding. Ill be changing stuff constantly.
Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: four_by_ken on February 11, 2013, 04:36:57 PM
...and their little red faces remind me of an alcoholic. lol. ...


 ;D

Too funny.

Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: RichE on February 12, 2013, 04:45:22 AM
Very Nice looking tank. Looks very natural.
Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: Nick on February 14, 2013, 09:06:43 PM
Very Nice looking tank. Looks very natural.

Thanks!

I was able to get all of my new plants in and planted with success today. Even the Dwarf Baby tears....but now....the rams are pulling all of the Baby Tears up. There goes the carpet I wanted. Half of them are now floating at the top of the tank. I had them all in 1cm pieces for planting. All closely planted....how it looks like my tank has mange. The rest looks good though. Ill post some picks once I can.
Title: Re: First planted / community tank **More Pics**
Post by: Nick on February 14, 2013, 09:34:17 PM
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/DSC01193_zps20c789ea.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/DSC01192_zps584548ee.jpg)

Notice the pile of Dwarf baby Tears in the top right corner....damn rams!!!!

(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/DSC01190_zps3cebb061.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/DSC01188_zpscfd9562e.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/DSC01187_zps90c75419.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/DSC01185_zpsc3ae4fcb.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/DSC01184_zpscc0dbc3e.jpg)
Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: NorthernAquatic on February 14, 2013, 09:44:54 PM
Very nice looking setup. I love the look of a good planted tank. Thanks for the pics. Good luck with the rams. lol
Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: Nick on February 16, 2013, 08:08:00 PM
So does anyone think....
30 Cardinal tetras
2 Platinum Angles
12 Guppies
15 Corys
4 Apistogramma
2 Gold rams
2 Blue rams
3 Electic blue Rams
1 L333
1 Green Dragon Longfin Pleco
.....Too much for this 56g Planted tank ;D 8) :P

Had a good time at the auction today though. Seemed like a good turnout.
Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: GrizzlysDad on February 16, 2013, 09:08:30 PM
So does anyone think....
30 Cardinal tetras
2 Platinum Angles
12 Guppies
15 Corys
4 Apistogramma
2 Gold rams
2 Blue rams
3 Electic blue Rams
1 L333
1 Green Dragon Longfin Pleco
.....Too much for this 56g Planted tank ;D 8) :P

Had a good time at the auction today though. Seemed like a good turnout.

You are fine with that amount of livestock. I once had a 50BR fully planted that had over 200 fish in there with no issues.
Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: Nick on February 16, 2013, 10:01:45 PM
So does anyone think....
30 Cardinal tetras
2 Platinum Angles
12 Guppies
15 Corys
4 Apistogramma
2 Gold rams
2 Blue rams
3 Electic blue Rams
1 L333
1 Green Dragon Longfin Pleco
.....Too much for this 56g Planted tank ;D 8) :P

Had a good time at the auction today though. Seemed like a good turnout.

You are fine with that amount of livestock. I once had a 50BR fully planted that had over 200 fish in there with no issues.

That is always good to hear. I have kept a ridiculous amount of cichlids in a single tank before but never in a planted tank. The thing looks sweet right now because of all the activity. I love the corys in their too. As of now I think Ill either add a group of rum nose tetras and or 2 black angles to offset the 2 platinum angles. 
Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: Nick on March 08, 2013, 12:39:45 PM
When i said I was going to put guppies in with angel fish I was told that the guppies would nip at the Angels fins....Well my Angel fish apparently like the taste of the guppies. They have eaten more than 10 guppies so far. I just watched them tear one apart. They arent even full grown angels yet either. They have to rip and shred to get them apart. I feed them more than enough too. Eh...oh well.
Title: Re: First planted / community tank
Post by: Nick on March 08, 2013, 07:31:19 PM
New pics of the new plants....All of the other ones I bought online died...I didnt do my research and between the rams eating them and the water being too warm they all parished. The new ones though are swords and cyrps that they leave alone. I actually like it better.

(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/3-8-13Fish006_zpsb26abd04.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/3-8-13Fish005_zps538d6619.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/3-8-13Fish007_zps0cb7aaa8.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/3-8-13Fish008_zpsc1c0571c.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/3-8-13Fish012_zpsf80d6fc3.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/nwr2339/3-8-13Fish014_zps68fd3ff9.jpg)
Title: Re: First planted / community tank (New Pics)
Post by: PaulineMi on March 11, 2013, 02:16:29 PM
I  missed this thread previously.  Tank looks great!

Love the picture of the ram doing it's best to "release" the plant from the driftwood. Lol. I know it's annoying though. I had a couple of angels that thought it was great fun to play tag while dragging pieces of java moss around the tank.  I have no more java moss in that tank.
Title: Re: First planted / community tank (New Pics)
Post by: Nick on March 11, 2013, 10:30:09 PM
I  missed this thread previously.  Tank looks great!

Love the picture of the ram doing it's best to "release" the plant from the driftwood. Lol. I know it's annoying though. I had a couple of angels that thought it was great fun to play tag while dragging pieces of java moss around the tank.  I have no more java moss in that tank.

lol thanks. Those darn rams...oh well. I actually prefer the way the tank looks now anyways. I still need some foreground plants but other than that this tank is about done plant wise. The only problem now is I might be moving to Fort Smith Arkansas. If that happens I have to decide whether to sell all my fish or attempt to move them. Unfortunetly I think the best thing to do will be to sell them....Even the discus. There will be a nice for sale post on the forum next week if we are moving  :P 8)